Beethoven: The Man Who Freed Music; 9

Beethoven my. User. Me. The. Commemorating the 200 anniversary of the birth of Ludwig von Beethoven in 1770. On a series of programs produced by the University of Michigan Broadcasting Service reviewing the political social and musical climate of Europe. During the lifetime of the man. Free music. The. John Dunns famous phrase no man is an island is relevant to our

understanding of the few men in every generation when the approbation of their fellow man are crowned with the title genius. It's quite likely that a genius in one century. Would be a genius in another though always in terms of that particular century. The genius has always been the man capable of assimilating quickly all the knowledge in a specific field of organizing this knowledge so as to arrive at certain inescapable conclusions and of using his conclusions as the basis for launching out into the unexplored reaches of his specific field. No great man ever was an island. Rather if we carry our geographic Semele still further a great man is a peninsula connected to the main body of humanity as it were but at the same time jutting out into general a new and unexplored areas of his field of interest. The phrase no man is an island applies to Ludwig von Beethoven. Indeed he was a genius but just as every other genius he was forced to

assimilate quickly what was at hand. Use it explore it exploit it and then push on and do what at the time could have been described only as the unknown in music. There is ample evidence that Beethoven did indeed explore the unknown not only the unknown of his own day but for more than half a century to come. In 1881 well over fifty years after the composer's death none other than John Ruskin wrote to his friend John Brown with these words. Beethoven always sounds to me like the upsetting of bags of nails here and there and also dropped hammer a Providence Rhode Island newspaper in 1868. Another half century removed from the original event wrote in these terms about Beethoven. The whole orchestra part of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony I found very worrying indeed. Several times I had great difficulty keeping awake. The girl part open with eight bars of a commonplace theme very much like Yankee Doodle.

It appeared to be made up of the strange the ludicrous the abrupt the ferocious the screechy the general impression it left on me as that of a concert made of Indian War hoops and angry Wildcats and quotation the music Beethoven heard was an important ingredient of his genius from the standpoint of concerts Beethoven's life span a strictly transition period. The fabulous musical establishments along maintained by the aristocracy were on their way out forever except for possibly the greatest of all that maintained by the prince's Esterhazy where it will be remembered. HUMMEL conducted the first performance of Beethoven's mass in C.. Some of the royal theatres and operas continued to flourish but not on the grand scale of earlier times. There were private concerts such as those at the home of Mozart's widow where the young Hummel made his first great impression on Viennese musicians. And of course there were the semi-weekly concerts at the home of the theoretician Emmanuel firster

but public concerts as we know them scarcely existed. Thus the ambitious composer had a double pronged problem who will perform my music. Where do I hear what other musicians are composing. Records show that Beethoven did hear the music of other composers and thus today's program in the series Beethoven the man who freed music bears the title Beethoven the music he heard. Certainly Beethoven knew of and heard music from the active pan of Equinox Joseph play Pleyel play out it was 13 years Beethoven Sr. having been born in Rooper stopped a village a few miles from Vienna in 1757. It was the 24th child of the village schoolmaster. His musical talent was evident at a very early age so he was sent to Vienna where I learned to play both the violin and the Alvear. The boy's ability so impressed count. How did that play out. Was offered his patronage this he accepted and began studies in composition with Joseph

heighten the Count continued to see a brilliant future for the lad when three years later in 1777 he appointed him his Kapellmeister allowing him however leave of absence to continuous studies with Haydn. After several years of study with Haydn play and went to Italy for a time there acquiring a strong liking for Italian opera. However he returned north and in 1789 was married made first Chappo master at the cathedral in Strasbourg. After having served as first deputy for six years Plato's fame as a musician was far from a local phenomenon. In 1791 he accepted an invitation to go to London to take control of the professional concerts for the following season. The promoters of the professional concerts had intended this to be a musical coup and they hoped a fatal blow to the promoters Solomon who was tremendously popular concerts were at the moment built around Joseph Biden Plato's composition teacher Plato included a symphony by Haydn on his

programs with a result that both concert seasons were an artistic and financial success for the next several years. Play Elle's life was somewhat disturbed because of his being caught up rather closely in the political turmoil of the French republic but an 18:5 he was back in Vienna and a quick success there. He was first to publish a complete collection of Haydn's quartets except the last three which at the time were not yet available. This was followed by the publication of Haydn's 30 quartets and five symphonies in score playlets admiration for his old master was reciprocated by Haydn who called him my dearest and most efficient pupil. Haydn's letter of the period says this about play out. Since his arrival playout has been so modest to me that my old affection has revived. We are often together and it does seem odd to find that he knows the worth of his old master. We shall each take our share of success and go home satisfied after

