Beethoven's Eccentric Große Fugue

There is hardly any other fugue in the history of classical music that would attract such a long row of controversial and striking epithets besides the renowned work by one of the most influential composers of all time, Ludwig van Beethoven.

Your face when you are trying to analyse Beethoven's Große Fugue

The massive one-movement “Große Fugue” is definitely in the row of the most complex and complicated classical creations out there. At the time of its composition around 1823, the critics universally reproved the work, calling it all possible negative names: “incomprehensible like Chinese”, “Armaggedon”, “eccentric”, “a confusion of Babel”, “inaccessible”, “filled with paradoxes”, “an indecipherable, uncorrected horror” and so many more. For the record, it annoyed the composer: Beethoven would scream in irritation “Cattle! Asses!” when he found out that the work was never asked for encore, for he never doubted the grandeur of his unique creation.

Originally, the fugue was part of Beethoven’s string quartet No.13 serving its final movement. However, the publisher of the work miraculously managed to convince Beethoven (which is surprising as a fact) to write a different finale. The fugue was thus published independently in 1827.

The awareness of the fugue’s greatness only came in the 20th century. Like Stravinsky mentioned, the fugue was an absolutely contemporary piece that will remain contemporary forever. Perhaps it was too contemporary for its time?

The music critics and researchers never came to a consensus in terms of the fugue’s analysis. Dozens were trying to break down its structure and stylistic patterns but no universal description emerged. Beethoven’s fugue will keep fascinating musicians for years to come, remaining one of his biggest achievements and a truly challenging piece to master.

Edvard Grieg’s One and Only Piano Concerto

The concerto composed by Edvard Grieg was meant to become not just one of the most popular compositions among his own pieces but also a world-class music work, one of the most outstanding and most-performed piano concerti in the world.

The Piano Concerto in A Minor (Op.16) is the only work that Grieg composed in this genre. It was born during his visit to Denmark in 1868, where composer headed to improve his health staying in a favourable climate. Apparently, the climate affected positively his creative skills too.

The concert is often compared to Schumann’s “one and only” Piano Concerto that is also written in the same key. And that’s no wonder: Grieg was a huge fan of Schumann’s talent and was taught piano by his friend (E. Wenzel). There are also clear references to the folk music of Grieg’s native country – Norway. The special motif (falling minor 2nd followed by the falling major 3rd) can be traced both in the concerto and in other works by Grieg, including his first string quartet.

Edvard Grieg could not be present at the premiere of his concerto, although he could easily play the piano part himself. This work became the 1st concerto ever recorded: it was done by Wilhelm Backhaus in 1909.

The version that we hear and enjoy today has gone through 7 major edits by Grieg who made over 300 changes to the original score all in all. The final exemplar of the score was ready just a few weeks before the composer’s death.

To me, this concerto is one of the most relaxing pieces of music ever written. So I gladly put it on when the mood longs for the calm and beautiful. Below is Julia Fischer’s interpretation (piano).