Originally posted by Peter:
It is hard today I think for us to understand the contradictions of the age - whilst Vienna was being bombarded in 1809 by the French, Beethoven was quite capable of friendship with the French army officer Baron de Tremont for whom he even played. Also as late as 1810 Beethoven contemplated dedicating the Mass in C to Napoleon.
As to the music, Beethoven was a child of his time and the heroic middle period was much influenced by the French revolutionary spirit. Gossec was a composer he would have admired, not just for his music, but for his ideals. Gossec believed passionately in liberty, equality and fraternity and also in deism he would have had common ground with Beethoven. Incidentally Gossec's requiem was the first music to be used for the revolution: On August 6, 1789, it was performed to the memory of the dead of the Bastille siege.
It is hard today I think for us to understand the contradictions of the age - whilst Vienna was being bombarded in 1809 by the French, Beethoven was quite capable of friendship with the French army officer Baron de Tremont for whom he even played. Also as late as 1810 Beethoven contemplated dedicating the Mass in C to Napoleon.
As to the music, Beethoven was a child of his time and the heroic middle period was much influenced by the French revolutionary spirit. Gossec was a composer he would have admired, not just for his music, but for his ideals. Gossec believed passionately in liberty, equality and fraternity and also in deism he would have had common ground with Beethoven. Incidentally Gossec's requiem was the first music to be used for the revolution: On August 6, 1789, it was performed to the memory of the dead of the Bastille siege.
Thnaks, Peter, very informative and interesting.
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