Beethoven in the Age of Schiller, Goethe, and Kant: Music for Modern Times

Beethoven wrote music for times that were changing. His musical aesthetics played an active part in the exchange of thought that shaped the revolutionary culture of his lifetime. He put aesthetic expectations to the test, and we still hear his message today. In Beethoven in the Age of Schiller, Goethe, and Kant: Music for Modern Times, Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen explores twelve themes that reflect Beethoven’s compositional development and thought. The result is a fascinating new portrait of the composer and his music, and a panorama of the world of thought, norms, and values that he navigated. Here we discover insight into Beethoven’s use of literature, his aspirations for purely instrumental music, and how he transformed contemplation into aesthetic expression. We learn not only how his contemporaries misunderstood him, but also how those in the know did get his message. Was Beethoven philosophical and poetic? Are his last compositions a critique of pure music, are they transcendental? Hinrichsen argues that we must get beyond our stereotypes of Beethoven if we want to truly understand him.

Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen is professor emeritus for musicology at the University of Zurich.

Cynthia Klohr studied philosophy and literature in Detroit, Karlsruhe, and Heidelberg, and after earning her degrees, taught university courses in modern philosophy in both English and German.