Recordings
Title: Complete Symphonies
Performers: Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Director: Frans Bruggen
Year: 1990
Length: 32 minutes
Review
This is what Beethoven is really revolutionary at doing: orchestral works. Whether they are concertos or symphonies they are always, without an exception a joy to listen to. The fourth symphony even if it is sandwiched between two greater symphonies is no exception.
The piece starts with a mournful and slightly creepy adagio, only to explode in glorious joy. The slow movement is a great piece of romantic music and the last two, shorter movements return us to a bit of happiness.
In the general context of Beethoven's symphonies this is not one of the most amazing, it is probably just outside the top 5, but because they are all so completely amazing and as near to perfection as you can get it is still a pretty nifty piece of music.
Final Grade
9/10
Trivia
From Wikipedia:
Although all nine of Beethoven's symphonies are widely performed, the Fourth is less often performed than some of the others. Robert Schumann described Symphony No. 4 as a "slender Greek maiden between two Norse gods", referring to the 3rd and 5th Symphonies, both with towering reputations.
The whole thing with Karajan:
Title: Complete Symphonies
Performers: Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Director: Frans Bruggen
Year: 1990
Length: 32 minutes
Review
This is what Beethoven is really revolutionary at doing: orchestral works. Whether they are concertos or symphonies they are always, without an exception a joy to listen to. The fourth symphony even if it is sandwiched between two greater symphonies is no exception.
The piece starts with a mournful and slightly creepy adagio, only to explode in glorious joy. The slow movement is a great piece of romantic music and the last two, shorter movements return us to a bit of happiness.
In the general context of Beethoven's symphonies this is not one of the most amazing, it is probably just outside the top 5, but because they are all so completely amazing and as near to perfection as you can get it is still a pretty nifty piece of music.
Final Grade
9/10
Trivia
From Wikipedia:
Although all nine of Beethoven's symphonies are widely performed, the Fourth is less often performed than some of the others. Robert Schumann described Symphony No. 4 as a "slender Greek maiden between two Norse gods", referring to the 3rd and 5th Symphonies, both with towering reputations.
The whole thing with Karajan:
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