As some of my friends had told me that they’re not much familiar with Classical music, so I’ve decided to often by often select pieces, hopefully more exciting for them. To understand and enjoy twentieth century music one should generally listen to previous centuries’ music first. So here is a piece from one of the greatest not only musicians, but in my opinion humans of the history: Ludwig van Beethoven.
There’re fortunately lots of works about him, as there should be. He’s that great that even those who have even heard a name of classical music have probably heard this through his name or music. So I won’t write any biography or so.

I just want to write a little about my feelings, when I listen to Beethoven’s music or when I play one of his pieces. One thing I’ve loved about Beethoven from my very childhood up to now is his risings, going up and up, and then suddenly coming down. And then this comes again and again. His music comes like a thunder, followed by a shiny sunny spring afternoon when you want to dream. Later when I get to know classical music better, I liked his impromptus. He was such a genius pianist who, as they’ve told, made his audiences mad through his spectacular impromptus, came to him all by sudden. Though his music is not impromptu at all, yet I believe that some places it’s possible to hear that free, ingenious spirit leading the music apparently. For example it’s the feeling whenever I listen to his HammerKlavier Sonata (Sonata no. 29 for the piano). And of course I should mention his complex forms, making a very high, unreachable tower in his castle of music.
Listening to music is like listening to composers’ internal thoughts, and for Beethoven these are love to human, nature, revolutionary thoughts and of course music.
That’s a lot to write about him, and our feeling about him, I’ll try to write about Beethoven more, in some other time, again.
Here I’ve chosen his Fantasy for the Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra for you, a very joyful piece showing his love for humanity, nature and life.

5 Ecce gratum (Chorus) (Behold, the pleasant spring)

Ecce gratum      Behold, the pleasant
et optatum      and longed-for
Ver reducit gaudia,      spring brings back joyfulness,
purpuratum      violet flowers
floret pratum,      fill the meadows,
Sol serenat omnia.      the sun brightens everything,
Iamiam cedant tristia!      sadness is now at an end!
Estas redit,      Summer returns,
nunc recedit      now withdraw
Hyemis sevitia.      the rigours of winter. Ah!

Iam liquescit      Now melts
et decrescit      and disappears
grando, nix et cetera;      ice, snow and the rest,
bruma fugit,      winter flees,
et iam sugit      and now spring sucks at summer’s breast:
Ver Estatis ubera;      a wretched soul is he
illi mens est misera,      who does not live
qui nec vivit,      or lust
nec lascivit      under summer’s rule. Ah!
sub Estatis dextera.

Gloriantur      They glory
et letantur      and rejoice
in melle dulcedinis,      in honeyed sweetness
qui conantur,      who strive
ut utantur      to make use of
premio Cupidinis:      Cupid’s prize;
simus jussu Cypridis      at Venus’ command
gloriantes      let us glory
et letantes      and rejoice
pares esse Paridis.      in being Paris’ equals. Ah!

Uf dem anger

6. Tanz (Dance)

7. Floret silva nobilis (The woods are burgeoning)

(Chorus)
Floret silva nobilis      The noble woods are burgeoning
floribus et foliis.      with flowers and leaves.

(Small Chorus)
Ubi est antiquus      Where is the lover
meus amicus?      I knew? Ah!
Hinc equitavit,      He has ridden off!
eia, quis me amabit?      Oh! Who will love me? Ah!

(Chorus)
Floret silva undique,      The woods are burgeoning all over,
nah min gesellen ist mir we.      I am pining for my lover.

(Small Chorus)
Gruonet der walt allenthalben,      The woods are turning green all over,
wa ist min geselle alse lange?      why is my lover away so long? Ah!
Der ist geriten hinnen,      He has ridden off,
o wi, wer sol mich minnen?      Oh woe, who will love me? Ah!

Well, after a long period not updating here, this page is updated with one of my favorites. Two pieces from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. Orff is probably the greatest German musician of third Reich era.
Carmina Burana was his first major work, based on Latin and German poems of before 13th century, found in a chapel.
Here you can listen to Ecce gratum, it’s fifth part and Tanz and Floret silva nobilis it’s sixth and seventh parts.
Poems are as follows:

5 Ecce gratum (Chorus) (Behold, the pleasant spring)

Ecce gratum      Behold, the pleasant
et optatum      and longed-for
Ver reducit gaudia,      spring brings back joyfulness,
purpuratum      violet flowers
floret pratum,      fill the meadows,
Sol serenat omnia.      the sun brightens everything,
Iamiam cedant tristia!      sadness is now at an end!
Estas redit,      Summer returns,
nunc recedit      now withdraw
Hyemis sevitia.      the rigours of winter. Ah!

Iam liquescit      Now melts
et decrescit      and disappears
grando, nix et cetera;      ice, snow and the rest,
bruma fugit,      winter flees,
et iam sugit      and now spring sucks at summer’s breast:
Ver Estatis ubera;      a wretched soul is he
illi mens est misera,      who does not live
qui nec vivit,      or lust
nec lascivit      under summer’s rule. Ah!
sub Estatis dextera.

Gloriantur      They glory
et letantur      and rejoice
in melle dulcedinis,      in honeyed sweetness
qui conantur,      who strive
ut utantur      to make use of
premio Cupidinis:      Cupid’s prize;
simus jussu Cypridis      at Venus’ command
gloriantes      let us glory
et letantes      and rejoice
pares esse Paridis.      in being Paris’ equals. Ah!

Uf dem anger

6. Tanz (Dance)

7. Floret silva nobilis (The woods are burgeoning)

(Chorus)
Floret silva nobilis      The noble woods are burgeoning
floribus et foliis.      with flowers and leaves.

(Small Chorus)
Ubi est antiquus      Where is the lover
meus amicus?      I knew? Ah!
Hinc equitavit,      He has ridden off!
eia, quis me amabit?      Oh! Who will love me? Ah!

(Chorus)
Floret silva undique,      The woods are burgeoning all over,
nah min gesellen ist mir we.      I am pining for my lover.

(Small Chorus)
Gruonet der walt allenthalben,      The woods are turning green all over,
wa ist min geselle alse lange?      why is my lover away so long? Ah!
Der ist geriten hinnen,      He has ridden off,
o wi, wer sol mich minnen?      Oh woe, who will love me? Ah!