Heiliger Dankgesang

Beethoven and the notion of Deity ?!....As General Charles de Gaulle could have said in original language " Vaste Programme!".

The Missa Solemnis is already an interesting animal, showing Beethoven talking to ....God, not as a subject, but as an equal, even grounding him at time: you just have to listen to the music going with " Give us Peace ", it is an order and an expression of anger.

It remains me of a joke by Woody Allen that I always enjoyed : "If God really exists, he'd better have a good excuse !".

Anyways, in a nutshell, the notion of Deity is complex in Beethoven's life.

I always thought the late string quartets of Beethoven are the greatest music ever written and probably the greatest piece of Art ever written.

Among this Himalaya, the third movement of opus 132 has a special place. Here is a movement, which is the longest ever written for a string quartet at the time Beethoven composed it and is still one of the longest ever written for this medium today.

This piece is absolutely fascinating and I would like to share one of the most interesting lecture I ever listened too regarding this movement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c-R544gF8s

On October 30, 2007 Robert Kapilow, a composer himself, gave a lecture for the Stanford School of Medicine Medcast Lecture Series.

He is backed by the St Lawrence String Quartet, who was Stanford's University Ensemble in Residence at this time and he explores the notion of illness as a potent source of creativity through Beethoven's " Heiliger Dankgesang".

Beethoven wrote this movement after recovering from a life-threatening illness and he headed this movement with the words " Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart "; which you can translate in English as " A convalescent's Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Divinity, in Lydian Mode ".

What interests me is the relation with the Divinity in this composition and I truly understand it as a pure appreciation of existence and a Thanks to Life.

I truely advise not to be afraid by the lenght of this Robert Kapilow's lecture, as it is one of the most nurturing, most refreshing, most interesting lecture and analysis I ever heard of this fascinating piece, which will always be larger and richer than any human being who will try to grasp an understanding of it.

Enjoy !