New book on late Beethoven

[Chaszz]

Here's a review of a new book by Maynard Solomon on Beethoven's late period.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/29/books/29OEST.html

Based on the review, I don't know how much light the book's author throws on it. But since it resurrects again the classical/romantic dispute, maybe people would be interested in seeing it. Perhaps the book is clearer than the review.

It doesn't seem to touch (at least in the review) on the more technical issues of classical and romantic harmonics which Peter convincingly cites as determinants of the styles.

The reviewer implies that Beethoven's late interest in ancient culture may be evidence of a 'lingering classicism.' To me, an interest in distant antiquity can be as much romantic as classical, as in Byron. So that in Beethoven it is not useful to assign it to the one or other tendency, it could mean either - or perhaps both at once.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chaszz:

The reviewer implies that Beethoven's late interest in ancient culture may be evidence of a 'lingering classicism.' To me, an interest in distant antiquity can be as much romantic as classical, as in Byron. So that in Beethoven it is not useful to assign it to the one or other tendency, it could mean either - or perhaps both at once.

Even in Baroque times librettists and poets were obsessed with the myths and heroes of ancient Greece and Rome. I do not regard this interest to be a characteristic of Romantisism as portrayed in music. For me these kinds of influences are not the issue, it is the nature of the notes on paper - the sound and form of the music.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Gurn Blanston]

Chaszz,
Thanks for the link. That was quite interesting. I personally found Solomon's book very thoughtful and at least that he tried to be accurate, whether it reflected well on B or it didn't. I don't mind reading things that have a negative overall impression, as long as they are true (or as true as any history can be, which is subject to so many things!)
Regards,
Gurn

[Tito]

"Late Beethoven" is a must read, for all LvB enthusiasts. Solomon's explorations of Beethoven's masonic influences are very interesting. BBC Music Mag. had a great review in last month's issue. One thing the book does not do is try to convince anybody whether LvB belongs to the classical or romantic periods. A detailed study of Beethoven's symphonies is enough to deal with that.


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Tito

"Without music, life would be a mistake", Nietzsche

[Amalie]

My husband actually bought me this new book on Late Beethoven, by Maynard Solomon,though I have not finished it yet, I am finding it a brilliant read, however, I have some doubts that Beethoven's views underwent some sort of sea change in his last years, as Solomon suggests.
Beethoven's fundimental views on life and art were pretty much fixed throughout his life I think.
The greatest external intellectual change he went through was his disillusionment with politics and that goes back almost to his youth. Politics, however, gave Beethoven an interest in a world outside music, what one might call the 'real' world, whatever that is, and as he got more tired wth the chicanery of politicians over the years he became more withdrawn and perhaps lost a link with the outside world.
The chapter on Beethoven's Masonic imaginations and influences is indeed fascinating. As well as, Beyond Classicm.
Some romantic images. Pastoral, Rhetoric, structure: The Violin Sonata in G, op.96.
The 9th Symphony, and The healing power of music.

"An admirable book, bold and exciting, revealing, moving, and one whose appearance we shall come to see as a landmark in Beethoven scholarship and interpretation"

- Michael Steinberg, The New York Times Book Review.


"Solomon's Biography is now the authoritive one"

- Charles Rosen, author of, The Classical Style, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. (also a must read!)


[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited July 31, 2003).]

[Rod]

My first Solomon read was the 'Beethoven Essays' which I thought was rather amateurish. Too much rubbish in his Beethoven biography. The latest effort, as I have already said in another chain, I can live without.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited July 31, 2003).]