Beethoven: Symphony Nr.8 - Czerny Transcription - Historical Tempo Reconstruction -W.Winters/A.Sanna

Beethoven's symphony n.8 op.93 is perhaps one of the most underrated of the nine he composed. Yet, this one represents one of the most important pieces of the puzzle in the tempo research. And, it had another surprise for us...(Read further below)

00:00 - Allegro vivace e con brio (H.=69)
12:47 - Allegretto scherzando (8th=88)
19:27 - Tempo di menuetto (q=126)
27:38 - Allegro vivace (W=84)

Metronome numbers are by Beethoven in WBMP (Whole Beat Metronome Practice). Not sure what that is about? Clickhere:    • How Fast did Beethoven and Chopin really P...  
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Most of you probably know about the story of the second movement of this symphony, where Beethoven uses a theme that is borrowed from the famous "Maelzel's Canon". This canon "Ta ta ta... Lieber Maelzel," WoO 162 supposedly was improvised by the composer as an homage to the inventor of the metronome. In fact, the second movement itself is often considered as a parody of the metronome.
If you are not new to this channel, you probably know that in January, Wim made a video on the canon, since the explanation of the metronome 'joke' as Schindler describes, implicitly leads to a whole beat reading. In a way it is the only source you need (and the first answer you'd give to the 'there-is-not-a-single-proof-people :-) ). Watch that video here:    • BREAKING: Beethoven's Metronome Manual Dis...  

Schindler describes the "Ta" that correspond to the 16th notes in the canon as the ticks of the metronome, yet the tempo indication is 8th=72, which means that there are, at minimum, two ticks per 8th note. Does this ring a bell to you? Yes, indeed! That is what the whole-beat metronome theory is about. Instead of counting one tick per note notated in the metronome mark, you count two, like you would with your hand. When you have down-up-down-up, you don't count "1-2-3-4", but "1-and-2-and-(3-and-4-and...)".

But the best surprise that this symphony had for Wim and me was in the fourth movement.
On June 4th, when I was still in Berlin and I was about to go to Wim's to record two weeks later, I opened for the first time the score of the last movement and...I immediately took my phone and texted him:

A: Did you have a look to the last movement of the 8th?
W: I'll do it now!
A: Good luck!

(few minutes later)

W: Okaaaaaaaay.......
A: It's almost unplayable in whole beat. Let me know when you open the score
W: I have
A: Let me know when you close it too
W: Do you think people would miss that movement?
A: LOOOL
W: 8.4 notes per second, we will make it work!
A: Yeah but we have to start practicing seriously NOW!
W: Really? No sight reading this time?
A: I am not going to risk
W: No chance it could be half note 84? Seriously!
A: You wish! I am sorry. What should we do?
W: Best option is to get drunk, then change the symphony!
A: Do we have any other option?
W: We change composer! 2nd option: extensive editing!

Yeah I know, this is how serious we are behind the scenes!

However, this has been one of the most fun recordings we had so far. Very often you hear people saying "Well but with WBMP there is basically nothing that sounds fast!" Here you will listen in full extent to the implication of the WBMP and you will realize immediately why this is the only solution to all those metronome numbers that simply are so fast, at best, when not unplayable!

Wait for this one!

Alberto