The ‘Ultimate’ Score that was soon to sold, By Ethan Encinas
Source of Article: https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy3.library.arizona.edu/docview/2267537543/C84391EC97074FFCPQ/3?accountid=8360
In further looking into the life of Beethoven and his most famous works, I was further intrigued to find an article that was in close relation to that of his famous 9th Symphony. I had found this article from The Washington Post, titled, The Ultimate Score: Beethoven’s Manuscript of Ninth Symphony to Be Auctioned, published in May, 2003. In the article, it specifies in some way that this version of the score was the original that was used at the work’s premiere in Vienna on May 7th, 1824.
With that being said, I as a reader was interested in further understanding at the time that many people were excited and almost curious to see how much the score would be priced at! It even stated that there was 465 pages in three bound volumes, and it even contains music that Beethoven himself “excised” before performance and therefore had never been heard at the time, which honestly peaked my curiosity and made me question why and what were Beethoven’s internal motives before the end of his successful career? This article made a deep connection to in class discussions about the Beethoven himself and the process of development at this score and premiere had to go through and as a whole, it remarkably exudes the after events that had happened after Beethoven had passed, four years after the premiere.
The score was to be sold at the time for about 3-4 million dollars, or even more Mr Page had described. When reading this, I was not surprised that the score would be sold for this much, but what was so interesting is that everyone wanted their hands on it, which shows how valuable the musical score must have been. In speaking upon this, there were two copyists that Beethoven had who were responsible for most of the changes made in the manuscript, he himself went through it to prepare and make thousands of need be alterations to it if there were any, which is something that he hardly ever did that we have spoke upon in class during these past couple of weeks. Beethoven Scholar, Jonathan Del Mar, had stated that the notes and original drafts were much more important because these revisions were made by Beethoven himself.
He put much care into his work, even when it was not seen in that way, and in retrospect we can learn that every piece of music that he has created does have precise alterations to make it better and in some sense these drafts were going to help in giving his “personal seal of approval” to the copy of the final edition. Which is pretty awesome and just shows how important Beethoven’s work was to the people, and sometimes I wonder if he knew how much his music changed the world. It was stated in the article that these original set of drafts were “the highest achievement of Man” and “incomparable piece of manuscript” alongside “incomparable” work. With going back to the premiere, I could tell that it was a grand success with the alterations that were made to make it much better than it already was. Beethoven was a mastermind, and he did know what he was doing. And many now at the time in 2003 were starting to take notice, including I.
It is also expressed in the article that the love for Beethoven from the audience and from listeners really admired the type of worker that he was and also saw and fought out passion and clarity in his music even during his final years of composing when his hearing began to deter and even then after, completely. Many had compared his revisions to that of Hamlet, and King Lear. It was said in the article that “It isn’t likely that there will another complete manuscript of Beethoven’s up for sale again”. This for me showed how rare and also how much many scholars and even just admirers cared for Beethoven’s work.
I really loved this article, and it had really connected to what we have been speaking upon in class recently. The article and even listening again to the 9th Symphony while writing this really helped me understand the intervals and changes and new abrupt changes that were heard through my perspective when listening to the piece. The piece also made feel just happy in a sense, there is much passion and you could tell that the instrumentation that was put in was for good reason, and I admire Beethoven’s way of thinking and how his revisions and his way of critical thinking had since brought so much love for this premiere for his listeners. With this article expressing the excitement in finding the original drafts and also auctioning it at such a high price due to it’s rarity, it shows that Beethoven was a primal and also important pioneer in music at the time and now. The article also states that Beethoven himself would have “greatly appreciated” this admiration and also attention to his music, and I do agree with that. Speaking upon this, his music and his perspective through his original revisions and alterations in these drafts will since live on forever in the music world and in the hearts of listeners like me.
By Ethan Encinas
