Beethoven (1770-1827)
Certains accusent Beethoven d’avoir composé de la “musique de sourd”. D’accord, ce brillant musicien et compositeur n’a jamais entendu ses œuvres après 1825. Pourtant sa 9e symphonie et son illustre Hymne à la joie datent de cette période. Un mystère de plus dans la vie de ce génie bourru, taciturne et, pour cause, renfermé sur lui-même…et capable d’amour, d’altruisme et de dévouement.
Les biographes ne s’entendent même pas sur ses origines. Certains le font descendre des kappelmeisters du duc archevêque Grand Électeur de Cologne et ils ont vraisemblablement raison. Une chose certaine : il est né à Bonn donc il est allemand…mais Vienne lui a donné la célébrité et lui a permis de vivre, sinon richement, du moins décemment et de s’occuper adéquatement de la veuve et du fils de son frère, prématurément décédé. Son neveu lui a causé bien des maux de tête : mauvaises fréquentations, tentative de suicide pour finir militaire et faire une belle carrière. Sa belle-sœur lui a coûté cher d’avocat mais il a respecté les dernières volontés de son frère et s’en est occupé jusqu’à la mort de cette dernière. Voilà pour l’altruisme et le dévouement.
Beethoven a aimé et a vécu une peine d’amour intense, oui mais qui en fut l’objet? Son célèbre Op.25 en La mineur pour piano solo, Für Elise, publié d’ailleurs 41 ans après sa mort, pourrait donner un indice. Malheureusement, certains musicologues pensent que l’Opus était originellement dédié à Thérèse. Le manuscrit original aurait été daté d’un 27 avril…mais il a été perdu. La Thérèse en question, selon Ludwig Nohl, serait Thérèse Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza (1792-1851); seulement voilà, elle préféra marier un noble Autrichien Wilhelm von Drobdick en 1816.
Même sa mort fut l’objet de mystère. Avait-il été assassiné à l’arsenic? Le doute plana jusqu’en 2000 quand Russel Martin publia son Beethoven’s Hair tendant à démontrer que sa maladie et, même, sa surdité pouvaient être attribuées à l’empoisonnement au plomb causé par un usage régulier et prolongé de vaisselle, d’ustensiles et de gobelets en plomb. L’œuvre décrit en détail comment, à partir d’une mèche de cheveux prélevée sur le cadavre et jalousement préservée et transmise à divers collectionneurs, une analyse à pu établir la cause du décès. Préalablement, la mèche avait été authentifiée par des tests d’A.D.N. et un suivi exhaustif de ses pérégrinations. Un vrai roman policier.
Chez-nous, Beethoven, que ma femme a appris à apprécier après avoir déjà jugé que sa musique n’était que du bruit, continue à vivre grâce à 18 LP33 tours et 28 CD dont une intégrale Karajan. De Bruno Walter à Karajan en passant par Fritz Kreisler, Menuhin ou Yo Yo Ma, on trouve autant de Beethoven que d’artistes ou de conducteurs. Les un nous font voir un compositeur très romantique et sentimental, d’autres, avec les mêmes œuvres, nous font voir le côté teuton du compositeur.
Que le vrai Beethoven se lève.
Paul Costopoulos, jeudi, 17 mars 2011
He lived a fairly long life, and composed much. I believe that we can see a life of ideals, passions, convictions, admirations, beliefs, as well as development in his musical techniques -- all the work of a brilliant composer. I think we see the life of a man over a long period, and one in which he was a leader in the evolution of music.
RépondreSupprimerThat he was and, his own way. quite a revolutionary.
RépondreSupprimerLa vie de Beethoven a été frustrant et malheureux. Mais, le génie de sa musique est né de cette souffrance et désespoir.
RépondreSupprimerEst-il possible qu'un artiste soit un génie et heureux en même temps?
RépondreSupprimerMerci, Paul. J'apprécie votre leçon de l'histoire.
