BEETHOVEN: CREATING THE FUTURE Notes by Margaret Scialdone Legend has it that during a rehearsal of one of his quartets, a violinist complained that the music was incomprehensible – to which Beethoven replied, “Oh, it is not for you, but for a later age”. The beautiful “Abendlied unterm gestirnten Himmel” (Evening Song under a Starry […]
Beethoven and the Heroic Part 3: Leonore’s Aria: A study in finding one’s courage. Notes by Fred Haight Leonore’s Aria An aria in opera, is like a soliloquy in a play. The actor shares his or her struggle with their innermost self, directly with you, the audience. Leonore gains great courage in this aria. To […]
Beethoven and the Heroic ; Part 2: Leonore Notes by Fred Haight Part 2: Leonore No-one ever portrayed a woman more heroically then Beethoven. His only opera, Fidelio, is about a woman named Leonore, who courageously disguises herself as a boy, goes into prison, risking her life, in order to rescue her husband, Florestan, who […]
Beethoven Piano Sonata “Pathetique” in C minor Notes by Fred Haight Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, in 3-PARTS (the second of the C-Minor Series) Part One: Why is this work called “Pathetic”? Beethoven’s electrifying Piano Sonata #8 in C minor, op.13, known as the “Pathetique”, was composed in 1798, when he was 28 years of age. It […]
December 16, 2020 marks the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven. As part of the international celebrations this year and next year, in honor of Beethoven, the Schiller Institute is happy to inaugurate a new feature on our website. We will regularly post selections of Beethoven’s music with short discussions of the pieces. Friedrich Schiller’s beautiful […]