Biery, James (1956)
Overture to Coriolanus
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| Beethoven composed nine symphonies, eleven overtures, a violin concerto and five piano concertos, sixteen string quartets, nine piano trios, ten violin sonatas and five cello sonatas, thirty large piano sonatas, an oratorio, an opera, two Masses, and numerous smaller pieces, but only one curious work for the pipe organ, an odd little Prelude which passes through all the major keys.
In 1824 Beethoven wrote to Freudenberg, an organist from Breslau, I, too, played the organ frequently in my youth, but my nerves could not withstand the power of this gigantic instrument. I should place an organist who is master of his instrument at the very head of all virtuosi.
The opening unison Cs and exclamatory chords of the Coriolan overture, each followed by some of the most resounding rests in all of music literature, allow the magnificent King of Instruments to add its own voice to Beethovens powerful music.
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