BEETHOVEN

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 24

BEETHOVEN

CENTENARY IN EUROPE

BERLIN'S PLANS

Music lost a master and the world lost a man when, during March, 1827, Beethoven died in the midst o£ one of those fierce storms which inspired some of his mightiest works. Europo is preparing a fitting celebration of the centenary of this wonderful man, to whom, before he was thirty, all the world of sound which he loved and enriched was dead.

There are reports from Berlin that it is proposed to convert the house in Bonn in which Beethoven lived into an institute for musical research and general Beethoven archieves, writes the London correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald." The house next door where lived- the lady who was Beethoven's mother has also been purchased, so that many pilgrims who make their way to Beethoven's birthplace, Bonngasse 20, will find everything connected with the history of the Beethoven epoch in one spot. Help from official sources has been promised towards gathering together a library containing not only all the books ever written about Beethoven, but every magazine and newspaper article, every edition of his music, and a copy in. facsimile where the original manuscripts of his music are not available.

It appears that there had originally been a plan to have a statue of the composer erected in Berlin, but the plans submitted by the leading sculptors were so extremely modern in conception that the spirit of Beethoven, as conceived by the public in general, would, it is held by the judges, have been' outraged. The general public have no understanding of the abstract in music as expressed by geometrical design, and the Beethoven statue proposed by Berlin sculptors would have created a controversy similar to that aroused by Mr. Epstein's Rima statue in Hyde Park, London, in memory of Mr. W. H. Hudson. Berlin is preparing, too, a Beethoven film to be released on the centenary day. The screen Beethoven, as played by Herr Frits Eoitner, who possesses very much the same shape of head and features, is said to be startlingly lifelike.

Vienna's plans are for a great concert hall in honour of the composer. The Society of World Music and Singing, under the honorary presidency of Richard Strauas, intends to carry out this scheme in Vienna, where Beethoven wrote the greater, part of his work. The hall, it is estimated, will hold 10,----000 people, and it is hoped to make it one of the musical centres of the world. A large building plot may be placed at the disposal of the society by the Government, and there will be an appeal to the publics of several countries for subscriptions. Beethoven had a very real affection for England, and particularly for the Eoyal Philharmonic Society, as it was then called. One of the chief celebrations in England will, therefore, be a Beethoven centenary concert, to be given at the Royal Albert Hall. - At tho first concert of the society, in March, 1813, a Beethoven symphony was performed, and each of the composer's works was subsequently presented to the London public in succession. Purchase was made of the right of first performance of three overtures, an offer of £300 was made for a visit to England, and then a commission was given for what turned out to be the great Ninth (Choral) Symphony, all of which provide substantial evidence of the society's artistic appreciation. The copies of the overtures all have on them some writing of Beethoven's, and the Ninth has the famous: inscription that it was composed for the Philharmonic Society of London. They may now be seen at the British Museum, where they are on permanent loan.

When the end of his troubled life came in sight, Beethoven appealed, through Moscheles, to the directors of tho Philharmonic for aid. Without a moment's delay £100 was dispatched to Vienna for the relief of his necessities. Beethoven's joy at the prompt despatch of this gift was vory real. Over and over again he expressed his gratitude. It may almost be said that he passed away blessing tho society and tho nation of which it formed a part. For generations since then the Philharmonic has labourod, with tho assistance of eminent conductors from all over the world, to foster a love of the great composer's works. Not tho least interesting part of the colebrations concerns the recording of all the important works of the composer for the phonograph. During the pnst few weeks in New Queen's Hall Orchestra at the Scala Theatre, and the Loner String Quartette, Mr. Albert Sammons, Mr. W. H. Squire, and Mr. • William Murdoch at the Wigmoro Hall, linvn been performing tho works of Beethoven for the Centenary Celebration sponsored by the Columbia Gramophono Company. The records have been taken by the new electric process, which consists in tho application of wireless principles to phonograph recording. Tho "Eroica" symphony, for example, waa conducted by Sir Henry Wood at the Scale Theatre, and tho music was conveyed by land to the recording studio at Westminster, and thoro recorded immediately on wax discs. Tho whole of the nine symphonies, twolvo string quartettes, three sonatas, the great B flat trio, and the two concertos nro being recorded in the same way. Sir Hamilton Harty conducted tho No. 4 Symphony in B flat at Manchostcr, and Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Georgo Honschel, Weingartner,' and Bruno Walter have also taken part. The records, numbering about one hundred, will probably be ready next month. The scheme seems to have originated in America, where it was suggested to the American branch of the company that the Beethoven centenary presented a splendid opportunity to endeavour to raiso American musical taste to a higher standard. Tho company in London at once responded, and securing the most'eminent conductors and musicians of tho day, gave the scheme an international character. The cost is estimated to be £20,000, and the scheme is said to be tho greatest of ita kind vet undertaken. .