During the past month and a half in school, we’ve been discussing the French, American, Russian and Industrial Revolution, however we did not learn or discuss the music during the Revolutionary period.
During this period, the Western Classical world of music was also going wild with evolutions and revolutions. Many famous, brilliant, prodigious composers were thriving and the monarchs were always delighted to listen to some music while sitting on their thrones, while feasting, while having tea, while sipping wine, even while having a nap. Two such composers were Mozart and Beethoven [ Mozart was older than Beethoven].
Growing up, Beethoven idolised Mozart. He constantly compared himself with Mozart. One day Beethoven decided to visit him. He walked for days until he reached Mozart’s house [ he left a note for his father]. After asking several times for an audience, Mozart finally agreed to listen to Beethoven play the piano. Beethoven nervously sat down at the piano and began to play. he kept glancing back every now and then, out of the corner of his eye, to see Mozart’s expression; however it remained blank. Little did he realise that the second he looked away Mozart told his friends, who were over, that this boy was genius.
The period of Beethoven’s career was also the period during which Napoleon became an Emperor and captained all France [ eventually the majority of Europe was under his thumb]. During the beginning of Napoleon’s emperorship he was focused on what was good for France and his reign was good as was his grip on France. Beethoven admired Napoleon’s ability to conquer and make peace, he was absolutely mesmerised by this skill of his and so wrote “The Eroica” in honour of him and the French Revolution. However as France started to shrink and Napoleon’s grip on France began to slip, Beethoven was truly, deeply disappointed in Napoleon and was filled with fury. he burnt a copy of the piece.
Another renown composer who was and contemporary and pupil of Beethoven was Carl Czerny. Beethoven was composer who played the piano with a lot of emotion; he channeled them [ particularly his rage] into his music. One evening he had a performance for an audience of monarchs and Carl Czerny, his faithful student was his page turner [person turns the music sheet pages for the musician performing]. Beethoven was playing hard crushing the piano with his mere finger strength. All of a sudden the strings of the piano snapped but the performance couldn’t stop! Czerny had to fix the piano while turning pages and some how , chaotic as it was, he pulled it off! Carl Czerny said he deserved the applause at the end more than Beethoven did.
[ About Mozart will come in The Revolution of Music 2]
Freyja's Musings 