I’d nominate Dvořák’s New World as unkillable. We all have our favorite recordings, of course, but I’ve never heard a recording or performance that I’ve ever wanted to switch off.
This is the piece that got me “seriously” into classical music at a very young age. The first movement feels like an alternation between anger and resignation. I personally love Gilels recording. Very fun to play btw.
Not sure if anyone's mentioned this, but i think Schubert's 5th is a great example of an unkillable work. Sure, it's almost embarrassingly Mozartian, but Schubert does such a good job with it!
Agreed. He uses a variation of the theme in the 4th movement of the Serenade Op 25 and (if I remember correctly) in the sketches for the introduction to his 10th Symphony
Mr. Hurwitz, you've selected my favorite symphony and favorite piano work in the first two videos of this series-can't wait to see which of my tastes you validate next!
I can just very barely play the 3rd movement, after about 6 months of practice. I'd love to play the 1st, but would that be out of reach at my current level?
I’d offer up the Adagio sostenuto of the Hammerklavier as the opposite of unkillable. The movement is so fragmented and disjunct in its moments and moods that the performer must take an active role in finding their own through-line. Expecting the music to play itself is a guarantee of failure.
a piece of music that can be 'killed' by performers who don't understand it, can't play it, were bored when they did it, and so on. Try Boulez conducting Beethoven's 5th somewhere on TH-cam -a massacre of music.
Interesting series Dave. I’m not sure whether you mean that some works are structured in such a way that they can’t fail or that there are no bad performances/ recordings. I suspect the former, but as a contrast to the two you have done I think there are no bad recordings (allowing for sound quality in the more historical ones) of Debussy’s “Pelleas et Melisande”. I mean, take your pick, and you’ll be happy enough. Maybe it’s a product of the particular nature of the vocal writing, or of the limited opportunities to distend the score generally? Anyhow it’s an example.
Hello Dave, another wonderful talk and topic. I want to use your theme of "unkillable" to ask a question that perhaps straddles the line between unkillable and killable. The Beethoven violin concerto (at least in my mind) is unkillable -- perhaps the greatest violin concerto ever. BUT, how is that the version of this concerto for piano is almost never performed and simply does not have the panache of the violin concerto? Is it something to do with violin vs piano? Is there something unique about the violin? I just don't know, but I do know there is a qualitative difference between the two versions and I would love to hear your explanation. If my question doesn't really fit your current theme, maybe the question would fit some other theme. I'll gladly wait to find out. Wesley.
I love the piano version. I think it suits the piano as much as the violin. In fact, I think a lot of violin performances worry too much about getting too much nuance into the work... They sound desperate, whereas the piano can only work with the entertaining structure. 'Bland' Beethoven (triple concerto, this work, 1st symphony, and, transcendentally, 8th symphony) creates a musical escape from Romanticism often overlooked by the 'Wild Revolutionary' school of interpretation. Other works I find perfectly acceptable 'bland' music are, Dvorak 9, Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto (a masterpiece of undemanding charm), and, Schoenberg Chamber Symphony no. 1. Perhaps this genre's apotheosis is Mozart Piano Concerto no. 12 - itself, 'unkillable?'
I agree it's unkillable, except that for me, I still need to work my way back to enjoying the slow movement. I blame Karl Haas, whose radio program opened with the tune. The particular performance seemed very lugubrious to me, although perhaps it was due to my annoyance that anyone would think it a suitable choice for opening a show. (I wasn't crazy about his show, but it was unavoidable on the car radio during my daily commute.)
Maybe Beethovens music is unkillable in general as it relie on the 'architecture' of the music to a large degree, and even a bad performance will play the themes in the order they are written? I agree that op 13 is hard to kill, but nevertheless would like to mention Annie Fischers recording of it for her underlying melancholy, her gripping cantabile in the slow movement and for not taking the last movement too fast.
Maybe we can turn this series into a challenge and have it become an album (or box, depending on how long this goes) produced by Tinnitus Classics. So don't worry, as a pianist I'll find a way to kill this piece. Then maybe I can get one of my local middle school orchestras to read through Tchaikovsky's.
This "unkillable works" concept is an ingenious new approach. I'm already looking forward to seeing what works will follow.
I’d nominate Dvořák’s New World as unkillable. We all have our favorite recordings, of course, but I’ve never heard a recording or performance that I’ve ever wanted to switch off.
