Notes on Beethoven

"... there begins in my head the development in every direction ... the fundamental idea never deserts me - it rises before me - grows, I see and hear the picture in all its extent and dimensions stand before my mind like a cast ..."

- Beethoven on composing, to Louis Schlösser, 1822.

Over the past few days I have been viewing the 3-part BBC docu-drama broadcast in June 2005, Beethoven, presented by composer and conductor, Charles Hazlewood. To say that the series is worth the viewing would be an understatement, and to try to summarize it would be foolish. Watch it for yourself.

What impresses me about Beethoven is that his music is intensely personal. As Hazlewood shows, you can chart the progress of his music by what was going on in his life. Beethoven was an absolute egoist self-consumed with his art and his talent. This is hardly unique in the post-modern era where everyone is consumed with themselves and when contemporary art is rarely more than masturbating the artist's ego resulting in absolute drivel; but in his day, it was extraordinary when music was written strictly for patrons and discriminating audiences.

But Beethoven's music also reflects the spirit of his times. Since his life bridges the Enlightenment and the beginnings of Romanticism, it is hardly surprising to find his music both revolutionary and romantic. And he is self-conscious about integrating the philosophy of his day with his music, as seen in Movement 4 in Symphony No. 9, incorporating Schiller's "Ode to Joy" - the first time that choral had been matched with a symphony. As such, Beethoven is full of the contradictions of his day: he is democratic and a humanist, but can't stand people. His paradoxical sentimentality and overbearing fortitude are best expressed in his 5th and 6th Symphonies, which were composed at the same time. The 6th (Pastoral) is light, airy and somewhat nostalgic; whereas the 5th is nothing short of kick-you-in-the-balls brutality. How could I not love Beethoven?

There is much in his tumultuous biography that I can appreciate and identify with, as I am sure is true with many others: his constant financial struggles; his crass and rude behavior that was a defense mechanism to keep others away; his ill fortunes in the area of love; the broken relationships with his family; others taking advantage of his talent for their own purposes. The themes that Hazlewood identifies in Beethoven's music are tension and reconciliation, creativity out of chaos, and integration and creative freedom - all reflective of Beethoven's own experience.

And then there is his deafness. I have pondered as to why Providence would decide that one of the greatest musicians in history should go deaf. We will never know. It would be as if Shakespeare were unable to write. It is a seeming tragedy. But is it? What better testament to the fact that it was God's gift that inspired Beethoven than the faculty through which Beethoven's art was expressed and received by others was the very one denied to him. Who else but God could have allowed the music to dwell in him such that he never needed to hear the music, but just simply had to think it? Those are not talents that are self-developed. They must come with the package.

In contrast to Mozart who expressed his genius within the boundaries and confines of convention, stretching them in the process, Beethoven is about the business of destroying boundaries, breaking rules, shattering and rending worlds. In many respects, Beethoven is the point of no return for music in the West. After him, there was no way to go back and examining the classical age without carrying the baggage and perspective of Modernity. Beethoven is the prism through which we see his predecessors, whether we know it or not. He is much like Kant in philosophy.

As I have been watching the series, I have also been listening to Beethoven's symphonies (the Deutsche Grammaphone collection directed by Herbert von Karajan and played by the Berliner Philharmoniker), as well as several additional pieces. Beethoven's music is still a special challenge to musicians today - think of how difficult it was for the musicians in his own day. The technical demands on the pianist in his piano concertos (think No. 4) are stunning. And then there is the vast range of the music itself in his corpus. Amazing!

The series does an excellent job of demonstrating the meaning of Beethoven's music within the context of the life of the man. It is worth the viewing if you can get ahold of it. Paul Rhys (do the Brits not have vowels?) does as excellent job as Beethoven. Getting a handle on Beethoven's music, however, is not so easy. It has taken me more than a decade to begin to digest his music. The first place I started a number of years ago was a 2-disc set called "Beethoven: The Greatest Hits", which is still in print and available at most music stores. It is a pretty broad selection (including my favorite, the Moonlight Sonata), but most of the work would be familiar to the average listener. That collection is a good jumping-off point before diving into his symphonies, sonatas, concertos, etc. You can only eat the elephant one bite at a time, but the meal is worth the effort!

What's next on the viewing list? BBC's The Genius of Mozart, also presented by Hazlewood, and The Romantics, presented by Peter Ackroyd. The Beeb might be filled with moonbat Leftists, but they sure make good documentaries. Something Americans could learn from.