Ein Abendessen mit Beethoven by Courtney

Ein Abendessen mit Beethoven by Courtney - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

Courtney Flickinger
Lakeside High School, Grade 12
1 February 2016
Ein Abendessen mit Beethoven
As someone who always strives to learn more about the technique, connect the puzzle pieces of a math problem, and find patterns in everything, it is not surprising in the slightest that I have taken a strong interest in Ludwig van Beethoven. Most people will cringe at the mention of classical music. I did, too, before taking a music history course at my local college branch. If I were not a musician myself, I probably would have never fallen in love with the thrill of a piece of classical music. Knowing how difficult it is to successfully perform a difficult piece allowed me to envision the sheet music as though it was sitting right in front of me. I was shocked at the amount of musical genius that is required to compose one symphony or concerto, let alone dozens.
Beethoven was just that- a musical genius, “Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.” Although it was extremely difficult for him to compose works later in his life from his deafness, he persevered through his struggle, creating some of his most complicated, beautiful pieces. If I could sit and speak with him for just one dinner, my own interpretation of music would drastically change; my knowledge and understanding of music as a whole would be permanently expanded. I do not think I could learn enough from a mind like his over just a single dinner. Did he purposely incorporate so many musical elements into his work, or was it just by pure, miraculous accident? How did he compose without being able to hear? What was his main source of inspiration? What advice could he give to those hoping to explore music in a new way? To him, what composer has provided the best contributions to classical music since his death?
Aside from questions about music, I would also inquire on a personal level. How did he overcome such tragedy? What motivated him to succeed? What was it like to have his passion compromised because of something out of his control? What did he feel? The answers Beethoven could provide, not only about music, but about living, would present a new mindset for the public. It is no secret that music is used for an assortment of therapy methods, and Beethoven’s personal interpretation of his own adversity would contribute greatly to this kind of research. He lived a romantically tragic life that held a lavish example of reality. A dinner with Beethoven would aid society as a whole, as well as satisfy my seemingly insatiable desire to learn more about the way that music works and the way it interacts with living.