P.L. had dedicated his six quartets of the Opus to two Haydn no less a person than Mozart wrote to his father some quartets have come out by a certain play a scholar of Joseph Haydn's. If you don't already know them trying to get them it is worth your while they are very well written and very agreeable. You will soon know the author will be a happy thing for music if when the time arrives play out should replace Haydn for us knowing the esteem in which Haydn was held by both the public and professional musical world it is indeed high praise. Plato was almost exclusively an instrumental composer. His output was enormous. Twenty nine symphonies five books of quintets and seven of quartets. Each book containing as many as 12 compositions each four books of trios eight concertos five symphony concerts want to mention only a small portion of his creative work. Charles Birney the first music historian to base his writings on extensive travels and personal

observations speaks of play out in these words in his eighteenth century history of music at present Rosati Mozart and Plato share the public favor. Indeed there has lately been a rage for the music of play out which has diminished the attention of amateurs in the public to all other violin music. Alexander if we like fair Beethoven's authoritative biographer substantiates any statements with a quotation from a letter of the time written by Carl Cherney the famous Viennese pianist and teacher who lived in the city from 1791 until his death in 1857. Cherney wrote. Play out a favorite pupil of Haydn and just now the most widely known and popular living instrumental composer except his master came from Paris this season to revisit after many years absence the scenes of his youth he brought with him his last few quartets which were performed before a large and aristocratic society at the house of Prince Lebovitz at the close. Beethoven

was also present. Was requested to play something. As usual he let himself be begged for an infinitely long time and at last almost dragged by two ladies to the piano forte an ill humor. He grabs a second violin part of the play a quartet from a music desk throws it on the rack of the piano forked and begins to improvise. Old Play now could show his amazement only by kissing his hands. Based on first hand reports and observations by contemporaries. It's obvious the Pleyel was indeed at the very top of the list of popular composers of the time and one of the composers whose works Beethoven had the opportunity of hearing. We will now hear a typical example of the work of play well lead to Fromont conducts the ensemble orchestra otherwise or Lear in a performance of the Allegro con brio from Plato's symphony concert on to number five for flute oboe horn bassoon and orchestra. A.

B. And. No. No. No not no. So

what do. You. Do. For. You. And. For

you. For. You. You. Know

do. You ever go for an. Hour. Or. Two hour. To. Go.

For. It and. You. Need. To.

Go for it. You offer. You have for us

to go do it. And if you were. You. Ever. Ever ever get it to.

Her. For love. You. Have to. Do it. For. You for. You. Either. Do. It.

For. You. And. You will. Never ever.

Do. It. To her. Do you. Ever.

Do for her you have. The. Eye. For. It and. The Allegro con brio from playhouse symphony concert on at number five.

Carl hers funded years Dorff died in Bohemia in 1799. Beethoven made his first visit to Vienna in 1787 where he took lessons in composition from Mozart and lived most of the rest of his life there. Did his Dorf was a close friend of both Haydn and Mozart and with them and the Czech musician Vaughan hall at the cello. He often played quartets. Beethoven was a student of Haydn did his dwarf was a sort of musical man about town in Vienna during the last decade or so of his life. Beethoven 29 years old. When did his daughter died. Was Already the piano virtuoso of the Viennese concert salons as well as a highly regarded composer as the result of these concert appearances which almost always featured his own works. Whether the man knew each other personally is not clear that his Dorf does not even mention Beethoven in his autobiography dictated to his son on his death bed nor his daughters Dorff mentioned in any of the

