Who are you?

[Anthina]

Hello all,
I know this is going off-topic Peter but I really believe it's an essential forum part.

I don't know what you think about it but I would love to know a bit more about the people in this forum, who are you? what are you doing when you are not listening to music or writting here? How did you get involved in music and Beethoven? What instruments do you play and for how long? And if you want maybe post a picture of yourself.

That's it! I just thought it might be intresting to know a bit more about the person you are talking to via net.

Anthina

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*~Ja, was haben's da scho wieder gmacht, Beethoven?~*

[Rod]

Originally posted by Anthina:
Hello all,
I know this is going off-topic Peter but I really believe it's an essential forum part.

I don't know what you think about it but I would love to know a bit more about the people in this forum, who are you? what are you doing when you are not listening to music or writting here? How did you get involved in music and Beethoven? What instruments do you play and for how long? And if you want maybe post a picture of yourself.

That's it! I just thought it might be intresting to know a bit more about the person you are talking to via net.

Anthina

I think Peter's pulled! For starters you could look in people's profiles here.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Anthina:
Hello all,
I know this is going off-topic Peter but I really believe it's an essential forum part.

I don't know what you think about it but I would love to know a bit more about the people in this forum, who are you? what are you doing when you are not listening to music or writting here? How did you get involved in music and Beethoven? What instruments do you play and for how long? And if you want maybe post a picture of yourself.

That's it! I just thought it might be intresting to know a bit more about the person you are talking to via net.

Anthina

Well although a little off topic as you say, it is relevant since our love of Beethoven and classical music is the common factor and it is nice to have a little light relief after the recent heavy postings! I'm a piano teacher living in a lovely old English town. This whole site first came about because I had researched Beethoven for a school project and decided it would be a shame to let all the info sit in my cupboard. I first became interested in Beethoven particularly around the age of 12 when I bought my first classical LP - Beethoven's 4th & 5th symphonies. From then on there was no turning back and I joined my local music library, each week taking out a new Beethoven work - it was a real thrill discovering all this music for the very first time. I often go through phases of different composers, but it is always Beethoven I come back to - for me, no other music has such variety and sincerity, and I say that despite my love of many others. Now I must do some more practice on Op.109, especially as Chris has started posting his recordings!

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'Man know thyself'

[robert newman]

Music and I were gentle with each other when I was a boy and even as a youth. In my late teens I studied music at college in London but not with any belief in its immense significance - not until, somehow, the sheer wonder of it fell before me in what seemed like moments - like Newton's apple. Realising it had always had such significance came from around that same time by being able for the first time to recall things in childhood that had been musical. (Clarinet and oboe were my instruments but I was pulled to harmony and orchestration).

Then came the business of earning a living - years in Asia as a contracts manager for construction/civil engineering firms - something I still eke a living from today, but freelance. In my case the making of music needs great patience, the right environment, and this makes it possible to read and listen a great deal. At 51 I lay myself open to the charge of dreaming or hoping to write music but the music of, say, Bach or Beethoven and a willingness to listen keeps me happily aware that nothing is done without maturity and a certain humility.

Anthina mentions the internet - yes, I think it's a marvellous thing despite its very real limitations.

If we can be musical without being mechanically minded I'm one of those musicians. The rest is intuition and goodwill.

[lvbfanatic]

As silly teenagers, my wife and I first recognized each other's presence with LVB's #5 blaring over the radio. In that undefinable period of time, and music, we connected into a lifetime romance. Talk of romantic music! Since then, many many eons over the rivers of Chronos, we have travelled together over LVB's footpaths with awe and absolute adoration.

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A Calm Sea and A Prosperous Voyage

[Chris]

I loved music as a child, and Beethoven was always my favorite. I play the violin and the piano, and I love writing music, but sadly did not have the courage to make music my career. So now I'm a software engineer But I still play at church, and sometimes at weddings and funerals and other such events. So I keep the dream alive a little anyway.

Now I must do some more practice on Op.109, especially as Chris has started posting his recordings!

If you come up with a recording of Op. 109 I will be truly embarrassed of my paltry efforts. Well, maybe one day I'll visit England and you can give me a few lessons...

[This message has been edited by Chris (edited 04-16-2006).]

[Chaszz]

I am an artist, 65. I have been painting all my life, and I had two "careers," as an art teacher and then a software engineer; am now retired from both. I'm now finally having my real career as an artist. My work may be seen at my new site http://www.charleszigmund.com ; the site is still under development so one or two links don't work but most do.

