Bernard Rose - Immortal Beloved

Summary

Views

 

Ludwig van Beethoven: [in reference to "Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 47" - "Kreutzer"... ] Do you like it?

Anton Felix Schindler: Shh!

Ludwig van Beethoven: I cannot hear them, but I know they are making a hash of it. What do you think? Music is... a dreadful thing. What is it? I don't understand it. What does it mean?

Anton Felix Schindler: It - it exalts the soul.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Utter nonsense. If you hear a marching band, is your soul exalted? No, you march. If you hear a waltz, you dance. If you hear a mass, you take communion. It is the power of music to carry one directly into the mental state of the composer. The listener has no choice. It is like hypnotism. So, now... What was in my mind when I wrote this? Hmm? A man is trying to reach his lover. His carriage has broken down in the rain. The wheels stuck in the mud. She will only wait so long. This... is the sound of his agitation. "This is how it is... ," the music is saying. "Not how you are used to being. Not how you are used to thinking. But like this."

This passage is a fictional dialogue from the movie "Immortal Beloved," released in 1994. This film is a biographical account of the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, played by Gary Oldman. The dialogue occurs between Beethoven and his secretary, Anton Felix Schindler, a character in the film.

In this scene, Beethoven is reflecting on his "Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 47," also known as the "Kreutzer Sonata." The dialogue explores Beethoven's perspective on music and its impact on the listener. Beethoven argues that music has the power to directly convey the mental state of the composer to the listener, likening it to hypnotism. He suggests that music dictates a certain response or feeling, much like how a marching band inspires marching or a waltz inspires dancing.

Beethoven then describes what he was imagining while composing the Kreutzer Sonata. He paints a vivid picture of a man desperately trying to reach his lover, with his carriage stuck in the mud, emphasizing the urgency, frustration, and agitation that he aimed to capture in the music.

This scene is a powerful illustration of how Beethoven might have thought about his compositions and their ability to convey complex emotions and narratives. It's important to note that while the film "Immortal Beloved" takes artistic liberties with historical facts, this particular interpretation offers a fascinating insight into the possible emotional and intellectual depth behind Beethoven's works.