Tolstoy and Beethovan

[Emperor2]

I read that Tolstoy (the author of my favorite novel), when he started to get really fundemenatlist, said that he believed Beethovans 9th (my favorite piece of music) was morally irresponsible.

Out of curiosity: How can a piece like Beethovans 9th be morally irresponsible?

 

[Verbose]

I read that Tolstoy (the author of my favorite novel), when he started to get really fundemenatlist, said that he believed Beethovans 9th (my favorite piece of music) was morally irresponsible.

Out of curiosity: How can a piece like Beethovans 9th be morally irresponsible?

Maybe because Beethoven broke the Rules of Music of his time?

 

[Nylan]

The political reasons behind the writing, I suppose. Maybe he felt art and politics should never intertwine.

 

[Emperor2]

What were the political reasons behind the writing?

 

[Verbose]

The young Beethoven was a raving supporter of first the French Revolution, and later of Napoleon's, until the latter crowned himself emperor in 1804. That made Beethoven go off Napoleon in particular, but not revolutionary politics.

In Beethoven's work the opera "Fidelio" is considered the first blatantly politically themed opera in histiry, and Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony was originally dedicated to Napoleon. (Though later B. would go on to write less memorable things like "Wellingtons Sieg"/Wellington's Victory to commemorate the battle of Waterloo.)

Going by Tolstoy's views of the French Revolution and Napoleon as indicated by "War and Peace", he wouldn't have liked the politics of a lot of Beethoven's music.

 

[Mirc]

The young Beethoven was a raving supporter of first the French Revolution, and later of Napoleon's, until the latter crowned himself emperor in 1804. That made Beethoven go off Napoleon in particular, but not revolutionary politics.

Which is also why the 5th concerto originally was composed "for Napoleon", then after he crowned himself emperor, Beethoven changed that bit of text into "for a great man".

 

[Kraznaya]

Which is also why the 5th concerto originally was composed "for Napoleon", then after he crowned himself emperor, Beethoven changed that bit of text into "for a great man".

I thought that was Eroica which was originally for Napoleon...

It would've been more awesome if it was "for who used to be great man..."