NFT: Beethoven's Fifth

Sometimes when I listen to classical pieces I wonder how that complexity and beauty could possible have been created by a human being. It is a quantum leap beyond most other music.

his string quartets performed live, preferably up close at a small venue where you are up close to the players. Pretty incredible stuff.

You wonder why there was 1 Beethoven and 1 William Shakespeare where did they come from?

But I've heard the first minutes of in commercials and TV shows so many times that I'm sick of it.

I much prefer Beethoven's other works.

prefer this.
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Are how both just seem to reach into you.

Years ago as a teen I loved when Ritchie Blackmore redid the 9th as Difficult to Cure w Rainbow. Unbelievable that a song could transcend so easily to hard rock and current electric instruments.

Classical music can be very calming during a long commute to work especially if you have a nice sound system.

A few years ago my wife and I were in Venice and had the pleasure of seeing Vivaldi's Four Seasons performed in a 12th Century church by a violin quartet. It still plays in my mind when I meditate.

over the fifth. The choral portion of the ninth is sublime. That said, I prefer Mozart's 40th and 41st "The Jupiter" over either of Beethoven's works. They're a little lighter, but no less awe-inspiring. It's incredible that Beethoven was deaf and just as amazing that Mozart was such a young man. Prodigies both. The world is so much better for having had them.

on a rough commute being made so much better with great classical music and an awesome sound system. My blood pressure goes down a few points when I turn it on.

here, but did you ever live in Schenectady in the late 50's/early 60's?

In comment 11827089 jjgmrg901 said:

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Classical music can be very calming during a long commute to work especially if you have a nice sound system. A few years ago my wife and I were in Venice and had the pleasure of seeing Vivaldi's Four Seasons performed in a 12th Century church by a violin quartet. It still plays in my mind when I meditate.

Wonderful music, must have been a heavenly experience

2nd movement in particular. But what we're discussing is which of the greats is the greatest.

even if it's been watered down by Baby Einstein, commercials, movies and the like. If you've ever watched Immortal Beloved, the version of Ode to Joy on that soundtrack is one the most beautiful I've heard.

When times get stressful at the office, I just plug in the headphones and turn up the Beethoven.

Was very please when The King's Speech used the Allegretto in the movie. Probably my favorite classical piece, although it has seen some commercial success of late, which isn't really a bad thing considering today's musical barren landscape

in a man's life. I emphasize man here because when the 5th was composed it was a man's world. Beethoven wanted to encompass all the emotions a man goes thorugh in life as well. Love, Hate, despair, even triumph overcoming misery.

Its like listening to Pink Floyd only older

but also love the disco version linked above.

big dog, and judge reinhold is so funny.

People who meditate regularly and deeply often have these divine inspirations. In meditation, blind people have visions and deaf people hear music and other sounds. Similarly, in dreams, the blind see and the deaf hear. Beethoven didn't require the use of his physical ears to hear and compose his great works. Other than recording it on paper, the entire process occurred within.

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Thinking about it, I just can't wrap my head around how one man, a deaf one at that, could assemble all those notes into a piece like this.

A computer's microprocessor does wonderful things by organizing millions of circuits (transistors). But the human brain does not have millions, or billions of circuits. It has trillions of circuits, or neurons. Clearly, Beethoven's neurons were organized a little differently from yours and mine.

Although I love Beethoven (I recommend the Cleveland Quartet's recordings of his quartets), it is the possibilities of tapping the brain's seldom used potential that leaves me in awe.

is above all other classical music ever written. I refer to it as a direct dictation from God to Beethoven and the fact that it exists at all is a miracle. A bit over done but the last scenes in "Immortal Beloved" show the performance and what Beethoven actually hears vs. what he hears in his head until they meld together in the final scene with all the stars.

I can also appreciate Mozart, as Rebel Yell stated above the 40th and 41st symphonies are great, but not on the same level but still a good listen in the right mood. A lot of his overtures and other music are fantastic. Both are the height of classical music.

It only got bad at the end. He could hear normally up until the 8th symphony. But he was totally deaf when the ninth was written.

The 9th is just utterly incredible, but really I can listen to anything from Beethoven in depth if I'm listening to classical, he composed in such an expressive way. Piano Sonata number 14 (Moonlight Sonata) still chokes me up when I listen to it...lol. He was truly a masterful composer.

Of course, I have to cleanse my musical palate with some Alice in Chains or Sound Garden afterwards.

Another piece that will make your hairs stand up is the Erlking by Schubert

the movie "Copying Beethoven" from 2006. It's about the young copyist who lands the job of transcribing Beethoven's 9th onto music paper for the orchestra while the late-in-life, deaf Beethoven is composing it. It's not the greatest movie in history, but if you like Beethoven's 9th I think you will enjoy it. It does touch on some of the themes discussed on this thread.
"Copying Beethoven" (2006) - ( New Window )

In comment 11827344 Del Shofner said:

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the movie "Copying Beethoven" from 2006. It's about the young copyist who lands the job of transcribing Beethoven's 9th onto music paper for the orchestra while the late-in-life, deaf Beethoven is composing it. It's not the greatest movie in history, but if you like Beethoven's 9th I think you will enjoy it. It does touch on some of the themes discussed on this thread. "Copying Beethoven" (2006) - ( New Window )

First I've heard of it. Going to check it out. Thanks, Del.

and not love Clockwork Orange? Best use of music as a plot device in a non-musical movie in history.

In comment 11827779 Montreal Man said:

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First I've heard of it. Going to check it out. Thanks, Del.

You're welcome. Hope you have good speakers or headphones on your viewing system; the part of the movie where the 9th is first performed for an audience is great. I'd be interested in your reaction to the movie. I loved it, but music in all aspects is up there for me in life.

Which recording of the 5th do you recommend?

especially by Horowitz is absolutely sublime.

I watched "Copying Beethoven" right after I watched "Amadeus". Were the great Viennese composers of that period really so preoccupied with farting?

Even Haydn gets into the act, and you don't have to watch a movie to experience it. If you're into classical gas, try listening to the second movement of Haydn's 93rd symphony.
It has a much better "Surprise" than the 94th.

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I've heard a bunch of them over the years, but the one I keep going back to is Georg Solti's with the Cleveland orchestra. A strong, powerful reading.

Leonard Bernstein's damn good as well.

And a Zubin Mehta with the Israli philharmonic, in a live performance.

All great, though, because the material is great. Beyond great.

Solti's recordings with the Cleveland SO are absolutely iconic, the models which any other performance has to try to match.

Having said that, nothing quite like an inspired rendition of any great and iconic classical music live. Once caught Eric Leinsdorf (sp?) leading the NY Philharmonic live of Mozart's Jupiter, and that particular night Leinsdorf was rocking and absolutely had the pulse of the orchestra in his hand. It was transcendent!

The late string quartets by Beethoven are all absolutely mesmerizing, and speak deeply to the soul unless you are tone deaf, I imagine.

Also real, real big on Gershwin