Beethoven and that Danged Metronome

August 30, 2021, 7:00 pm

Share this Post

Beethoven and That Danged Metronome – The metronome is a device that musicians use to break up the musical minute, based on the portion of a second used per beat. Beethoven was notorious for marking his music with metronome timings, and this week we learn the significant role those little numbers played. The tempo and interpretation affect the emotional impact of a composition, thus changing its entire character. We’ll also take a brief detour and examine how other composers, like Bach, Handel, and Shostakovich worked with tempi in their music.


Playlist

Episode 1

Bach, JS: Goldberg Variations: Aria
Glenn Gould, piano
Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9)
CBS 37779, Sony 87703
1:53

Bach, JS: Goldberg Variations: Aria
Glenn Gould, piano
Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9)
CBS 37779, Sony 87703
1:33

Handel, GF: Messiah: Overture (excerpt)
Royal Phil/ Beecham
Messiah
RCA LDS-6409
2:24

Handel, GF: Messiah: Overture (excerpt)
Amsterdam Baroque/ Koopman
Celebration Album
Erato 2292-45433
3:07

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 1, III
Vienna Philharmonic/ Furtwangler
Beethoven/ Symphony No. 1/ Symphony No. 4
EMI 7 47409 2
3:49

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 2, I.
Berlin Phil/ Karajan
Beethoven: Symphonien 1-9 Karajan
Deutsche Grammophon 429 036-2
10:13

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 2, I. (excerpt)
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Beethoven: Symphony No 2 & 8 / Norrington, London Classical
EMI 47698
1:09

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 2, II. Largetto
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Beethoven: Symphony No 2 & 8 / Norrington, London Classical
EMI 47698
9:59

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 2, III. IV
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Beethoven: Symphony No 2 & 8 / Norrington, London Classical
EMI 47698
10:45

Episode 2

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 3, I (excerpt)
Berlin Phil/ Furtwangler
W. Furtwängler, Live in Berlin, 7.XII.1952
Tahra 1008
1:09

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 3, I.
Vienna Phil/ Bernstein
Symphonie No. 3 “Eroica”
DG 413778
17:37

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 4
Bavarian Radio Symphony/ Kleiber
Beethoven: Symphony No 4
Melo 40047
9:13

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No.  I (excerpt)
Bavarian Radio Symphony/ Kleiber
Beethoven: Symphony No 4
Melo 40047
00:19

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. IV (excerpt)
Bavarian Radio Symphony/ Kleiber
Beethoven: Symphony No 4
Melo 40047
:18

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 4, IV (excerpt)
Vienna Phil/ Furtwangler
Beethoven/ Symphony No. 1/ Symphony No. 4
EMI 47409
:21

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 4, IV (excerpt)
La Scala/Giulini
Beethoven: Symphonies 4 & 5 / Giulini, La Scala PO
Sony 58921
:17

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 4, IV (excerpt)
La Scala/Giulini
Beethoven: Symphonies 4 & 5 / Giulini, La Scala PO
Sony 58921
:17

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 4, IV
La Scala/Giulini
Beethoven: Symphonies 4 & 5 / Giulini, La Scala PO
Sony 58921
7:44

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 5, I (excerpt)
Vienna Phil/ Furtwangler
Symphonies 5 & 7
EMI 69803
1:00

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 5, I (excerpt)
Vienna Phil/ Bernstein
Symphonien Nos. 5 & 8, Ouvertüre Fidelio
DG 419435
1:01

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 5, I (excerpt)
Concertgebouw/ E. Kleiber
Symphony No 5 In C Minor Opus 67
Decca LXT 2851
:54

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 5, I
Vienna Phil/ C. Kleiber
Symphonie Nr. 5
DG 415861
7:17

Episode 3

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Piano Concerto No. 4, I. Allegro moderato (excerpt)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Stock; Schnabel, piano
“Emperor” Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
RCA 09026- 61393
:17

