7.18.2005

Beethoven - Music from Absolute Silence

Two weeks before, when I was penning my thoughts on Polla Vinayaen song, I wrote about Music beyond audible frequency. I was reading Madan’s (a famous movie critic, cartoonist, dialogue writer of “Anbe Sivam” and a person who can literally speak about anything in the world) page in Kumudam this week and was shocked to know it is actually true in reality. It is not only that we can hear music beyond audible frequency but also can compose it. Madan has written about the famous western classical composer Beethoven and his eccentric characteristics. In which he mentioned that Beethoven became deaf in between and his Symphonies No.4 to No.9 were written by him in spite of being deaf. It was heart wrenching to read that Beethoven wept for not being able to listen to his own music. For sure, a great composer Beethoven is.

Here is what I wrote two weeks back about Polla Vinayean,

Beyond the Audible Frequency

For the first time in my life, a song treated and healed my soul piercing my body and ears and made me realize that there is music beyond audible range (20 to 20k Hz). In this frequency, you will not play the CD, you will not hum the tune, you will not hear it anywhere around but yet you can feel the music and your soul will be vibrating to the rhythm of that music. Try to listen to this song in that frequency and you can feel the same. This song has completely occupied my soul and every second I am (not hearing, not humming, not singing) but ????ing this music.

Also Coincidentally

As of now my favorite music piece that I enjoy playing with my keyboard is “Ode to Joy” composed by Beethoven. I am beginner of Western classical piano and I always wish to play this piece first when I sit in front of the keyboard. It is a very simple yet beautiful composition.

Have you ever felt a song in your mind even without listening to it?

5 comments:

Arvind Srinivasan said...

Suresh,

Very very very thought provoking piece.

I'd have to say however that - what comes from within has been heard.

I read a beautiful explanation of how 'time' element is critical to music i.e. if you sing 'sa' today and come back tomorrow and sing 'ri' and so on - what you hear is not music - just sounds, only when they get time-sequenced do you get melodies.

If Beethoven could time-sequence in his mind, he should have definitely enjoyed it too.

I sure have felt melody within me :-)

P.S. Suresh Kumar said...

Yeah,

As i am lerning piano now, i know the importance of "time" for music. It you sustain a note even for one more count than the actual, the melody will be lost.

Anonymous said...

http://www.unheardbeethoven.org/

just thought of sharing this.

Anonymous said...

Apparently, beethoven went deaf, beacuse he used to immerse ihis head in cold water, to remain awake so that he could compose his music. By the time he composed Symphony # 9 (his greatest, my all time favorite!!!), he was totally deaf!!!

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TLB

P.S. Suresh Kumar said...

Jacky: Thanx for the link, it was very useful