https://youtu.be/oXLKu-HglnM
This string quartet is the first among three quartets that were commissioned by Count Andrei Razumovsky who was then the Russian Ambassador to Vienna in 1806. This quartet falls also among the first of Beethoven's middle period quartets. Thise set of quartets is much different from his earlier group of Opus 18 quartets. These are longer in duration than the earlier ones and they involve a technical repertoire which is quite expanded.
The first movement is in an expansive sonata form. It includes a fugato in its development section. The lengthy development section reminds you of the expanse of the first movement of the Eroica Symphony. Eroica was composed a few years earlier and it is considered as the beginning of Beethoven's middle period works.There is a delayed entry of recapitulation. It happens after the tonic key gets established and it generates an expectation of a definite statement. The opening melody on the cello is ambiguous tonally and its first cadence is established in the key of F Major a little into few bars of the movement.The extended coda section is also very nicely crafted.
The second scherzo movement is quite unusual among the middle period works of Beethoven. It is also in sonata form like the solemn slow third movement and the fourth movement which is built on a Russian theme. It was an attempt to make the work familiar to the Russian ambassador. It has a cheerful melody which appears in the beginning and it is based on a folk song. There is both canonic and contrapuntal activity here. It has a development section and a recapitulation of a genial nature.
On the final leaf of his sketches for the quartet, Beethoven mentioned a phrase, "A weeping willow or acacia tree on my brother's grave." It is interesting to note that both his brothers were alive when this work was composed; so, the interpretation is that this phrase has a masonic significance as the acacia is considered to be the symbolic plant in Freemasonry.
This work is considered among the finest chamber works of the classical period. This set of three quartets is generally found to be difficult to perform. They were written in a span of six months.
https://youtu.be/L45YKMxOFjA
This was an opera written by Verdi in his last years. It is his penultimate opera. The libretto for this opera was written by Arrigo Boito who is famous for his opera Mefistofele. He also worked on several other libretti for other composers. It is a mighty good effort and even Shakespeare would be proud of this opera.
The cast, the sets and the orchestra along with its conducting are all excellent. Otello is played by Jon Vickers who delivers with a booming voice. It is well matched for this part. He is a fine actor, too. Mirella Freni plays Desdemona and sings flawlessly. She is also a fine actress. Peter Glossop plays Iago. The sets of this opera are highly effective. The opera was shot partially in Venice and the setting is in a medieval castle that has brilliant murals. You will come across some stunning and lavish sets in this particular production. Karajan does a Hitchcock in the tavern scene in the first act.
Karajan has directed this film and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic and the singers in this production. I have never heard any other orchestra play Otello with such aplomb and in these forty one years, I do not think such orchestral playing for this opera has been surpassed. It is simply an outstanding performance.
https://youtu.be/n8lM8SjB6eY
When the fourth symphony of Tchaikovsky was initially performed in 1878, many among the audience raised a question on whether it was purely a symphony or a symphonic poem. This question then started echoing through the concert halls in Europe. Tchaikovsky had proclaimed the opening motif in this symphony as `fatum' and he made it asthe fate theme. The symphony then went on to become a hot battle ground for the use of a title. I, however, call it FATE as there is a symphonic poem also composed by Tchaikovsky with the title of FATUM. People fail to realise that Tchaikovsky used to suffer with nervous disorder in different forms and these depression bouts were strongest during the time that he was composing this symphony. He was going through nervous strains and all thse are reflected in this music. He was also trying to recover from a marriage that proved disastrous for him. It resulted almost in a mental breakdown. He recuperated by retreating to Lake Geneva and to Italy. He was able to work peacefully on the symphony as a result of the financial support from Nadejda von Meck, his benefactress. She remained his admire and correspondent. They never met during his lifetime as per terms of the agreement they had made with each other. Tchaikovsky referred to the opening motif as `Fate' and acknowledged openly that he was inspired by Bethoven's Fifth Symphony. In Beethoven's symphony, fate is a participant whereas in this symphony, fate is only an onlooker. The opening motif gives way to the first waltz subject; it has a depressive mood. The despair builds up in intensity. Comfort is found in the second subject on the clarinets, accompanied by a counterpoint in the cellos. At the climax, fate intervenes again as the coda is full of despair. The second movement is a lesson in melancholia. You may feel that it is an old person remembering his youthful days. The first andantino theme is given by the oboe and the second theme is given by the strings in low-pitched octaves. The scherzo is unique in all the symphonic repertoire as it is a marvellous exhibition of lightness, marked by pizzicatos on the strings. It highlights the fantasy of an intoxicated mood. The middle section has an unusual structure with dissimilar halves; you have a rustic theme on the winds which is followed by brass playing staccato. The finale bursts on to the scene to drive away personal sorrows to experience happiness. It comes like a tornado and then gives way to a Russian folk tune, 'In the fields stood a birch tree'. This theme has also been used by Mily Balakirev in his `Overture on Russian Themes'. Fate appears for the last time before the symphony concludes on a majestic note. This symphony is an exercise in master orchestration. People talk bullshit about aesthetics and ask various questions about whether it is a symphony; the answer to them is a YES. It is a symphony with effective orchestration and ornamental details. This 1954 performance by Karajan and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London is a fine document of this great symphony.
