{"id":1229,"date":"2004-06-22T17:44:28","date_gmt":"2004-06-22T21:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=1229"},"modified":"2015-05-14T10:20:13","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T14:20:13","slug":"odets-on-beethoven-once-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=1229","title":{"rendered":"Odets on Beethoven, once again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Entry from Journal<\/i><\/p>\n

April 12, 1940<\/i><\/p>\n

Perhaps the main activity of the romantic, often idealist, is that of giving, that of offering himself up, of throwing himself at the world. The trouble beings when the world coldly refuses him. Nothing daunted, again the leap, again the throwing of the self. Again repulsed, again and again! Finally, you have a tired, embittered, and frustrated man, or one of resignation, or one who has learned to modulate his behavior and values to those of the world.<\/p>\n

In Beethoven we have the glorious exception to all the rules.<\/p>\n

He never stopped the fierce activity of throwing himself at the world, of demanding<\/i> attention for his values above all others, of insisting<\/i> on the validity of what he was above all current social values.<\/p>\n

This persistence created, finally, one of the greatest bodies of art the world has ever seen, but it cost the man dearly — it cost him his life, his home, his friends, all ordinary comforts and amenities. It crippled him almost beyond recognition. But even on his deathbed he suddenly started up and threw himself at the world with a clenched fist.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Remember, Beethoven’s last words were: “Friends, applaud! The comedy is finished.”<\/p>\n

\n