Posted on 11/04/2010 7:19:12 PM PDT by WesternCulture
70 years ago, Britain and America together murdered the industrial capacity of Continental Europe.
(I have dared to arrive in Dresden early morning - doing so will rip your heart out, the marks of the bombings still are extremely present, words can't describe what you'll encounter)
50 years ago, Continental Europe stood up very well against America and Britain.
21 years ago, the Berlin wall came down.
Today, Communism and Nazism are stone dead in Europe, economic growth is decent in Germany and our school children are not instructed to salute Hitler or Stalin.
We Europeans are annoying when we accuse others of being uneducated fools, yes, but we also know much about shaping the future of Humanity.
Goebbles, a well educated man, didn't know how to handle the heritage of Goethe, Bach and Heine.
He chose to replace this glorious cultural heritage by evil lies. We all know that end of that story.
The truth Schiller and Goethe saw will eternally survive evil.
Beethovens 9th symphony says just about it all and accordingly all of Humanity ought to know it by heart:
(Beethoven's incredible symphony is based on the words of Friedrich Schiller, o)
1 Joy, beautiful spark of Gods, 2 Daughter of Elysium, 3 We enter, fire-imbibed, 4 Heavenly, thy sanctuary. 5 Thy magic powers re-unite 6 What custom's sword has divided 7 Beggars become Princes' brothers 8 Where thy gentle wing abides. Chorus
9 Be embraced, millions! 10 This kiss to the entire world! 11 Brothers - above the starry canopy 12 A loving father must dwell. 13 Whoever has had the great fortune, 14 To be a friend's friend, 15 Whoever has won the love of a devoted wife, 16 Add his to our jubilation! 17 Indeed, whoever can call even one soul 18 His own on this earth! 19 And whoever was never able to must creep 20 Tearfully away from this circle. Chorus
21 Those who dwell in the great circle, 22 Pay homage to sympathy! 23 It leads to the stars, 24 Where the Unknown reigns.
25 Joy all creatures drink 26 At nature's bosoms; 27 All, Just and Unjust, 28 Follow her rose-petalled path. 29 Kisses she gave us, and Wine, 30 A friend, proven in death, 31 Pleasure was given (even) to the worm, 32 And the Cherub stands before God. Chorus
33 You bow down, millions? 34 Can you sense the Creator, world? 35 Seek him above the starry canopy. 36 Above the stars He must dwell. 37 Joy is called the strong motivation 38 In eternal nature. 39 Joy, joy moves the wheels 40 In the universal time machine. 41 Flowers it calls forth from their buds, 42 Suns from the Firmament, 43 Spheres it moves far out in Space, 44 Where our telescopes cannot reach. Chorus
45 Joyful, as His suns are flying, 46 Across the Firmament's splendid design, 47 Run, brothers, run your race, 48 Joyful, as a hero going to conquest. 49 As truth's fiery reflection 50 It smiles at the scientist. 51 To virtue's steep hill 52 It leads the sufferer on. 53 Atop faith's lofty summit 54 One sees its flags in the wind, 55 Through the cracks of burst-open coffins, 56 One sees it stand in the angels' chorus. Chorus
57 Endure courageously, millions! 58 Endure for the better world! 59 Above the starry canopy 60 A great God will reward you. 61 Gods one cannot ever repay, 62 It is beautiful, though, to be like them. 63 Sorrow and Poverty, come forth 64 And rejoice with the Joyful ones. 65 Anger and revenge be forgotten, 66 Our deadly enemy be forgiven, 67 Not one tear shall he shed anymore, 68 No feeling of remorse shall pain him. Chorus
69 The account of our misdeeds be destroyed! 70 Reconciled the entire world! 71 Brothers, above the starry canopy 72 God judges as we judged. 73 Joy is bubbling in the glasses, 74 Through the grapes' golden blood 75 Cannibals drink gentleness, 76 And despair drinks courage-- 77 Brothers, fly from your seats, 78 When the full rummer is going around, 79 Let the foam gush up to heaven*: 80 This glass to the good spirit. Chorus
81 He whom star clusters adore, 82 He whom the Seraphs' hymn praises, 83 This glass to him, the good spirit, 84 Above the starry canopy! 85 Resolve and courage for great suffering, 86 Help there, where innocence weeps, 87 Eternally may last all sworn Oaths, 88 Truth towards friend and enemy, 89 Men's pride before Kings' thrones-- 90 Brothers, even it if meant our Life and blood, 91 Give the crowns to those who earn them, 92 Defeat to the pack of liars! Chorus
93 Close the holy circle tighter, 94 Swear by this golden wine: 95 To remain true to the Oath, 96 Swear it by the Judge above the stars! 97 Delivery from tyrants' chains, 98 Generosity also towards the villain, 99 Hope on the deathbeds, 100 Mercy from the final judge! 101 Also the dead shall live! 102 Brothers, drink and chime in, 103 All sinners shall be forgiven, 104 And hell shall be no more. Chorus
105 A serene hour of farewell! 106 Sweet rest in the shroud! 107 Brothers--a mild sentence 108 From the mouth of the final judge!
