The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-03-14

is n 10th anniversary of the birth OF
beethoven, the master mind Of music
in all h worlds history. At modest
little Bonn, where he was born, the oc-
CASTOR will be comIaemorated with a
festival, IN which eminent musicians
have, shown al eagerness to assist.
Many Of the big musical centers of Eu-
rope will celebrate the day With Beetho-
Ven programs, some of which will I'M
doubtedly include his greatest SYM
phony, the ninth, the one containing
those wonderful chorals as q setting to
Schiller's "Gde to JOY" This grand
work, more h a m other. would seem
best suited to 50 laudable q purpose.
The last symphony that Beethoven
wrote contains. as though by divine
guidance. the most Inspiring as we'll as
the most sorrowfu1 emotions of the great
composers life. 1t is a climax in every
sense, a summing up. and in its various
parts expresses nearly all Of the human
passions, closing with an exultation and
spiritual outbreathing that seemed to
foreskadoW the death of Beethoven.
Just as his musical soul felt it's COM
pl@te freedom from the restrictions of
form. Just as it Ie!t itself capable OF
singing as it would like to sing. the
light was eXtinguished.
Ent h celebrations of the ainiver-
sary oil B~eethGyen'S birth are not to he
confined to the old world. Yesterday
the Mannerchor of New York city be-
gan u Beethoven festival, which will
continue through today. 1T was begun
yesterday Tor the reaso that history is
undecided as to whether Beethoven was
horn December 1G or December II, 1870.
IL Is believed thai he was born on the
10th. Il his parents, both Of whom
We're musicians, registered his birth De-
cclnber Ii. And during this musical
season the various big symphony or
chestras of the world will give again the
cSclus OF his nine symphonies. And, no
doubt, there will be many concerts in
various cities, American and European,
all Tor the same purpose. Kansas City
may properly be included, for there was
recently begun in this city under fat
tering circumstances. a series of eight
of the nine symphonies.
Beethoven, unlike many other COM
posers. lived to see his works appreci-
nted, Yet his life was pathetic in its over
Dowering sorrow and adversely. AS
early as 1893, before he began the first
OF his symphonies, the deafness which
later embittered his life began to show
itself, and With the steady destruction
of his hearing Beethoven grew more
morose, more depressed and slowly
drew himself entirely away from the
outer world. The majority OF his grand
symphonies We're written While he was
deaf and were never heard by him. The
first performance of his ninth SYM
phony witnessed the sad figure of Bee
tioyen standing by the side of Conduc-
tor mlau TO indicate the time of the
various movements. But the symphony
vas finished and Beethoven still stood
with his back 10 the audience beating
time until ore Of the singers turned him
round that lie might see the enthusiast
tic demonstration. What more nelan-
choly spectacle?
Beethoven was possessed of all the
contradictions and peculiarities of gem
ius. He inherited IN ungovernable tenn
per and q nature in many respects lar,l-
tai. He was fond OF horse play and in
his lively moods was exceedingly coarse
in remarks and action. One of his pct
tricks was to throw things at his waiter.
or perhaps pour the u over the Pa
tient garcon's head. He was the son of
a drunkard and though his whole soul
was possessed of music he could not
short and stocky, with large features
and a complexion that suggested a
mulatto. In his normal moods Beetho-
ven was so uncouth and repulsivc in ap-
pearance n dress thnt he was forbid
ding to those who did not know him.
Yet his wonderful personality and,
strangely. his high regard for omar
kind, coupled with his talent as a must
elan, made him the Idol of many titled
ladies, who lavished upon him all the
favors that consistency would allow.
Yet he neNer married. He was fond of
the best literature and was exceedingly
we'll e ard, though apparently a
stranger to the customary homo ties, he
held a strong regard for a scapegoat
nephew who, by his neglect, undoubt-
eddy fastened his uncle's end.
I!ut in his music these adverse quail
tiles in B~eetlloNen'S temperament never
obtruded themselves. Nothing could be
purer than his compositions. and it Is
due to the ennobling influence which
they carry, even to those who q II
not comprehend the structure. that
they live today and will live in the flu
ture. For the good work he has done,
rather than for what he was personally,
is a man to be remembered and in Bee
thoven's name music cherishes its great
est master. Wagner likened him TO
Shakespeare and summed UP his mis-
sion in thai he wrought the emancipa-
ton of melody and freed uaic from the
bonds OF fashion.
Beethoven died iii Vienna March e6,
1927, during Il terrible thunderstorm
and his life went out with the shock of
q thunderclap. His last movement was
TO rise up and shake his fist at the lurid
sky. His funeral drew 10000 people to
h streets of Vienna.