Beethoven letters. However there is substantial evidence that Beethoven knew that his doors music the operas in particular it's a documented fact that Beethoven as a young musician in the opera orchestra in his home town of Bonn played for performances of some of the many popular operas of deaders Dorf did his tours operas were extremely popular in their day for Eason's musical or commercial it's not quite clear Beethoven composed 13 variations on the air as far einmal from one of them. The first of the composers works to be published in his home town of bàn did his Dorf was 31 years Beethoven's senior. He was born in Vienna in 1739 and at an early age he showed great promise as a violinist. His first practical experience came in the orchestras of St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Shotton Kierkegaard. Here he came to the attention of the benevolent Prince Fonthill Burke Hausen who was so taken with the lad and impressed with his talent that he even provided a thorough going education for him and

subjects such as foreign languages fencing and the like. Although the prince disbanded his musicians in 1759 he made a point of securing a place for young Karl in the opera orchestra of the Empress. Soon however the young Glic of opera fame appeared on the scene and lured his daughter into a tour of Italian musical centres where did his dwarf was greatly admired. He was an intimate friend of Huyton in his autobiography just off says whenever we heard a new piece we went through it carefully together doing justice to all that was good and criticising what was bad in it. It was in Frankfort for the coronation of Archduke Joseph as King of the Romans. Contemporary accounts of his playing. Twicet court with brilliant success. Another stopping point and did his dosh professional career was the Kapellmeister ship to the Bishop of gross Vaud dine at pressboard he assumed the responsibilities of Michael Haydn the brother of the famous Joeseph. Here did his off road great quantities of music symphonies

violin concerto string quartets and his first auctorial the bishop disbanded his company in 1769 and from that time on most of the discourse Dorce artistic successes centred around Vienna dinners Dorf was popular with his contemporaries chiefly because of his bright spontaneous melodic lines his original instrumentation and the breadth and sweep of the concerted numbers and the finale's of his operas and or Torrijos his oratorios were especially popular in their time. Quite an achievement for a contemporary of Joseph Haydn it was no mean composer of oratorios himself. It is Dorf wrote no less than thirty four operas which rivalled his oratorios in popularity and frequency of performance. Beethoven certainly heard a new with the music of Karl. That is funded as Dorf. He actually played in the orchestra of some of his operas and set an air from one of them for piano variations. How much else did his doffs music was known to Beethoven. Records do not indicate it's a safe assumption however that a man of Beethoven's mind would not neglect the works of a man as popular as

his daughter was in Vienna. The string quartets of his door. I heard only on rare occasions today but they too were popular in their time the string quartets of Haydn contemporary with those of his Dorf I look to his models of the period but some of the dust off quartet's are prophetic of what was to come from the pen of Beethoven. The first movement of his doffs quartet number 1 in D Major is a good example. Here the familiar musical patterns of a conventional first movement are interspersed with musically disturbing inflections of technique. Beethoven used to perfection especially in his letter quartets and the Queen here will detect in the trio of the second movement a feeling of the romanticism which was to flower in the quartets of Beethoven. We will now hear the Allegro Moderato and the minuet and trio from Cairo that is funded his doffs quartet a number 1 in D Major performed by the string quartet of cologne. For

either. Of. You. To. Do. For. You.

And. So. Did. You ever. Ask. Him.

To. Do. For. Her. You. Go. On. To. Have her work. For.

You. You. Know. It's. Good. For him. To. Have. To.

Do. Of. Those who. Do. You. Do. You.

R. R r. R. R. R. R. R. R.

R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R.

R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R.

R. R. R u. U. R. R. R.

R. The first two movements of the quartet number one in D Major by Carl dieter's fun dinners Dorf Colonel Cherny wrote once at a social evening it was at the home of Mozart's widow and the company was much larger and numerous than customary and among the many elegant gentlemen and ladies present. I noticed a young man whose appearance challenged my attention. He had an ordinary unpleasant face which twitched continually and his clothing in the height of poor taste suggested that he might be some sort of country school teacher in curious contrast to his clothes were a number of valuable glittering rings which he wore on nearly all his fingers. As usual there was music and at length this young man was asked to play what a master. He showed himself to be the playing of this insignificant

looking individual seemed to open up a new world. Never before had I listened to such novel brilliant feats of difficulty to such clarity elegance and delicacy of interpretation. And then I learned that this was a young homo. Formerly Mozart's people who had just returned from London where he had been taking lessons of Clemente so wrote Karl Cherney piano pedagogue par excellence and teacher of list and Beethoven's nephew Karl and a close personal friend and musical confidant of Beethoven from the time of his arrival back in Vienna in 1795 at the age of 17 until 1799 Johann Hummel appears to have been quietly and seriously at work on his studies in April of that year he again appeared in public both his pianist and composer and a concert in the gardens all Mozart took him into his own house and lavished lessons on him daily for two years. Haydn was also among his teachers. He thought Homma where the enough to be his Esterhazy deputy for seven years as

