I was giving a talk and I referred to Beethoven’s slow movements as some of the most splendid creations of humankind. Russ asked me for a list, so I’ll nominate the following:
1. The Emperor Concerto. This warhorse is a much underrated piece of music, especially the slow movement. The best recording, and indeed one of the best classical recordings of all time, is Michelangeli-Celibidache.
2. Beethoven’s 9th. You could try the recordings by Abbado, Barenboim, or Klemperer, among others, for sublime takes on the slow movement.
3. The Late String Quartets, most of all Op.132 but indeed all of them. The slow movements are done best by Quartetto Italiano or the Busch Quartet, noting that the latter has inferior sound quality.
4. Hammerklavier Piano Sonata. Schnabel’s take on the slow movement is the most profound, but his outer movements are a mess. Gilels or Pollini are safer. The box of late piano sonatas by Solomon covers the slow movements beautifully as well; when push comes to shove that is my pick.
Richter-Rostropovich are the choice for the slow movements in the cello sonatas. And don’t forget Ivan Moravec playing the slow movement in the Appassionata.
Norrington’s version of Beethoven’s Ninth and Fifth are phenomenal. The slow movements are even more beautiful.
I had no idea that the Emperor Concerto was underrated, as it is one of the most highly prized, listened to, and played in orchestra of any of his concertos.
Schnabel’s Hammerklavier second movement is indeed profound. I would also nominate the second movement
of the 32nd (and last) piano sonata, which Schnabel also does a pretty good job on.
Tyler,
Why don’t you try taking time to explain in detail why you like just one thing you like instead of constantly making up lists of things you like? This obsessive making up of lists of your favorite things seems adolescent and Aspergery, especially when the subject is something as mature and complex as Beethoven’s slow movements.
Steve
For what my opinion may be worth, and I agree with what TC has said, especially about the 9th symphony -and I may be the only one who thinks the choral last movement was a mistake -it is also true that Wagner is most magnificant in his quiet moments.
Critic, you are not the only one who thinks that. Steve, listen to the pieces. The list is what’s valuable; it represents many years of listening to many different versions of these pieces and I mostly intend it as a simple imperative to buy. And I still think the Emperor is underrated.
How can a list like this leave off the 7th symphony!? It’s so haunting, I can’t manage to carry on any other task when I hear it — I drop everything and just listen. (I recommend Bruno Walter for all Beethoven’s symphonies.)
I emphatically agree with the other comments about the 7th symphony. It’s the fugue, about 5 minutes in, which does it for me every time. The other slow movement which would probably top my personal list is from the 4th piano concerto – that’s the underrated one, not the Emperor…
I don’t know that I can say the emperor concerto is underrated as a whole, but its slow movement certainly is.
Most written descriptions of the piece focus on the finale and the transition thereto. But the second movement is my favorite by far. It makes me want to cry every time.
Tyler, I keep hearing about Benjamin Zander’s performance of the 9th and how he plays the “slow movement” much faster than normal–apparently using the prescribed tempo marks. The recording seems to be out of print.
Have you heard this version, and if so, what is your opinion of it?
Stan, Henryk Szering was a Mexican violinist of Polish origins.
The funeral march from the Eroica is sublime!
This is missing the best one of all, the slow movement/finale of Op. 111. I’m a Richard Goode fan there, and I’ve entertained many comers (though I tend, unfairly, to be biased towards living pianists not named Pollini. Who knows why). The other huge, unwarranted omission from the list and this discussion is the slow movement from the Archduke Trio. Others worthy of mention include the Pathetique sonata, the Op. 18/1 and Op. 59/1 string quartets, and the intro to the “Sanctus” from the “Missa Solemnis” (I am counting this as a slow movement because I feel like it).
The best single Beethoven CD to buy is Carlos Kleiber’s recording of the Fifth and Seventh symphonies. Familiarity of repertoire + impact of performances + reduced price = compelling purchase.
The Bernstein “Ode an die Freiheit” recording of the Ninth after the fall of the Berlin Wall has to be considered in the ranks of extremely eloquent slow movements. When Bernstein was on, he could bring it like no other.
Fun topic.
I agree with those who mention the 7th symphony. That slow movement was used by Frank Capra in one of the “Why We Fight” movies from World War II. I think it was the segment titled “The Nazis Strike.” It is being played while the film shows the destruction and dead bodies in Poland as a result of the German attack. Very moving.
I think that it was also used in a movie that came out a few years ago (2003) called “The Saddest Music in the World.”
There is a scene where two of the main characters are talking to each other. The soundtrack is the slow movement (2nd movement) from the symphony number 7 by Beethoven. This movement can be very sad at times, it is like a lament, a sorrowful lament.
I agree with your picks but please don’t forget.
1. Slow movement of the Kreutzer Sonata
2. the Op. 59-2 string quartet slow movement — basically presages op. 132
3. Op. 18-5 slow movement
By that same token, most Mozart slow movements are equally sublime.
Is anyone else rolling on the floor crying tears of jubilation regarding David’s post from Apr 16, 2008 11:24:21 PM????
Man that is some funny stuff.
Thanks for the entertainment, and for reminding me how nice is to be a real human being.
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