Your favorite Beethoven composition

[brentspeak]

Okay, it's not exactly fair or even appropriate to compare a full-blown symphony to some short little piece like Fur-elise (which Beethoven probably tossed-off in his sleep), but I'll make a poll anyway.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. String Quartet Op 95

[redqueen]

2. Definitely Moonlight Sonata...

but that one movement in the ninth... the one Keith uses in his intro... that one's a very close second.

He's the best. EVER.

[AnotherGreenWorld]

4. Have you heard Gilels' interpretation?

[redqueen]

8. I do not believe I have...

I will check that out... thanks! :D

[Aristus]

30. "Moonlight" for me, too!

But evidently, Beethoven himself wasn't fond of it. He once wrote in a letter: "Everyone is always clamoring for that little C minor sonata! Surely I have written better things?"

[AnotherGreenWorld]

32. It's too bad his doctor killed him...I'm sure he still had a few masterpieces left in him, too.

[AnotherGreenWorld]

3. The Tempest (Kempff)

[begin_within]

5. Symphony #7, II: Allegretto, is hauntingly beautiful

[Taverner]

6. The Ninth, movements 2, 3 and 4

I hate classical, but love Beethoven and Bach. Everyone else, with the exception of Ravel for Bolero, can kiss off.

[ironflange]

24. What's wrong with the first movement?

It's easily the best of the four.

[EstimatedProphet]

7. Ninth Symphony, 2nd Movement

Genius.

[Critters2]

9. I concur. nt

[MANative]

10. Always loved the Pathetique...

It was difficult to learn, but was thereafter my "go to" piece when I needed to get out my frustrations! That said, Beethoven has always been my single favorite composer, and I gravitated to his works for the entire 20 years that I was actively involved in playing the classics. Fingers don't work so well anymore!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. The last 3 piano sonatas, Opus 109, 110 and 111.

[Zomby Woof]

12. "Take The Skinheads Bowling"

Oh wait, you mean the OTHER Beethoven...

Outside of the 9th Symphony (the entire composition - I can't favor one movement over the other), I love his Violin Concerto, especially the performance of it by Anne-Sophie Mutter and the New York Philharmonic.

I would rank his 5th Piano Concerto as my third favorite by him.

As for his overtures, "The Ruins of Athens".

Let's make it five with his 4th String Quartet in C Minor.

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. Whenever I hear fur Elise, I think about the time....

in 1982 that I was in China and visiting a farming commune somewhere near Shanghai. We were standing in a street near the school and the local guide was explaining something. From an open window came the sounds of a student practicing fur Elise on the piano...whoever was playing was pretty good, kept doing it over and over again to get it right.

It seemed incongruous to hear such western music in that foreign a setting. China was LOTS different 25 years ago than it is now. It was the very start of the modernization. I would not recognize the country that I visited today for the most part.

[DarkTirade]

14. Beethoven's 7th, second movement.

I love that one. Maybe it's just because us strings got the best part though. :)

[Dr. Strange]

21. Niiiiice!

That would be my second choice, right behind "Moonlight Sonata."

[DarkTirade]

35. I'm a violinist, not a pianist. :) Although I did teach myself to play the first couple of pages

of the Moonlight.
I also taught myself to play the first chord of the Pathetique... and realized that there was no way in hell I could learn the rest. :)

[deepthought42]

15. You want me to pick one???

Honestly, music theory was not my favorite subject, but Beethoven is one of my favorite composers, from symphonies like the 5th and 9th (especially the 4th mvmt) to his piano sonatas such as Pathetique, Fur Elise, etc...


I'll just...go now... :freak:


Edited cuz i no can speel ;)

[AwakeAtLast]

16. I love the Choral Fantasy

I've sung the Soprano solo and it still holds a place in my heart.

[ironflange]

26. I've done it, in the chorus

What a hoot. Great fun.

[MissMillie]

17. the piano concerto known as "The Emperor"

I don't know which number that one is...

[Zomby Woof]

18. The 5th

My favorite of his piano concertos.

[Danger Mouse]

20. i agree with that. second movement is one of the most beautiful pieces i've ever heard...

:P

[Seabiscuit]

40. I'm with you - his 5th Piano Concerto is his best work.

Among tons of other material he wrote that comes in a close 2nd.

[Radio_Lady]

19. Which one is called the "Dance" Symphony? That's my favorite.

"Pastoral" is #2.

[ironflange]

27. That would be the Seventh

"The Apotheosis of the Dance," as Herr Wagner put it.

[Radio_Lady]

45. {{Scrambling to look up the word...}} Thanks! I couldn't remember.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apotheosis

[Radio_Lady]

22. In the 1950s, my father did this pastel painting of Beethoven. (PHOTO)

Last year, I sold it through a consignment shop -- I just hope it ended up in a good home!

