Richibi’s Weblog

     “The Old Burgtheater“ (1888 – 1889)  

 

              Gustav Klimt

 

                  _______

 

 

cause most composers, including the great 

ones, didn’t write many sonatas, or not many

to equal their greatest compositions, I’ll skip

directly from Bach to Beethoven, who first

gave sonatas their commanding position 

on the cultural map

 

he wrote 32, the early ones competent, 

even admirable, others inspiring, several

completely transcendental

 

of the 32, here’s the first of my favourites,

his 15th, in E major, Opus 28, the 

“Pastorale”, German spelling, of 1801

 

you might wonder about all the letters and

numbers in the naming of early music, much

of it compiled by later musicologists, cause

titles hadn’t been given to musical pieces,

even Beethoven’s “Pastorale” had been 

later provided by his publisher

 

music before the late Classical Period 

might’ve been written down, but not 

widely distributed, there wasn’t a 

market for it until the advent of the 

Middle Class, who now wanted 

access to what the aristocracy had

 

earlier, what compositions existed

would’ve been the property not of

the composer, but of the duke, 

baron, or prince who’d hired him 

for his court, see Haydn here, for 

instance, and the Estherházys

 

when greater demand grew for music 

manuscripts, titles little by little became 

a manner of increasing marketing,

scores found their way throughout 

Europe to supply the many amateurs

who’d gather and play before we had

television

 

some of these amateurs became 

noteworthy performers, who also 

began to proliferate, to fill the

burgeoning concert halls, 

see above

 

incidentally, there’s also a “Pastorale”

Symphony of Beethoven, in F major,

Opus 68, you might want to listen to  

and compare

 

enjoy

 

 

R ! chard