Friday, October 24, 2014

Interpreting Beethoven's Silence by Ernesto Cortazar

Ernesto Cortazar

OH MON DIEU. This is my very first time, interpreting an instrumental music. Well I've tried to think about "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin. But I couldn't imagine a word, just a situation, an entertainer asking his audience, laughing, and his audience answering his jokes, in such a crowded bar.

I was thinking what I should post about tonight. And I came up with, oh music. And I randomly thought of, Beethoven. And then Oh! Let's try Beethoven's silence by Mr.Cortazar!

I suggest you to open the youtube video in the new tab, so you can read my interpretation while listening to that song.

So here it is..

The song starts with the sound of confusion. We can conclude that it's the first time Beethoven felt his deafness. And it keeps making him confused, until, he started asking. "Why? Why would this kind of thing happen to me?" and he continues, crying in his silence, thinking about his tragic fate, thinking about how he should live without music, thinking so so deeply, that he actually drowns in his own feelings, and he starts to be confused again, feeling strange of the deafness he has.

But then life goes on, as his silence stays with him. He still questions though, the questioning part is still right there. But in this part he starts to learn to live with it, although he hasn't accepted the fact that he won't be able to hear again, but he's starting to move on. We still can't sense sincerity. 

The next part begins with another confusion. I can feel the way he walks real carefully, he sees real carefully, being so alert with his surroundings by just using his vision. The poor Beethoven is still sorry about his fate.

The last part, yet Mr. Beethoven is still adapting with his deafness, confusion part, asking part, remembering his tragedy parts. And the section keeps repeating. Somehow I think Ernesto Cortazar is actually trying to say that Mr. Beethoven wasn't so delightful accepting his inevitable fate of being deaf. But actually, I think the ending is supposed to be filled with the sound of, revelation, of relief, as Beethoven actually composed 9 fucking great symphonies in his silence. Mr. Cortazar gave me a tiny tiny bit of relief feeling though. When? at the very end of the song. He raised the tone, umm it made me feel like, though Mr. Beethoven was questioning, trying a bit to accept the fate, feeling so uncomfortable adapting with silence, but at the end, he actually... kind of, gave everything up to the universe. 

It's like, it's him saying "And it's all your willings, dear God." 

 And the song ended.

OH! Jeez, the high tone part is actually the end of his silence! As he returns to whom he's supposed to return, maybe he starts to compose those symphonies, and maybe that's the beginning where Beethoven is no longer silent. 

That just gave me chills.
One single note, describes one great conclusion.
Shit.

Bravo, Mr. Erensto Cortazar!
You really got me there.

(p.s: if my interpretation is actually mistaken, please let me know)



3 comments:

Sarah M said...

I listen to the song as I read your interpretation and there it was; the inspiring new view gained on an instrumental piece. I usually feel further moved understanding the musician’s thoughts, history, personality, and of course I know basic knowledge on the infamous Beethoven but you shine a new light for me, someone not fully experienced in classical music. I have nothing to share but how impressive I find this. I feel this. Thank you.

AlexisMachado said...

I know I'm reviving this old post but it's perfect. Thank you so much for keeping this up to today (11/03/2019). I always cry a lot hearing this song and this helped me understand why. Thank you so much.

Ivis Burris said...

I to enjoyed your interpretation I think it was right on you hit the nail on the head in my opinion. This piece is still relevant today considering we are experiencing COVID-19. Wow the confusion, the highs & the lows the depths & & valleys never really coming to any concrete information. This is the new day in which we live in.

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