Beethoven’s Metronome Markings in op. 106

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Vaughan
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Re: Beethoven’s Metronome Markings in op. 106

Post by Vaughan »

Another point, as devil's advocate: the idea of performing an entire movement in one tempo is a relatively modern concept, and certainly not one which existed in the time of Beethoven. (I can imagine its not even existing before the 1950's.) Why should the opening 'exordium' at the beginning of the first movement, which is theatrical and gestural, be in the 'maximum' tempo? As much as I admire Schabel, his rendition of the first few bars at only about half = 120 misses the point of an exordium. The passages after that work actually quite well at 138.
Anders Hedelin
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Re: Beethoven’s Metronome Markings in op. 106

Post by Anders Hedelin »

I too am an admirer of Schnabel's playing, but I'm not sure that I followed you there. Do you think that he played the 'exordium' too fast or too slow?
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Vaughan
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Re: Beethoven’s Metronome Markings in op. 106

Post by Vaughan »

Sorry, I was indeed unclear. I think Schnabel tried to play those first few bars as close to Beethoven's MM as he could and it just didn't seem to work, not necessarily because he was unable to play it at that speed but because such a theatrical initial gesture ('Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.') loses impact when it's too fast. I'm not against the tempo fluctuating considerably during the movement, though. Perhaps Beethoven's MM was more of an admonition not to play the passage starting at b. 4 too slowly. I also think that there can be a big difference between an 'imaginary' tempo and an 'actual' tempo.
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John Ruggero
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Re: Beethoven’s Metronome Markings in op. 106

Post by John Ruggero »

Thanks for your input, Vaughan. I think that's a really good point. One might use much less pedal when playing this section on an instrument of Beethoven's time. For me, the syncopated repeated note accompaniment in the right hand also cries out for the sustaining pedal when played on a modern instrument. That might not be the case on a Beethoven era piano. It is clear, however, that Beethoven was not in love with the pianos of his time since he was constantly trying to find a better one.

(On a personal note, my favorite piano is the Steinway concert grand. I like it because it sings with soul and I can make it do whatever I want it to do in terms of balance and registration; it doesn't fight me. Instruments that have big distinctions in register impose their will on a player. I don't like that.)

The mental v.s. actual tempo phenomenon, coupled with Beethoven's deafness has long been used as an argument against some of the tempos in op. 106. However, it fails to account for the fact that only a few of Beethoven's metronome markings are so controversial (he did generally mark brisk tempos in his Symphonies, for example, but nothing really unusual) and some have even been considered too slow. It also assumes that Beethoven assigned these markings mentally. I find it far more likely that he did what most do: sit down and play while testing with the metronome. But my conclusions about the markings in op. 106 were based on internal evidence, i.e. passages that fall flat at slower tempos, rather than the metronome controversy, which will never end. So it is just personal opinion bolstered by some of the reasoning that went into it.

Of course, as I mentioned previously, "...the tempos should be modified as needed for expression, as with any piece by Beethoven." According to contemporary reports (Schindler), Beethoven played quite freely, modifying the tempo to capture character and mood. Schindler's report is supported by the fact that Beethoven's piano music thrives on this kind of approach. Applied to some other composers, Mozart, for example, it is disastrous.
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