FAN FRIDAYS
As you eagerly scroll through this blog, do not miss the "Because" link, do not miss the "Because" link, do not miss the "Because" link, do not miss the "Because" link...
FAN FRIDAYS
I know I'm going to bore most of you with my blog today, but the purpose of Fan Fridays is to share with you, all of the people, places and things I've been a big fan of throughout my miserable, worthless life.
I say that because compared to this person we are discussing today, I'm totally insignificant and worthless, musically speaking.
Who is this dude that's so magnificent?
DRUM ROLL....
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Ludwig Van Beethoven
called themselves his best friends!"
I'm not going to start sounding like a boring "egghead," and start talking about his 9th symphony being better than his 5th symphony, or his sonata's, or his movements. (Especially not his "movements!")
First, I want to talk about him being bi-polar, like me.
For those of you who have known me during my "bad" times, see if this doesn't match my old personality.
Beethoven: The Man and the Madness
behind the Music
By Philip Dehm
Widely hailed as one of the greatest composers of all time, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-
1827) was a musical genius constantly troubled by physical ailments of varying gravity.
Recently, however, it has been suggested
that Beethoven also suffered from bipolar disorder, or manic-depression, a psychological disorder associated with “unusual shifts in a person’s mood,” and alternating “episodes of mania and depression."
Beyond Eccentricity
Beethoven was a most eccentric man. The Baron de Trémont, a member of Napoleon's Council, could not help but notice what he called “the bizarrerie of his character” upon meeting him in 1809. Ignaz Moscheles, an acquaintance and fellow musician, in his recollections of Beethoven made reference to “the peculiarities of the man,” and Ferdinand Ries noted how “all came to know his oddities” . Suffice it to say that he had a reputation for bizarre behavior.
Austrian poet Franz Grillparzer observed in his memoirs that “Beethoven’s manner of life estranged him from all the habits and customs of the world." Ries, who knew Beethoven better than most, admits that he was “extremely violent,” and a
statement, this time made by Italian poet Carpani, referred to him as “a misanthrope, cranky” and
added that he couldn’t keep friends . Clearly, Beethoven, at least occasionally, showed signs of
considerable mental instability. He appears to have had trouble getting along with people, even to
the point where he was avoided; upon trying to make his acquaintance, young Bettina Brentano
found that “for fear of his melancholia,” none wished to take her to meet him; not even “those who
called themselves his best friends!"
Okay, so now that I've bored everyone to tears...doesn't that sound like the old Danny?!
That description of Beethoven could have been an exact description of ME a few years ago!
Thank God for the help he's given me!
In no way am I comparing myself to Beethoven, except that we both suffered from the same illness!
In my opinion, Beethoven found the key, the perfect link or connection between music and peoples emotions.
You know how when you hear a song by Coldplay, for instance, you immediately have an emotional response that makes you feel happy, sad, comforted...and they use beautiful descriptive words!
Beethoven, on the other hand, could bring out all of these emotions, and more, with just his music alone.
This is not putting down wonderful musicians like Chris Martin, James Bellamy, John Lennon, and others who also found that connection to our souls, however, I have evidence that Beethoven was the one who inspired many of the great musicians that we love so much today.
Chuck Berry famously demanded Beethoven “Roll Over” to help usher in a new era of rock and roll. But rather than eschewing the famous German composer, popular musicians started quoting him in their works (including the Electric Light Orchestra in its cover of Berry’s hit). In conjunction with Beethoven Awareness month this November, we’ve collected our favorite five samples of Beethoven in popular music.
1. The Beatles: "Because"
In an oft-repeated tale, John Lennon said that he wrote the Beatles’Abbey Road track “Because” after listening to Yoko Ono practicing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. He claimed to have asked her to play the piece backwards, and therein found the chord progression on which he would build his own work. However, you don’t have to listen to Beethoven’s original in reverse to recognize the similarities.
2. Deep Purple: "Exposition/We Can Work it Out"
British rock royalty Deep Purple, which once held the Guinness World Record for loudest band, was known for classically-inspired arrangements as well as its ear-splitting concerts. For example you can hear an electric rendition of the allegretto from Sympony
No. 7 in the beginning to “Exposition/We Can Work It Out” from the group’s album The Book of Taliesyn. The late band member Jon Lord, a classically-trained organist, is credited with incorporating classical standards and his own symphonic works into the band’s repertoire.
3. Leonard Bernstein: "Somewhere"
Leonard Bernstein’s elegiac song, “Somewhere,” from West Side Story, has been covered by performers from the Supremes to the Pet Shop Boys. However, Bernstein’s famous theme (“There’s a place for us”) comes from the Emperor Concerto’s second movement. The following line of the song shares a familiar motif with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
4. Billy Joel: "This Night"
As the Piano Man, Billy Joel has spent a lifetime tickling the ivories. His knowledge of music written for the keyboard was put to good use when he penned “This Night,” which takes inspiration from the Pathétiquesonata. Joel, giving recognition where it’s due, gave L.V. Beethoven a credit on the album, An Innocent Man, which he explained in a 2012 WNYC conversation with Alec Baldwin on WNYC's Here's the Thing.
5. Nas: "I Can"
Without copyright fees, the classical canon lends itself to sampling, and one of the best examples comes courtesy of the rapper Nas, who co-opted the familiar “Für Elise” for “I Can” on 2002’s God’s Son. The rapper wrote the track, warning of the dangers of drug use and crime, as a tribute to his dead mother, who asked him to compose an uplifting anthem. Its endorsement of practice would also make many piano teachers happy.
Runners Up: Alicia Keys, “Harlem Nocturne” (Moonlight Sonata); Bright Eyes “Road to Joy” (Symphony)
THIS WILL GIVE YOU CHILLS!!!
In conclusion, listen to Beethoven's Ode To Joy and see if you don't agree with everything I've said...or not!