Today is the 234th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, who I would have
to call my favorite composer, despite all the other wonderful composers
I also love, especially Bach.  No matter how much I "grow" musically,
and how much I enjoy individual pieces by other composers (or epics like
Wagner's Ring,) it is the broadest selection of music by Beethoven that
I respond to most viscerally.  Because of its convenience, I decided to
use Rhapsody to select the pieces to play today to celebrate.  (Rather
than going to my own collection.) I welcome the list to suggest their
own ways of celebrating this compser who mastered so many different
genres of CM.  My choices: The Archduke Trio, Op 97; the 4th Piano
Concerto, Op. 58, String Quartet #15, Op 132; the Diabelli Variations,
Op 133; The Triple Concerto, Op 56; Piano Sonata #29, "Hammerklavier",
Op 106; 3rd Cello Sonata, Op 69; Piano Sonata #32, Op 111.  There are
many other pieces I could have chosen, of course.  The Violin Concerto,
the 3rd Symphony, the "Kreutzer" Violin & Piano sonata, the Waldstein
piano sonata, other quartets such as #12, #14, #13, #7, 8 or 9; other
piano sonatas; Missa Solemnis, etc., etc.  But there are other years and
other birthdays...  As long as you're responding, you might as well
mention performances of the particular pieces you name.

Dave Wolf
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