98: Mark Ferraguto

Jul 6, 2020

Professor Mark Farraguto discusses his book 'Beethoven 1806' and the misconceptions surrounding Beethoven. The podcast explores Beethoven's music education, influences, and his relationship with his contemporaries. It also delves into the Italian influence on Beethoven's music and the virtuosity in his fourth piano concerto and violin concerto. The chapter highlights the impact of Russian themes in Beethoven's string quartets and his exploration of counterpoint. Additionally, it discusses the complexities of Beethoven's hearing loss and recommends notable sections of his music.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Misconceptions and Biases Surrounding Beethoven

01:36 • 16min

Italian Influence and Virtuosity in Beethoven's Music

18:03 • 11min

Beethoven's Opus 59: Incorporating Russian Themes and Elevating Counterpoint

29:14 • 4min

Learned Style in Music

32:54 • 16min

Exploring Beethoven's Deafness and the Complexity of Hearing Loss

49:17 • 2min

Recommendations for Sections of Beethoven's Music

51:19 • 4min

My guest today is Professor Mark Ferraguto, he is an Associate Professor of Musicology at Penn State University. He will talk to us about his very interesting book “Beethoven 1806”, which was published by Oxford University Press in 2019.

0:30 Can you describe your musical background? 1:36 What were the things that bothered you about the way Beethoven was discussed? 3:08 Was Beethoven himself to blame for this because of the way he marketed himself? 4:27 The bust of Beethoven in a Liszt painting 4:53 Beethoven anecdote arguing with a violinist 5:36 How did you come to choosing 1806 for research? 6:20 What are the 3 periods of Beethoven? 7:16 How do these non-heroic works of 1806 appear in his middle period? 8:34 Career-wise, how was Beethoven doing in 1806 9:37 What was Beethoven’s music education? 11:22 Was Beethoven a child prodigy? 12:16 Could Beethoven play the complete Bach Well Tempered Clavier as a child? 12:55 Was Beethoven aware of the growing culture of Romanticism around him? 14:05 Leonore Overture 15:13 Was Opera not really his thing? 15:47 How did Luigi Cherubini affect Fidelio and Beethoven? 16:50 Did Beethoven have good things to say about his contemporaries and what did he think of Cherubini? 18:00 Is there an Italian connection with Beethoven? 19:03 The 4th Piano Concerto and Violin Concerto and the terminology of the term “Virtuoso” 20:46 What are these new sources that might be of interest to Beethoven scholars? 22:17 How did the French Érard Piano affect the composition of the 4th piano concerto? 23:55 Is the Violin concerto a virtuoso piece? 25:11 What are the distinctive musical features of the 4th piano concerto? 27:25 Did the public want the virtuosity or something else? 29:13 Was Beethoven making fun of Russians with his Razumovsky String Quartets? 30:27 Were the criticisms of the string quartets modern or contemporary? 32:53 What does the learned style or approach mean and what is it contrasted with? 34:25 Were the terms stile antico used in the 18th century? 35:27 How famous was Joseph Haydn in 1806? 36:48 Is the 4th symphony a regression as compared to the 3rd symphony? 37:39 How did the French Érard piano lead to the composition of the 32 variations in C minor? 40:34 Is there an evolution in piano writing in these variations compared to his previous variations? 42:19 The Coriolan overture as a return to the Heroic 44:20 What’s the significance of the playwright and the Corialan overture? 45:25 What do you mean by the term Everyday Beethoven? 46:26 What were the most surprising things about your research? 47:38 How has Beethoven research changed over the last couple of decades? 49:17 Was Beethoven actually not deaf? 51:19 Can you recommend any sections from Beethoven’s music that people should listen to? 54:19 Wrapping Up