Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 57 (Appassionata) Rip out the front page! I can take a hint, especially if it’s more or less a directive issued publicly. Professor Carol said in her last post that perhaps I might feature a middle-period Beethoven sonata as a Friday … Read more
Departure Day of a tour never gets portrayed properly in the brochures. For many in each group, it starts with a brutally early hotel pickup for travel to the airport. No one likes it, of course, but if the goal is to connect to a … Read more
Last week we posted our 101st “Friday Performance Pick.” Hank writes the bulk of these and spends a goodly amount of time seeking engaging performances to illustrate each entry. We often hear just how much people look forward to receiving these posts every week, using … Read more
Beethoven, Eroica Variations, Op. 35 Last week we featured a major work of Beethoven, his Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”). This week I want to look at a related work that Beethoven composed for piano the year before in 1802. It’s a set of 15 variations … Read more
Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 3, Op. 68 If you have already taken our mini-course “7 Days to Beethoven,” you will recognize this video. It shows up in Professor Carol’s discussion of musical rhetoric. Beethoven was a musical wordsmith, and the third movement of this Cello Sonata … Read more
We’re glad so many of you are enjoying our “7 Days to Beethoven” mini-course. My own journey to Beethoven has been life-long, starting from age seven when I played my first Beethoven Écossaise. There were significant stages along the way, such as learning to rip … Read more
I’d worked late, finishing up a podcast for the Dallas Wind Symphony and polishing up material for Cliburn Conversations, the pre-concert talk for pianist Stephen Hough’s Van Cliburn Concerts Series piano recital the following night. With a head filled with lofty thoughts about the glories … Read more
Thursday, December 16 marks two birthdays. First, my brother’s, which doesn’t mean a whole lot to anyone but me. But I always thought it was unfair he got to share his birthday with another mega-personality born that day: Ludwig van Beethoven. Especially because my brother … Read more
What is the most famous four-note melody in the world? One where three of the four pitches repeat the same note? Now that’s a toss-up: either the opening of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, a.k.a. “Fate Knocking at the Door” (dah-dah-dah dum) or . . . ready?. … Read more
What’s this program about? Chopin would have been surprised at the idea of a solo piano recital in a concert hall. Professor Carol talks about the programming of recitals and works of Bach-Busoni, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy. Works Discussed: Bach-Busoni Chorale Preludes; Beethoven Sonata No. … Read more
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