good advice

[feathered]

I am blatantly stealing this quote from my friend Tessa's profile (hi Tessa!) to post it here because I have a presumably large readership and everyone needs to see this. And then do it.

Get a radio or a phonograph capable of the most extreme loudness possible, and sit down and listen to a performance of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony or Schubert's

Comments

[goingofthings]

unfortunately, I do not like George Eliot and therefore cannot lead you to any appreciation of her work. I do, however, love that exerpt.

just call me insta-program notes, just add water and serve

[nitadhalink]

I love the stories of the first performance of Beethoven's 7th Symphony. By that time, his hearing had deteriorated to the point that he could only hear the loudest parts. Nevertheless, he conducted, with wild gesticulations and jumping. Symphony audiences weren't nearly as polite as they are now, with the "groundlings with their inexplicable dumb-shows and noise" eating peanuts and talking during the performance. The symphony was well received, and the second movement was encored. Scary that I can dredge all this out of my memory.

It's my favorite Beethoven symphony, both to play and to listen to. Wagner called it the "apotheosis of the dance" but I think the melodies are extremely singable, rather than danceable. After we rehearsed it, I'd be singing tunes from it all day long.

Re: just call me insta-program notes, just add water and serve

[feathered]

This comment makes me want to sneak into my friend E's room right now and borrow the symphonies. (She is in San Diego -- spring break -- but for complicated reasons I have the key to her room.) I don't like her room without her, but I might have to do this -- I have a powerful need to listen to the seventh right now.

I love that image of Beethoven conducting. He is so wonderful.

By the way, what's your opinion on Wagner? I know that you and Emily and Edmund or some similar group discussed him back in Lonely days, but I can't remember what you think of him.

Just wind me up and watch me go

[nitadhalink]

Oh Wagner

[thewriteratwork]

Eliot love! I should make some Eliot inspired icons. Anyway, are you reading for business or pleasure?

[feathered]

I'm reading her for school, which is possibly why I am not warming to her quickly. But we're also reading Adam Bede, which, I think, has huge stretches of unending dullness -- are all of her books like that? There are moments of incredible beauty and insight, but I feel I have to work so hard for them...

What's your favourite Eliot work? And why? My professor loves her.

[ayellowbanana]

this is a very old post - I was just thinking of you and decided to see what you were up to.

Also: we read the Mill on the Floss for Comparative Literature last year. I did not love it, but a lot of my classmates did - my friend Missy loved it for the way she described the relationship between Maggie and Tom. Probably that won't help at all, but just thought I'd offer an opinion! hope everything is going well.

[feathered]

I actually ended up loving George Eliot myself -- about a week after we finished studying her for class. I read Daniel Deronda and I think it is just great -- MUCH better than Adam Bede, which ended up not being bad at all. She can have pages and pages of very 19th Century pastoral romanticism, but she also makes astounding and beautiful insights about human nature. Magical. Did you find any of that in Mill on the Floss? I actually bought it and several others and intend to read them over the summer.