Reflection on Beethoven's Late Quartets

Submitted by jsdubois015 on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 15:18

Beethoven's last four string quartets, known as the Late Quartets, and the Grosse Fuge are a rather unique set of works. They are like an anomaly in the history of classical music. To me, it seems they are completely out of place not simply with the music of the same period, but even with the course of classical music since then. The depth of expression and the substance of that expression in the Late Quartets possess an almost otherworldly quality. It's as if Beethoven breached a depth of human existence that few have imagined, much less actually experienced.

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February 8, 2010

John Ferguson is a pianist whose performances have been praised for their “proselytizing zeal” and "impressive qualities of pianistic brilliance.” He’s also a composer and a conductor. His recitals feature some of the most difficult works in keyboard literature, including Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" Sonata, Bach's Art of Fugue, and Rzewski's The People United Will Never be Defeated. Ferguson's performances have also included such rarities as Liszt's arrangements of Beethoven's symphonies, music from the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, and a wide range of contemporary music, including his own compositions. We’ll hear Franz Liszt’s Legend no. 2 "St. Francis Walking on the Waves," then Allegretto from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, arranged for the piano by Liszt. We’ll continue with Mr. Ferguson’s own composition, Duo for Piano and Vibraphone. We’ll then hear Sonata V for prepared piano by John Cage’s and will conclude with Anton Webern’s Five Pieces for Orchestra Op. 10, with Mr. Ferguson conducting. To listen, click here.

The World Inside the Music

Submitted by jsdubois015 on Sun, 02/07/2010 - 17:17

Music expresses far more than emotions. In fact, I think in the technical sense, the emotions we experience when listening to a piece a music are entirely our reactions to the music and not something inherent within it. Instead, music expresses the artists view of the world and man, in other words, very broad abstract concepts. These concepts, in turn, then evoke certain emotional responses within us. If the composer's views are closely aligned to our own, we experience a positive reaction to the music, regardless of whether the music is joyful or sad.

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