Happy 235th Birthday, Beethoven
 

If you could ask the greatest composer of the West just two questions, what would they be?

1. "Herr Beethoven, what is the funniest joke they ever told in the Zehrgarten?"

2. (spoken from a safe distance) "Herr Beethoven, is it true that you once brained a prince with a chair?"

http://www.classicalarchives.com/bio...ce_in_bonn.jpg http://www.beethoven.ws/images/o5.jpg

Is that picture of his childhood home?

How do you feel to be the second best composer of the West after Bach?

Romy

Ok, not to be ignorant, but were they alive at the same time and rivals?

Beethoven was born in 1770, 20 years after Bach's death. They haven't been directly rivals but I guess Beethoven felt Bach's and Mozart's shadows. I prefer Bach because he's the supreme artitect: he represents the point where passion and spirituality build the most involving turmoil of emotions for me.

Romy
http://www.npj.com/homepage/teritowe/jsbsta01.jpg

I adore Bach. That's not meant to sound fey or precious because "adoration" is the correct description. Piano students of my generation were Bachified as children because our teachers all made us work on the two- & three-part inventions. I will try to post an MP3 of me stumbling through one of the inventions.

I realize it's fashionable among poseurs to put down Maurizio Pollini for being a clinical technician but you'll never hear me put down Maestro Pollini. I recommend Pollini's D-G recording of Bach's English suites.

I also have the "State of Wonder" Gould three-disc set. Do you have that? Is it available in Italy? It's on the Sony Classic Legacy label.

Still, Beethoven is He, & that's no copula.

I admire Pollini, but not that much for Bach. I prefer him for Beethoven and especially Chopin, his rigor brings out a very modern intepretation on the Nocturnes . For Bach Gould is the absolute best for me, even if I like a lot also Martha Argerich, but her vitality works well on almost everything. State of Wonder is available also here, but I still haven't bought it, since I already have the 2 versions of Goldberg Variations. Even if his discussions on them must be amazing, sooner or later I'll buy the set only for them.
Johann Sebastian still the best.

Romy

P.S I'd really like to listen to that mp3 David.

Happy B-day Beethoven. And, I must say you look fantastic. For a guy who's just turning 235, you don't look a day older than 114! Keep up the good work!