Roy Ellefsen <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>I am grateful to Andrew Carlan, and less so to Billy Kitson for finally
>giving me the courage to admit that for years I have thought Beethoven's
>Ninth Symphony too long, overblown, pompous, and boring, but, I'm ashamed
>to say, I lacked the courage to say so.  ...  I further admit that those
>piano sonatas that every piano teacher I had so worshiped (and which I
>seldom mastered) have some nice passages--even some exciting passages,
>but on the whole they strike me as merciless banging.

An argument over the merits of Beethoven's music would hardly be
fruitful in that I could not pursuade you that his music is great, and you
could pursuade me that it is not.  That being said, I regard Beethoven's
music, and the 9th in particular, not only to be the greatest of musical
achievements, but the greatest of human achievements.  There is not a
single wasted note in the great works of this master.  I cannot imagine
anything that humanity has produced that is more breathtaking.

I sure wish I had the talent to write such "overblown, pompous, and boring"
stuff.

Jocelyn Wang
Culver Chamber Music Series
www.bigfoot.com/~CulverMusic