Comments on: Every opening of Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 16:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Matthew B. Tepper http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1353293 Matthew B. Tepper Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1353293 Fascinating stuff, but hardly EVERY recording.  In fact, it runs maybe 300 short of the total! Eric Grunin's An Eroica Project lists them all. It appears to be offline right now, but it's worth checking up on later:  http://www.grunin.com/eroica/ Fascinating stuff, but hardly EVERY recording.  In fact, it runs maybe 300 short of the total! Eric Grunin’s An Eroica Project lists them all. It appears to be offline right now, but it’s worth checking up on later: 
http://www.grunin.com/eroica/

]]> By: Dan Hore http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352970 Dan Hore Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352970  Sounds like you were very lucky to get such a knowledgeable and caring clerk.  I didn't know there were such things as music clerks.  Sounds like you were very lucky to get such a knowledgeable and caring clerk.  I didn’t know there were such things as music clerks.

]]> By: johnfoster http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352708 johnfoster Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352708 I got yelled at by a clerk in the Annex when I tried to buy a $3 CD containing a recording of Holst "The Planets". I didn't care which recording of the Planets it was I just needed the disc for cheap. his first remark, "this won't be a good you know?" without actually looking at the disc. I defended my choice saying, "it's for my class tomorrow. I'm playing it on a mono speaker in a Mac which will do more damage than…" I had to look at the details myself to find the Conductors name. the clerk perked up… "oh actually this just might be okay." and proceeded to be a font of knowledge about that guy. I really don't miss that place, condescending music clerks, or having to DRIVE to buy music. I got yelled at by a clerk in the Annex when I tried to buy a $3 CD containing a recording of Holst “The Planets”. I didn’t care which recording of the Planets it was I just needed the disc for cheap. his first remark, “this won’t be a good you know?” without actually looking at the disc. I defended my choice saying, “it’s for my class tomorrow. I’m playing it on a mono speaker in a Mac which will do more damage than…” I had to look at the details myself to find the Conductors name. the clerk perked up… “oh actually this just might be okay.” and proceeded to be a font of knowledge about that guy.

I really don’t miss that place, condescending music clerks, or having to DRIVE to buy music.

]]> By: Rosetta Maranos http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352699 Rosetta Maranos Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352699 No one has posted about the difference in the quality and quantity of sound depending on the recording venues. I can hear the grand halls reverberating in some of these recordings, while in others the orchestras seem sort of disembodied with no space or air between the notes. No one has posted about the difference in the quality and quantity of sound depending on the recording venues. I can hear the grand halls reverberating in some of these recordings, while in others the orchestras seem sort of disembodied with no space or air between the notes.

]]> By: valiant66 http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352662 valiant66 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352662 I really liked the variety of aural focuses (focii?), especially in the beginning. I assume the earliest recordings were made in mono, and later transcription to stereo CD made the difference, but even so: you can clearly hear how different microphone placements lead to different perspectives on the orchestra. Sadly, (or perhaps not), as we get closer to today the soundstage seems to become fairly standardized. Someone must have made "the" recording, and all subsequent sound engineers have taken that as the proper way to mic this music. A personal bonus: things like this help justify my having a set of studio-quality monitor speakers above my screens (Rogers LS3-5A), instead of a pair of cheap and nasty desktop speakers. Makes it so easy to retrieve detail. I really liked the variety of aural focuses (focii?), especially in the beginning. I assume the earliest recordings were made in mono, and later transcription to stereo CD made the difference, but even so: you can clearly hear how different microphone placements lead to different perspectives on the orchestra. Sadly, (or perhaps not), as we get closer to today the soundstage seems to become fairly standardized. Someone must have made “the” recording, and all subsequent sound engineers have taken that as the proper way to mic this music.

A personal bonus: things like this help justify my having a set of studio-quality monitor speakers above my screens (Rogers LS3-5A), instead of a pair of cheap and nasty desktop speakers. Makes it so easy to retrieve detail.

]]> By: OtherMichael http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352499 OtherMichael Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352499 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra_hit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra_hit

]]> By: oohShiny http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352455 oohShiny Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352455 Am I the only one reminded of the alien ship sound from Kirk and Spock Save the Whales? Compare as we dare... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN-eBlEeHSA Am I the only one reminded of the alien ship sound from Kirk and Spock Save the Whales? Compare as we dare… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN-eBlEeHSA

]]> By: sean http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352432 sean Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352432 I vote for the Munich Philharmonic (Oswald Kabasta, 1943), although there is much to be said for the Chicago Symphony (George Solti, 1989). I vote for the Munich Philharmonic (Oswald Kabasta, 1943), although there is much to be said for the Chicago Symphony (George Solti, 1989).

]]> By: chaopoiesis http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352349 chaopoiesis Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352349 An aural journey across a century of shrinking attention spans: faster pussycat, saw saw! An aural journey across a century of shrinking attention spans: faster pussycat, saw saw!

]]> By: grimc http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352307 grimc Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352307 Cincinnatti, 1980: You weren't even trying. Cincinnatti, 1980: You weren’t even trying.

]]> By: Bruce Salem http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352300 Bruce Salem Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352300 ahecht, your comment about the concert pitch where classical period practice uses A at 430 hz instead of 440 reminds me of a pitch discrimination experiment I once participated in. One finding was that people tended to hear micro intervals as half steps even though they are smaller, so the 10 hz difference in tuning made the chords sound to me like D major instead of the E-Flat major chord Beethoven wrote. Also I recall that B. originally thought of a V7-I chord seq. in the sketches,as in the opening of the First Symphony. ahecht, your comment about the concert pitch where classical period practice uses A at 430 hz instead of 440 reminds me of a pitch discrimination experiment I once participated in. One finding was that people tended to hear micro intervals as half steps even though they are smaller, so the 10 hz difference in tuning made the chords sound to me like D major instead of the E-Flat major chord Beethoven wrote.

