Conductors' tempo choices shed light over Beethoven's metronome.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Martin-Castro A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7743971 | biostudies-literature | 2020
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Conductors' tempo choices shed light over Beethoven's metronome.
Martin-Castro Almudena A Ucar Iñaki I
PloS one 20201216 12
During most part of Western classical music history, tempo, the speed of music, was not specified, for it was considered obvious from musical context. Only in 1815, Maelzel patented the metronome. Beethoven immediately embraced it, so much as to add tempo marks to his already published eight symphonies. However, these marks are still under dispute, as many musicians consider them too quick to be played and even unmusical, whereas others claim them as Bethoven's supposedly written will. In this w ...[more]
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