Beethoven Was Black

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Have you ever heard the peculiar theory that Beethoven was at least partly black? Well, I've been working my way backwards through all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas and it struck me that No. 32 is really quite odd, almost jazzy in places - in fact I would not have been surprised to learn that Ludwig was known as Jelly Roll Beethoven at the time! Also I'm sure I heard a snatch of "Shortnin' Bread" in Sonata 31. As for Haydn.... boy oh boy!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 5 May 2003 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

well I'm pretty certain Bejamin Britten was Maori, so anything's possible

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 5 May 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Have you ever heard the peculiar theory that Beethoven was at least partly black?

there's lots and lots on that topic in the A.Braxton book "Forces In Motion", e.g.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 5 May 2003 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

cos it certainly couldn't be that jazz pianists weren't influenced by a white man...

― mig, Monday, 5 May 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Fools, everyone knows Beethoven was an obese, albino Samoan woman with a tail. Sheesh! Don't you peple read?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

dunno if it's true, but the thread title would make a good t-shirt.

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

So you're saying it would be T-Shirt Worthy ?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

haha any band with that name would have to suck!

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The Dutch are well know for their close resemblance to Africans.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

...and he had an East Coast/West Coast thang against his rival DJ Mozart and the East Vienna Wreckin' Kru!

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Monday, 5 May 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

The Dutch are well know for their close resemblance to Africans.

Have you seen my nose?

― JoB (JoB), Monday, 5 May 2003 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

KRS-1 to thread!

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 01:22 (twenty-two years ago)

No. 32 is really quite odd, almost jazzy in places - in fact I would not have been surprised to learn that Ludwig was known as Jelly Roll Beethoven at the time!

Yeah, first time I heard some of those variations in movement II, I wondered if the pianist was, um, "taking liberties", until I checked with the score.

― OleM (OleM), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 03:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I have heard this too. All I know is I don't see many portraits of white dudes from back then with hair like that!

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 05:56 (twenty-two years ago)

When he was a child the other kids teased him and called him a mongoloid because he had a big head and a rudy complextion.
Then he grew up and became one of the greatest musicians/composers of all time, mostly while going deaf.
He fucking showed them.

― Brandon Welch (Brandon Welch), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 06:48 (twenty-two years ago)

is this supposed to be geir-bait?

― Dave M. (rotten03), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 07:23 (twenty-two years ago)

dadaismus, i agree with you. i don't own herr beethoven's complete sonatas, so last summer i borrowed a friend's box. beautiful sweetness all the way through to the end. and, the end is jazz. anyone curious should give no. 32 a listen. it's an uncanny preminition of a genre born more than a century later and a continent away.

― j.a.e., Tuesday, 6 May 2003 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

woah guys, next thing you know, you'll be sayin' Martin Gore is partially black, too!

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 00:18 (twenty-two years ago)

You evil man, DB. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 00:35 (twenty-two years ago)

woah guys, next thing you know, you'll be sayin' Martin Gore is partially black, too!
Don't believe the hype: that blonde hair isn't real! He's actually 1/4 Puerto Rican. He's really Martine Gonzalez!

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 00:54 (twenty-two years ago)

GREAT COMPOSER IN NATURAL RHYTHM SHOCKER!

― Adam A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 01:31 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Almost two years on and I'm working my way throught the Sonatas again, non-chronologically this time. I really like No. 17. Not one of his more "urban" sonatas however.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 21 January 2005 10:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Beethoven was Black Country

― Stevem On X (blueski), Friday, 21 January 2005 10:46 (twenty-one years ago)

... you mean he was a bit like Ray Charles, 'cept he was deaf instead of blind?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 21 January 2005 10:53 (twenty-one years ago)

#32 does invent jazz in that amazing variations section.

― Bumfluff, Friday, 21 January 2005 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I've not got a hideous vision of the conductor turning to the audience at the end and proclaiming " . . and dats da ja-a-a-a-a-zzzzzz!"

― why must we cut onions? (Lynskey), Friday, 21 January 2005 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

The sherzo of the 9th is some crazy jazz-funk shit (until that landler type melody comes in)

― Bumfluff, Friday, 21 January 2005 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

scherzo

― Bumfluff, Friday, 21 January 2005 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I've not got a hideous vision of the conductor turning to the audience at the end and proclaiming " . . and dats da ja-a-a-a-a-zzzzzz!"
Or even bettah...

Three bursts of french horn followed by a funky mandolin riff...
Conductor/Bandleader: Get Up-ah!
Chorale Singers: Get on UP!
Conductor/Bandleader: Stay on the Scene!
Chorale Singers: Get on UP!
Conductor/Bandleader: I'm a conductin' machine!
Chorale Singers: Get on UP!

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 23 January 2005 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

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