I've always loved music and would have been a musician as a career except that I have no talent for creating melodies, so I chose art, where I do get solid ideas. But music has always been my favorite art. I love Bach, Wagner and Brahms best, and Beethoven fourth, though I admit he qualifies as perhaps the greatest, or equal to the greatest. I know he is certainly greater than Brahms. How can it be that I like a composer better who I know is not as good? I make a distinction between what I like personally and what is "objectively" the best, although I know that miles of philosophical minefields are opened up by these words. Also I have a slight problem with classical era music in general in its (to my taste) relative overreliance on tonic and dominant. I listen for a little more thoroughgoing harmonic adventurousness. Outraged Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn fans hold your pens; I know these men can be very adventurous harmonically when they choose to, in their development sections. They just rely a little too much on tonic, subdominant and dominant too consistently for my taste.

Why do I spend a good deal of time at this site if Beethoven is not my favorite? (1) The people and the discussion are usually interesting and CIVILISED because of the restraining efforts of Peter and Chris. Sites on Bach and Wagner are unmoderated Usenet affairs where flames are common and hurtful. (2) I learn and hear a good deal of Beethoven here, which is very good, and also learn a lot about other composers and music in general. (3) I enjoy responding to Rod Corkin when he puts down Bach. ...In all, I come and go but usually revisit here more or less regularly. I think Peter and Chris, and Rod with his Mp3 tracks,have done an excellent job of making this one of the best classical music sites on the web.


[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited 04-16-2006).]

[HaydnFan]

I am 21 years old and a university student.
I have been listening to classical music all my life: My great-grandfather was an opera conductor and my grandmother was always interested in opera. My parents always listened to classical and so did I from a very young age. I really got into it about a year and a half ago. That's about it really.

[Sorrano]

One day in Junior High School the band I played in did an overture based on the themes of the Eroica. From that day forward I was forever changed by the power of the music that Beethoven had written and in fact that very change brought me to degrees in music theory and composition on the university level and have kept me active on the musical scene, although professionally I have gone elsewhere, dealing more with computers and data. Happily, I am able to merge both worlds and with good software continue to work with music in a way that is personally satisfying.

[Lazza]

Originally posted by Anthina:
Hello all,
I know this is going off-topic Peter but I really believe it's an essential forum part.

I don't know what you think about it but I would love to know a bit more about the people in this forum, who are you? what are you doing when you are not listening to music or writting here? How did you get involved in music and Beethoven? What instruments do you play and for how long? And if you want maybe post a picture of yourself.

That's it! I just thought it might be intresting to know a bit more about the person you are talking to via net.

Anthina

I just stumbled into your forum while googling for details about the discovery of the original Grosse Fugue 4 hand piano version last year. A good read, thanks. So, I thought I would register...

I have loved Beethoven since age 12, when my father bought our first 12" record player in 1960 (that dates me). My father told me he used to cry listening to the slow movement of the Emperor Piano Concerto.

Despite my love of Beethoven, it was not until recent year that I finally heard Beethoven's string quartets, especially his late quartets.

I live in Australia, work as a psychiatrist (I am always off-duty when on-line!). My 14 year old daughter is an accomplished violinist (Sitting Grade 8 exams soon), but she hates Beethoven (aarrgh!) Fortunately we share a love of Shostakovich. His quartets are on a par with Beethoven's.

Larry



[This message has been edited by Lazza (edited 04-18-2006).]

[Hollywood]

I am forever thankful to my 4th grade teacher who introduced me to Beethoven by turning on the classroom radio to KUSC FM on that rainy day way back then where I got to hear Beethoven's Sym. #5 for the first time. From then on I was hooked on Beethoven which eventually helped me to discover and fall in love with classical music. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with my other favorites which include Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi just to name a few.

Also at this time I feel in love with Austria especially Vienna (and this was before I saw the film "The Sound of Music"). I became very interested with its history especially with Vienna being the magnet it was for so many famous composers. At this time (I was about 9 yrs. old)I had made the decision that one day I would live in Vienna, the classical music capital of the world. That dream finally came true and I have been living here in Vienna now for 12 years. Most of that time I have lived here in Heiligenstadt located in Vienna's 19th district. I am so lucky to be living in this beautiful city where Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and Vivaldi lived and where Schubert and Johann Strauss were born and stayed.

