250 years ago today, Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized in Bonn, Germany. His birth date is agreed to have been December 16th, 1770. That’s one of my excuses for being a day late. The other is that I’ve been working on my new project and things just got out of hand.
I love a lot of Beethoven, am meh about some Beethoven, and really dislike very little Beethoven. I’ve had friends who actively dislike Beethoven, and we just have to agree to disagree. <shakes head>
In honor of Beethoven’s 250th, I’ve decided to give my list of my favorite Beethoven compositions (in no particular order). Let’s go!
String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130
The late period quartets are incredible masterpieces that have perhaps been equaled, but never surpassed. The B-flat quartet is where Beethoven really takes the gloves off of the form. He explodes from the usual four movements to six. He starts with a schizophrenic first movement full of contrast and drama, and ends with a colossal, almost impenetrable fugue (so much so that the publisher asked LvB to write an alternate ending). And right before that fugue is one of his most profound utterances, the Cavatina, a breaktakingly intimate song for four instruments.
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
I love all of LvB’s piano concerti, but I have a soft spot for the Fourth. It’s the slow movement that does it, the Olympian call-and-response between the orchestra and the piano, leading from the most sublime and ethereal coda to one of the most joyous finales that Beethoven would ever compose.
Violin Sonata in G major, Op. 30/3
I first came to know this sonata from Midori’s debut album – which happened to be a live recording of her Carnegie Hall debut – and was struck by the energy and concentration of the piece. The Kreutzer gets most of the love, but I prefer this one.
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27/2 “Moonlight”
I just love the dark feel of the opening of this sonata. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the fact that Dmitri Shostakovich quoted and adapted this theme for the last movement of his last piece – his Viola Sonata of 1975. That aside, it’s such evocative writing that instantly puts you in a different headspace, and that’s good writing, I’d say.
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
It’s hard to pick just one symphony to put on this list – there might be another before I’m done – but if there’s one that I keep coming back to again and again, it’s the Seventh. I’m always a sucker for Beethoven slow movements, and if they happen to be variation movements, all the better, and that’s what we get here. As a performing violist, this is probably my least favorite to play, it’s a slog – especially the last movement – so tiring to play, but to listen to, it’s one of my favorites for sure.
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
This piece is completely under my skin. It starts with four timpani notes!! And then a gorgeous woodwind chorale. And it has the most beautiful slow movement, and, and, and…
That’s a start – enjoy LvB’s music the whole rest of the year, but better yet, pair it with some brand new music by some composers whose birthdays aren’t (yet) known to us!