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278th out of 282 books
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The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824
by
Harvey Sachs
“All men become brothers . . .
Be embraced, ye millions!”
The Ninth Symphony, a symbol of freedom and joy, was Beethoven’s mightiest attempt to help humanity find its way from darkness to light, from chaos to peace. Yet the work was born in a repressive era, with terrified Bourbons, Hapsburgs, and Romanovs using every means at their disposal to squelch populist rumblings i...more
Be embraced, ye millions!”
The Ninth Symphony, a symbol of freedom and joy, was Beethoven’s mightiest attempt to help humanity find its way from darkness to light, from chaos to peace. Yet the work was born in a repressive era, with terrified Bourbons, Hapsburgs, and Romanovs using every means at their disposal to squelch populist rumblings i...more
Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
June 15th 2010
by Random House
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The most interesting parts of this book are Part One and Part Four. The former is a description, with some speculation, of the Ninth premier in Vienna in 1824. Part Four is an anecdotal account of Beethoven's influence on several composers born before May 7, 1824 (which leaves out, incredibly, Brahms!) This part also contains some reception history.
In Part Two Sachs analyzes several other pieces of romantic art that have some relation with the year 1824. I found this section of the bo...more
In Part Two Sachs analyzes several other pieces of romantic art that have some relation with the year 1824. I found this section of the bo...more
fascinating and informative. The year 1824 is presented as a year of monumental cultural achievements, not only in the launching of Beethoven's last and greatest symphonic work, but also in the works of Pushkin, Coleridge and others. These accomplishments are all set against the backdrop of the troubling spirit of the times characterized by the repressive backlash against the liberalizing reforms of Napoleon. Memories of what could have been, glimpses of another kind of world, are buried under...more
‘Be embraced, ye millions!’
On the 7th of May 1824, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, op 125 (the Ninth) was performed for the first time in Vienna. The choral finale to the symphony – the singing of some of the words of Friedrich Schiller’s ode ‘An die Freude’ – is a paean to the ideal of universal brotherhood.
In this book: part history, part biography, and part personal memoir, Harvey Sachs has focussed on the events of the year 1824. This provides some context fo...more
On the 7th of May 1824, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, op 125 (the Ninth) was performed for the first time in Vienna. The choral finale to the symphony – the singing of some of the words of Friedrich Schiller’s ode ‘An die Freude’ – is a paean to the ideal of universal brotherhood.
In this book: part history, part biography, and part personal memoir, Harvey Sachs has focussed on the events of the year 1824. This provides some context fo...more
Harvey Sachs is a writer of considerable power, and this book opened to me not only the world of Beethoven but also the world of the 19th century in Europe, especially the Romantic viewpoint. Sachs does a marvelous job of knitting together the political landscape, the impact of the French Revolution and the absolutist response to it, and the enormous destruction caused by Napoleon, and then translating all of that into a new perspective on art. His portrait of Beethoven, deaf, poor, depending ...more
The best part, for me, of this analysis of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is the author's study of what any musical score means, what it says. It's pretty easy to hear things like bird tweets in a nature score, or the grinding crush of ice in the opening of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. But onomatopoeia aside, what of music that just fills the hearer with emotion. I admit it. I am a sucker for an Adagio. Gorecki's Third almost destroyed me on first hearing. Is it enough just to feel it, or is it ...more
The aspect of The Ninth that most consistently impressed critics is Sachs's explanation of this musical masterpiece in a way that is accessible to all readers. They disagreed somewhat on the value of the work's attempt at historical and cultural contextualization, however. A few reviewers found that Sachs overreaches a bit by providing commentary on Beethoven's life from various perspectives, setting him in his historical context, analyzing his music, and then also examining his wider impact. Bu...more
view 2 comments
Listened to audio version.
The author puts Beethoven's 9th Symphony into historical and cultural perspective. I listened to audio, but found that I wanted to read the actual book. The audio was very well read, but the content of the book is more conducive to slower reading than a listen in the car can provide. I will revisit this title with the book.
Wish the audio would have taken the book one step further and included musical examples, which are mentioned frequently. A mi...more
The author puts Beethoven's 9th Symphony into historical and cultural perspective. I listened to audio, but found that I wanted to read the actual book. The audio was very well read, but the content of the book is more conducive to slower reading than a listen in the car can provide. I will revisit this title with the book.
Wish the audio would have taken the book one step further and included musical examples, which are mentioned frequently. A mi...more
Decent read. Author tended to meander a little bit through his subjects and he got a little bogged down in all the talk about royalty and patronage in 1824, but other than that, it worked.
If you've never heard this piece in its entirety (shame on you), you might want to listen to it as you read the composers description of the work in the back half. A large portion of this work is permanently embeded in my brain, and even I had to stop and think about which sections he was referrin...more
If you've never heard this piece in its entirety (shame on you), you might want to listen to it as you read the composers description of the work in the back half. A large portion of this work is permanently embeded in my brain, and even I had to stop and think about which sections he was referrin...more
The author mentions that this book is part biography and part history and part memoir. The book is cataloged in the fine arts area with the other composers. It is hard to get a handle where the book really fits,but I loved every minute of it! When the author gets to the section on the ninth symphony he gives a blow by blow discription of what is going on in each of the four sections. I've always loved this symphony but now I really understand what Beethoven was trying to say.
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A summary:
Part One - Informative discussion of Beethoven in the Vienna of his time; some interesting quotations from B's correspondence and the writings/recollections of others; extensive quotation from the Heiligenstadt Testament. Points off for indulgent and unsuccessful attempt to recreate LvB's thoughts using a novelist's license.
