Beethoven: Für Elise WoO 59, 7 Bagatelles Op. 33 (reference recording: Alfred Brendel)

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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Für Elise WoO 59, 7 Bagatelles Op. 33 00:00 Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59 "Für Elise" * 03:28 7 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 33: I. Andante grazioso, quasi allegretto 07:30 7 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 33: II. Scherzo. Allegro 10:17 7 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 33 III. Allegretto 12:30 7 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 33 IV. Andante 15:53 7 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 33 V. Allegro, ma non troppo 19:05 7 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 33 VI. Allegretto quasi andante 21:21 7 Bagatelles for Piano, Op. 33 VII. Presto Piano: Alfred Brendel Recorded in 1984* & 1996, at London 🔊 Join us with your phone on our WhatsApp fanpage (our latest album preview): https://cutt.ly/5eathESK 🔊 Find our entire catalog on Qobuz: https://cutt.ly/geathMhL 🔊 Discover our playlists on Spotify: https://cutt.ly/ceatjtlB ❤️ Support us on Patreon https://cutt.ly/ZezaldhI Apart from his sonatas and variation sets for piano, Beethoven made significant contributions to the genre of the bagatelle — a short, lyrical, or whimsical piano piece. The most familiar of all the bagatelles is the popular Für Elise. Some of these smaller works were also connected to the composition of his larger-scale piano sonatas: for instance, the penultimate movement of Op. 7 and the first movement of Op. 109 were initially conceived as bagatelles. Beethoven eventually gathered most of his bagatelles into the three collections included in this recording — the works published under the opus numbers 33, 119, and 126. The Seven Bagatelles, Op. 33, appeared in 1802, although some of the pieces stem from earlier years. The Eleven Bagatelles, Op. 119, issued in 1823, juxtapose several pieces originally composed around 1800–1804 with newly written ones, two of which are by-products of the Diabelli Variations, Op. 120. The Cycle of Bagatelles, Op. 126, dates from 1824 and represents Beethoven’s last important composition for the piano. The first bagatelle of Op. 33 has a rondo-like design, in which appearances of the gracious main theme are set off by contrasting episodes that bring rhythmic intensification and later a shift into the minor mode. In the ensuing scherzo (No. 2), Beethoven enlivens the music with marked syncopations combined with sharp contrasts of register, yielding an effect of droll humor. The Allegretto (No. 3) restores the basic texture and 6/8 meter of No. 1, relying on coloristic modulations and on the expansion of the melodic intervals — a rising fourth and a falling third — which soon extend to a full octave. Positioned at the center of the series is the Andante in A major (No. 4), whose chamber-like textures and resonant pedal points enhance a mood of gentle lyricism. Immediately following, the Allegro, ma non troppo in C major (No. 5) brings brilliant and virtuosic chains of triplet sixteenth notes, reinforced by powerful syncopations carried through to the very last chord. This piece marks the dynamic climax of the entire set. The Allegretto quasi andante (No. 6) has an intimate, conversational quality, closing softly in understated pianissimo. The Presto (No. 7), on the other hand, concludes the collection on a note of whimsical humor: a curious rhythmic figure in thirds in the bass gradually grows into massive fortissimo chordal statements, while insistent repetitions of the treble motive heard at the outset affirm the final cadence. 🔥🎧 Other Album available // Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas Arthur Grumiaux Clara Haskil 🔥🎧 Choose my streaming platform: https://lnk.to/beethovengrumiauxhaskil 🎧 Qobuz https://cutt.ly/0r2OHwKF Apple Music https://cutt.ly/ir2ODBj5 🎧 Amazon Music https://cutt.ly/2r2OSSDO Tidal https://cutt.ly/Ar2OJxY8 🎧 Spotify https://cutt.ly/Zr2OH3NZ Deezer https://cutt.ly/br2OFAkp 🎧 Youtube Music https://cutt.ly/qr2OJ5PZ SoundCloud https://cutt.ly/tr2OHccX Ludwig Van Beethoven PLAYLIST (reference recordings): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3UZpQL9LIxOhkdci2M8WKMSVaf9WiF8x