Some two years before he died, having just recovered from a serious intestinal illness, Ludwig van Beethoven composed a long movement for string quartet, which he called “Holy Song of Thanksgiving of a Convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode” (“Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart“). He used the piece as the third movement of his five-movement String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132. The movement, marked molto adagio (“very slow”), alternates between two sections: a chorale (in modal F) and a faster section in D major, which Beethoven labeled “with renewed strength.” Beethoven’s string quartets (sixteen of them) are considered by many connoisseurs to be among the greatest artistic achievements of man, and this particular movement held by some to be perhaps the single greatest work of genius ever composed. Breathtaking in its delicate beauty, it suggests not merely a hymn to God, but perhaps a quiet conversation between God and a man making his peace with his Creator despite the deafness with which he has been cursed.

Below the performance of the work is a brief excerpt from the film, Copying Beethoven, which dramatizes Beethoven’s composing the “Holy Song.” And below that is a video of a lecture by musicologist Robert Kapilow, “From Sickness to Health: Beethoven’s Heiliger Dankgesang,” which explains how the music of the piece was structured by the composer. —Editor

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politics—we approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.

We hope you will join us in The Imaginative Conservative community. The Imaginative Conservative is an online journal for those who seek the True, the Good and the Beautiful. We address culture, liberal learning, politics, political economy, literature, the arts and the American Republic in the tradition of Russell Kirk, T.S. Eliot, Edmund Burke, Irving Babbitt, Wilhelm Roepke, Robert Nisbet, Richard Weaver, M.E. Bradford, Eric Voegelin, Christopher Dawson, Paul Elmer More and other leaders of Imaginative Conservatism. Some conservatives may look at the state of Western culture and the American Republic and see a huge, dark cloud which seems ready to unleash a storm that may well wash away what we most treasure of our inherited ways. Others focus on the silver lining which may be found in the next generation of traditional conservatives who have been inspired by Dr. Kirk and his like. We hope that The Imaginative Conservative answers T.S. Eliot’s call to “redeem the time, redeem the dream.” The Imaginative Conservative offers to our families, our communities, and the Republic, a conservatism of hope, grace, charity, gratitude and prayer.

The featured image is a portrait of Beethoven made in 1823 by Ferdinand Waldmuller. It is in the public domain and appears here courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

All comments are moderated and must be civil, concise, and constructive to the conversation. Comments that are critical of an essay may be approved, but comments containing ad hominem criticism of the author will not be published. Also, comments containing web links or block quotations are unlikely to be approved. Keep in mind that essays represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Imaginative Conservative or its editor or publisher.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email