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Piano Concerto No. 4, I. Allegro moderato (excerpt)
Cleveland Orch/Szell; Fleisher, piano
The Five Piano Concertos
CBS 42445
:17

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Piano Concerto No. 4, I. Allegro moderato (excerpt)
Cleveland Orch/; Ashkenazy, piano
Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos
Lon 421718
:16

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Piano Concerto No. 4, I. Allegro moderato (excerpt)
Cleveland Orch/Szell; Fleisher, piano
The Five Piano Concertos
CBS 42445
17:59

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 6,
I. Adagio – allegro non troppo (excerpt)
NBC Symphony Orch/ Toscanini
Symphonies Nos. 5, 6, 7 annd 8
RCA 74321 55836
1:17

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 6,
Adagio – allegro non troppo (excerpt)
Columbia Symphony/ Walter
Pastorale: Symphony No. 6
CBS 36720
1:13

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 6, I.
Concertgebouw/ Mengelberg
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos 5 and 6
Opus Kura 2016
8:29

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 7 rehearsal (excerpt)
Columbia Symphony/ Walter
Bruno Walter Rehearses Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 7 and 9
Sony 64465
3:54

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 7,
I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace
Columbia Symphony/ Walter
Symphony No. 7 In A Major
Sony 64463
12:58

Episode 4

Shostakovich, Dmitri:  Symphony No. 5; IV. Allegro Non Troppo-Finale
New York Phil/ Bernstein
Symphony No. 5, Op. 47
CBS 37218
8:53

Shostakovich, Dmitri: Symphony No. 5; IV. Allegro Non Troppo-Finale (excerpt)
Leningrad Phil/ Mravinsky
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
Doremi 7811
:38

Shostakovich, Dmitri:  Symphony No. 5; IV. Allegro Non Troppo-Finale
Leningrad Phil/ Mravinsky
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
Doremi 7811
11:00

Beethoven, Ludwig VanSymphony No. 8
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Beethoven: Symphony No 2 & 8 / Norrington, London Classical
EMI 47698
25:13

Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Symphony No. 8, II. (excerpt)
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Beethoven: Symphony No 2 & 8 / Norrington, London Classical
EMI 47698
2:23

Episode 5

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9 (excerpts)
Chicago Symphony
Symphony No.9 (“Choral”)
RCA 09026-61795
1:12

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9 (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/ Furtwangler
Symphony No. 9 Choral
DG 435325
:25

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9 (excerpts)
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Symphony No.9 In D Minor
Virgin Veritas 56137820
:50

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9 (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/ Rattle
Beethoven: Symphony #9 Choral; Sir Simon Rattle/Vienna Philharmonic
EMI 7234 5 57450
1:08

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9 II. (excerpts)
CSO/Reiner
Symphony No.9 (“Choral”)
RCA 09026-61795
:57

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9 II. (excerpts)
CSO/Reiner
Symphony No.9 (“Choral”)
RCA 09026-61795
:30

Beethoven, Ludwig van: I. Symphony No. 9 (excerpts)
London Classical Players/ Norrington
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Virgin Veritas 56137820
:57

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9, II
Vienna Phil/ Rattle
Beethoven: Symphony #9 Choral; Sir Simon Rattle/Vienna Philharmonic
EMI 7234 5 57450
11:51

Beethoven, Ludwig van: I. Symphony No. 9, III. Adagio (excerpts)
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Symphony No.9 In D Minor
Virgin Veritas 56137820
:50

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9
III. Adagio (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/ Furtwangler
Symphony No. 9 Choral
DG 435325
2:28

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9 (excerpts)
CSO/Reiner
Symphony No.9 (“Choral”)
RCA 09026-61795
:30

Beethoven, Ludwig van: I. Symphony No. 9
Turkish March (excerpts)
London Classical Players/ Norrington
London Classical Players/ Norrington
Virgin Veritas 56137820
:30

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Symphony No. 9
Finale (excerpts)
Vienna Phil/ Furtwangler
Symphony No. 9 Choral
DG 435325
24:47