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RE: [F_minor] Beethoven sonatas (was Gibbons on piano)
This brings up a very important point. Who is to say that the composer
is correct 100% of the time when he/she indicates speed of playing?
Regards.
Fred Houpt
Toronto
-----Original Message-----
From: f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu
[mailto:f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu] On Behalf Of Charles McElwain
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 5:02 PM
To: f_minor@email.rutgers.edu
Subject: Re: [F_minor] Beethoven sonatas (was Gibbons on piano)
At 12:01 PM -0400 3/14/08, Brad Lehman wrote:
>
>The one Gould performance of Beethoven that I'd say is at "ludicrous
>speed" (thank you, Mel Brooks's "Spaceballs") is the finale of the
>sonata #5 in C minor. It's so fast that in at least one spot he really
>DID NOT even play the notes. I slowed down a tape of it once, to check
>it.
>
When Gould's recording of the Hammerklavier was released, in comparison
to the recordings I then had of the sonata, it seemed that Gould
actually had internalized the passage in Fred Hoyle's classic science
fiction novel, "The Black Cloud", where an alien (super) intelligence
establishing communication with scientists on Earth hears a recording of
the first movement, and sends a message back:
"Very interesting. Please repeat the first part at a speed increased by
thirty per cent."
Beethoven's metronome advice for the first movement was a half note =
138. Gould's timing for the first movement was 11'04". In comparing to
what I currently have on hand, Nikolayeva's first movement is 14'30".
The cloud would probably have approved of Gould's version.
On the other hand, even Gould's pales in comparison to Badura-Skoda's
9'47" (on an 1824 Graf).
Myself, I'm not sure I'd use the Hammerklavier, or even Beethoven, as an
introduction to an alien super intelligence. I'd go with Lewis Thomas's
advice here, even if it was bragging.
Charles
--
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Charles McElwain
33 Vernon Street
Somerville, MA 02145
617-628-5542 (home)
617-501-1591 (cell)
charlesmcelwain1@verizon.net
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