Tag Archives: Beethoven at 250

 Ahhh, the numbering of the works of the classical masters! If you’re old enough, you may well remember owning an LP of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), but it would have been labeled as his Symphony No. … Continue reading →

 For most casual listeners, the words “Beethoven” and “sonata” almost always indicate one of the sonatas for solo piano, and with good reason; the piano sonatas comprise some of the greatest writing for piano in music history, and they are … Continue reading →

 One reason that film music often struggles to get mainstream acceptance as music worthy of interest on its own is the fact that film music is always dependent on the film for its inspiration and genesis. Film composers don’t tend … Continue reading →

 If you took piano lessons as a kid for any length of time, you probably played some Beethoven. And if that’s the case, then the odds are very good that the Beethoven you played included his Bagatelle No. 25 in … Continue reading →

I often feel a bit sorry for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major. It just doesn’t get talked about that much. Symphonies 1 and 2? Those get discussed as the early works they are, when Beethoven was just starting … Continue reading →

 I’ve been listening to Beethoven’s Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra a lot over the last few months, and I’ve been struggling to frame how I want to write about it. It’s such a scintillating work, full of … Continue reading →

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 18 (Op. 31, No. 3) has been a favorite piece of mine for years…and for years I didn’t know what it was. I first heard part of it–not the whole work, but a single movement–at my … Continue reading →