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Re: The one thing no music critic or annotator has ever mentioned AFAIK...

Posted by Soundmind (A) on October 27, 2006 at 14:27:12

In Reply to: The one thing no music critic or annotator has ever mentioned AFAIK... posted by C.B. on October 27, 2006 at 11:43:07:

OK, I've been doing some listening and here's what I think. First of all while the opening of Mozart 39 is superficially similar to Eroica in some ways, for me they are already worlds apart. With Eroica, Beethoven really began hitting his stride as a symphony writer. I listened to VK's recording of the Mozart with the Berliner. Mozart IMO always lacks the driving force which impels Beethoven. Beethoven for me is like a tide, a raging river which cannot be dammed or stopped. Sometimes is slows down but it always comes back with more fury than ever. Mozart is "restrained." And its not just the rhythms. Mozart for instance would never have written the sharp dissonant attack chords repeated 6 times in a row Beethoven put near the end of the B theme about 2 1/2 minutes in. Mozart would never consider it for exactly the same reason Beethoven put them in there...shock and awe. Beethoven for me is about raw undisguised power which is why he is my favorite composer. As for the Walter recording, it is too slow for me, too careful, not nearly aggressive enough. It lacks power and weight. This was similar to my objection to the Giulini recording of the ninth. I got so many people angry at me by criticizing that recording but I'll stick with it, it is un-Beethoven. In fact, at this time I now consider it so flawed due to its tempo that it is painful to listen to it. VK really makes the Eroica move by sharply accenting all of the right chords, seemingly instinctively where and how Beethoven would have wanted them. The rhythms always seem correct. Beethoven uses many techniques you rarely if ever hear in Mozart, the costant switching back and forth between major and minor modes, constant shifting of key signitures are just a couple. This is used by Beethoven to great dramatic effect to help him build to his climaxes. I'd say that Mozart 39 is more like the opening of Beethoven's fourth symphony starting with an adagio before the allegro. But even here, Beethoven rarely sounds like Mozart to me. Frankly, I think Beethoven was more influenced by Hayden than Mozart. BTW, I have the 62 recording (all 9.) I think he recorded the Beethoven symphonies 4 separate times. One set which has gotten high praise which I've never heard but want to get my hands on is the Norrington set with the London players. Every review I've seen has given it high praise. I've got a bunch of other Eroica's floating around, especially on vinyl in my basement. I know I have the Bernstein recording but I really don't remember it. Maybe I'll be on the lookout to hear what it sounds like.

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