Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-20

Because so many of his works had
the indelible stamp OF real genus
instead of being archaic museum
manuscripts of yellowed notes TO DC
PLAYED only by the musical historian
thew have blossomed since that date
into increasing favor and under
standing with the public all over
the world. To quote Daniel Gregory
Mason. chosen by the Beethoven
Centenary Committee, OF which
Harold Bauer. the pianist, is repre-
sentative head, being founder OF the
Beethoven Association. and George
Eastman is chairman OF the national
advisory committee. to be author
of the Centennial Essay for Beetho-
ven week, given in the schools
throughout 200 cities celebrating the
week in the United States:
How many of the works OF art
we are producing today are likely
to last out a century: How many
of them will be vigorously alive in
the wear 2027? When we reflect
that a century ago, i'll 1877. when
Beethoven died, our modern indus
trial world was just beginning-that t
he tTaNtleQ III iloi Sc 1od1ti1ot "Hi
OF an evening by candlelight and
wrote his symphonies with goose
quills-we realize that to have sur
vived so many changes. his work
must possess an extraordinary vital
itv. Beethoven's last ineligible
words. whispered two days before
he died are said to have been: 'Ap-
plaud. friends. the comedy is FIN
ished.' But if the comedy, or tragl-
comedy, of Ludwig van Beethoven S
troubled existence in the flesh was
indeed drawing to a close. the great
drama TO which it was only the un-
casy prologue-the drama of the
gradual permeation of the entire
world by his glorious music-was
Just beginning. That drama is still
enacting."
DOM, the little town near Co.
~ iogne, Germany. where Beetho-
ven was born December 10. 1870, is
one of the many lovely little towns
that dot the popular Rhine Jour
new" that practically every tourist
plans to take principally to see the
Lorelei and the Mouse Tower. Only
incidentally is it mentioned on the
amusing English translations of
notes for the Rhine maps that Bonn
is the birthplace of the great genius.
As the little steamer from Mainz
puffs its important way into port
the voyager aboard catches glimpses
of the broad, rustling skirts of shady
trees mothering little quaint houses
and rambling streets and roadways
throughout the town. Sunlight
freckles above the worn and not too
tidy buildings. Flowers peek from
window sills and gardens. The Rhine
caresses the eager. open face Of the
little place almost absent -mindedly
as. il hurries past to worship at the
feet of the impressive towers OF
Coiogne's great cathedral. renowned
throughout the world as one of the
most beautiful cathedrals in exis-
tence.
In the unpretentious little town OF
Bonn Ludwig van Beethoven's
grandfather arrived from Antwerp
at the courageous age OF 20 years
and settled with the position before
him of choirmaster of the Elector of
Cologne. Ludwig's own father was
a tenor in the choir and. less poeti-
cally, drunkard and generally con-
sidered an imbeciic. This tenor but
untender parent was determined to
make a prodigy of small Ludwig and
took him from the school when he
was but II years old. reused him in
earliest morning hours to practice
and browbeat the poor child gen
orally. according to reported facts.
At II Ludwig played in the orchestra
Of local theater. and at Is he be-
came organist and published three
sonatas. When nearly 20 the youth
came under the instruction of Neefe,
a very good teacher. who made him
study Johann Sebastian Bach's
Well Tempered Clavichord" and the
sonatas of Karl Philip Emanuel
Bach and Muzio CLEMENT Under
the influence of these composers
Beethoven's own style began TO de-
veIop. In 1887 he first went TO
Vienna and met Mozart. His re-
turn to Bonn was necessitated by
the death of his mother. but in 1892
Beethoven again went to Vienna and
it became his permanent home
DURING this entire centenary
~ year of, 1907 magazines and
newspapers have been filled till they
fairly overflow in the March issues
with articles that describe in detail
many of the multi-faceted charac-
teristics OF this great musician. 1t
is impossible in an article OF this
length to go into any such detail.
but at least an attempt will be made
10 quote bits here and there that
either cast unusual lights on Beetho-
ven and his Works or suggest what
the world at large is doing TO cele-
brate the centenary of his passing
and the immortality of his music.
One of the most original articles
on Beethoven the man was pub
lished in the February issue of the
Musical Times of London. England,
in the column "Ad Libitum,' by
"Feste" and entitled "Beethoven's
Mental Powers" The writer says,
in part:
Perhaps the anti Beethoven re-
marks most frequently heard during
the recent reaction against that COM
poser have had to do with his mental
equipment. 1t was commonly said
that, apart from his music. he was
little better than fool The asSer-
ton was. of course. a natural result
of the exaggerated estimate Of his
powers as thinker that held good
for 4 generation after his death
His admirers evidently argued that
composer of profound and lofty
music must. ipso facto, be thinker
q profound and lofty thoughts.