"Music for a Later Age"

[NickB]

I have heard the story of B describing one (or perhaps more than one?) of his late quartets as being "music for a later age" to someone who was struggling to understand it. I have assumed that this is a true story, but I have yet to find it in print.

Can anyone point me toward where I can find more about this particular exchange?

[Rod]

Originally posted by NickB:
I have heard the story of B describing one (or perhaps more than one?) of his late quartets as being "music for a later age" to someone who was struggling to understand it. I have assumed that this is a true story, but I have yet to find it in print.

Can anyone point me toward where I can find more about this particular exchange?

I've got it in print somewhere at home, but my memory directs me to B's reaction to the cool reception of his 'Razumovsky' quartets. Not sure though, I'll have a look tonight.

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

[NickB]

Originally posted by Rod:
I've got it in print somewhere at home, but my memory directs me to B's reaction to the cool reception of his 'Razumovsky' quartets. Not sure though, I'll have a look tonight.

Ah--you have jogged a bit of memory for me, I think! I believe there is some discussion of this in the booklet included in the Medici Quartet set on Nimbus, in fact. I distinctly recall reading something along the lines of B's saying "Cattle! Asses!" in response to the cool reception of the Grosse Fugue. I will look this up myself, perhaps it will lead me to other sources.

I'm particularly interested in the idea of whether or not B could really have *known* that his late quartets would be understood by people in a later age than his contemporaries; I've had a discussion going about this on another non-B email list I subscribe to.

[Rod]

Originally posted by NickB:
Ah--you have jogged a bit of memory for me, I think! I believe there is some discussion of this in the booklet included in the Medici Quartet set on Nimbus, in fact. I distinctly recall reading something along the lines of B's saying "Cattle! Asses!" in response to the cool reception of the Grosse Fugue. I will look this up myself, perhaps it will lead me to other sources.

Yes the cattle and asses quote is in reference to the fugue. The 'later age' quote comes to us from the Italian Felix Radicati. He states that B offer him the manuscripts of the Razumovsky quartets for his opinion. F told B 'surely you do not consider these works to be music?' to which B responded 'oh, they are not for you but for a later age'.

Originally posted by NickB:

I'm particularly interested in the idea of whether or not B could really have *known* that his late quartets would be understood by people in a later age than his contemporaries; I've had a discussion going about this on another non-B email list I subscribe to.

Well, B was perplexing the critics long before the late quartets, as the above quote shows. I think he would have genuinely believed people would eventually get the hang of these works, when the age of superficiality had come to an end (or rather if and when it WILL come to an end!). B said the Hammerklavier would be played in 50 years, yet we are still debating the correct way to play this piece today!


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

[Peter]

Originally posted by NickB:
I'm particularly interested in the idea of whether or not B could really have *known* that his late quartets would be understood by people in a later age than his contemporaries; I've had a discussion going about this on another non-B email list I subscribe to.

What Beethoven did know was that the works he had produced were the greatest of their kind and highly original. I think with Beethoven, we have the first composer who really was conscious of his place in history and that his music would be played long after his death.

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

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
I think with Beethoven, we have the first composer who really was conscious of his place in history and that his music would be played long after his death.

A good point. Certainly one could say before this time compositions served a more transitory purpose in the minds of their composers, though of course their most popular works would remain in the 'public ear'. B seemed to have looked at the bigger picture, I take things from the point of view that he was 'above' his time artistically, as opposed to being ahead of his time (the future being somewhat bleak!) - cleverer.... faster... stronger... we can rebuild him...

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

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 10-31-2001).]