It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes.
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The Big Fugue - Brilliant or Blunder?
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Posted on March 26, 2015 at 10:07:44 | ||
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By the "big fugue" I am, of course, referring to the original finale of Beethoven's Op.130 string quartet in B-flat which LvB himself stripped away from the quartet and had it published separately under the name Gosse Fugue as Op.133. For me, the quartets 13-15 are a miracle but I definitely prefer Op.130 with the Cavatina finale. The circumstances surrounding LvB's removal of that movement are well documented and it is not my intention to focus on the historical aspects of it but rather what YOU think about the big fugue, either as a stand-alone work or as the finale of Op.130. For me, I don't think the music coheres - every performance I've heard (and this would be at least 12 world famous quartets as well as a couple recordings in its orchestrated version) has a disjointed sound that fails to convince me. Is it slight rhythmic differences between the players that destroy the coherence? I don't know. Or, is it just the music itself? Maybe what LvB heard in his head didn't quite make it to the staff? My conclusion - it was a blunder and LvB did the right thing in removing it from Op.130. And maybe, deep down, he knew it too. What say you? |
BTW - I think Op. 127 is pretty miraculous too! [nt] ;-), posted on March 26, 2015 at 11:41:53 | |
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Great idea - I like it! [nt] ;-), posted on March 26, 2015 at 23:23:02 | |
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Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012 |
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I have that Lindsay SACD - it is irritating. (nt), posted on March 27, 2015 at 08:43:37 | |
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I have a LOT of LVB St Qts by Tokyo Qt-, posted on March 27, 2015 at 10:07:25 | |
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Highly recommended. |
So, I'll put you down for "brilliant" :-) (nt), posted on March 28, 2015 at 16:40:21 | |
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RE: "overreaction" - TGR, you have a gift for understatement! (nt), posted on April 19, 2015 at 13:39:48 | |
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Location: Ontario Joined: March 28, 2003 |
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