Freepers who are musicians like myself can point to the musical genius of Beethoven as proof of God. No entity could randomly provide the talent that provides such complexity and beauty. Listening especially the 3rd movement of his 5th almost transposes me into a different realm of thought.
Too few people of today listen to Beethoven’s 9th symphony.
I like Sarkozy.
He probably has done so.
But all too few people of any influence in this world rely in this comforting tune of wisdom, moderation and religion.
Brain fart...sorry, I meant 4th movement.
I don’t think it was just “Nazi Bastards” that died in the firestorm of Dresden. Thousands upon thousands of German refugees fleeing the Russian onslaught (particularly the women who were getting raped and butchered by the Soviets) had fled to Dresden as it was not a military target. Unfortunately, the allies decided to bomb these civilian targets into oblivion. Does the wonton killing of one civilian population make things right somehow?
Youtube used to have an outstanding version of Beethoven’s 9th conducted by Herbert Von Karajan. There were two parts to it, each over 30 minutes. It was pulled and I can’t find it anymore. I’d love to find it on DVD.
“Freepers who are musicians like myself can point to the musical genius of Beethoven as proof of God. No entity could randomly provide the talent that provides such complexity and beauty. Listening especially the 3rd movement of his 5th almost transposes me into a different realm of thought.”
- I sincerely appreciated your comment and we could all learn a from it.
Music is a magic world unexplored.
Best of regards from Gothenburg, a Lutheran stronghold where people know how to read although boasting very dirty nails.
WesternCulture
You sure have some taste.
The 9th is second only to the 5th in popularity, I suspect.
I prefer his Late Sting Quartets. ...especially the Große Fuge.
Nothing like listening to a bit of the ole Ludwig Van.
I don't think Sting has written any quartets, but I could be wrong.
Thank you. I do so enjoy your posts and your observations.
HVK’s 1966 Berlin Symph. performance of the 5th has just been reinstated on You Tube after an absence. I feel it is the greatest documented live musical performance in history.
When they opened Beethoven’s tomb they found him sitting there erasing notes from a pile of sheet music.
He was decomposing.
Oooh... Viddy the glorious Ninth!
So what’s it going to be then, eh? Me and me droogs were down at the Korova milk bar...
Beethoven is the greatest composer ever. Period.
Now, now, don’t be offended. Beethoven was a musical genius—that is to say, he was a genius who expressed his understanding of reality through music, and enlarged us all in the process; there is no insult in the expression. Einstein expressed his genius and his understanding of reality through the mathematical formulae that expressed the general theory—it is the same principle. In both cases their work represents the study of a lifetime for most of us.
The search for the "immortal beloved" was just a plot device upon which to hang the basic story of Beethoven and to introduce the masses to his towering talent and the story of his struggles. Just like the fictional Salieri/Mozart rivalry in Amadeus intoduced the masses to Mozart.
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