RépondreSupprimerRob-bear, ma réflexion sur Beethoven n'est que cela une réflexion. Les musicologues et les historiens y trouveraient probablement bien des faiblesses. J'ai seulement voulu dire mon admiration pour l'homme et sa musique.
RépondreSupprimerA great post, Paul, though the translation Google provided could have been edited.
RépondreSupprimerGoogle translations are approximate but give the general idea; when the language used is simple and not too litterary they are mre accurate to a point.
RépondreSupprimerSince I more-or-less understand written French -- if given time -- collation with the Google version gets me there. I find the blunders of the translation engine amusing.
RépondreSupprimerI'm amazed at the notion that anyone could pigeonhole Beethoven's later music as "du sourd". Some people, as the British put it, think themselves "too clever by half."
It seems to be that Beethoven was obliged to be brilliant at music long before the age at which any of us have any choice about what language we will speak, to revert to the matter of translation engines. Music was his language and physical deafness late in life made no difference to that.
I do agree with you Sledpress. As for his deafness it certainly made no difference since some of his most beautiful composition were written after he went totally deaf.
RépondreSupprimerWhen he attended the first of the 9th, he could not lead the orchestra anymore, one of the person present had to make him turn around so that he could see the thunderous standing ovation that the work, the musicians and composer were recieving.
Sledpress is right imo. A good musician can think and write music on paper also abstractly. Many composers did that (including Beethoven). The 'Art of fugue' by Bach, the maximum monument to counterpoint for example (not concluded, it was finished by Busoni).
RépondreSupprimerI am afraid I'll be long as usual. This post is stimulating and there is a lot to discuss about.
Paul said:
Est-il possible qu'un artiste soit un génie et heureux en même temps?
Je pense que ce soit possible. Par exemple Ferruccio Busoni, un vrai génie qui a pris de l'Italie et de l'Allemagne: he was successful, sensitive, full of vigour (a bit titanic like Michelangelo) and extremely good-looking since he was a kid (he had splendid parents it seems clear). Mais of course de moyen calibre si on le compare à Beethoven. Et Mozart alors? I don’t know. I think he has suffered too, but probably not as much as Beethoven, whose music definitely mirrors a very tormented life journey (I prefer Mozart in fact: as I said in my blog - as Busoni said lol - Beethoven sent music like a crazy -and a bit heavy - rocket into a neurotic direction that finally proved barren imo. Speaking of Germans to him I prefer Bach).
Bach btw certainly was not unhappy like Beethoven (he was a good father and husband, but some of his children died, and 2 wives too; tho Magdalena his third wife was young and sweet) and he also - like Beethoven - experienced what could be called the 'toiling hard' type of suffering, which is a form of joy after all.
The Germans (but also many other Hyperboreans, see the British during ww2) seem to me often "endowed with this great capacity of toiling (and suffering) in silence, an imprint of true force and indubitable courage", like the ancient Romans, more than the Greeks imo: see how they defeated Hannibal".
Our musical critic Massimo Mila wrote of Bach - which makes me think the bible motto is kinda right: "Paix sur la terre aux hommes de bonne volonté":
"Bach's immense musical production - [I'm quoting from *this post* of mine, hence cheating a bit] was put together with assiduous, methodical, quiet work, carried out with scrupulous care of artisan and conceived, without any pause, as service of God. Without any pause since, if Bach had been a shoemaker, he would have made a boundless number of shoes to the great glory of God, all carefully crafted and finished off with scrupulous care”.
[to be continued] :-(
So maybe unhappiness goes to the non organised, Romantic, non disciplined bohemian-type of artist, often fragile and deprived of real character.
RépondreSupprimerGetting back to Busoni, he was good-natured but also extremely mystical (he was convinced to be a reincarnation of Bach, and no one can exclude that if reincarnation exists). What he received from his parents and life (he lucky, my parents were a bit of a failure altho they did try I'll admit), he gave back to his pupils.
An example we may have the British composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (died in 1988), in my opinion one of the greatest British (and world's) musicians and possibly superior to Busoni, certainly more cosmopolitan, since even if totally British "son ascendance mêlait diverses origines : indienne de confession pârsî du côté paternel et un mélange hispano-sicilien du côté maternel" (French wiki). Et bien, c'est pas mal à mon avi.
