Reflection 32: The Creative Mind

 Many parents introduce their children to music at a very young age. This seems to be a universal 'rite of passage'. 

0- By the age of 3, he was introduced to the keyboard by his stern and often cruel father; a musician by some measure.

0- By the age of twenty-something, he was an accomplished composer, earning a living. He had written 2 piano concertos, 6 string quartets and a symphony. His name was becoming known beyond the periphery of his backwater hometown, Bonn. Requests for his work grew. 

0- By the age of 26 he became increasingly aware of a buzzing sound in his ears.

0- By the age of 50 when he was close to being totally deaf, he composed and performed his greatest works; including 5 piano sonatas and 5 string quartets.

0- By the age of 50-something, well after profound deafness settled in, he could not hear the audience cheering, clapping and saying "Bravo! Bravo!" when perhaps his greatest symphony (the 9th) was premiered.

I am, of course referring to Ludwig van Beethoven. 

 Lingering questions about his motivation have haunted me for more than a couple of years. Why did he continue composing music the world continues to love as his deafness increasingly interfered with and tried to take over his life? What proved, for Beethoven, to be stronger than deafness, a life-altering disease? What can be learned by his example? I will address these puzzling questions in the following Reflection.

 What I have found to date does not specifically spell-out why he simply did not 'close the score sheet' and take up a different occupation, like writing or another fine art. Suffice to say he made his living through music. Music was Beethoven's life from the age of three until his death at 57 (1827). He was consumed by music. He studied and understood music theory for over fifty years. It was his familiarity. So that must be part of the answer I am seeking. But, I suggest, that it is not the entire answer.  

 His anguish, the inward turmoil, the anguish and opposition to his continuing to compose music must have been terrible. His hearing loss was gradual, over an extended time. His fame was of little comfort as his hearing interfered more and more with his life.   

  "That appreciation did nothing to lift the melancholy that had settled on Beethoven by then. Though he would joke about his other ailments, particularly his stomach, his letters later revealed to the world that his hearing problems only left him depressed, isolated from society and afraid that he was being taken advantage of. “My poor hearing haunted me everywhere like a ghost; and I have avoided all human society,” he once wrote. “I seem a misanthrope and yet am far from being one.” *

Yet he continued to compose what the world considers music second only to Mozart, a contemporary.

 What drove Beethoven? What possessed him to go to extremes. 

  "...by clenching a stick in his teeth, holding it against the keyboard of his piano, he decided on the notes...." *

 I speculate that the answer lies in Beethoven's personality. He demonstrates courage and tenacity as his malady became more and more noticeable to him and those around him. Research on the internet suggests that a concert hall in Germany in 1820 has a capacity of between 1,000 to 1,600 + patrons sitting and standing. To conduct an orchestra at a premier concert is far beyond my comprehension; let alone not being able to hear the notes well. I am simply awestruck. I can think of no other word to describe it.  

 But I content the answer lies in a much broader and stronger area of his personality. It has to do with the power of creativity. Creativity allowed Beethoven to remain the creative genius that he was before deafness interfered. It continued to give him power over who he was and want he wanted to continue to be. His sense of hearing did not have a chance against his mind, spirit and motivation. His craving was music in all its dimensions for more than 30 years. He needed to write. His compulsion was to compose beautiful music. The creative power he possessed gave him that option. This power of independent thought and imagination lead him to self-satisfaction; a powerful and satisfying way of feeling. It is more powerful than mood swings, depression and the classic 'poor me' syndrome that many fall into when confronted with a life-altering disease. 

 Beethoven is a powerful role-model for me (for anyone if they so choose) because of his strong creative mind. He can be a mentor. No matter what his physical or mental state of mind happened to be on a particular day, he answered the call, the challenge because his creative instinct would not kowtow to his disease. Subsequently, I have concluded that no matter what inflictions my body gives me to deal with, my creativity will push it aside. I am a cancer survivor. I am deaf-on-one-side. I am dealing with it...albeit not as quickly as I would like. But rest assured, I tell myself, it will never be the focus of my life. My creativity is. Through it I get self-satisfaction in both my teaching and writing. Those two avocations are what matter to me. 

ADDENDUM

Dear reader: When I was at York University engaged in my first degree, I vividly recall an event that has stuck with me over the years. The professor of the first-year theatre course asked the 12 of us to form. a circle and handed everyone a red long stem rose. His instructions were to examine the flower for the next 10 minutes.

Hesitating and looking at their classmates at first, some students began to remove the petals and let them drop to the stage floor. They were left holding just the stem. Others smelled the intoxicatingly aroma. While others, including myself, simply stared and slowly rotated the flower, taking in and appreciating this creation of beauty. What a wonderful lesson in appreciating beauty. I suggest at this point in the Reflection, is to simply listen, taking in and appreciating the creation of beauty, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Allow this well-known symphony to wash over you and to flow deep into your soul. 

      ***

 In the search window of google.com, type: 

YouTube Beethoven 9 Symphony*

Then, click on the link. 

REFERENCES  

* Friedman, Stanford, Conversations with Beethoven, Kindle ebooks 

* http:www.time.com, Here's what Beethoven did when he lost his hearing, Time vault Aug 21, 1933

Morris, Edmund, Beethoven the Universal Composer, Kobo ebooks

Swafford, Jan, Beethoven Anguish and Triumph, Kindle ebooks

YouTube Beethoven 9 Symphony