Part Two - Depicts the ideological, political and cultural landscape of continental Europe c. 1824. Pretty ambitious for a few dozen pages. Arb...more
Part One - Informative discussion of Beethoven in the Vienna of his time; some interesting quotations from B's correspondence and the writings/recollections of others; extensive quotation from the Heiligenstadt Testament. Points off for indulgent and unsuccessful attempt to recreate LvB's thoughts using a novelist's license.
Part Two - Depicts the ideological, political and cultural landscape of continental Europe c. 1824. Pretty ambitious for a few dozen pages. Arb...more
Wisteria
added it
THE NINTH, [return]BEETHOVEN AND THE WORLD IN 1824[return]Harvey Sachs, Random House,2010, $26.00/C$32.00, 240pp, 978-1-4000-6077-1.[return][return]The Ninth, Beethoven and the World in 1824, by Harvey Sach reminded me of how much I love Beethoven. I have a Bachelor of Music degree and when I studied Music History in college and sat through music theory and style classes, Beethoven was and still is one of my favorite composers. [return][return]The premier of Beethoven s Ninth Symphony in 1824 ...more
The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824 by Harvey Sachs
Random House, 2010
200 pages
Non-fiction; History; Music
3/5 stars
Source: Library
Summary: A look at the pivotal year in music of 1824 with the premiere of Beethoven's masterpiece, the Ninth Symphony. Additionally examinations of other Romantic artists of the time, a look at the symphony itself, and how this symphony influenced later musicians.
Thoughts: I wanted to read this because of the co...more
Random House, 2010
200 pages
Non-fiction; History; Music
3/5 stars
Source: Library
Summary: A look at the pivotal year in music of 1824 with the premiere of Beethoven's masterpiece, the Ninth Symphony. Additionally examinations of other Romantic artists of the time, a look at the symphony itself, and how this symphony influenced later musicians.
Thoughts: I wanted to read this because of the co...more
I love Beethoven, and his Ninth is one of my favorite pieces of music, so this book was a natural for me to read. The analysis of the score itself, the time period in which it was written, and the effect it had on future music is interesting and very readable. However, the author's political bias, in places where it did not belong, marred my enjoyment of this book. (How the author felt about the Vietnam War really does not help me better understand Beethoven's writing.)
I liked the summary of the political events going on at the time Beethoven wrote the Ninth. For a full experience, I listened to the symphony as I read. My favorite line to the "Ode to Joy" part of the music is "Alle Menschen werden Bruder." Such a wonderful line! I gained good insights on the music from the book. I hadn't thought of Romanticism as revolutionary until the book made the point. For me, a good read.
Margaret Sankey
added it
Musical history, setting Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with its message of Joy and Brotherhood, in its context of Romantics channeling crushed revolution, frustrated idealism and refutation of resurgent absolutist governments. And, it reminded me of criticism of the true believers from August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben--"And they chatter, leaf through gazettes, search/and finally come to the conclusion/Another little piece of apple pie!"
Perhaps it's the humanist in me, but I didn't think the second part was necessary. I might go back later and read it again when I'm in a different mindset, but I was reading this more for the Beethoven and less for the 1824. The first, third and fourth movement (which also included a lot of comparative cultural history but was more interesting) were far more interesting and flowed together.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I occasionally skip the second movemen...more
I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I occasionally skip the second movemen...more
An interesting book, but the book never really grabbed me. I wish I knew more about music and musical notation. I learned a lot about Romanticism as a movement and as a reaction to the French Revolution, Napoleon and the Restoration so I kept on reading but started to skim towards the end.
I was looking for a book that told about life in 1824, along with other famous people that either influenced or were influenced by Beethoven. There was only one chapter on other famous people and their impressions of Beethoven. This book mainly disected Beethoven's 9th symphony.
Decent. The long details on the Ninth and its musical composition were more than I bargained for. There are better biographies of Beethoven and better canvasses of the period though I suppose this one does a decent job of tying the artists and composers into the overall period.
This book taught me a lot about music and the world of Classical/Romantic composers. I didn't have to already know a lot about this era to understand this book. Sachs lays all the context you need right on the table. A dense, heavy read, but worth it.
This was more of a history or political lesson than a study of Beethoven himself. It examines the effect of the Ninth symphony on people and events. I would have enjoyed it more if it focused a bit more on the composer.
A fascinating and readable book. Sachs proves a little too eager to impose his own values on Beethoven when it comes to philosophy and religion. However, the overview of the history and politics of the era is helpful, and Sachs's analysis of the symphony itself, near the end, is beautifully done. The book is worth a read for that section alone.
I really wanted to like this book. The history and context of 1824 was very interesting, but Sachs got too much into music history. This included major digressions from the story which I found distracting.
There was some very interesting stuff in this book. The presentation was just really hard to get through. My favorite part was his measure by measure description of the 4 movements of the symphony. It was fun to listen to it as I read his description of it.
An interesting idea following the Tosca and Rome book. Good on the background etc. Too much musical stuff, but all in all an interesting read
He puts the context of the 9th in historical perspective.
I probably would've finished this eventually, but my hub took it. The bits on Beethoven as musical innovator were fascinating. The bits about "the world" in 1824 less so.
Here's what I got from this book: Beethoven, blah blah blah, ode to joy, blah, blah, blah. Sachs is much more intelligent in person than in print. A great scholar does not a great writer make. My biggest problem with it was the dumbing-down of musical concepts for the non-musician. The result only made it boring.
I didn't find the events of 1824 worth caring much about. The information about Beethoven and his ninth symphony were interesting enough, but this is certainly not a book I would recommend.
A fine weaving together of the artistic/political/philosophical strands of the aftermath of Napoleonic Europe
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