Do you agree with unfinished works finished by others?

[EddieRUKiddingVare]

There are many works that were left unfinished by the composer and were finished by others. Do you agree with this or you think that it was better to leave those works in that state?

 

[wljmrbill]

I think it is great to have both available for us to enjoy.

 

[EddieRUKiddingVare]

Good point, I like your thinking

Examples are Sussmayr's completed version of Mozart's requiem and Alfano's finishing touches of Turandot.
Less commonly accepted are Mahler's 10th symphony and Bach's The Art of Fugue.

 

[wljmrbill]

and I certainly enjoy Turandot and Mozart's Requiem...

 

[JHC]

Symphonies, I think in general I prefer them left as the were, Elgar's 3rd finished off by Payne is a good example but then how about Schubert's unfinished ??

 

[EddieRUKiddingVare]

or even did he did fail to complete it. But no I think its interesting to hear attempts to complete as long as theyre not done by Casper the friendly ghost!

 

[JHC]

I certainly agree with Bill concerning Mozart's Requiem I just can't fault it but that apart who knows what a composer might have had in mind for the next bit. I believe Schubert had the unfinished laying around for ages either not knowing what to do next or just plain fed up to the back teeth with it or he could have come up with some staggering ideas for a 3rd mov.

 

[EddieRUKiddingVare]

Any thoughts on Beethoven's 10th

 

[JHC]

I think you are on thin ice eddie the 10th was not even started, afaik a few sketches were found which scholars have said the great man intended for his 10th and I don't know enough history to say one way or the other but how do you define between unfinished and unstarted??? I have listened to a couple of examples on youtube and they do have the Beethoven sound but not written by the man himself.
No I will stick with my first opinion in that I am not in favor.

 

[EddieRUKiddingVare]

Hmmm, yes just as i thought the 10th would be a step too far for most I think but makes for interesting debate.

 

[JHC]

Eddie debate is sadly lacking on MIMF so more power to your bow old chap. do composers run out of ideas ?? I think in general leave things as they were.

 

[Krummhorn]

I believe that some compositions were left unfinished for a definite reason ... possibly on purpose maybe ... as if to say my life's work will never be complete and in this manner the composer's legacy lives on forever.

I also believe that those unfinished works should be left extant ...

Kh ♫

 

[JHC]

I did a quick Google last night and was amazed at the number of unfinished works.

 

[Fretless]

As Wljmrbill stated I'm glad they are both there to be enjoyed. However, I have no interest whatsoever in hearing what some other person, no matter how scholarly, has made up in place of the real deal.

Any thoughts on Beethoven's 10th

Haven't heard it, but I recall being in a Romantic History class in college circa 1992 and the professor at the time had just heard it performed. He made fun of what was apparently a large section that embodied Three Blind Mice and declared the arranger an idiot. I could be remembering that slightly incorrectly, but it was a rather offhand comment from twenty years ago. Still, a pretty harsh comment, and we were a captive audience that I expect none had heard the piece. There is so much music out there to hear and digest that I have no interest in investing listening time to fantasy.

 

[EddieRUKiddingVare]

As Wljmrbill stated I'm glad they are both there to be enjoyed. However, I have no interest whatsoever in hearing what some other person, no matter how scholarly, has made up in place of the real deal.



Haven't heard it, but I recall being in a Romantic History class in college circa 1992 and the professor at the time had just heard it performed. He made fun of what was apparently a large section that embodied Three Blind Mice and declared the arranger an idiot. I could be remembering that slightly incorrectly, but it was a rather offhand comment from twenty years ago. Still, a pretty harsh comment, and we were a captive audience that I expect none had heard the piece. There is so much music out there to hear and digest that I have no interest in investing listening time to fantasy.

Good points Fretless, but to me music is music. This gives me an idea for a new thread- unfinished compositions thread but will resist and just post a You tube of Beethovens 10th for interest and see if three blind mice is there........

This hypothetical work by Barry Cooper was assembled from Beethoven's fragmentary sketches and two recordings were released in 1988, one conducted by Wyn Morris and the other by Walter Weller.

Also interestingly -Johannes Brahms's First Symphony is sometimes referred to as "Beethoven's Tenth Symphony" also, after a remark by Hans von Bülow. Both the Brahms work and Cooper's realisation of Beethoven's sketches feature C-minor 6/8 Allegros.

[video=youtube;Vdl-xIputeM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Vdl-xIputeM&t=9[/video]

 

[JHC]

I agree with Fretless what is the point of a work that some guy thinks LvB may have written. pure cuckoo land, how on earth can you know what LvB had in mind based on a couple of sketches.
I forgot to say I listened to about 5 min of the clip (couldn't stand any more) and found it to be dull not at all what the great man would have been happy with

 

[EddieRUKiddingVare]

could be why was left unfinished i guess but still I find interesting as an historical examination

 

[Corno Dolce]

Apropos "unfinished" - "God put me on this earth to do many things - Right now I'm so far behind that I'm afraid that I'll never die!"

 

[teddy]

It is inevitable that followers of someone great will want to finish his work. Look at how many James Bond books have been written sinece Ian Fleming died (maybe not a good comparison but a valid one). However non of them could compare with the original authors work. And the same with music. As CD said how can you be sure that this is what the original composer wanted? It can only be guess work and wishful thinking. Let it rest in peace.

teddy

 

[JHC]

As CD said how can you be sure that this is what the original composer wanted? It can only be guess work and wishful thinking. Let it rest in peace.

teddy

Where did our mate CD say this teddy?