Stage Musical About Beethoven's Life/Works

[onfingertips]

I am the artistic director if a music school in the united States. I am producing a live stage production entitled. "Ludwig's Legacy" to portray the life and works of Beethoven in an orginal and and live dramatic and muscial event. I'm asking for your opinions. We want to divide the production into the 3 parts of his life and to perform the music that most typifies these stages and his development as a composer and the passion of his deafness. In your opinions which music selections would be most typical of Beethovens stages and be most entertaining and why? I have my idea's but would love o hear from those who are more knowledgable and opinionated.

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Wanda Cook

[Peter]

An interesting idea!

I suppose you could divide it into the most representative genres as well, first period piano sonatas up to Op.26
The 2nd period is perhaps the orchestral works and finally the late chamber music.

So using that basic framework, how about the Pathetique sonata, the 5th symphony and being really bold, the Grosse fugue for string quartet or perhaps if you want a more intimate and moving close then the Cavatina from op.130.

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'Man know thyself'

[This message has been edited by Peter (edited 12-29-2005).]

[robert newman]

I would have 'Fur Elise' as a sort of leitmotif featuring throughout this production, (this being in my view an example of Beethoven's friendship and geniality). The opening to the 3rd Movement of his 4th Symphony could somehow feature too as an example of his great daring and fearlessness. The slow movement of his 7th Symphony as an example of his compassion. And the final moments of his Choral Fantasy as a demonstration of integrated and dramatic musical power of the sort that really is quite marvellous in his music.

I don't know if you have a plot for this production but since a few of these selections are orchestral works you might have an old HMV style gramophone appearing to play these pieces from old vinyl recordings on centre stage which one of the actors uses to 'discover' these pieces throughout the production. But I think it important that you should have a recurring theme that has nothing to do with his record playing and 'Fur Elise' is my suggestion. (The actual playing of all this music would require a good sound system offstage, of course).

Regards

Robert

[Joy]

Glad to hear you are putting together a stage production/musical about Beethoven! Good luck with that. Well, you have a lot of material to work from. You could perhaps start off with a powerful piece such as the first few bars of the first mm of his 5th Symphony, that would surely get everyone's attention! His first period could have The Moonlight playing while explaning his first signs of deafness through letters perhaps, second period could include 'The Storm' from his 6th Syphony showing him grappling with his illnesses and worsening deafness. Also the 2nd mm of his 7th symphony is an excellent way to illistrate 'sadness' or a low point in his life. For his third period parts of his 9th Symphony in order to show him coming to grips and overcoming and finally accepting his deafness. Maybe even the 4th mm of his 5th Symphony to show all the triumphant moments in his life and how he overcame so many tragic circumstances.

Are you going to have someone portray Beethoven on stage?

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited 12-30-2005).]

[onfingertips]

Originally posted by onfingertips:
I am the artistic director if a music school in the united States. I am producing a live stage production entitled. "Ludwig's Legacy" to portray the life and works of Beethoven in an orginal and and live dramatic and muscial event. I'm asking for your opinions. We want to divide the production into the 3 parts of his life and to perform the music that most typifies these stages and his development as a composer and the passion of his deafness. In your opinions which music selections would be most typical of Beethovens stages and be most entertaining and why? I have my idea's but would love o hear from those who are more knowledgable and opinionated.

[Classy_The_Virgin]

You can go wrong with Fur Alise,the most beaufiful song ever written.(Tied with the most famous hook ever written in the historyy of music--->the begining of simphony number 5 un,Dun,Dun,dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnn). do all the classics first so the kids stay interesting. you cant go wrong. Your play sounds good!

[onfingertips]

Originally posted by onfingertips:

I am appreciating the responses regarding the selections to perform in our Beethoven show. We will have an actor behind a scrim with 2 9 foot grands down stage and a string an wind ensembl, along with a local adult and children's choir. The local ballet company will perform the opening overature and early curtain call to a pre-recorded stylized and progressive medley of Beethoven selections for a powerful intro and close to the story. Our advanced pianist (who are all under 20 years of age will peform excerpts from the Appassionata, Pathetique, Moonlight, and Tempest. Younger piano students will perform simpler selections like Fur Elise, and some of
Beethoven's earlier compositions, while the ensembles and choir will perform his later works along with selections from th 9th symphony. Monologues right from Beethoven's own words with knit the story together. Keep the advise commin as your opinions are helping me weed out the fluff without being provincial.

[Joy]

Originally posted by onfingertips:

Originally posted by onfingertips:

I am appreciating the responses regarding the selections to perform in our Beethoven show. We will have an actor behind a scrim with 2 9 foot grands down stage and a string an wind ensembl, along with a local adult and children's choir. The local ballet company will perform the opening overature and early curtain call to a pre-recorded stylized and progressive medley of Beethoven selections for a powerful intro and close to the story. Our advanced pianist (who are all under 20 years of age will peform excerpts from the Appassionata, Pathetique, Moonlight, and Tempest. Younger piano students will perform simpler selections like Fur Elise, and some of
Beethoven's earlier compositions, while the ensembles and choir will perform his later works along with selections from th 9th symphony. Monologues right from Beethoven's own words with knit the story together. Keep the advise commin as your opinions are helping me weed out the fluff without being provincial.

Let us know how your play is progressing!



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'Truth and beauty joined'