________
So in the end, after all this chatter-boxing (?) I guess Philippe is right, 60% right (figures arbitrary).
Because almost any real good creation there are chances there's connections with introversion, solitude, at times even autism (lousy infancy is almost a must): elements of non happiness beyond any doubt.
In short: in order to express pain (so beautiful and consoling, but also a bit masochistic in the Romantics, not in the classics) one has somehow to experience it and an artist, like a painter, the more colour hues he /she's got, the better is. As an alternative one hase Rossini (he totally eclipsed Beethoven in Europe for a whilr) or Vivaldi or Scarlatti (which I adore but I prefer Mozart, the Unique imo and the perfect example of all I love in art).
Amen
(I went over the top comme d'abitude) :-(
"Is it possible that an artist is a genius and happy at the same time?"
RépondreSupprimerGood question, Paul.
In the American literature category, the answer is no.
We did a little experiment back in the days when I was teaching in the public school and examined the lives of novelists,playwrights, and poets.
Few were happy.
William Dean Howells comes to mind as one who was.
Well, the first part of my comment got lost (in the spam queue?). Here it is:
RépondreSupprimerSledpress is right. A good musician can think and write music on paper also abstractly. Many composers did that (including Beethoven). Take the Art of fugue by Bach, the maximum monument to counterpoint (not concluded was finished by Busoni).
I am afraid I'll be long as usual. This post is stimulating and there is a lot to discuss about.
Paul said:
Est-il possible qu'un artiste soit un génie et heureux en même temps?
Sorry to disagree with Cheri (but she mentions American literature, I consider any artist) mais je pense que ce soit possible. Par exemple Ferruccio Busoni, un vrai génie qui a pris de l'Italie et de l'Allemagne: he was successful, sensitive, full of vigour (a bit titanic like Michelangelo) and extremely good-looking since he was a kid (he had splendid parents it seems clear). Mais of course de moyen calibre si on le compare à Beethoven. Et Mozart alors? I don’t know. I think he has suffered too, but probably not as much as Beethoven, whose music definitely mirrors a very tormented life journey (I prefer Mozart in fact: as I said in my blog - as Busoni said lol - Beethoven sent music like a crazy -and a bit heavy - rocket into a neurotic direction that finally proved barren imo. To him I greatly prefer Bach, speaking of Germans).
Bach btw certainly was not unhappy like Beethoven (but some of his children died, and 2 wives too: but Magdalena the third wife was young and sexy) and he also - like Beethoven - experienced what could be called the 'toiling hard' type of suffering, which is a form of joy btw (pain and joy come from similar areas of the brain it seems, nut I may be wrong). The Germans (but also many other Hyperboreans, mind: see the British during ww2) seem to me often "endowed with this great capacity of toiling (and suffering) in silence, an imprint of true force and indubitable courage: like the ancient Romans, more than the Greeks possibly: see how they defeated Hannibal".
Our musical critic Massimo Mila wrote of Bach - which makes me think the bible motto is kinda right: "Paix sur la terre aux hommes de bonne volonté":
Bach's immense musical production - [I'm quoting from *this post* of mine, I'm not so fast-thinking] was put together with assiduous, methodical, quiet work, carried out with scrupulous care of artisan and conceived, without any pause, as service of God. Without any pause since, if Bach had been a shoemaker, he would have made a boundless number of shoes to the great glory of God, all carefully crafted and finished off with scrupulous care”.
WTH, why my part1 comment keeps getting banned by Blogspot? It contained no disreputable stuff.
RépondreSupprimer@MoR - Blogger has over-zealous Spam-detection software.
RépondreSupprimerTell Paul to check in his Spam box. That's where your disappeared comment will be.
To those who find "Google Translate" frustrating, paste the French text into the box sentence by sentence, or, better still, phrase by phrase.
