In non-pandemic times, I perform classical music for diverse audiences all over the world.
In reading many of the letters I received and speaking to more and more people on my podcast, I came to realize there was more to write, as I considered various aspects that were brought up-particularly, that of freedom of artistic expression. In the ensuing time, I have heard from many people across the world, from Chile to California, Texas to Bulgaria, thanking me for writing it. I wrote a piece for “Quillette” called “ Then they Came for Beethoven,” which was widely shared on social media and the internet.
Hundreds of millions of people have fallen in love with this symphony over the past two centuries-many of them inspired by the fact that Beethoven created it while succumbing to deafness. That’s odd, given that they are purporting to redefine the cultural meaning of what is arguably the most well-known, widely performed, and beloved composition known to humankind.
The article was widely mocked on social media-in part because the authors offer no real evidence for their claim. But “for some in other groups-women, LGBTQ+ people, people of color-Beethoven’s symphony may be predominantly a reminder of classical music’s history of exclusion and elitism.” But recently, by way of an article and podcast mini-series in Vox, it has become necessary to actually come to Beethoven’s side-Beethoven as a cultural entity, as a symbol of the human and the democratic in music.Įarlier this Fall, Vox published an article titled “How Beethoven’s 5th Symphony put the classism in classical music.” “Since its 1808 premiere, audiences have interpreted as a metaphor for Beethoven’s resilience in the face of his oncoming deafness,” write Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding. I love talking about music, I love passionate debate, and I savor the opportunity to discuss recordings, performance trends, and favorite repertoire with colleagues or audience members. Which leads us to Beethoven.Īs a full-time orchestral cellist (and host of the recently launched podcast Talking Beats with Daniel Lelchuk), I never would have guessed that I’d have occasion to defend not his music but the very idea of Beethoven. Lee, confederate general, or Robert Frost, New England poet, whose eponymous library at Amherst College is being threatened by petition due to his alleged racism-the movement to cleanse our history steamrolls on with incredible lack of nuance or, in some cases, even facts. It doesn’t matter if the offender is Robert E.
In recent years, certain factions of the “socio-culturally aware” class have been sifting through history with the fine-toothed comb of 21 st century moral superiority, snagging a host of prominent figures and indicting them for not meeting the rigorous standards of this particular moment (not year, or season, but moment, as the goalposts change by the minute).
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