Beethoven | Deutsche Welle
Beethoven's most famous symphonies performed by excellent young orchestras and new compositions by award-winning composers: a free musical experience offered by Deutsche Welle
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #20: Looking back, looking ahead
Franz Liszt paid homage to gypsy music in his Hungarian ...
Franz Liszt paid homage to gypsy music in his Hungarian Rhapsodies, infusing them with his own creative energy. It's an approach the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic shares, rendering classics with an eye to the future.Franz Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 for orchestra, S 359/2 (orchestral version by Karl Müller-Berghaus) Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) Like another work on the program - Kodaly's "Dances from Galanta" - Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies delve into the roots of folk music traditions in the composer's home country. But also like Kodaly's Dances, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Rather than mimicking the gypsy music Liszt found in his journeys through Hungary, the composer lends his own musical brilliance and flair for showmanship to the indigenous themes he uncovered. But the work remains a celebration of Roma heritage - a goal that the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic shares. That's one of two important aims of this group of musicians, said conductor and founder Riccardo Sahiti, who has appealed to contemporary composers to write works with the Philharmonic in mind. "This orchestra was created for the sake of new works, so that tradition can go on. Hopefully in a century from now, we can say - now we have this symphony or that violin concerto because the Roma Philharmonic was there," Sahiti explained. His pride in convening what he called the "first professional orchestra for Roma and Sahiti" was apparent throughout the evening as he beamed on stage - particularly during this piece, the program's show-stopping finale. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #19: A grand duet
Whatever doubts conductor Riccardo Sahiti had about his Roma and ...
Whatever doubts conductor Riccardo Sahiti had about his Roma and Sinti Philharmonic were laid to rest during this concert. He praised the violin and double bass soloists here as being at the top of their field.Giovanni Bottesini Grand Duo concertante for double bass, violin and orchestra Roman Patkoló, double bass Géza Hosszu-Legocky, violin Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) Giovanni Bottesini knew how to write for the double bass. In the 19th century, the composer and performer earned wide acclaim for his virtuosic playing on an instrument that many think of as clunky and mellow. But the Gran Duo showcases the full range of the double bass as it sends the player's fingers speeding down the neck and into its highest registers. This adaptation of the piece for double bass, violin and orchestra by Camillo Sivori gave violinist Geza Hosszu-Legocky the chance to return to the stage, and the audience was thrilled to see him. They wouldn't let him go without an encore, the second of four that the crowd was able to command in the course of the evening. The audience's warm reception was a relief for conductor Riccardo Sahiti, who said he was initially afraid that the three days of rehearsal the ensemble had before its Beethovenfest debut wouldn't be enough. The Roma and Sinti Philharmonic is comprised of professional musicians of Roma and Sinti heritage from other orchestras who met at the festival to honor Franz Liszt and Hungary's rich musical traditions. "But at the concert, they came together and gave more and more, and this was the result. These people can do anything. They played from the heart - not for the money but for an idea," Sahiti said. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #18: Written for a prodigy
Camille Saint-Saens wrote his Introduction and rondo capriccioso for a ...
Camille Saint-Saens wrote his Introduction and rondo capriccioso for a violin prodigy with fire in his fingers. It's a work that's meant to put on a show, and Geza Hosszu-Legocky's Beethovenfest performance shows how.Camille Saint-Saëns Introduction and rondo capriccioso for violin and orchestra, op. 28 Géza Hosszu-Legocky, violin Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) French composer Camille Saint-Saens had a very specific soloist in mind when he wrote the Introduction and rondo capriccioso along with his Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 3. Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate first inspired Saint-Saens to write music for him when the fifteen-year-old visited the composer in 1859. Four years later, Saint-Saens composed his Introduction and rondo capriccioso, dedicating it to the internationally famous prodigy. At the Beethovenfest, the work landed in the hands of a similarly precocious player: Geza Hosszu-Legocky. Like the violinist to whom the piece is dedicated, Hosszu-Legocky enjoyed success early. At 20, he was nominated for two Grammy Awards for his performance of Schumann's Violin Sonata in A Major. The now 26-year-old violinist has a passion for playing gypsy music, making him an ideal partner for the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic during their debut in Bonn. The Introduction and rondo capriccioso puts the spotlight squarely on this talented soloist as the gentler, more melancholy opener gives way to furious, dazzling lines. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #17: 19th century rockstar
Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 is meant to dazzle, and ...
Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 is meant to dazzle, and pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa does just that when joined by the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic.Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major Mihaela Ursuleasa, piano Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) Early sketches of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 date back to 1830, when the composer was nineteen years old. But Liszt didn't premiere the work until over two decades later, making various revisions until 1856. The piece thus accompanied the brilliant pianist through some of the most compelling years of his life. The young Liszt's performances gained him adulation and international stardom, leading modern commentators to call him the rockstar of his era. He's even credited with inventing the rockstar persona - and not just on account of his flowing locks. Liszt was famed for indulgence and hedonism, a disposition that arguably finds its way into parts of his music. Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 lives up to the composer's outsized reputation with dizzying and dazzling runs up and down the keyboard. It's a piece written for a virtuoso, and soloist Mihaela Ursuleasa is up to the task. Conductor Riccardo Sahiti praised her as "an unbelievably gifted soloist" who delivered a performance "full of feeling and character." Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #16: Devilish dance
Franz Liszt takes the listener to the heart of the ...
Franz Liszt takes the listener to the heart of the Faust legend in this waltz. Out to show Faust a good time, the Devil, Mephistopheles, grabs a fiddle and begins to play…Franz Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1 for orchestra ("The Dance in the Village Inn") Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his version of the Faust legend inspired Franz Liszt again and again. Goethe's tale of a despairing scholar's pact with the Devil provides the background for Liszt's Faust Symphony as well as a series of four waltzes. The Roma and Sinti Philharmonic presented the first part of that series at the Beethovenfest. The Mephisto Waltz No. 1 takes the listener straight to the heart of Goethe's legend. Faust has surrendered his soul in exchange for the worldly pleasures Mephistopheles promises to show him. The two stop into a bustling village inn where Mephistopheles snaps up a violin and sets the mood as Faust waltzes passionately with a young woman. The music describes the interplay between the three characters. Dark, almost sinister passages give way to soaring and innocent melodies. "The First Mephisto Waltz is a masterpiece with such a story - of love, desire, disappointment, scandal, the soul, everything," said conductor Riccardo M. Sahiti. "It's an entire journey through life." Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #15: Inner power
The symphonic works of Schumann look into the future. Conductor ...
The symphonic works of Schumann look into the future. Conductor Paavo Järvi cites their 'inner power' and 'somewhat neurotic language.'Robert Schumann Ouverture, Scherzo and Finale in E Major, op. 52 Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Conductor: Paavo Järvi MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 23, 2011 by Deutsche Welle (DW) 1841 is usually described as the symphonic year in Robert Schumann's life. Writing orchestral music came at urging of his wife, Clara, but the composer had also long wished to do so. In this, Schumann faced the same problem as every other composer of his time: how to write a symphonic work after Beethoven? But instead of looking back at Beethoven, Schumann's symphonies look forward, to the future of music. Conductor Paavo Järvi speaks of an edgy, "somewhat neurotic" tonal idiom that invokes new frontiers. Schumann thus fascinated many composers who came after, including Mahler. After recording and performing worldwide the complete cycle of Beethoven's symphonies, conductor Järvi and his Chamber Philharmonic from Bremen took on Schumann's symphonic oeuvre, calling this the orchestra's "Schumann Project." Järvi believes that what Beethoven and Schumann have in common is the inner power of their music, saying that "in order to bring out Schumann's real personality, we must not only play what he wrote but also exaggerate the curious and sometimes illogical angles and little corners that make his music so wonderful and so incredibly unique." That is what Järvi and his Kammerphilharmonie do with their rendition of the Overture, Scherzo and Finale, one of Schumann's first approaches to the symphonic form, written in his symphonic year 1841. Author: Maria Santacecilia Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #14: Reich's greatest 'hit'
'Music for 18 Musicians' exerts a subliminal, irresistible pull. The ...
'Music for 18 Musicians' exerts a subliminal, irresistible pull. The work by the legendary American composer Steve Reich was performed in Bonn by the composer himself in tandem with the Ensemble Modern.Steve Reich Music for 18 Musicians Steve Reich, piano Synergy Vocals Ensemble Modern MP3 recorded in the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany on September 21, 2011 by Deutsche Welle (DW) Steve Reich's performance in Bonn was during the Beethovenfest 2011, so it was only natural to ask him whether Beethoven has influenced him in his creative development. The answer was surprising: "Basically I have learned the most from medieval music and from Bartok and Stravinsky, as well as from John Coltrane, the jazz musician. Much more than from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and all of the other composers of that era put together. The entire classic and Romantic period is filled with geniuses that I don't listen to and from whom I've learned absolutely nothing." This concert includes a modern classic: "Music for 18 Musicians," composed in 1976. Lasting about an hour, the work is written for clarinets, bass clarinets, women's voices, pianos, vibraphone, marimbas and xylophones. The goal is simply "to make beautiful music," said the composer. This is music of our time - but it is also connected to a particular place? "Beethoven, who was born here in Bonn, carries his time and place. I was born and raised in New York City, and you can hear that in my speech and in the rhythmic energy of my music. But inside of me is New York City, whether I like it or not and no matter where I am. The more composers give honest testimony to their own time and place, the more we tend to love them," Reich commented. Author: Rick Fulker Editor: Greg Wiser
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #12: A musical army
The fourth and last movement of Gustav Mahler's Titan Symphony ...
