Tuesday, February 19, 2008

A Beethoven dud?!

Ok, so it's a quiet day.. and iTunes is playing random tracks.. along comes a tune by Ludwig Van B titled Wellington's Victory.. a rather pointy piece of music he wrote at the request of his patron to commemorate Wellington's defeat of Napolean at Waterloo.

So, I'm just a bit curious to see how it's reviewed on the net.. and I'm surprised at the utter lack of understanding the people that posted their ideas of what this piece was, everything from failed to a dud.

Let's first consider that Beethoven was no fan of the aristocracy, though he depended on them for his livelihood. Second let's consider that his view on war was dim if not vehemently opposed to them.

Now, take those two things into account and consider the piece he presented. It's one of the few pieces of music that requires Muskets and Cannons to be set up on either side of the audience, (at that time his patron and his court).

To be utterly blunt and Beethoven was, this piece was a musical gauntlet tossed into the face of anyone that thought the glorifying war and the deaths of thousands of men was a fine idea.

Beethoven first has you listen to the approaching drum corps of the opposing sides, the call of the two sides signaling their readiness to battle and then musically details the battle the anthems of the two nations involved in this little set to.. and then muskets firing, cannon shredding the ranks with grapeshot, exploding grenades and cannon balls, then the charge of the cavalry into the muddy morass of the battle field.. if you have any experience with war you get a good idea of the hell he's trying to portray.

Then, he gives you the 'pretty' version that his patron probably expected to hear.. and it's obvious if you have ears that he's essentially telling his patron what an ass Beethoven thinks he is for even thinking that the Battle of Waterloo should be commemorated.

So, it wasn't what the crowd expected.. but a dud? It does exactly what the composer intended, puts your right into the midst of the noise and smoke and chaos and then says.. 'Do you really think this is glorious?'.

And then he recaps with sardonic version of Britain's nation anthem.. just in case anyone missed his point. Failed? I don't think so, it may be that it wasn't pleasing to the court audience but then how many battle fields are pleasing? Give me a break.