My office this morning is at the Restaurant-Chain-That-Must-Not-Be-Named, sipping a Light Roast coffee, and munching on an Asiago bagel (toasted twice) with plain cream cheese.
I love bagels.
Back when I was doing one of these projects (I think it was all of Mozart’s compositions from the famed Philips Complete Mozart Edition box set, a project that I called 180 Days With Mozart And Me, ), I noticed I had gained 8-10 pounds from eating a bagel every morning at 6am. That’s because every morning at 6am from December 11, 2009, until June 8, 2010, I was at the Restaurant-Chain-That-Must-Not-Be-Named with a bagel in front of me, listening to Mozart, for 180 days straight. Half a year.
Let no one say I don’t sacrifice for my art. 🙂
I’ve encountered the work of Karl Bohm five times previous to today, on…
Day 5. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 23. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 41. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 59. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 77. Rating: “Meh!”
As you can see, it’s a mixed bag, but with more “Meh!” ratings than “Huzzah!” ratings.
What will today bring?
Oh, by the way, someone asked me why I usually start my blogs with a photo of where I am or a bit of rambling regarding what’s going on at the time. Great question. Here’s the answer:
Because I can.
No, seriously, because I like looking back on these projects to see where I was on any given day, to read my thoughts from that day, to put my projects in context of time, especially regarding season.
So, this morning, as I listen to Austrian conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981), Wiener Philharmoniker, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, I know I’ll be able to look back on this experience and see more than just my “ratings” of Beethoven’s symphonies as performed by 17 different conductors from 18 different CD box sets. I’ll be able to see my own life as well.
Plus, since people from all over the world read this blog (from the last 30 days, nearly 100 people from seven different countries stopped by), I figured it would give people something interesting to read.
Who knows?
I just enjoy doing it this way.
“Which countries?” you ask.
These:
United States
Brazil
Germany
India
Morroco
Norway
Sweden
In that order.
The list changes every month or so – some countries disappear, other countries are added.
Welcome – and THANK YOU – to all those who spend a few moments reading what I’ve written!
Back to the task at hand.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five). The time breakdown of this particular one (Symphony No. 6 in F major), from this particular conductor (Bohm, at age 77) and this particular orchestra (Wiener Philharmoniker), at this particular time in history (September, 1971) on this particular record label (Deutsche Grammophon) is as follows:
I. Allegro ma non troppo………………………………………..12:23
“Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the country”
II. Andante molto mosso………………………………………..14:01
“Scene by the brook”
III. Allegro…………………………………………………………………5:50
“Merry gathering of country folk”
IV. Allegro…………………………………………………………………..3:42
“Thunderstorm”
V. Allegretto………………………………………………………………9:48
“Shepherd’s song: Happy and thankful feelings after the storm”
Total running time: 45:04
My Rating:
Recording quality: 4 (slight tape hiss, a bit of top end missing; otherwise, up to DG standards)
Overall musicianship: 4 (a few inspired passages, mostly by the book and listless: competent)
CD liner notes: 3 (short essay about Beethoven, lyrics in French, German, English, but nothing about Bohm or the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)
How does this make me feel: 3 ( “Meh!”)
I was hoping for better than I heard this morning – especially since Maestro Bohm decided to stretch out the second movement (Andante), which is always risky in my book.
Consider screenwriting, the art of writing scripts for movies.
It is said that when a screenplay (or a finished movie, for that matter) bogs down, it’s in the second act. It’s because of a lack of finesse keeping interesting going throughout the long second act.
I’ve found the same to be true with symphonies. If the andante slows – especially after a rousing Movement I – it could spell big trouble for the symphony.
I think that’s part of what happened to this performance by Maestro Bohm. Act II (the second movement) is terribly boring.
I do enjoy his Act III (third movement) which Beethoven labeled “Merry gathering of country folk.” But I’ve heard merrier renditions, performances with more life, more magic. The performance I hear in this third movement is unforgivably dull. My head should be bobbing…my toes tapping…a smile from ear to ear gracing my face.
Nope.
Overall, this is a lackluster performance.
“Meh!”