贝多芬百年祭段意_贝多芬百年祭 原文

贝多芬百年祭段意_贝多芬百年祭原文Beethoven"sCentenaryAhundredyearsagoacrustyoldbacheloroffifty-seven,sodeafthathecouldnothearhisownmusicplayedbyafullorchestra,yetstillabletohearthunder,shookhisfistattheroaringheavensforthelasttime,anddiedashehadlived,challengingGodanddefyingtheuniverse.HewasDefianceIncarnate:hecouldnotevenmeetaGrandDukeandhiscourtinthestreetwithoutjamminghishattightdownonhisheadandstridingthroughtheverymiddleofthem.Hehadthemannersofadisobligingsteamroller(moststeamrollersareabjectlyobligingandconciliatory);andhewasratherlessparticularabouthisdressthanascarecrow:infacthewasoncearrestedasatrampbecausethepolicerefusedtobelievethatsuchatatterdemalioncouldbeafamouscomposer,muchlessatempleofthemostturbulentspiritthateverfoundexpressioninpuresound.Itwasindeedamightyspirit;bitifIhadwrittenthemightiest,whichwouldmeanmightierthanthespiritofHandel,Beethovenhimselfwouldhaverebukedme;andwhatmortalmancouldpretendtoaspiritmightierthanBach"s?ButthatBeethoven"sspiritwasthemostturbulentisbeyondallquestion.Theimpetuousfuryofhisstrength,whichhecouldquiteeasilycontainandcontrol,butoftenwouldnot,andtheuproariousnessofhisfun,gobeyondanythingofthekindtobefoundintheworksofothercomposers.Greenhornswriteofsyncopationnowasifitwereanewwayofgivingtheutmostimpetustoamusicalmeasure;buttherowdiestjazzsoundsliketheMaiden"sPrayerafterBeethoven"sthirdLeonoraoverture;andcertainlynonegrocorobberythatIeverheardcouldinspiretheblackestdancerwithsuchdiableaucorpsasthelastmovementoftheSeventhSymphony.Andnoothercomposerhasevermeltedhishearersintocompletesentimentalitybythetenderbeautyofhismusic,andthensuddenlyturnedonthemandmockedthemwithderisivetrumpetblastsforbeingsuchfools.NobodybutBeethovencouldgovernBeethoven;andwhen,ashappenedwhenthefitwsonhim,hedeliberatelyrefusedtogovernhimself,hewasungovernable.Itwasthisturbulence,thisdeliberatedisorder,thismockery,thisrecklessandtriumphantdisregardofconventionalmanners,thatsetBeethovenapartfromthemusicalgeniusesoftheceremoniousseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies.HewasagiantwaveinthatstormofthehumanspiritwhichproducedtheFrenchRevolution.Hecallednomanmaster.Mozart,hisgreatestpredecessorinhisowndepartment,hadfromhischildhoodbeenwashed,combed,splendidlydressed,andbeautifullybehavedinthepresenceofroyalpersonagesandpeers.HischildishoutburstatthePompadour,"Whoisthiswomanwhodoesnotkissme?TheQueenkissesme,"wouldbeincredibleofBeethoven,whowasstillanunlickedcubevenwhenhehadgrownintoaverygrizzlybear.Mozarthadtherefinement ofconventionandsocietyaswellastherefinementofnatureandofthesolitudesofthesoul.MozartandGluckarerefinedasthecourtofLouisXIVwasrefined:Haydnisrefinedasthemostcultivatedcountrygentlemenofhisdaywererefined:comparedtothemsociallyBeethovenwasanobstreperousBohemian:amanofthepeople.Haydn,sosuperiortoenvythathedeclaredhisjunior,Mozart,tobethegreatestcomposerthateverlived,couldnotstandBeethoven:Mozart,morefarseeing,listenedtohisplaying,andsaid"Youwillhearofhimsomeday";butthetwowouldneverhavehititofftogetherhadMozartlivedlongenoughtotry.BeethovenhadamoralhorrorofMozart,whoinDonGiovannihadthrownahaloofenchantmentroundanaristocraticblackguard,andthe,withertheunscrupulousmoralversatilityofaborndramatist,turnedroundtocastahaloofdivinityroundSarastro,settinghiswordstotheonlymusicyetwrittenthatwouldnotsoundoutofplaceinthemouthofGod.Beethovenwasnodramatist:moralversatilitywastohimrevoltingcynicism.Mozartwasstilltohimthemasterofmasters(thisisnotanemptyeulogisticsuperlative:itmeansliterallythatMozartisacomposer"scomposermuchmorethanhehaseverbeenareallypopularcomposer);buthewasacourtflunkeyinpeecheswhilstBeethovenwasaSansculotte;andHaydnalsowasaflunkeyintheoldlivery:theRevolutionstoodbetweenthemasitstoodbetweentheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies.ButtoBeethovenMozartwasworsethanHaydnbecausehetrifledwithmoralitybysettingvicetomusicasmagicallyasvirtue.ThePuritanwhoisineverytruSansculotteroseupagainsthiminBeethoven,thoughMozarthadshewnhimallthepossibilitiesofnineteenth-centurymusic.SoBeethovencastbackforaherotoHandel,anothercrustyoldbachelorofhisownkidney,whodespisedMozart"sheroGluck,thoughthepastoralsymphonyinTheMessiahisthenearestthinginmusictothescenesinwhichGluck,inhisOrfeo,openedtoustheplainsofHeaven.Thankstopoadcasting,millionsofmusicalnoviceswillhearthemusicofBeethoventhisanniversaryyearforthefirsttimewiththeirexpectationsraisedtoanextraordinarypitchbyhundredsofnewspaperarticlespilingupalltheconventionaleulogiesthatareappliedindiscriminatelytoallthegreatcomposers.Andlikehiscontemporariestheywillbepuzzledbygettingfromhimnotmerelyamusicthattheydidnotexpect,butoftenanorchestralhurlyburlythattheymaynotrecognizeaswhattheycallmusicatall,thoughtheycanappreciateGluckandHaydnandMozartquitewell.Theexplanationissimpleenough.Themusicoftheeighteenthcenturyisalldancemusic.Adanceisasymmetricalpatternofstepsthatarepleasanttomoveto;anditsmusicisasymmetricalpatternofsoundthatispleasanttolistentoevenwhenyouarenotdancingtoit.Consequentlythesoundpatterns,thoughtheybeginbybeingassimpleaschessboards,getlengthenedandelaboratedandenrichedwith harmoniesuntiltheyaremorelikePersiancarpets;andthecomposerswhodesignthesepatternsnolongerexpectpeopletodancetothem.OnlyawhirlingDervishcoulddanceaMozartsymphony:indeed,IhavereducedtwoyoungandpractiseddancerstoexhaustionbymakingthemdanceaMozartoverture.Theyverynamesofthedancesaredropped:insteadofsuitesconsistingofsarabands,pavanes,gavottes,andjigs,thedesignsarepresentedassonatasandsymphoniesconsistingofsectionscalledsimplymovements,andlabelledaccordingtotheirspeed(inItalian)asallegros,adagios,scherzos,andprestos.Butallthetime,fromBach"spreludestoMozart"sJupiterSymphony,themusicmakesasymmetricalsoundpattern,andgivesusthedancer"spleasurealwaysastheformandfoundationofthepiece.Music,however,candomorethanmakebeautifulsoundspatterns.Itcanexpressemotions.YoucanlookataPersiancarpetandlistentoaBachpreludewithadeliciousadmirationthatgoesnofurtherthanitself;butyoucannotlistentotheoverturetoDonGiovanniwithoutbeingthrownintoacomplicatedmoodwhichpreparesyouforatragedyofsometerribledoomovershadowinganexquisitebutSatanicgaiety.IfyoulistentothelastmovementofMozart"sJupiterSymphony,youhearthatitisasmuchariotouscorobberyasthelastmovementofBeethoven"sSeventhSymphony:itisanorgyofrantingdrummingtow-row-row,madepoignantbyanopeningstrainofstrangeandpainfulbeautywhichiswoventhroughthepatternallthrough.Andyetthemovementisamasterpieceofpatterndesigningallthetime.NowwhatBeethovendid,andwhatmadesomeofhisgreatestcontemporariesgivehimupasamadmanwithlucidintervalsofclowningandbadtaste,wasthatheusedmusicaltogetherasameansofexpressingmoods,andcompletelythrewoverpatterndesigningasanendinitself.Itistruethatheusedtheoldpatternsallhislifewithdoggedconservatism(anotherSansculottecharacteristic,bytheway);buttheimposedonthemsuchanoverwhelmingchargeofhumanenergyandpassion,includingthathighestpassionwhichaccompaniesthought,andreducesthepassionofthephysicalappetitestomereanimalism,thathenotonlyplayedOldHarrywiththeirsymmetrybutoftenmadeitimpossibletonoticethattherewasanypatternatallbeneaththestormofemotion.TheEroicaSymphonybeginsbyapattern(borrowedfromanoverturewhichMozartwrotewhenhewasaboy),followedbyacouplemoreveryprettypatterns;buttheyaretremendouslyenergized,andinthemiddleofthemovementthepatternsaretornupsavagely;andBeethoven,fromthepointofviewofthemerepatternmusician,goesravingmad,hurlingoutterriblechordsinwhichallthenotesofthescalearesoundedsimultaneously,justbecausehefeelslikethat,andwantsyoutofeellikeit.AndthereyouhavethewholesecretofBeethoven.Hecoulddesignpatternswiththebestofthem;hecouldwritemusicwhosebeautywilllastyouallyourlife; hecouldtakethedrieststicksofthemesandworkthemupsointerestinglythatyoufindsomethingnewinthematthehundredthhearing:inshort,youcansayofhimallthatyoucansayofthegreatestpatterncomposers;buthisdiagnostic,thethingthatmarkshimoutfromalltheothers,ishisdisturbingquality,hispowerofunsettlingusandimposinghisgiantmoodsonus.BerliozwasveryangrywithanoldFrenchcomposerwhoexpressedthediscomfortBeethovengavehimbysaying"J"aimelamusiquequimeberce,""Ilikemusicthatlullsme."Beethoven"sismusicthatwakesyouup;andtheonemoodinwhichyoushrinkfromitisthemoodinwhichyouwanttobeletalone.Whenyouunderstandthisyouwilladvancebeyondtheeighteenthcenturyandtheold-fashioneddanceband(jazz,bytheway,istheolddancebandBeethovenized),andunderstandnotonlyBeethoven"smusic,butwhatisdeepestinpost-Beethovenmusicaswell.FromtheRadioTimes18March1927