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Date: | Fri, 2 Jul 1999 20:27:24 -0500 |
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Donald Satz wrote:
>If any significant criticism of a Beethoven symphony is warranted, it's
>the eighth that deserves it. A great fifth, sixth, and seventh, followed
>by a very weak one, then reaching the heights with the ninth. Even
>Beethoven had his "slump" periods. I do emphasize that the eighth is
>fine on its own, just not in comparison to the others mentioned.
I can't compare the 8th to its neighbors, because it's not intended to
serve the same purposes aesthetically, emotionally or any other way. But
I can't find any reason to say that it's weak or that B. was in a slump
when he wrote it. There's no evidence that it's compositionally inferior
to anything he wrote. It's just lighter in tone.
Chris Bonds
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