Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is widely considered to be one of the
pre-eminent classical music figures of the Western world. This German
musical genius created numerous works that are firmly entrenched in the
repertoire. Except for a weakness in composing vocal and operatic music
(to which he himself admitted, notwithstanding a few vocal works like
the opera “Fidelio” and the song “Adelaide,”), Beethoven had complete
mastery of the artform. He left his stamp in 9 symphonies, 5 piano
concertos, 10 violin sonatas, 32 piano sonatas, numerous string quartets
and dozens of other key works. Many of his works are ingeniously
imaginative and innovative, such as his 3rd symphony (the “Eroica”), his
9th Violin Sonata (the “Kreutzer”), his “Waldstein” piano sonata, his
4th and 5th piano concertos, or his “Grosse Fugue” for string quartet.
(Of course, each of Beethoven’s works adds its own unique detail to
Beethoven’s grand musical paradigm.)
It is difficult to sum up briefly what his musical works represent or
symbolize, since taken together they encompass a vast system of thought.
Generally, however, those who apprehend his music sense that it reflects
their own personal yearnings and sufferings. It egoistically, and always
intelligently, “discusses” with its listener his or her feelings in the
wake of personal failure and personal triumph, from the lowest depths
of despair to the highest heights of happy or triumphant fulfillment.
In his music, he represents the feelings felt by those attempting to
achieve their goals within their societies, whether they are competing
for love, status, money, power, mates and/or any other things
individuals feel naturally inclined to attempt to acquire.
In a thematic sense, Beethoven does not promote anarchist ideas. The
listener cannot, in listening to Beethoven’s music, apprehend ideas
which, if applied, would compromise the welfare of his society. The
music is thus “civically responsible,” as is the music of Bach or
Mozart. For Beethoven, the society exists as a bulwark with which the
individual must function in harmony, or at least not function such as
to harm or destroy it. And, should the society marginalize or hurt
the individual, as it often does, the individual must, according to
Beethoven, humbly accept this, never considering the alternative act
of attempting to harm or destroy the society in the wake of his or her
personal frustrations. But, thanks to Beethoven, such an individual
is provided with the means to sooth his or her misery in the wake of
feeling “hurt” at the hands of society. The means is this music and
the euphoric pleasure that it can provide to minds possessing the
psycho-intellectual “wiring” needed to apprehend it.
Some post-World-War-II composers, such as the late, LSD-using John Cage,
reject the music of Beethoven because of its predominant reliance on
“beauty” as way of communicating idealized concepts. Also, since the
music intimately reflects the cravings and thought-processes of
the natural human mind, which in numerous ways is emotionally and
intellectually irrational, the music may itself be consequently
irrational.
The following book consists of brief biographical commentaries about
Beethoven, each followed by sections of quotations attributed to the
muse. In these quotes, Beethoven demonstrates his intense preoccupation
(or obsession) with thinking artistically and intelligently, and with
helping to alleviate man’s suffering by providing man with musical
artworks that could enlighten him, so as to become educated enough to
pull himself out of his misery. He felt immediate, strong disdain at any
artistic statement that was not truly intelligent and artistic, such
as, in his view, the music of Rossini. Although not prudish, he had
high standards when it came to marriage, and was morally against
“reproductory pleasure” for its own sake, or any form of adultery. He
never married. Interestingly, experimental psychologists have discovered
that people who have an intense love of humanity or are preoccupied with
working to serve humanity tend to have difficulty forming intimate bonds
with people on a personal level.
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