Kapellmeister the princess to Harzi at Aizen stopped. He gave the first performance of Beethoven's mass in C in 1810. HUMMEL was a member of a very select group which included Beethoven which met at the home of a manual firster regularly. Sundays at noon and Thursday evenings to play quartets firster was considered by Beethoven after the death of the famous Albrecht's Berga to be first of all the Viennese teachers of counterpoint and composition although no records exist to show what works actually were played at these semi-weekly sessions. It would be strange indeed if they did not include compositions by the men who were part of the group. All contemporary records point to the fact that Johann Hummel was one of the great performers of the day. Even Beethoven famous virtuoso that he was had to acknowledge Halmos primacy at the keyboard. None of these giants was given to tolerating mediocrity let alone praising it. In addition to works he published under his own name and there's a very strong suspicion that Homo was engaged by unscrupulous publishers to write

spurious works published as posthumous symphonies by Haydn. If so Hamlet proved that he was an amazingly efficient imitator. Music scholars to this day cannot decide which symphonies published under Haydn's name are authentic and which are clever forgeries much probably too much have been made of the personal animosity which did indeed exist between Beethoven and Hummel for a period of years. It arose of accounts or rather suspicions are correct from an unfortunate remark. Was supposed to have made after his own performance of Beethoven's mass and C at the Esterhazy establishment. Beethoven made no attempt to cover his displeasure in one of his letters. He says he is not to come to me again. He is a treacherous dog and made the flayer get all such treacherous dogs to his credit. Beethoven eventually realized the error of his judgment and that's we find him writing to Hml in another letter. You're an honest fellow. Now see that you are right. Come then to me this afternoon you will find Chapin's I hear also. And we two will bump thump and pump you to your heart's

content. A kiss from your Beethoven in the end Beethoven completely forgave Hong-Mo for whatever may have come between them. We have an album lead from Beethoven containing a Canon ource long Abita brevis asked and a happy journey my dear homo. Think occasionally of your friend Ludwig von Beethoven. Vienna April 4th 1816. As Beethoven's life Abda way Hammo was a frequent visitor to his bedside on the 6th of March 1827 Fernand Hiller and Tamo went to the composer's rooms. Hillary describes the visit this way. The expression of his features heightened when he caught sight of Hammo and he seemed to be extraordinarily glad to meet him. The two men embraced each other most cordially. Little more than a week later Beethoven wrote. Thomas is here and has visited me a few times. Beethoven died a few days later and a day or two before the date of a special concert at which he had asked Tamo to improvise on the theme from the ghetto of the symphony and a major

concert was postponed of course. But it did take place ten days after Beethoven's death and Tamo improvised as he had been asked by his friend a contemporary account describes the concert as an unqualified success and relates how Homma improvised in an obviously exalted mood. HUMMEL composed a number of concertos for piano they were instant successes and became the rage of the time and they are in for their creator a reputation which seriously rival that of Beethoven himself. The archives of the broadcasting service contains a recording of Humble's piano concerto in a minor Opus 85 from this collector's item we will now hear pianist Otto balsam perform the second and third movements legato and Rondo Otto conducts live into a symphony orchestra. The Piano Concerto in a minor Opus 85 by Johann HUMMEL. I.

Do. The. A. You.

Do. You. Do. For. I.

Know. You. Had. No.

Room for. Error. For. You. Your.

No. No. No no nono for.

You for no. No. No

more. No. More No. No.

You. Are no you. Are. No more. No more.

No. Know.

You. You know.

The.

Art to above some pianist performing the last two movements of Johann Halmos piano concerto in a minor Opus 85 Otto Ackerman conducted the vinta tour Symphony Orchestra. The. No. No. So. The. Commemorating the 200 anniversary of the birth of looking from Beethoven this was another

special series of programs. Beethoven the man who freed music is by the University of Michigan Broadcasting Service. Today's broadcast was devoted to the topic. Beethoven the music he heard was written by Harry Bellaver. Invited Vida and again next week at the same time for another program in the series. Beethoven. The man who freed music. The. For. The. Program was originally produced in 1970 by the University of Michigan

Broadcasting Service and is currently being distributed by NPR National Public Radio