Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Having only two TV stations here one has to find some way to waste their time. I try and read two books at a time so that if I get bored with one, I still have another to turn to.
So along with Highbrow/Lowbrow, I am now reading Beethoven's Ninth, a political history. In the introduction to Beethoven's Ninth the author explores the different uses/abuses of one of the most grandiose and beautiful pieces of music written in the western tradition. Interestingly enough, for a piece that was written with the brotherhood of all men in mind it has been used in the most odd ways. The Ode to Joy which is in the fourth movement and based on Schiller's poem, An die Freude (To Joy), has been used as the national anthem's of the racist republic of Rhodesia and that of the European Union; Hitler used it to celebrate his birthday, Toscanini used it to raise money for the war effort against Hitler; Leonard Bernstein used it to celebrate the unification of Germany. And now here in Newfoundland, the second movement (scherzo) is being used on a radio commercial for the St John's Fog Devils hockey team. This is the same movement that was used in A Clockwork Orange. Maybe that is why it was chosen by the creators of this commercial. Working at Mark's Work Warehouse I have to listen to the radio station in question all day long and hear this commercial over and over and over again.... not too many sponsors here in NFLd.
Is this what the great classic pieces of music have become to popular culture? Catchy tunes that makes your commercial sound better than it should. One can also look at the "drink milk, love life" milk commercials. Or maybe there is nothing wrong with it. Maybe these pieces of music have been so closely linked with our western way of life that they have become common cultural property? Did the milk commercial use the Ode to Joy because the creators felt that that piece was so widely known and appreciated that using it would give their product a more universal range? In that case the fact that these pieces are used could indicate that they are truly great and they transcend generations and ethnicity (Yes Beethoven was German, however his music has been heard all over the world over and over again).
Just something to think about I guess.
Or not think about....
So along with Highbrow/Lowbrow, I am now reading Beethoven's Ninth, a political history. In the introduction to Beethoven's Ninth the author explores the different uses/abuses of one of the most grandiose and beautiful pieces of music written in the western tradition. Interestingly enough, for a piece that was written with the brotherhood of all men in mind it has been used in the most odd ways. The Ode to Joy which is in the fourth movement and based on Schiller's poem, An die Freude (To Joy), has been used as the national anthem's of the racist republic of Rhodesia and that of the European Union; Hitler used it to celebrate his birthday, Toscanini used it to raise money for the war effort against Hitler; Leonard Bernstein used it to celebrate the unification of Germany. And now here in Newfoundland, the second movement (scherzo) is being used on a radio commercial for the St John's Fog Devils hockey team. This is the same movement that was used in A Clockwork Orange. Maybe that is why it was chosen by the creators of this commercial. Working at Mark's Work Warehouse I have to listen to the radio station in question all day long and hear this commercial over and over and over again.... not too many sponsors here in NFLd.
Is this what the great classic pieces of music have become to popular culture? Catchy tunes that makes your commercial sound better than it should. One can also look at the "drink milk, love life" milk commercials. Or maybe there is nothing wrong with it. Maybe these pieces of music have been so closely linked with our western way of life that they have become common cultural property? Did the milk commercial use the Ode to Joy because the creators felt that that piece was so widely known and appreciated that using it would give their product a more universal range? In that case the fact that these pieces are used could indicate that they are truly great and they transcend generations and ethnicity (Yes Beethoven was German, however his music has been heard all over the world over and over again).
Just something to think about I guess.
Or not think about....
posted by MJB at
5:59:00 p.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home