[brentspeak]

41. Very nice. Dark and foreboding.

[Radio_Lady]

46. Appreciate your comment, BrentSpeak! I was sad to sell it, but --

it needed to be preserved and reframed -- the paper was almost crumbled away and I didn't have the time, money, or the inclination to restore it.

Everyone in the family thought the picture was very depressing; and no one has much musical talent. My son-in-law used to play the piano, but now has taken up the ukelele!

Dad -- who was Jewish all his life -- also did a painting of the "Pieta" -- the Virgin Mary with the lifeless form of Jesus on her lap. He had the pleasure of giving that remarkable painting to a local Catholic Church in North Miami, Florida, where he was a lawyer, councilman, vice-mayor and judge.

He was a real Renaissance man! Dad died in October 1988 and I wish we had had more time together.

[AtomicKitten]

23. I bought a lovely music box in Solvang that plays "Ode to Joy"

And it scared the crap out of my kids when they were little for some reason.

[ironflange]

25. Hard to choose, I love so many of them

If I had to pick, it would be the String Quartet in C# minor, Op 131. The greatest of the late great quartets, where Beethoven set the bar so high it has never been cleared, and never will be. ocelot's earlier post, re the last three piano sonatas, is hard to beat, too, especially when Schnabel plays them. Let's throw in the Hammerklavier while we're at it.

[brentspeak]

42. Some music critics say that about Beethoven's late string quartets

That they were the pinnacle of his career.

[jgraz]

28. "Take the Skinheads Bowling"

[Glorfindel]

29. "Wellington's Victory" - a rather odd composition that appeals to me

I think Beethoven had a good time composing it. After that, the 6th Symphony "All he had was eight little notes, just eight little notes had he...."

[BurtWorm]

31. I'm fond of Piano Concerto No. 3.

Especially the first movement.

But I also love Symphonies 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9.

[momophile]

33. my husband is practicing 'fur-elise' at this very second

coincidence? I think not.

or maybe...:shrug:

[Radio_Lady]

47. My mother used to play that piece. I always think of her when I hear it now.

[Radio_Lady]

48. Boston's classical station's listeners chose the 9th Symphony as #1 in top 100 pieces of music.

We lived there for 30 years and I think it was #1 each and every year.

Here's the rest of the list if you're interested:

http://www.wcrb.com/pages/pages.php?page=13

1. Symphony #9 (Beethoven)
2. Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
3. Symphony #5 (Beethoven)
4. Canon in D (Pachelbel)
5. Symphony #9, New World Symphony (Dvorak)
6. Symphony #6 (Beethoven)
7. Adagio for Strings (Barber)
8. Piano Concerto #2 (Rachmaninoff)
9. Brandenburg Concertos (Bach)
10. Appalachian Spring (Copland)
11. Clair de Lune (Debussy)
12. Orchestral Suite #1 (Bach)
13. Moldau (Smetana)
14. Symphony #7 (Beethoven)
15. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)
16. Symphony #1 (Brahms)
17. Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin)
18. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Rachmaninoff)
19. Water Music (Handel)
20. Meditation from Thais ( Massenet)
21. Violin Concerto in D (Beethoven)
22. Fanfare for the Common Man (Copland)
23. Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)
24. Clarinet Concerto in A (Mozart)
25. 1812 Ov. (Tchaikovsky)
26. Requiem (Mozart)
27. Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven)
28. Violin Concerto #1 (Bruch)
29. Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky)
30. The Planets (Holst)
31. Serenade for Strings (Tchaikovsky)
32. Jesu, Joy of Mans Desiring (Bach)
33. Variations on a Shaker Theme (Copland)
34. Blue Danube (Strauss)
35. Finlandia (Sibelius)
36. Symphony #40 (Mozart)
37. Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)
38. Piano Concerto #3 (Rachmaninoff)
39. Symphony #3 (Beethoven)
40. Carmina burana (Orff)
41. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Vaughan Williams)
42. Our Town (Copeland)
43. Piano Concerto #5 (Beethoven)
44. Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
45. Symphony #1 (Mahler)
46. Symphony #41 (Mozart)
47. Toccata and Fuge in D minor (Bach)
48. William Tell Overture (Rossini)
49. Cello Suites (Bach)
50. Fur Elise (Beethoven)
51. Lark Ascending (R.V. Williams)
52. Mass in B-minor (Bach)
53. Nocturne in E (Chopin)
54. Emperor Waltz (Strauss)
55. Pavane (Faure)
56. Piano Concerto #1 (Tchaikovsky)
57. Piano Concerto #20 (Mozart)
58. Symphony #3 (Saint-Saens)
59. Symphony #4 (Brahms)
60. Violin Concerto in e-minor (Mendelssohn)
61. Adagio in G-minor (Albinoni)
62. Andante Spianato & Polonaise (Chopin)
63. Fantastic Scherzo (Suk)
64. St. Mathew Passion (Bach)
65. Trout Quintet (Schubert)
66. Unfinished Symphony (Schubert)
67. Violin Concerto in D (Tchaikovsky)
68. Bolero (Ravel)
69. Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saens)
70. Cello Concerto (Dvorak)
71. Egmont Overture (Beethoven)
72. Enigma Variations-Nimrod (Elgar)
73. O Mio Babbino Caro (Puccini)
74. Romance #2 (Beethoven)
75. Symphony #35 (Mozart)
76. Symphony #35 (Tchaikovsky)
77. Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Gluck)
78. Danse Macabre (Saint-Saens)
79. Eclogue (Finzi)
80. Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus (R.V. Williams)
81. Goldberg Variations (Bach)
82. In the Steppes of Central Asia (Borodin)
83. Hallelujah Chorus (Handel)
84. Magic Flute (Mozart)
85. Nessun Dorma (Puccini)
86. Piano Concerto #1 (Chopin)
87. Piano Concerto #2 (Brahms)
88. Piano Concerto #21 (Mozart)
89. Piano Concerto #23 (Mozart)
90. Pomp & Circumstance (Elgar)
91. Romeo & Juliet (Prokofiev)
92. Symphonie Fantastique (Berlioz)
93. Symphony #2 (Brahms)
94. Symphony #3 (Mahler)
95. Symphony #8 (Dvorak)
96. Tannhauser (Wagner)
97. Warsaw Concerto (Addinsell)
98. Zigeunerweisen (Sarasate)
99. American Quartet (Dvorak)
100. Concierto de Aranjuez (Rodrigo)

