Ludwig Van Beethoven - Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, Part II

As I promised to upload more pieces, please welcome Ludwig Van Beethoven and his Große Fuge(Grosse Fuge), Opus 133!
He wrote this piece when he was completely deaf a short time before he died, in 1825-1826.
The Große Fuge is a single-movement composition for string quartet by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Beethoven originally composed the massive fugue as the final movement of his String Quartet No. 13 (Op. 130). However, the Fugue was so demanding of contemporary performers and unpopular with audiences that Beethoven's publisher urged him to write a new finale for the string quartet. Beethoven, notorious for his stubborn personality and indifference to public opinion or taste, acquiesced to his publisher's request on this occasion and published the Fugue as a separate opus number, opus 133. He then wrote a finale that replaced the Fugue, which is considerably lighter in character, more akin to the other movements of the opus 130 quartet. Today, performances of the quartet include either the Fugue or its replacement movement.
"[it is] an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever." - Igor Stravinsky
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grosse_fuge

This is my third video, after Pachelbel's Canon:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6wpPk8qk3uQ

and Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WdLoTPUNtD0

I see you enjoy the pieces from your very lovely comments. It encourages me to upload more^^

BTW, this(the Fuge) is one of my favorites. I have first heard this piece in the movie "Copying Beethoven".
I enjoyed the movie very much, highly recommended. Really, one of the bests^^
Cast:
Diane Kruger -- Anna Holtz
Ed Harris -- Ludwig van Beethoven
Matthew Goode -- Martin Bauer
Phyllida Law -- Mother Canisius
Ralph Riach -- Wenzel Schlemmer

I hope you would enjoy this top class music! :)
You can download the mp3 here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E4IDTFV4
(It's the full version..)
Have a nice day :P

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• Ludwig
• Van
• Beethoven
• Grosse
• Fuge
• Große
• Violin
• Orchestra
• piece
• Op.
• 133
• Opus
• Composition
• Viola
• Violoncello
• Cello

[nmrd123987]

Enjoy^^

[crosseneric]

@voxhunden I agree its odd that he went out with a bang by writing music not for an orchestra but mostly for solo piano and also for a messily string quartet but by demanding as much as he would a normal orchestra

[schlesmail]

Rock on, Louie!

[lvbandmore]

I really love this piece - which string quartet is performing? Thanks!

[voxhunden]

If this represents the music from his later life, I should try to find more from that period. This is a different Beethoven to me, less involved with the crowd, more with the music.

[NetworkHaze]

Finally.

If God was to speak with Beethoven's music.

This piece explains why he forgives us.

[asskickerfoo]

Yeah :D

[JorPove]

En efecto,como apunta nmrd123987 ,Beethoven sordo y al filo de la muerte decide ampliar el horizonte de la musica y al legarnos esta pieza establece un paradigma que es seguido por Mahler,posteriormente por Schoenberg y a partir de aquel ya la musica no tiene un solo sendero,sino muchas bifurcaciones que requieren de estructuras , escritura y modalidades expresivas distintas :muchas de ellas no comprendidas aun,porque plantean retos para gustos esteticos aun anclados en otra epoca...

[zajaka288]

lol

[ohthewiles]

this is the definitive recording of op 130 by the quartetto italiano. i strongly suggest that any of you who love beethoven and are interested in the late quartets GET THESE RECORDINGS- THEY ARE FAR AND AWAY THE BEST.