Blog

Triple Concerto Opus 56, the Appasionata Sonata Opus 57, and the 4th Piano Concerto in G Major Opus 58 The Eroica Symphony was a piece of tremendous emotional and energetic output. Subsequent to it, Beethoven turned to three pieces that revolved around the piano. The Triple Concerto Opus 56, the Appasionata Sonata Opus 57, and the 4th Piano Concerto in ...

My audition story of the Chicago Symphony: Imagine what it’s like to be sitting in a great orchestra playing Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony – a piece of music that is so powerful and emotional. Have you ever wondered how does a person get to be in a great orchestra? I thought I would describe the process to ...

Symphony no. 3 in Eb Major, Eroica As a student, amateur, and then a professional, I must have performed the Eroica symphony at least 75 times and, if you include recording sessions, close to 100. So, clearly I’ve had great exposure and familiarity with the second movement of this great piece. I’ve played it so many ...

I hope you all took the opportunity to listen to the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major, the Eroica. As you recall, a link was provided in last week’s blog. How well I remember as a very young boy visiting my Aunt Ruth’s and Uncle Jim’s house. Wonder of wonders! They ...

The symphony of Beethoven No.3 in E flat major Op. 55 is one of the most monumental and consequential pieces in the symphonic literature. It was also an incredibly important piece to Beethoven. You can read elsewhere how captured he was by the notion of Napoleon, a champion of the common people standing against the ...

Piano Sonata No 21 in C Major, Opus 53, the Waldstein  As we continue to explore Beethoven’s life of music, let’s consider his Piano Sonata No 21 in C Major, Opus 53, known as the Waldstein. This monumental piece stands firmly in his great middle period. It is very long and is very difficult and arduous to perform. ...

Movies About Beethoven to Thrill Your Heart We all like the movies! And we all love Beethoven! What could be better than three movies about Beethoven? I imagine many of you have seen the movie Amadeus about the life of Mozart. Many musicologists and scholars scoffed at it pointing to historical inaccuracies and distortions. Music ...

After the Heiligenstadt Testament of Oct 1802, Beethoven was in what musicologists call his second style period. So much of Beethoven’s music that we love comes from this period which spans the years from approximately 1802 to 1817. These are not sharp chronological lines of course but rough guidelines. These are the years when we ...

Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in C minor Opus 37 As you now know, Beethoven first made his way into musical Vienna as a pianist and then a composer. He wrote 32 piano sonatas; many chamber music pieces that included keyboard, and 5 piano concertos, many of which he used to showcase his extraordinary pianistic prowess. Shortly ...

​Beethoven’s Biography In 1802, Beethoven was acutely and depressingly aware of his failing hearing. As you will read in the link below, one of his doctors recommended that he go to one of the Vienna suburbs for the summer to get away from the noise of the city. They thought that perhaps that would be ...