11 Comments

This piece was already analysed in a different way in Žižek's The Pervert's Guide to Ideology film from 2013, where he points out in length how many different political regimes from all parts of the political spectrum over different decades appropriated the 9th symphony as their own.

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I am disappointed about the shortness of this analysis, the work being the fundament of European self-perception. Now the European identity is shaped by either a general-purpose guilt or fear of cheap Chinese EVs, the 9th can serve as a nice artefact from the times where Europen century was still in the future.

In the first movement the competition between the initial cacophony of the tuning orchestra and the attempts of the motif 1 to impose tonal hegemony has deserved more attention. Or at least I would be glad to hear from Žižek about. The kitsch of the motif 1 maybe not be in its beauty, but in its ideological clarity,.... Then the very beginning of the second movement that actually addresses the first movement, - declaring its end and imposing a new order by an unmistakable authority..... again, begging for Žižek's interpretation.

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Sigh. I would have hoped SZ would not propagate the myth of monolithically "classical" music when writing in particular about quintessential Romantic era repertoire.

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A different type of analysis from what I did in grad school. The most fascinating non performance related course I took was called, Beethoven and his use of the coda. A very long time ago. Great prof. I learned so much about his use and manipulation of sonata form and had a great time writing a paper in first movement of Opus 109. Through my analysis of it, I learned a great deal.

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Wow, it’s brain exercise for me as I’m not used to classical music analysis but worthy. My friend and I just talked about Beethoven vs Mozart the other day… in the way of feeling built up for us. I’ll definitely re-read this one. Thanks ☺️

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Thought in its undistilled clarity can only ever be expressed as dream music, and it resembles the sound of Mozart and Beethoven more than that of any other men born in the West.

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True, but its undeniable aesthetic failure as a symphony -- the first three movements of the 9th are a revanchist ode to the new British hegemon, and far less significant than the 5th, 6th and 7th, the best of the symphonies -- was the chorale’s success as a plebian operatic aria. It was the first not-quite-national anthem of a proletariat just being born into world history.

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I have many interest but music escapes me. I love lyrics as in them I find meaning but everything else feels to me like a language I never even came close to understanding

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I don't know Beethoven or classical music well enough to get much from this, other than a brain exercise. An interesting read. Maybe i should listen to more classical music, it seems interesting.

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Have you seen Immortal Beloved? For Rose, the director, the "carnivalesque" theme from M4 is actually a premonition of the Joy theme, but from childhood. The visual sequence is well worth watching. For me the Ninth is a universalist mass market message whereas PS 29-32 and SQ 13-16 are the intimate, private truths

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Mutig ist es, dich an die Musik zu wenden… bin aber gespannt und freue mich sehr.

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