Amazing pieces of classical music - 14
Beethoven's Egmont Ouverture (Op. 84) with the Hungarian born Ferenc Fricsay conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, recorded in Berlin on 30th September 1958. The Hungarian Uprising had been crushed near to two years ago, and only one month later, on 10th November, Khrushchev delivered a speech in which he demanded that the Western Allies pull their forces out of West Berlin. This ultimatum sparked a three year crisis over the future of the city culminated in 1961 with the building of the Berlin Wall.
In the orginal play "Egmont", Goethe related the political struggle of the catholic Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere (1522–1568) against the despotic rule of the Spanish governor for the Low Countries, the Duke of Alba de Tormes. The Count of Egmont was seized by Alba on 9th September 1567, and beheaded little later on for high treason without any of the proper adherence to judicial procedure and after many appeals by high nobles and princes being completely ignored.
Ludwig Van Beethoven's family wasn't of German orgin, but they had their roots in a small village close to the university town of Leuven, so the Egmont story must have been very important to them too. The story goes that in his final days, Egmont realized that his death would signal even a catholic rebellion against the Spanish tyranny and oppression. As he faced execution, he declared: “Defend your country!”
[media=https://youtu.be/Wihqoot46lo]
In the orginal play "Egmont", Goethe related the political struggle of the catholic Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere (1522–1568) against the despotic rule of the Spanish governor for the Low Countries, the Duke of Alba de Tormes. The Count of Egmont was seized by Alba on 9th September 1567, and beheaded little later on for high treason without any of the proper adherence to judicial procedure and after many appeals by high nobles and princes being completely ignored.
Ludwig Van Beethoven's family wasn't of German orgin, but they had their roots in a small village close to the university town of Leuven, so the Egmont story must have been very important to them too. The story goes that in his final days, Egmont realized that his death would signal even a catholic rebellion against the Spanish tyranny and oppression. As he faced execution, he declared: “Defend your country!”
[media=https://youtu.be/Wihqoot46lo]
