Description
Instrumental version of my song “The Bringers of Beethoven”, which is a satire on the totalitarian state (the “German Democratic Republic”) in which Reiner Kunze spent most of his life until the fall of the wall. Beethoven’s 5th symphony is chosen as a recognizable cultural icon, not as a criticism of the music itself, the point being that the oppressive state sought to deny individuality and to enforce a “one size fits all” policy on the population.
My setting of Kunze’s poem (as translated by Ewald Osers) also seeks to reflect this by its insistent quotes of the four note theme from the symphony in the guitar part but with somewhat different harmonies from the original!)
Words of the original song:
They set out to bring Beethoven to everyone,
and as they had a record ready to hand,
they played for speedier understanding:
symphony number 5 in C minor, opus 67
But the man M said it was too loud for him,
it must be his age.
Over night the bringers of Beethoven
rigged up poles along streets and in squares,
and strung up cables, mounted loudspeakers,
and in the morning rang out, for closer acquaintance,
symphony number 5 in C minor, opus 67
loud enough for it to be heard far far afield.
But the man M said he had a headache,
went home towards lunchtime,
shut his doors and windows,
and commended the thickness of the walls.
So, thus challenged, the bringers of Beethoven
fastened wires to the walls and suspended loudspeakers over the windows,
so that clear through the glass came
symphony number 5 in C minor, opus 67.
But the man M left the house and laid a complaint against the bringers of Beethoven.
And everyone asked what on earth he had agaisnt Beethoven.
Thus attacked the bringers of Beethoven knocked at the man M’s door,
and as soon as he opened put their foot in the door
and, praising the neatness, walked in.
By pure chance the talk touched upon Beethoven,
and to enlighten the subject they had with them, by pure chance,
symphony number 5 in C minor, opus 67.
But the man M seized an iron ladle
and started to batter the bringers of Beethoven.
He was arrested in time.
“Homicidal” was how M’s act was described
by the attorney and by the judge of the bringers of Beethoven.
But there’s always hope:
he was sentenced to
symphony number 5 in C minor, opus 67.
M beat his fists and screamed …till all was silent.
He was too old said the bringers of Beethoven.
By the bier of M, however, they said, stood his children.
And the children directed that over the man M’s coffin
should be played:
symphony number 5 in C minor, opus 67