Emerson String Quartet Talks About Beethoven

[DavidO]

Check out the following Web site:

http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/...beethoven.html

The Emerson String Quartet talks about various aspects of Beethoven's string quartets. Windows Media audio files are available on each of the separate pages of the site.

I'm not familiar with the Emersons' recording of the cycle. Is it very great?

[Zevy]

Emerson Cycle is Really Great!

Hello, DavidO:

I bought the complete Emerson set (used on Amazon, as I do so many recordings). I really enjoyed it.

I appreciate your post with the Emerson members discussing the quartets. I love when Eugene Drucker says, "...We can never really be complacent when listening to his music." That is so true. Although one may listen to Mozart (as great as he is) while doing work around the house etc., it doesn't work with Beethoven. There is absolutely no way - his music just grabs you; you must listen.

Thanks again for the post.

All the best,

[Preston]

Great site! Thanks for this.

Although, I do wonder about something they said. One of the members of the Emerson Quartet said that Beethoven could not tell the true tempo of the metronome and that Beethoven used the metronome he heard in his head. Surely Beethoven could have felt, by putting his hand on it, the click of the metronome?

[Chris]

Great site! Thanks for this.

Although, I do wonder about something they said. One of the members of the Emerson Quartet said that Beethoven could not tell the true tempo of the metronome and that Beethoven used the metronome he heard in his head. Surely Beethoven could have felt, by putting his hand on it, the click of the metronome?

Yeah, or just watch the arm moving back and forth. Andras Schiff talks about how it's utter nonsense that Beethoven's metronome was broken or he didn't know what he was doing, and I agree.

[Preston]

Thanks for that information Chris. To my mind, Beethoven knew tempo all to well. The reason I say that is because take the Hammerklavier and its tempo. Surely Beethoven knew that the tempo would be exactly almost out of reach for almost all the great pianists. According to what I understand, it is almost an impossibility to play the Hammerklavier with the correct tempo- it is like Beethoven is pushing the limitations of human beings abilities and senses, and in perfect tempo!

[Sorrano]

I've got this, too, and quite like it.

Hello, DavidO:

I bought the complete Emerson set (used on Amazon, as I do so many recordings). I really enjoyed it.

I appreciate your post with the Emerson members discussing the quartets. I love when Eugene Drucker says, "...We can never really be complacent when listening to his music." That is so true. Although one may listen to Mozart (as great as he is) while doing work around the house etc., it doesn't work with Beethoven. There is absolutely no way - his music just grabs you; you must listen.

Thanks again for the post.

All the best,

[Peter]

Yeah, or just watch the arm moving back and forth. Andras Schiff talks about how it's utter nonsense that Beethoven's metronome was broken or he didn't know what he was doing, and I agree.

Yes but Beethoven later expressed dissatsisfaction with the metronome and probably for the following reasons. You have to take into account the venue and the piano - playing the piano in a church is very different to a small room or a concert hall. We also know that he didn't play rigidly in time so within those markings there is room for manoeuvre - you try putting a metronome on and listen to any recording and it soon gets out, even Schiff! The metronome is never more than a rough guide.

[Chris]

Yes but Beethoven later expressed dissatsisfaction with the metronome and probably for the following reasons. You have to take into account the venue and the piano - playing the piano in a church is very different to a small room or a concert hall. We also know that he didn't play rigidly in time so within those markings there is room for manoeuvre - you try putting a metronome on and listen to any recording and it soon gets out, even Schiff! The metronome is never more than a rough guide.

I believe Beethoven said that it was good for the first few measures only, or something to that effect. There is obviously going to be some variation after that; aside from artistic reasons, it's nearly impossible for a human being to keep tempo as perfectly as a metronome. But I think it is an invaluable tool for unambiguously indicating the intended tempo of your piece.

[susanwen]

In the taped course about the Symphonies, Robert Greenberg says that one of the themes of the Pastoral is Beethoven making fun of a metronome running down.