Beethoven distracted

A student of Beethoven’s, Ferdinand Ries, went on a walk with his teacher in the country:

Beethoven muttered and howled the whole time, without emitting any definite notes.  When I asked him what he was doing he answered, “A theme for the last allegro of the sonata [the Appassionata] has occurred to me.”  When we reached the house he ran, without stopping to take off his hat, to the piano.  I sat in the corner, and he soon forgot all about me.  At last he got up; he was astonished to find me still there, and said, “I cannot give you a lesson today: I must go on working.”

Wegeler, Franz and Ries, Ferdinand (1838) Biographische Notizen über Ludwig van Beethoven, Koblenz.  Cited in: Marek, George (1969) Beethoven: Biography of a Genius.  London: William Kimber, p.160.

Posted

in

by

Greg

Tags:

, ,

Featured Content

Lord, Make Us Turn To You – Psalm 79 (80)
Title: Lord, make us turn to you Text: Psalm 79 (80) Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB and piano Product medium: PDF score and part Sample:
The artist should not be shabbily treated
“I like honesty and sincerity; and I maintain that an artist should not be shabbily treated.” – Beethoven, in a letter to C. F. Peters, 5 June 1822 E. Anderson, Letters of Beethoven (1961), cited in Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. United Kingdom, Oxford, OUP Oxford, 2014.
Daydream
Title: Daydream Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: Cello and piano Product medium: PDF score and part SAMPLE: 
Mozart’s musical aesthetics
Mozart’s comments on the musical style of his piano concertos (K. 413-415) portray his underlying aesthetic principle that music should be clear and accessible: I still have 2 concertos to write to complete my subscription concerts. – These concertos are a happy medium between what’s too difficult and too easy – they are Brilliant – […]
My Shepherd is the Living Lord/I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Title 1: My Shepherd is the Living Lord Text 1: Isaac Watt Title 2: I know That My Redeemer Lives Text 2: Samuel Medley Tune title: My Shepherd 88.88 Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB Product medium: PDF score Sample:
Greatness
Greatness means the construction of an inner world, and the communication of this inner world to the physical world of humanity.  The two belong together; neither is thinkable without the other.  The strongest feeling and the most vivid imagination are worthless to humanity if they do not manifest themselves; the greatest constructive talent is worthless […]
Accomplishing great things
“To accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan… believe… act!” – Alfred Montapert, Author Cited at: QuotationsBook
The Anecdote to Distraction is Art
“If you are on a mission to discover what you have to offer, and to bring it out into the world, every moment you spend distracted is a moment you aren’t following your art. It’s a moment you aren’t pursuing your true potential.” — David Kadavy David Kadavy, “The Anecdote to Distraction is Art”, https://steemit.com/productivity/@kadavy/the-antidote-to-distraction-is-art-1515195404-5002096. […]
Vaughan Williams on sense of musical citizenship
Vaughan Williams wrote a series of articles for the Royal College of Music magazine entitled “Who Wants the English Composer?”. In these, he expresses his advocacy for an exploration of the English musical style: We English composers are always saying, “Here are Wagner, Brahms, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, what fine fellows they are, let us try and […]
Feeling Fine
Title: Feeling Fine Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: Piano duet Level: 1 (5 finger position) Product medium: PDf score & MP3 accompaniment track (Audio sample of accompaniment track only)