Ludwig van Beethoven

Highly Appreciated

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
 
 
Ludwig van Beethoven  (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist.  A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers.  His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets.  He also composed other chamber music, choral works (including the celebrated Missa solemnis), and songs.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
Conversely, one might think that deafness and music would not mix at all; but I trust that we have all by now seen the terrific Richard Dreyfuss movie Mr. Holland's Opus that puts the lie to that notion.  (For what it’s worth, I have had several people tell me that I bear a certain resemblance to Dreyfuss – particularly from the back I would say).  The best known example is that of Ludwig van Beethoven (as long as I have mentioned Blind Melon, I might as well bring up the quirky 1990’s band Camper Van Beethoven, who dedicated one of their albums to Patty Hearst).  Beethoven grew increasingly deaf as he got older; and by the time his Ninth Symphony was finished, he was profoundly deaf.   Considering that this is one of the most beloved musical compositions of all time, his lack of hearing was certainly not a problem for this musical giant.
 
(June 2011)
 
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I am pretty sure that I must have heard a track or two by the Dutch progressive rock band Ekseption on college radio back in the day; otherwise, I don’t know how Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance” would sound so familiar to me.  The opening track on their self-titled debut album in 1969Ekseption – simply called “The 5th” – is based on Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.  This might be the first pop treatment of the symphony, though there have been many others over the years.   
 
(January 2013)
 
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Chuck Berry’s 1956 hit “Roll Over Beethoven” – “Roll Over Beethoven” also might be my very favorite Beatles cover song – contains a truly delicious song lyric:  “Roll over [in your grave], Beethoven / And tell Tchaikovsky the news.”  

 

(June 2013/1)

 

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The Under Appreciated Rock Artist for this month is Nick Freund, a Catholic priest who joined the faculty at the St. Pius X Seminary, in Galt, California (near Sacramento) where he taught for 8 years as an English teacher and headed the band and choir.  He worked on choral music and an amazing acid-folk Christian album by a group called the Search Party 
 
Much as happened with the priest who oversaw the creation of last month’s UARB
the Holy Ghost Reception Committee #9, his students were resistant to the classical composers like Mozart and Beethoven and told him:  “Father, you ought to check out a place in San Francisco called The Fillmore.”  
 
(September 2014)
 
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George Harrison had something to say about “Yesterday as well:  “Blimey, he’s always talking about that song.  You’d think he was Beethoven or somebody!”.  Producer George Martin also talked about the song at a later date:  “‘[Yesterday]’ wasn't really a Beatles record and I discussed this with Brian Epstein:  ‘You know this is Paul’s song . . . shall we call it Paul McCartney?’  He said ‘No, whatever we do we are not splitting up the Beatles.’”

 

(June 2015)

 

Last edited: March 22, 2021