Also I recall that B. originally thought of a V7-I chord seq. in the sketches,as in the opening of the First Symphony.

]]> By: Gerhard Mulder http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352292 Gerhard Mulder Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352292 Quick! Someone call Dr Ellie Arroway! Quick! Someone call Dr Ellie Arroway!

]]> By: ether78 http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352285 ether78 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352285 Summary: James Levine Rocks; Christopher Hogwood needs to get his ears checked out. Summary: James Levine Rocks; Christopher Hogwood needs to get his ears checked out.

]]> By: realgeek http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352280 realgeek Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352280 The YouTube comment reminded me of that Chris Farley skit:"R-remember when you did that thing in that movie and then this other thing happened?" "Yeah." "Heh...that was awesome." The YouTube comment reminded me of that Chris Farley skit:”R-remember when you did that thing in that movie and then this other thing happened?”
“Yeah.”
“Heh…that was awesome.”

]]> By: noggin http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352262 noggin Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352262 Great.  Now I've got musicosis. Great.  Now I’ve got musicosis.

]]> By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352255 oasisob1 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352255 Someone please put up 2012 8-bit version now. Someone please put up 2012 8-bit version now.

]]> By: oasisob1 http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352254 oasisob1 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352254  You're a viola player, aren't you?  You’re a viola player, aren’t you?

]]> By: lakelady http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352252 lakelady Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352252 listening to this filled me with a sudden nostalgia for Tower Records Classical Annex in San Francisco, a place where I could go and the sales staff could actually have an intelligent conversation with you about the merits of various recordings. Ah, those were the days my friend. . . listening to this filled me with a sudden nostalgia for Tower Records Classical Annex in San Francisco, a place where I could go and the sales staff could actually have an intelligent conversation with you about the merits of various recordings. Ah, those were the days my friend. . .

]]> By: zachstronaut http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352251 zachstronaut Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352251 Is that reverb/echo in 1966... or is that flutes and strings carrying on after the orchestra hits? Is that reverb/echo in 1966… or is that flutes and strings carrying on after the orchestra hits?

]]> By: zachstronaut http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352249 zachstronaut Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352249 Cool comment is cool. Cool comment is cool.

]]> By: zachstronaut http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352248 zachstronaut Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352248 It was far more interesting than I expected also! I'm listening again. It was far more interesting than I expected also! I’m listening again.

]]> By: SteveShervais http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352245 SteveShervais Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352245  Hitler  Hitler

]]> By: corydodt http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352241 corydodt Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352241 That didn't sound right to me, so I checked my own collection. This is the opening of the second movement ("Allegro con brio"), not the opening of the whole symphony ("Scherzo", which starts at almost a whisper). EDIT: never mind, apparently I've had these tracks mislabeled for some time. :( That didn’t sound right to me, so I checked my own collection. This is the opening of the second movement (“Allegro con brio”), not the opening of the whole symphony (“Scherzo”, which starts at almost a whisper).

EDIT: never mind, apparently I’ve had these tracks mislabeled for some time. :(

]]> By: charlesj http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352237 charlesj Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352237 What's with Barbirolli  at 1'22" - who played an F?  What’s with Barbirolli  at 1’22″ – who played an F? 

]]> By: Joseph Francis http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352202 Joseph Francis Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352202  Reminds me of Inception  Reminds me of Inception

]]> By: Guest http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352191 Guest Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352191 And the timer on how long it takes before there's a dubstep remix starts ... now. And the timer on how long it takes before there’s a dubstep remix starts … now.

]]> By: ahecht http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352181 ahecht Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352181 It was interesting to hear all the different concert pitches used. The two main ranges seemed to be  those using "standard pitch" of A=440Hz (the higher sounding ones) and those using "classical pitch" of A=430Hz (the lower sounding ones). A=430Hz is probably the most historically accurate for Mozart, but standards have ranged over time from 392Hz (French Baroque) to 466Hz (Renaissance). Beyond that, although "standard pitch" is A=440Hz, major orchestras in New York (NY Phil), Boston (BSO), Los Angeles (LA Phil), France, Italy, and Scandinavia use A=442Hz and major orchestras in Germany, Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Spain use A=443Hz. It was interesting to hear all the different concert pitches used. The two main ranges seemed to be  those using “standard pitch” of A=440Hz (the higher sounding ones) and those using “classical pitch” of A=430Hz (the lower sounding ones). A=430Hz is probably the most historically accurate for Mozart, but standards have ranged over time from 392Hz (French Baroque) to 466Hz (Renaissance).

Beyond that, although “standard pitch” is A=440Hz, major orchestras in New York (NY Phil), Boston (BSO), Los Angeles (LA Phil), France, Italy, and Scandinavia use A=442Hz and major orchestras in Germany, Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Spain use A=443Hz.

]]> By: Matt Fitzpatrick http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352157 Matt Fitzpatrick Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352157 Karajan did it best, as usual... Karajan did it best, as usual…

]]> By: William Coolman http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352147 William Coolman Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352147 I hear the difference in the tuning of the orchestra on each recording, and it makes me CRINGE. Really really neat though. I hear the difference in the tuning of the orchestra on each recording, and it makes me CRINGE. Really really neat though.

]]> By: jimh http://boingboing.net/2012/02/22/every-opening-of-beethovens.html#comment-1352134 jimh Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=145222#comment-1352134 I liked that part too! Why did this remind me of Dramatic Gopher? Too much internet? I liked that part too!
Why did this remind me of Dramatic Gopher? Too much internet?

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