Re: An Equal Music and Beethoven String Quintet.

On 28 Nov 2003 23:43:01 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Liz D)
wrote:

>J. Teske <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
>> [snip] The op 104 is actually a reworking of
>> the Piano Trio in C minor Op 1 no. 3.  I have played one of these
>> quintets.  They are argueably among the worst things Beethoven ever
>> did.  I think the whole point of mentioning them in the book was that
>> the protagonist would go to nearly any length to satify his musical
>> curiosity. Of course, if the protagonist had had a chance to read the
>> program notes included from the Supraphon recording (that is my source
>> for the above information) he might have passed up buying the
>> recording...but then he wouldn't have taken the bus trip crucial to
>> the story.
>
>That's why he was so fascinated by it - the piano trio was one he had
>often played with Julia in Vienna and it was her favourite Beethoven
>trio.

Yeah, I remember that now. I can't find my copy of the book...it
probably escaped when we had a search and destroy here to take books
either to a charity or a used bookseller.  I may have to go to the
booksellers and see if I can buy my book back.

I remember being amused by all the machinations of trying to piece
together all the personalities of the ensemble and the romantic
entanglements with other musicians.  While I have tried many times to
piece together ensembles (with varying degrees of success), I guess I
never had a romantic entanglement with any of the musicians I have
played with  (OK, OK, I did sorta lust after that red-headed cellist
in college the year my girlfriend (now my wife) was still in High
School and my two best friends in the orchestra were girls (very
Platonic), but nothing came of this.)  I started dating the young lady
who became my wife in high school and that started during the only two
years of my post-age 10 life that I didn't play violin. She might have
thought better of all this if I had been an active musician those two
years.  I suppose we could have a spirited discussion on the merits of
two musicians being an item.  My wife is only marginally musical, but
thankfully supportive of my endeavors.

Just think Karen...with your two girls at the teeny-bopper stage you
have all this to look forward to. (I'm still trying to marry off my
own daughter, now 36, but she's a country/western sort of girl. I
never tried to fix her up with any of my bachelor orchestral
collegues. Rumors are flying to the effect she might get engaged this
Christmas...Yes, Lord!)

Its hard enough to create an ensemble just on musical grounds...I
couldn't even imagine the difficulties if romance were involved. While
I'm not directly effected, the orchestras I play in have been the
catalyst for more than a few romances and at least a half dozen
marriages. I did play Cupid (sorta) a couple years ago when I prodded
my best friend to date his cute stand partner in a Nutcracker gig we
did two years ago.  This affair continues although this year for the
Nutcracker, my friend is the conductor and the girlfriend is MY stand
partner. Is this a triangle??  :-).  Oy!
>
>My musical knowledge is not sufficient to comment on its merits, but
>it is a central feature of the story.  Although they never actually
>get to play it.

A pity...even if the music is dreck.  

Jon Teske
>