Day 275: Canons, Epigrams, Jokes, Irish Songs

BeethovenCD80What a strange collection of songs!

Today’s CD features 72 tracks, only a couple of which are over two minutes in length. Most are mere snippets, roughly 20-40 seconds in length, that sound like people are just goofing around.

It’s hard to describe what I’m hearing. The music fits the title of the CD well, especially the idea that these are “musical jokes,” which is a phrase I’ve run into from time to time listening to the great Classical composers. Apparently, it was fun for composers to create little bits of music – sometimes within more serious compositions – that other eggheads would recognize as a “joke,” something that was deliberately placed into the music for little reason other than to make people laugh.

A list of some of Beethoven’s musical humor can be found here.

This CD isn’t really one I could listen to again – unless I was listening for the purpose of hearing all of these light-hearted pieces of music and studying the history of them.

That’s not to say these pieces aren’t well-written. They are. Also, it’s obvious to me that they’re well performed. They are.

But 72 tracks of music that are mere snippets, and often sound like two (or more) singers are competing to find the right key, isn’t my cup of tea.

Still, it was worth a listen.

Here. Give a listen yourself:

This is the same music to which I listened today. From 9:11 to 9:50 especially fascinates me.

Here’s another example:

The opening track is called “Brauchle, Linke Wo0167.”

There. Now you’ve heard some of Beethoven’s lighter music, too.

Who says Ludwig was just a scowly old curmudgeon?