Baden in German means baths and there are more Badens on the European continent. The one Beethoven visited so often is distinguished by the name Baden bei Wien, meaning Baden near Vienna. Today it is the capital of Baden District and located about 26 km south of Vienna. The area has 14 hot springs containing healthy minerals. Baden is surrounded …
One morning in Baden, during the summer break of Beethoven, Ries showed up at his teacher to practice piano. As he approached the apartment overheard Beethoven playing and improvising on his piano. He was working on the sonata that later became famous as the Appassionata. When finally entered the room he found the master looking out from his window. “We …
One day Ferdinand Ries got a money making opportunity from his teacher and mentor, Beethoven. A wealthy couple, Count Johann Georg Browne and his wife, were looking for a piano player who could entertain them and their guests in Baden. They were enthusiasts and previously generous patrons of Beethoven. No wonder, Ries had to play Beethoven music all the time…. …
One day Beethoven’s pupil (and friend) Ferdinand Ries showed up at Beethoven’s residence during his summer break in Baden. As he entered the room he found him sitting on the sofa with an attractive young lady. Ries thought to leave and give them privacy, but Beethoven asked him to stay and play something. He played a number of pieces from …
Symphony No. 5 in C minor of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 67, was composed over many years, between 1804 and 1808. He had the habit of working on more project simultaneously and often put them on halt for longer periods. The first performance of the Symphony was in Vienna’s Theater an der Wien, 1808. The instrumentation of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony …
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31, No. 2 (composed in 1802) is often called The Tempest or Der Sturm in German. The name, and the legend, comes from Anton Schindler, who for a period was the secretary of Beethoven. According to his recollection, when asked how to interpret this piano sonata, Beethoven replied, “Read [Shakespeare’s] The …