[SteppingRazor]

34. It's cliche to say, but Symphony No. 9 is freakin' sick...

absolutely unbelievable. If you're going to rule out symphonies, than I go with Piano Concerto No. 6.

[MilesColtrane]

36. Late String Quartets

#s 12 through 16

Especially Op. 131 in C# minor.

[Fox Mulder]

37. I love Moonlight Sonata.

And Fur Elise

[tjwmason]

38. 10th Symphony.

;)

Though I do actually play Beethoven during thunderstorms, normally 5th Piano Concerto.

[Dr. Strange]

44. Have you been listening to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra?

http://www.trans-siberian.com/discography/bln-story.shtml

[GCP]

39. The Pastorale

Gorgeous

[IntravenousDemilo]

43. I have to agree with Dark Tirade -- 7th Symphony, 2nd (slow) movement

Beethoven does magic with a bare minimum of notes. It's a marvel of economy as well as being one of the most noble and moving passages ever written.

[brentspeak]

49. last kick

:kick:

[JitterbugPerfume]

50. Pathetique is my favorite

butI just love Beethoven

period

[MikeH]

51. Very hard to think of just one favorite

I always feel a little put on the spot when I am asked to say which of a number of very good things is my favorite. And I always hate to end up slighting anything that is good.

The Pathetique sonata is obviously very popular on this thread, and it is one I like a lot. I fondly remember listening to the late Karl Haas and his program Adventures in Good Music, which I always listened to whenever I could. (For many years my local classical music station would broadcast the program in the morning and at night.) I enjoyed the second movement of the sonata opening his program. And I like hearing the entire sonata, particularly the first movement.

I have to say I miss Karl Haas.

Of course I like his symphonies, particularly the 5th and the 9th of his well known symphonies. I like the somewhat spooky 3rd movement of his 5th symphony, which segues into the rousing 4th movement. And I like the first three movements of his 9th symphony, especially the 2nd movement, as they lead up to the final movement.

I also particularly like his 2nd and 4th symphonies, which are two of his less known and less frequently performed symphonies. I especially like the bucolic 2nd movement of his 2nd symphony.

I remember one time Karl Haas chose Beethoven as the mystery composer on his monthly Mystery Composer Quiz. He had to dig up some really obscure works of Beethoven in order to hide his identity at the beginning of the program. For the clincher at the end of the program, he chose the final movement of Beethoven's 4th symphony, the 4th being one of his least frequently performed symphonies.

I like Beethoven's piano concertos; it is hard to think of one particular favorite among them.

I definitely like his Choral Fantasy; a precursor to the final movement of his 9th symphony.

I like his Pastorale Piano Sonata, No. 15. I find it very soothing, especially in the evening.

Of course I have probably left out a lot.

[SaveElmer]

52. Picking the 9th is probably like admitting you like "Stairway to Heaven"...

Too expected...

But it really is the best...