Concert Programme Notes

[NickB]

An excerpt from the program notes for the all-B concert I attended Saturday at the Cascade Festival of Music in Bend, Oregon
(http://www.cascademusic.org/enter.html sorry, their new Flash webbie is irritating...chose "Events" from the menu along the top to get to the Aug 25 program...):

"[...]"The Apotheosis of the Dance" was written
during one of the darkest and most difficult
periods in the composer's life."

"By the summer of 1812, when the work
was taking its final form, the French army had
invaded Russia, thus launching the most savage
phase of the Napoleonic Wars. Amid the
universal turmoil, B was suffering innumerable
shocks of his own. Ths was the
period of those ardent, pathetically hopeful
letters to "The Immortal Beloved", the great
unrequited love of his life. It was also a time
when the syphilis which had destroyed his hearing
began manifesting itself through other disturbing
symptoms: the constant, excruciating intestinal
pain, and the first signs of the serious liver
disorder that would eventually kill him."

[Any typo's are mine.]

Comments? Golly-gee, I didn't realize SYPHILIS had destroyed his hearing!

I can scan the remainder of the program if anyone is interested.

I will also post my impressions of the 3 concerts we attended in the last 2 weekends, including this one, sometime soon.

[Peter]

The recent tests on Beethoven's hair provided no evidence that Beethoven received medical treatment for syphilis, usually treated in the 1820's with mercury compounds. This supports the consensus of Beethoven scholars who believe that Beethoven never had syphilis. Rumours that Beethoven suffered from syphilis have been discounted in all serious musicological literature for the last thirty years. Beethoven's deafness was most probably caused by otosclerosis. Perhaps you should show us the rest of the programme notes so we can check them out!!

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

To read more about Beethoven's hair analysis
and current medical findings check out the
book, "Beethoven's Hair" by Russell Martin.
It's worth the read. Also, does anyone know if they are doing any further tests on Beethoven's hair?

Joy

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited 08-29-2001).]

[NickB]

Originally posted by Peter:
Perhaps you should show us the rest of the programme notes so we can check them out!!

Here you go: http://acorn.he.net/~nickb/images/page1.jpg http://acorn.he.net/~nickb/images/page2.jpg
Not the greatest quality of scans, but legible. Also, the cover page of that night's programme lists:

In honor of our 20th birthday [of the festival]

"BEETHOVEN SHOUTS"

Egmont Incidental Music, Op 84 (Excerpts)
Tobias Anderson, narrator

Choral Fantasy, Op. 80
Anthony Padilla, pianist
Oregon Repertory Singers

INTERMISSION

Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op 92
I [...]
II [...]
III [...]
IV [...]

Murry Sidlin, Conductor

I find it interesting that Sidlin (artistic director of the festival) would authorize the bit about syphilis in the notes.

[Joy]

That sounds like a wonderful concert, Nick. I particularly like the 7th Sym. It sounds like your part of the country has a lot of Beethoven concerts like where I am, the Southwest. Our concert season is just beginning now in Sept. and there's several Beethoven programs to go to!!

Joy