In My Mind’s Zen Garden

I’ve been obsessing over Beethoven’s music lately. I’ve always enjoyed listening to Beethoven, and my first exposure to his amazing music was when I played my Dad’s LP of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Bruno Walter conducting the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.

Ludwig van Beethoven standouts out from all the great classical composers (Mozart, Bach, etc) because of the fact that he had a progressive hearing loss throughout his life, and in his final years was completely deaf. Yet, during that time he still composed, performed and conducted his music. Despite his impending hearing loss, he triumphed over this obstacle to his music and continued to create beautiful works.

Moonlight Sonata ~ Music with Artwork of Beethoven

Beethoven was also the first musician and composer to elevate his profession to the rank of nobleman and to a form of rockstar status within his lifetime. Whereas, composers such as Bach and Mozart were court composers and musicians to royalty.

Anyway, I’m currently listening to his Symphonies right now because they are so full of emotion, passion, vigor. He took European Classical Music from the Classical Era into the Romantic Era and paved the way for great Romantic composers such as Brahms and Tchaikovsky.

Some truly great moments in his music:

1. Moonlight Sonata - 1st movement

2. Pathetique Sonata - 2nd movement

3. Symphony No. 5 - Opening of 1st movement

4. Symphony No. 5 - Transition from 3rd to 4th movement

5. Symphony No. 7 - 2nd movement

6. Symphony No 6. - 5th movement

7. Fur Elise

8. Symphony No. 3 - Opening of 1st movement

9. Symphony No. 3 - 4th movement

10. Symphony No. 9 - 4th movement with choir and vocal soloists

There are many more that I just can’t think of at the moment, but you can get a glimpse of Beethoven’s entire catalogue of compositions to get an idea of all his works.

Not as prolific as his contemporaries like Hadyn and Mozart, but I believe Beethoven made every note count, quality over quantity, and much more emotion and fervor.

I was searching for a specific version of the 5th movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6. I always thought that most of the great conductors had paced that movement much too fast. To me, the movement follows The Tempest Storm movement, so it should be a slower tempo yet have a certain bounce to it. That’s about the best I can explain it. There rest of the movement builds as the sun comes out from behind the clouds and the town folk come out of their cottages after the thunderstorms. At least that’s how I imagine it.

So, that particular reading of the Symphony No. 6 is by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Barry Wordsworth.

I’m also very partial to Bruno Walter and The Columbia Symphony Orchestra’s version of the Symphony No. 5. (”ta ta ta dummmmm ta ta ta dummmmm”)

I used to really enjoy Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic’s version of the Symphony No. 3, the “Eroica Symphony”, but I’m coming to enjoy the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s version better.

Of course, when it comes to the Moonlight Sonata, I really love Artur Rubinstein’s version, and also his version of the 2nd movement of the Pathetique Sonata.

So, it’s been two days and I’ve been listening to nothing but Beethoven. I wonder how long this Beethoven obsession will last. Last week it was Joni Mitchell. And now… Ludwig.