RépondreSupprimerPasting the whole essay en bloc into the translation box is too much for the Google translation software
@Phil
RépondreSupprimerI think you have told him already. But he doesn't react.
There is nothing in my Spam box, not even a slice of the thing.
RépondreSupprimerI did not react because I was out until 1700 hour. Sorry folks, I'm not a full time blogger.
You all have a very interesting conversation and I learn and get a deeper understanding of the happiness vs creativity conundrum.
And MoR you did not go over the top but I really wonder where that part one of yours went
.
Of course you cannot know until you read what is lost.
RépondreSupprimerAnd it is good not to be a full time blogger.
I'll try again. What I remember .... ;-)
RépondreSupprimer____________
Sledpress is right. A good musician can think and write music on paper also abstractly. Many composers did that (including Beethoven). Take the Art of fugue by Bach, the maximum monument to counterpoint (not concluded was finished by Busoni). That is to say, music can silently chant in the soul, like when we sing a song innerly.
I am afraid I'll be long as usual. This post is stimulating and there is a lot to discuss about.
Paul said:
Est-il possible qu'un artiste soit un génie et heureux en même temps?
Je pense que ce soit possible. Par exemple Ferruccio Busoni, un vrai génie qui a pris de l'Italie et de l'Allemagne: he was successful, sensitive, full of vigour (a bit titanic like Michelangelo) and extremely good-looking since he was a kid (he had splendid parents it seems clear). Mais of course de moyen calibre si on le compare à Beethoven. Et Mozart alors? I don’t know. I think he has suffered too, but probably not as much as Beethoven, whose music definitely mirrors a very tormented life journey (I prefer Mozart in fact: as I said in my blog - as Busoni said lol - Beethoven sent music like a crazy -and a bit heavy - rocket into a neurotic direction that finally proved barren imo. To him I greatly prefer Bach, speaking of Germans).
Bach btw certainly was not unhappy like Beethoven (but some of his children died, and 2 wives too: but Magdalena the third wife was young and sexy) and he also - like Beethoven - experienced what could be called the 'toiling hard' type of suffering, which is a form of joy btw (pain and joy come from similar areas of the brain it seems, nut I may be wrong). The Germans (but also many other Hyperboreans, mind: see the British during ww2) seem to me often "endowed with this great capacity of toiling (and suffering) in silence, an imprint of true force and indubitable courage: like the ancient Romans, more than the Greeks possibly: see how they defeated Hannibal".
Our musical critic Massimo Mila wrote of Bach - which makes me think the bible motto is kind of right: "Paix sur la terre aux hommes de bonne volonté":
“Bach's immense musical production – Mila wrote - was put together with assiduous, methodical, quiet work, carried out with scrupulous care of artisan and conceived, without any pause, as service of God. Without any pause since, if Bach had been a shoemaker, he would have made a boundless number of shoes to the great glory of God, all carefully crafted and finished off with scrupulous care”.
[Then the above comment of mine – part2 – continues:
So maybe unhappiness goes to the non organised, Romantic, non disciplined bohemian-type of artist. Take Schumann etc. and in fact Clara's father - Schumann's piano teacher - didn't want her daughter to marry such a bohemian and fragile, 'romantic', man.
Getting back to Busoni, he was good-natured but also …..]
Part 1 finally recieved and read. You make a strong case for the link between unhappyness and creativity. It would seem that mysticism (Bach) can be a creative motor. I like Bach but I consider him more as a musical mathematician than a musician. Everything he did was carefully constructed and ordered, beautifull to be sure, but after a few bars you can anticipate the next.
RépondreSupprimerThe great composers and other great artists that I can think of had a tortuous and unhappy life. Guess it explains why I am not an artist.
Ah ah ah ah. Paul, one more reason why we need you in Ancient Britannia - the Greek Laugh.
RépondreSupprimerHi Paul, Cheri and I are sitting here enjoying your blog. Wonderful stuff. I am Cheri's godmother.
RépondreSupprimerWelcome Kayti. I went over to your place, guess I will have another blog to follow.
RépondreSupprimer