Beethoven, The Street Musician?
Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” was composed in 1824, in the final movement of his last, and arguably most famous, symphony, Symphony No. 9. The premiere took place in Vienna on May 7, 1824, nearly 100 years ago this month.
Despite its unpracticed and under-rehearsed presentation, the audience was ecstatic. It was the first time Beethoven had appeared on stage in 12 years.
At the end of the performance (though some sources say it could have been after the 2nd movement), it was said that Beethoven continued conducting even though the music had ended. One of the soloists stopped him and turned him around to accept his applause. The audience was well aware of Beethoven’s health and hearing loss, so in addition to clapping, they threw their hats and scarves in the air so that he could see their overwhelming approval.
So, here’s a question:
Do you think that Beethoven would object to, or approve of, the performance of the 4th movement of his 9th Symphony as ‘street music’?
05/17/2021 @ 12:42 am
I think a modern context would be so alien to him that I can’t reliably approach the question. He lived in a time where symphonic music was played in formal spaces and there was often aristocracy involved. Street musicians were lower status.
Then you’ve got that only one movement is being played. Past that, the whole fourth movement isn’t being played because the orchestration has to be incomplete early in the performance because of how the orchestra makes its gradual cumulative entrance. I have my doubts as to whether he’d approve of that liberty.
Now, if he knew the modern context in detail, different story.
05/17/2021 @ 11:29 am
“Street musicians were lower status.”
The people performing in the video aren’t ‘street musicians’ even though they’re performing on the street.
The performance wasn’t impromptu or spontaneous. It may not have been rehearsed on the sidewalk, but it clearly was a well planned surprise for the passersby who were fortunate enough to catch the ‘show’.
I believe that Beethoven might have objected on acoustical grounds.
Even though he couldn’t hear, he may well have determined that an open air performance would not permit the audience to hear the music as he had intended it to be heard.
“…the whole fourth movement isn’t being played because the orchestration has to be incomplete early in the performance because of how the orchestra makes its gradual cumulative entrance. I have my doubts as to whether he’d approve of that liberty.”
I believe that, that bit of ‘improvisation’ would have gone against Beethoven’s classical discipline, and as such, I also, “have my doubts as to whether he’d approve of that liberty.”