https://youtu.be/f8yZu9tSX7E
Ludwig van Beethoven composed his D Major Violin Concerto in 1806. It was published as Opus 61. He wrote it with his violinist friend, Franz Clement, in mind. Clement gave its premiere performance on 23rd December 1806 in the Theater An Der Wien as part of a benefit concert for himself. It was a failure as, surprisingly, the audience was not so interested in it. Part of the failure was attributed to the fact that Beethoven finished writing the solo part very late and Clement had to do sight reading for most of his performance. Also, Clement interrupted the concerto between the first and the second movement with a solo composition of his own which he played on just one string of the violin, holding it upside down. I would venture to guess that it was the first violin concerto that could be deemed as solemnly serious and demanding of spiritual attention and the mass was not ready for it. I feel that they may have been flummoxed by the length and the breadth of the movements with their serious messages. This great violin concerto was pushed into obscurity during Beethoven’s lifetime and it was only revived in 1844 by Joseph Joachim who played it under Mendelssohn with the London Philharmonic. It was finally accepted and since then, it has remained as one of the widely performed in the violin repertoire.
Prior to 1806, Beethoven had written numerous compositions for violin and orchestra. He had written two Romances for violin and orchestra in F Major and G Major. In 1792, he even contemplated writing a concerto for violin in C Major. A fragment of its first movement had survived but lost after his death in 1827. It was never completed nor published.
Many musical critics have explained that the opening of the first movement in martial style with the timpani beat was an influence of the French style at that time, exemplified by Pierre Rode. The broken sixth and the broken octaves that follow the timpani beats are representative of the style of music written by Kreutzer and Giovanni Viotti.
As a result of the failure of the concerto during its initial performance, Muzio Clementi advised Beethoven to revise the concerto and produce a version for pianoforte and orchestra and the result was the Opus 61A creation.
The concerto is made up of three movements – Allegro ma non troppo in D Major > Larghetto in G Major > Rondo/Allegro in D Major. It is scored for a solo violin, flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, strings and timpani. Besides Beethoven’s cadenzas for the first and the third movements, other violinists who have written their own cadenzas are Joseph Joachim and Fritz Kreisler. Alfred Schnittke has written cadenzas with a modern flavour.
The format of the first movement is one of the greatest examples that could be given of the sonata structure during Beethoven’s creative second period. You have to be aware of the fact that the length of this movement is as long as the full concertos or symphonies of Haydn and Mozart. Beethoven articulates every theme and gives it a distinct character. The importance of every theme could be grasped as soon as it is presented. He develops the movement material from a simple six-motif combination of A, B, C, D, E and F. He has created one of the most sublime compositions with this movement in the history of concerto music. You can say that this movement is a fine example of how to achieve an ideal equilibrium in compositions.
https://youtu.be/Nl8H9_7y7-g
The Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, by Ludwig van Beethoven is a trio for piano, violin, and cello. It was composed in 1811.It belongs to Beethoven's middle period of creativity. It is called `Archduke' as it was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, the youngest of twelve children of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Rudolf was an amateur pianist and a patron student of Beethoven. He has eceived a total of fourteen composition dedications from Beethoven.
The work is in four movements: Allegro Moderato/ Scherzo (Allegro)/ Andante cantabile ma però con moto - Poco Piu Adagio/ Allegro Moderato – Presto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm-TDYFrrRI
The Twin Face of Good and Evil
This is a psychological thriller made by Robert Siodmak in 1946. It features Olivia de Havilland playing a double role as twins (Terry and Ruth Collins) and Lew Ayres playing a psychiatrist. A doctor is murdered and Lieutenant Stevenson played by Thomas Mitchell questions Terry who has been seeing the doctor, sensing that she may be keeping some secret from him. He faces a challenge when he meets her identical twin sister (Ruth). The biggest puzzle is presented when the sisters start to pose as each other. It is certain that one of the twins has committed the murder but no one knows who the psychotic one is. The sister who is suspected provides genuine alibis while the one who looks mild does not have an alibi. This was a favourite theme in Hollywood in the nineteen forties. Directors latched on to the Freudian concept of the good and evil twins. This is one of Olivia de Havilland’s best performances after `Gone with the Wind’. It is very likely that she has drawn on her own rivalry with her real life sister, Joan Fontaine. This is a great thriller. Watch it. You will be kept on your seats by the great score given by Dimitri Tiomkin and Frank Skinner.
https://youtu.be/OQvISdUX9kE
For Swan Lake, this was an ideal partnership and I have not seen a better performance of this ballet anywhere, ever since. Swan Lake remained a special ballet in the career of Rudolf Nureyev. He danced in the role of Prince Siegfried in 1963 with the Royal Ballet and that production was staged by Nicholas Sergeyev who was the former stage manager of the Maryinsky Theatre. Nureyev gave the role his own identity. He redefined this character by going against the boring and colourless interpretations. Thanks to Nureyev, the male dancer in this ballet now became the equal of the female star. Margot Fonteyn was his perfect match and he danced with her first in 1963 at the Champs Elysees Theatre in Paris.Nureyev has imposed not only is charisma and his skills throughout his career in numerous versions of Swan Lake but he has also danced on some occasions in the role of evil Rothbart, the sorcerer. My favourite performance is with the Vienna Opera dancers and Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John Lanchbery. Fonteyn and Nureyev created the original choreography of Le Lac Des Cygnes under the direction of Nureyev with costumes and decors done by Nicholas Georgiadis. This film was captured by Unitel in 1964 and the production became an artistic mega event. At the final performance of the premier in Vienna, Fonteyn and Nureyev received eighty nine curtain calls and this is the highest number that has ever been taken, anywhere.
