Beethoven: Last great classicist ... or first great romantic?

[Sergeant Rock]

Beethoven was the culmination of the Classical Style.

Sarge

[kishnevi]

Beethoven was the culmination of the Classical Style.

Sarge

which also happened to be the birth of the Romantic Style.

But I am pretty sure that if you asked the man himself, he would refuse to be classified as anything other than a man who wrote Music.

[amw]

The last great Classicist was Brahms. The first great Romantic was CPE Bach.

[EigenUser]

which also happened to be the birth of the Romantic Style.

But I am pretty sure that if you asked the man himself, he would refuse to be classified as anything other than a man who wrote Music.

According to Harold Schonberg's "The Lives of the Great Composers", Beethoven was really one of the first composers to see himself as an artist. I don't think that he would be happy at all that his music is used as background music often today. Who knows, though? Maybe in 150 years or so the classical radio stations will regularly play Xenakis for background music in waiting rooms. And, perhaps, most people will be accustomed to it by then. Of course, this is nothing more than pure (and doubtful ) speculation. As for Schonberg's writing, well, that's his view (I don't really have a 'view' on this because I don't know too much Beethoven).

Here's the passage that I found by Googling the first few words: http://books.google.com/books?id=VawrK1CRFJgC&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=%22the+difference+between+beethoven+and+all+other%22&source=bl&ots=nIw9fFo_UZ&sig=RYLglzwq5j-6pwBGjPtKa__4t20&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1Dp1U8edO6fgsATqvYHQDA&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22the%20difference%20between%20beethoven%20and%20all%20other%22&f=false

[jochanaan]

Classic or Romantic?  Yes.

[Florestan]

Who cares?

[Ken B]

Who cares?

Rightists and Leftists.

[Florestan]

Rightists and Leftists.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jochanaan]

Rightists and Leftists.

No.  Academics and market researchers.  The rest of us just love the music.