by Kevin T. McEneaney
This is the 250th year since the birth of Beethoven (1770-1827). Bard College celebrates that milestone with its link to China. China Now is a breathtaking review of the legendary master’s work as Beethoven’s reputation soars. While Confucius is considered THE Great Sage in China, others like Mencius, Lao Tzu, and the poet Du Fu, are also famous sages. Is Homer or Sophocles considered a great sage? No, and neither are Shakespeare, Goethe, or Tolstoy. Beethoven is the only Westerner who has that status; he is the Sage of Music.
Beethoven broke the artificial mold of the artist: he did not write merely for the court or critics, this Romantic hero wrote for the people, for everyone. Beethoven in China by Jindong Cai and Sheila Melvin charts the history of the influence of Beethoven in China.
Jindong Cai introduced Tuesday night’s stream from China which featured performances by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. In 1985 this orchestra performed the full cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies. They have performed Beethoven over 70 times, including Beethoven’s complete chamber music. This year the pandemic did not stop them as they performed with social distancing to 30% of audience capacity. Read the full review HERE.