This is the angriest “Reformation” Symphony that I have ever encountered! One can imagine Martin Luther nailing his Ninety-five Theses to the church door with vehemence. You are reminded of the countless bloody conflicts the divorce from a corrupted Roman Catholic Church brought about. Maestro Maazel and the Berliners should be proud of this one. It makes other versions of this under-appreciated work seem tame by comparison.
Félix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy composed only one “cantable” symphony, and, therefore, it is the best known: Symphony No 4. I am convinced of the fact that the capacity of a musical work to be hummed (yes, yes !) is the main criterion of his fame. If I can't hum passages, I forget it! Strangely enough, some composers, including Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc. did not understand this fundamental principle, and composed pieces of music that no one remembers. I am thinking, among others, of most (minus three of them) of Beethoven's solo piano sonatas, and of five symphonies by Tchaikovsky (minus the sixth). This symphony is a good example.
To me that is way too superficial as there are many components apart from a cantabile melody (which I have to give credit, always works.) Moreover, it is weird you pick Tchaikovsky as an example, who is famous for writing great melodies. Think of the Swan lake or the Nutcracker. Symphony No.5 by Tchaikovsky is also filled with great melodies and have the idee fixe that is repeated every movement. Sometimes, a dominating motif can also make the piece memorable, like the Fate Symphony. For Beethoven's sonata, would like to know which three are you referring to. There are plenty of Beethoven sonatas that are underrated in my opinion.
This is the angriest “Reformation” Symphony that I have ever encountered! One can imagine Martin Luther nailing his Ninety-five Theses to the church door with vehemence. You are reminded of the countless bloody conflicts the divorce from a corrupted Roman Catholic Church brought about. Maestro Maazel and the Berliners should be proud of this one. It makes other versions of this under-appreciated work seem tame by comparison.
Félix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy composed only one “cantable” symphony, and, therefore, it is the best known: Symphony No 4. I am convinced of the fact that the capacity of a musical work to be hummed (yes, yes !) is the main criterion of his fame. If I can't hum passages, I forget it! Strangely enough, some composers, including Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc. did not understand this fundamental principle, and composed pieces of music that no one remembers. I am thinking, among others, of most (minus three of them) of Beethoven's solo piano sonatas, and of five symphonies by Tchaikovsky (minus the sixth). This symphony is a good example.
To me that is way too superficial as there are many components apart from a cantabile melody (which I have to give credit, always works.) Moreover, it is weird you pick Tchaikovsky as an example, who is famous for writing great melodies. Think of the Swan lake or the Nutcracker. Symphony No.5 by Tchaikovsky is also filled with great melodies and have the idee fixe that is repeated every movement. Sometimes, a dominating motif can also make the piece memorable, like the Fate Symphony. For Beethoven's sonata, would like to know which three are you referring to. There are plenty of Beethoven sonatas that are underrated in my opinion.