Monthly Archives: September 2018
Allegro
As I warmed up for my lesson yesterday, I managed to get through my Wohlfahrt etude that’s all sixteenth notes in 4/4 time at 120 bpm – allegro! I must say doing so felt like an accomplishment. But allegro with an etude and allegro with real music are different things – even getting there in […]
Program Music and the Human Male
The Archduke Rudolph of Austria was one of Beethoven’s closest friends and patrons. A younger man than the composer, Beethoven began tutoring Rudolph when he was in his thirties and the Archduke was in his mid-teens. Beethoven developed a strong bond with Rudolph – since he had no children himself, it seems likely that his […]
Busy with Beethoven
As I continue to read the Swafford Beethoven biography, I’m listening to Beethoven almost exclusively. The author’s passion for the composer’s music is intense, and he imparts in me a desire to listen to all of it. The biography presents works as they appear in Beethoven’s life, mostly chronologically, with an occasional hint about things […]
Ryan Libel 