I, like Peter, have also gone through phases of liking other composers music but I have always come back home to Beethoven. He is and always will be my favorite (followed closely by Mozart).

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"God knows why it is that my pianoforte music always makes the worst impression on me, especially when it is played badly."
- Beethoven 1804.

[ASSelby]

Originally posted by Lazza:
I just stumbled into your forum while googling for details about the discovery of the original Grosse Fugue 4 hand piano version last year. A good read, thanks. So, I thought I would register...

I have loved Beethoven since age 12, when my father bought our first 12" record player in 1960 (that dates me). My father told me he used to cry listening to the slow movement of the Emperor Piano Concerto.

Despite my love of Beethoven, it was not until recent year that I finally heard Beeyhoven's string quartets, especially his late quartets.

I live in Australia, work as a psychiatrist (I am always off-duty when on-line!). My 14 year old daughter is an accomplished violinist (Sitting Grade 8 exams soon), but she hates Beethoven (aarrgh!) Fortunately we share a love of Shostakovich. His quartets are on a par with Beethoven's.

Larry

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Hello Fellow Australian. Congratulations to your daughter.

Agnes Selby

[Teresa]

Hi all -

I'm 46, married, with a wonderful daughter, a publications assistant and aspiring mixed media/collage artist living in Virginia. I grew up singing in the church choir, my mother always had classical LPs and soundtracks on the stereo going all the time (as a matter of fact, right now I'm listening to the Dr. Zhivago soundtrack, thanks to my mother's influence 35 years ago), my grandfather played the violin, so I guess I've always had music around me in some way or another. I rediscovered classical music in my late 20s and haven't looked back.

My favorite composers are Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Handel, Mozart, Mendelssohn - I could name many more, but these would be the top picks. Right now I'm really starting to discover some more of the Baroque period, especially some of the more obscure composers. I need to add more to my Handel collection, and I've fallen in love with Corelli. I do indulge myself and usually purchase one new CD a week, so my library is really growing!

I envy those of you who live in England - right now I'm studying all the dynasties - and it's my dream to get there one day, as well as Bavaria, Vienna and the Netherlands. Trying to learn more about my British/German/Dutch roots...

Teresa

[sjwenger]

I'm an American, living in Maryland. I've always loved classical music. I studied piano for about five years as a child, but haven't played for a long time. I'm retired from my job but I've written some books, and I enjoy introducing my two grandsons to Beethoven.
- Susan

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To learn about "The Port-Wine Sea," my parody of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin series, please contact me at
susanwenger@yahoo.com

To learn about "The Better Baby" book, ways to increase a baby's intelligence, health, and potentials, please use the same address.

[Anthina]

wow those posts are amazing. It's good to know people a bit better.

I'm Anthina, 20, from Germany and I've been a musician all my life. My dad's a musician and so my parents enrolled me at music school at the age of 6 and I started to play clarinet at the age of 8 (although I wanted to learn violin but my dad thought the first years would be a nightmare so I didn't..I'm pretty happy with clarinet now). With 14 my clarinet teacher put me into a clarinet chamber trio with bassethorn (basically playing Mozart) and we toured around Europe gaining a lot of experiences by doing workshops etc. By that time I started asking myself why we always play Mozart or Stamitz and never for example BEETHOVEN. I started researching and discovered Beethoven bit by bit. And it was amazing how that music moved me. I know there are still pieces I haven't listend to and it's fantastic to discover those.

When I graduated from school my plans were moving to the UK and study. So I did but after a couple of months I was forced to move back to germany due to fatal illness of my mother (yes, I am sharing this sad commonality with young beethoven and it's really weird to think about his situation being so similar to mine, well I am not a composer but by the human side...). My mother passed away soon afterwards and now I have to plan everything new. However my clarinet teacher somehow heard from all this and offered me to take me back as a student. So life's going on with music and still being young there are a lot of chances.
I don't think a life without music could be possible and everything in my family is about music. I've recently discovered a composer of the 18th century bearing my last name and being from the same part my family came from. So now I try to find out wheter I am related to that composer or not

For me Beethoven resolves the greatest composer ever having influenced my way of understanding music more than anyone else!

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*~Ja, was haben's da scho wieder gmacht, Beethoven?~*

[This message has been edited by Anthina (edited 04-17-2006).]