Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-08T04:43:50.347Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The rhythm of pride

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2023

Hector Berlioz
Edited by
Alastair Bruce
Introduction by
Hugh Macdonald
Get access

Summary

A lady who’s a great expert in theology and also plays the piano very well has recently published an intriguing booklet on rhythm, in which among other entirely novel ideas the following passage occurs:

Beethoven’s music makes one love and take pleasure in despair (the author perhaps meant to say this music makes one love despair and take pleasure in it); in it one weeps tears of blood, not for the sufferings of a God who died for us, but rather for the eternal damnation of the Devil. Its rhythm is that of a pride which seeks after truth, begs for it indeed, but is unwilling to accept that truth on the conditions on which it has deigned to reveal itself to us. It is forever the Jew saying to the Redeemer: Come down from the Cross, and we will believe in you. Follow our whims, flatter our evil instincts, and we shall proclaim you the true God, otherwise… . “Crucify him!” These works put Him to death in our hearts, just as the Jews put Him to death on the Cross.

What a pity I’m not a theologian and a philosopher! If I were, I’m sure I’d understand all that—which must be splendid. However I do have my doubts about one of the points of the author’s doctrine. I have indeed often wept on hearing Beethoven’s works; it’s quite true that these tears are not prompted by the “sufferings of a God who died for us”, but I can put my hand on my heart without hesitation and swear they weren’t induced by the “eternal damnation of the Devil” either: I haven’t been friends with him for a long time.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Musical Madhouse
An English Translation of Berlioz's <i>Les Grotesques de la musique</i>
 , pp. 129
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×