This is the piece that got me “seriously” into classical music at a very young age. The first movement feels like an alternation between anger and resignation. I personally love Gilels recording. Very fun to play btw.
Not sure if anyone's mentioned this, but i think Schubert's 5th is a great example of an unkillable work. Sure, it's almost embarrassingly Mozartian, but Schubert does such a good job with it!
The slow mvt refutes the contention that Beethoven wasn't a great melodist. When he wanted to be.
Agreed. He uses a variation of the theme in the 4th movement of the Serenade Op 25 and (if I remember correctly) in the sketches for the introduction to his 10th Symphony
Mr. Hurwitz, you've selected my favorite symphony and favorite piano work in the first two videos of this series-can't wait to see which of my tastes you validate next!
That left hand tremolo in the first movement is enough to give you repetive strain injury!
Nah, it moves around enough to keep you nicely active.
I can just very barely play the 3rd movement, after about 6 months of practice. I'd love to play the 1st, but would that be out of reach at my current level?
Also, I’ve never heard a bad recording or performance of the “Les adieux”
excellent content 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I’d offer up the Adagio sostenuto of the Hammerklavier as the opposite of unkillable. The movement is so fragmented and disjunct in its moments and moods that the performer must take an active role in finding their own through-line. Expecting the music to play itself is a guarantee of failure.
a piece of music that can be 'killed' by performers who don't understand it, can't play it, were bored when they did it, and so on. Try Boulez conducting Beethoven's 5th somewhere on TH-cam -a massacre of music.
Interesting series Dave. I’m not sure whether you mean that some works are structured in such a way that they can’t fail or that there are no bad performances/ recordings. I suspect the former, but as a contrast to the two you have done I think there are no bad recordings (allowing for sound quality in the more historical ones) of Debussy’s “Pelleas et Melisande”. I mean, take your pick, and you’ll be happy enough. Maybe it’s a product of the particular nature of the vocal writing, or of the limited opportunities to distend the score generally? Anyhow it’s an example.
Hello Dave, another wonderful talk and topic. I want to use your theme of "unkillable" to ask a question that perhaps straddles the line between unkillable and killable. The Beethoven violin concerto (at least in my mind) is unkillable -- perhaps the greatest violin concerto ever. BUT, how is that the version of this concerto for piano is almost never performed and simply does not have the panache of the violin concerto? Is it something to do with violin vs piano? Is there something unique about the violin? I just don't know, but I do know there is a qualitative difference between the two versions and I would love to hear your explanation. If my question doesn't really fit your current theme, maybe the question would fit some other theme. I'll gladly wait to find out. Wesley.
I love the piano version. I think it suits the piano as much as the violin. In fact, I think a lot of violin performances worry too much about getting too much nuance into the work... They sound desperate, whereas the piano can only work with the entertaining structure. 'Bland' Beethoven (triple concerto, this work, 1st symphony, and, transcendentally, 8th symphony) creates a musical escape from Romanticism often overlooked by the 'Wild Revolutionary' school of interpretation. Other works I find perfectly acceptable 'bland' music are, Dvorak 9, Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto (a masterpiece of undemanding charm), and, Schoenberg Chamber Symphony no. 1. Perhaps this genre's apotheosis is Mozart Piano Concerto no. 12 - itself, 'unkillable?'
I agree it's unkillable, except that for me, I still need to work my way back to enjoying the slow movement. I blame Karl Haas, whose radio program opened with the tune. The particular performance seemed very lugubrious to me, although perhaps it was due to my annoyance that anyone would think it a suitable choice for opening a show. (I wasn't crazy about his show, but it was unavoidable on the car radio during my daily commute.)
Maybe Beethovens music is unkillable in general as it relie on the 'architecture' of the music to a large degree, and even a bad performance will play the themes in the order they are written? I agree that op 13 is hard to kill, but nevertheless would like to mention Annie Fischers recording of it for her underlying melancholy, her gripping cantabile in the slow movement and for not taking the last movement too fast.
Maybe we can turn this series into a challenge and have it become an album (or box, depending on how long this goes) produced by Tinnitus Classics. So don't worry, as a pianist I'll find a way to kill this piece. Then maybe I can get one of my local middle school orchestras to read through Tchaikovsky's.
I guess that Liszt’s sonata in B minor could be in your list also. I have never heard a bad interpretation of it
Check out Leon Fleisher's.