Ave Maria By Franz Schubert And Choral Fantasy By Ludwig van Beethoven

Worth a listen:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swtoFRl0VsA, Lang Lang, pianist.

[What follows added Friday, July 19, 2013 - completed at 1:31a.m.]

Notice toward the end, he caught a rose petal and put it in the pocket of his jacket?  I did not see the catch but loved the gesture.  It was one of those private moments only he knows what happened and what it meant to him.

Talent is a gift from God.  I think every genius knows this.  How could they not?  They are geniuses and as such, they must at one time or another wondered, "how did I become so gifted?"  Has any genius answered this question to a scientific certainty?  Without even trying, many geniuses instead had thanked God by using their respective talent to glorify God and give the world gifts that lasts through time.  Ludwig van Beethoven composed Missa Solemnis, Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Johann Sebastian Bach and others composed many masses.  Michelangelo carved the Pietà out of marble, Vincent Van Gogh painted the Pietà after Eugène Delacroix and Albert Einstein had this to say, "even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other, nevertheless there exist between the two strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies. Though religion may be that which determines the goal, it has, nevertheless, learned from science, in the broadest sense, what means will contribute to the attainment of the goals it has set up. But science can only be created by those who are thoroughly imbued with the aspiration toward truth and understanding. This source of feeling, however, springs from the sphere of religion. To this there also belongs the faith in the possibility that the regulations valid for the world of existence are rational, that is, comprehensible to reason. I cannot conceive of a genuine scientist without that profound faith. The situation may be expressed by an image: science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." [1]

Sometimes, God is not satisfied with just one genius but wants a group of them to gather together, bridging time and space, as in the case of musical compositions where the gift remains silent and lifeless until performed. An example would be Beethoven's piano concerto in E-flat major, Opus 73 [2].  Another would be the Fantasy in C-minor for piano, chorus and orchestra, Opus 80, also by Beethoven [3].


[1] http://www.sacred-texts.com/aor/einstein/einsci.htm
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH63RKQ7OEw
[3] This is a lousy, tinny sounding recording uploaded in three parts but it is the only one with Lang Lang as pianist on youtube as of this date: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZSEuQ1GKOE&list=PL02F7EDB70937B541&index=1, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlIVX1a0JZU&list=PL02F7EDB70937B541&index=2 & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoiPMNFdk-0&list=PL02F7EDB70937B541

The recording, the separation of sounds, and the soloists (possibly the piano, too) are incomparably better in this Evgeny Kissin's version conducted by Claudio Abbado where the piano playing is equally superb, the third movement at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SptS09oQvy4.  This recording in full at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RtpvyNTIRo

Beethoven Fantasy in C-minor is my favorite of all of Beethoven's works (on par with his Missa Solemnis, especially the part with the violin solo).  Its perfect and bold German musical structure was assembled in parts with passion, anger, sadness, beauty, delicate sweetness and deep meditation culminating in an explosive euphony of orchestra, piano and chorus with unparalleled universal grandeur in the third movement - if that is just a taste of heaven, I cannot wait for it - and it alone is enough evidence that God is part of man (every man, woman and child) and enough incentive to love God dearly.  Sadly, these days this relatively short (about 20 minutes) but monumental piece of music performed is rarely performed since it is probably quite costly to assemble that much talent to perform it regularly.  If I were a dictator, I will have it performed every year live by the world's best talents to ring in the new year and demand that it will be heard by every one of my subjects, including the deaf ones, to honor the composer, so the beauty of human existence can echo in their heads for all 365 days.

[What follows added Friday, July 19, 2013 - completed at 11:11p.m.]
The libretto of the vocal portion follows (http://www.choraline.com/beethoven-choral-fantasia-vocal-score):

"German text	English translation
Schmeichelnd hold und lieblich klingen	Delightfully graceful and sweet is the sound
unseres Lebens Harmonien,	of the harmonies in our life,
und dem Schönheitssinn entschwingen	and from a sense of beauty arise
Blumen sich, die ewig blühn.	flowers in eternal bloom.
Fried und Freude gleiten freundlich	Peace and joy together glide,
wie der Wellen Wechselspiel.	like the changing play of the waves.
Was sich drängte rauh und feindlich,	All that was harsh and hostile,
ordnet sich zu Hochgefühl.	turns to exalted feeling.
Wenn der Töne Zauber walten	When music's enchantment reigns,
und des Wortes Weihe spricht,	speaking of the sacred word,
muss sich Herrliches gestalten,	greatness must take form,
Nacht und Stürme werden Licht.	night and storms turn into light.
Äuss're Ruhe, inn're Wonne	Outward calm, inner bliss
herrschen für den Glücklichen.	take reign in those that are fortunate.
Doch der Künste Frühlingssonne	But the spring's sun of art
lässt aus beiden Licht entstehn.	lets light flow from both.
Großes, das ins Herz gedrungen,	Greatness, once it has pierced the heart,
blüht dann neu und schön empor.	then blossoms anew and beautiful.
Hat ein Geist sich aufgeschwungen,	Once the soul has taken flight,
hallt ihm stets ein Geisterchor.	it is echoed by a choir of spirits.
Nehmt denn hin, ihr schönen Seelen,	Accept then, you beautiful souls,
froh die Gaben schöner Kunst	the gifts of the high arts.
Wenn sich Lieb und Kraft vermählen,	When love and power are united,
lohnt den Menschen Göttergunst.	God’s grace is bestowed upon Man."