RE: [F_minor] Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

[David Ramezani <dara1985@hotmail.com>]

I remember reading somewhere that he needed to put some extra speed into the presto in order to make it fit on the LP. That's not very un-Gouldian. Is it?> Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:44:51 -0500> From: diftorhehsmusma@gmail.com> To: fred.houpt@rbc.com> Subject: Re: [F_minor] Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata> CC: f_minor@email.rutgers.edu> > On Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 3:58 PM, Houpt, Fred <fred.houpt@rbc.com> wrote:> > > Very interesting and penetrating comments. I am a bit taken aback by> > GG's that...."none of these celebrated sonatas provided landmarks in> > Beethoven's creative evolution". What? He must be kidding? The third> > movement of the Moonlight is not unlike a cannonade from Napoleon's forces> > as they try to storm Vienna. I beg to differ with GG here, but he would be> > hard pressed to find an example of anything as unanticipated as the 3'rd mvt> > in all of Mozart and Hadyn's solo output. It is pure Beethoven in its heart> > and soul, as revolutionary and individual as his contribution to music> > was.> >> > He prefaces this statement with the qualifying clause "with the exception of> the "Moonlight" (a daring experiment in organizational balance) and of "Les> Adieux" (perhaps the most resourceful of those studies in motivic> compression that effected the transition to his later style), and then later> called the 3rd movement "one of most imaginatively structured and> temperamentally versatile of all his finales."> > As for the tempo, I'm not entirely sure what to make of Gould's approach> here, especially in light of his expressed admiration of the third movement> -- although I like the tempo of the first movement very much, I agree that> the third seems a bit too fast. I tried to find some unifying relationship> between the three tempi in hopes that this might elucidate things, but had> little success, and am inclined to think that this was not a case in which> Gould carefully planned a single consistent "pulse" to carry through the> various tempi of the piece. But FWIW, here are the approximate tempi I
ur or eight bars and> calculating thence):> > 1. Adagio Sostenuto (4/4 time): quarter note = 74> *however, the ritard takes us to an ending approximate speed of> quarter=42> 2. Allegretto (3/4 time): dotted half note = 86 (approximately twice the> ending speed of the first mvmnt -- this is very possibly just coincidence/me> trying to find a pattern where none exists, though, and not a conscious> tempo choice)> 3. Presto Agitato (4/4 time): quarter note = 208 (??? can't see where this> tempo could have come from the other two)> > Etha> > > > > It is interesting, now that I think of it, the explosive ending of the> > Apposionata in contrast to the Moonlight......often encourages the same> > break neck (literally) and reckless traversal of the musical map as I have> > thought GG's approach was. Often pianists (usually the guys) say, heh, B> > wants prestisimo? then watch this: zooooooooom! It's overdone and showing> > off rather than emotive. In my view speed must be one of the most difficult> > turns to show. The first difficulty is getting your fingers NOT to slur.> > The second is to get them to not make a mistake and the third is to create> > an "effect" without distortion, unless distortion is intentionally invoked.> > The slowest speeds offer other challenges, not the least is what some> > pianists have succumbed to with the Moonlight, which is heart on the sleeve,> > heavy doses of schmaltz and artery clogging syrup. That is one reason GG's> > usually bare bones manner of playing is so attractive. Often it is clean of> > artifice. But here in the M piece his tempo has me puzzled and mildly put> > off; a rare event for me.> >> > As far as forms go, Beethoven was already blazing a way into new territory> > in his first 10 sonatas. I cannot remember which number off hand (as all my> > music is at home) but there is an early sonata where the final movement has> > what became a hallmark of B's thunderous eruptions, sometimes referred to as> > his rocket theme. It is unmistakable and again there is nothing in Mozar
erimenter.> >> > Regards,> >> > Fred> >> >> >> > ------------------------------> > *From:* Etha Williams [mailto:diftorhehsmusma@gmail.com]> > *Sent:* Monday, June 23, 2008 4:07 PM> > *To:* Reinhold, Christiane> > *Cc:* Matthew Harding; Houpt, Fred; f_minor@email.rutgers.edu> > *Subject:* Re: [F_minor] Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata> >> > [snip]> >> > _______________________________________________________________________> >> > This e-mail may be privileged and/or confidential, and the sender does not waive any related rights and obligations.> > Any distribution, use or copying of this e-mail or the information it contains by other than an intended recipient is unauthorized.> > If you received this e-mail in error, please advise me (by return e-mail or otherwise) immediately.> >> > Ce courrier électronique est confidentiel et protégé. L'expéditeur ne renonce pas aux droits et obligations qui s'y rapportent.> > Toute diffusion, utilisation ou copie de ce message ou des renseignements qu'il contient par une personne autre que le (les) destinataire(s) désigné(s) est interdite.> > Si vous recevez ce courrier électronique par erreur, veuillez m'en aviser immédiatement, par retour de courrier électronique ou par un autre moyen.> >> >> > > -- > -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----> Version: 3.12> GAT d@ s--:-->--- a20 C+++(++)(++++) !U P+>P++ L>L+ E— W@ N-(N--) !o K>K++> !w O? M+(M++) V? !PS(PS?)(PS+) !PE(PE) Y+ PGP? t* 5 X R>R+ tv++ b+@>b++(b+++)> DI@>DI+ !D(D---)> G++>G+++ e++ h*(h)(h+) !r(r--)(r-) x-> ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------> _______________________________________________> F_minor mailing list> F_minor@email.rutgers.edu> https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/f_minor
_________________________________________________________________
Trött på jobbet? Hitta nya utmaningar här!
http://msn.jobbguiden.se/jobseeker/resumes/postresumenew/postresumestart.aspx?sc_cmp2=JS_INT_SEMSN_NLPCV_______________________________________________
F_minor mailing list
F_minor@email.rutgers.edu
https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/f_minor