The fourth and last movement of Gustav Mahler's Titan Symphony shuttles the listener off to a universe that encapsulates passion, majesty, epic and delicacy.Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 1 in D Major (Titan): 4th movement: Stormily agitated. Energetic Budapest Festival Orchestra Conductor: Ivan Fischer MP3 recorded by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) on September 17, 2011 in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn What would the result be of assembling the best musicians from the Liszt Conservatory into one orchestra? The answer is the Budapest Festival Orchestra, founded twenty-eight years ago by conductor Ivan Fischer. When 18th century British musicologist Charles Burney heard the Mannheim Orchestra, probably the best of its time, he called it an “army of generals”. These Hungarian virtuosos constitute a similarly powerful musical force of our time. As there is no successful army without intelligent strategy, Ivan Fischer planned his Mahlerian campaign carefully, focusing on the musical contrasts. The last movement of the "Titan" Symphony summarizes a small universe which encapsulates passion, majesty, epic and delicacy. It was conceived initially as a tone poem. The program notes of the fourth movement read: “from hell to paradise, expression of a deeply wounded soul”. There is certainly much painful drama but also light and hope in this music. In his childhood, Mahler enjoyed watching band concerts, parades and Jewish popular music. His use of wind instruments is colored by these experiences. We can hear this in the brilliance of the brass fanfares and in the sarcastic - sometimes cutting - lines of the woodwinds. During his formative years Mahler also assimilated Austro-German “high” musical culture, as revealed in the long, thick legato melodies of warm intensity in the strings. With their rendition of the Titan Symphony as a sound fresco of intense, cathartic power, Ivan Fischer and his orchestra generated standing ovations. Author: Maria Santacecilia Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #11: Full of nuance
'I wanted to combine the Beethoven cycle with a modern ...
'I wanted to combine the Beethoven cycle with a modern piece and asked Richard Dubugnon to write a new sonata for me,' violinist Julian Rachlin said. This marks the German premiere of the piece, titled 'Violiana.'Richard Dubugnon Violiana for violin, viola and piano Julian Rachlin, violin and viola Itamar Golan, piano MP3 recorded by Deutsche Welle (DW) in the chamber music hall of the Beethoven House, Bonn, on September 19, 2011 Swiss composer Richard Dubugnon was born in 1968 in Lausanne and studied in Paris and London. He became famous internationally through pieces commissioned by Radio France and by conductors Kurt Masur and Paavo Järvi. Alongside his orchestral works, his main interest is in colorful and refined chamber music. Violinist Julian Rachlin has never made a secret of his love for the viola. So when Rachlin asked Dubugnon to compose a work for strings for him, it was clear that he'd be switching between both instruments in the piece. In a sense, Dubugnon's "Violiana" is not modern music but digs into the past, echoing the classical tradition. "I like Richard Dubugnon's work," said Julian Rachlin. "I thought that it would be a wonderful counterpoint to the cycle of Beethoven sonatas. I have a lot of respect for his work and that's why I'm very happy that he wrote a piece for Itamar and me." Author: Marita Berg / gsw Editor: Rick Fulker
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Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #10 - Into the future
For performers Julian Rachlin and Itamar Golan, Beethoven's final violin ...
For performers Julian Rachlin and Itamar Golan, Beethoven's final violin sonata is 'unbelievably cosmic, magical. Thank God he wrote the Tenth, and just imagine if he had also made it to a Tenth Symphony…'Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 10 in G Major for violin and piano, op. 96: 2nd movement: Adagio espressivo Julian Rachlin, violin Itamar Golan, piano MP3 recorded by Deutsche Welle (DW) in the chamber music hall of the Beethoven House, Bonn, on September 19, 2011 In 1812, Beethoven published his tenth and last violin sonata. Many may have thought Beethoven wouldn't write another violin sonata after his ninth - that he had reached the pinnacle of the form with the "Kreutzer" sonata. But he proved them wrong, creating a work that once again brings forth completely new sounds. The great violinist Carl Flesch marvelled in 1928 at "the spiritual depth and impressionistic, delicate colors. The sonata is of exquisite workmanship, has this dreamy, moody quality, and is ahead of its time just like certain parts of the last quartet." Julian Rachlin agreed that the sonata goes beyond the Ninth: "After the seeming high-point of the Kreutzer Sonata, Beethoven returns with the Tenth Sonata with completely new dimensions, new highs and lows. To me, this sonata is monumental and very forward-thinking. In principle, it has nothing to do with the other nine sonatas Beethoven had written before. Here, he enters completely new territory." Author: Marita Berg / gsw Editor: Rick Fulker
