Our letter to Beethoven on his 250th birthday!
Dear Ludwig!
Happy Birthday to You! I’m sorry Mate, but some facts must be stated here: you are 250 years old! There it goes, I said it!
2020 was supposed to be fun, a whole year to remember and celebrate you! In the beginning of the year, being a European citizen, my biggest concern was, how I will stuff into my calendar all those Beethoven concerts that I am going to attend! It seemed like a busy year ahead! Well, I am sure you know the old joke that asks: How you make God laugh? You tell Him your plans…!
Yes, this is what happened, exactly! Instead of #Beethoven2020 we had this utterly stupid little monster, this covid19 named virus dominating our life. Well, you say you had worse and that we had the chance to watch all those Netflix series? Ok, you have a point there!
I am sure you are not happy about it, either! You were often mad at orchestras not being able to bring your musical ideas to fruition, but this year man, they had it rough! Everything is shut down, the finest musicians are streaming from home via YouTube or Twitter! Yes, sadly all those Beethoven concerts were cancelled, too! Of course the Haydn concerts were cancelled, too – what a question? Some day you should get over this childish competition with the Papa…!
So, this 2020 Beethoven thing is dead from the start. What can I say? Next milestone will be the 300th. Few years, it’s here!
There is good news, too! It happened! Remember that dark night, in Heiligenstadt? The one on which you wrote that letter? The one you never sent. Then and there you decided that you are not done yet! Suicide is no option, but going forward, whatever happens to your hearing! You wrote there is art in you, art that is yet to come out. Out from your heart through your fingers. Man, it happened! You are a Superstar! You are the brightest object in the universe of music! No musician who came after you could ever not consider you! You are the elephant in the room that must be addressed.
People love you! They adore your heroism, your bravery to carry on, they admire how a deaf composer could ever do what you had done! We are addicted to your music! You are Beethoven!
I’m not sure what else is there to achieve for a musician…
So, despite this calamitous anniversary, you must know that we all love you! No matter what year it is! No matter how many concerts we can go to! No matter what was the hottest keyword in 2020 in Google search! Your music is here in our hearts, where it belongs.
Again, let me wish you Happy Birthday, old Friend! Thank you for giving us your music!
p.s.: I wish you did a 10th!
