Vox, a website not well-known for thoughtful commentary, published an article on Sept. 15 explaining how his Fifth Symphony was used by “wealthy white men who embraced Beethoven and turned his symphony into a symbol of their superiority,” and that for women, gays, and people of color, the piece is “a reminder of classical music’s history of exclusion and elitism.” The article maintains that the idea of refraining from cheering and eating during a performance so others can enjoy it is an evil marker of supremacy.
The article was written to promote the third episode of a podcast called “The 5th,” produced jointly by Vox and the New York Philharmonic.
“If you pretend like there’s no other music out there, that Beethoven is the greatest music that ever will matter,” the article quotes a Philharmonic clarinetist, then orchestras will alienate new listeners, since “we’re not promoting any of the composers alive today that are trying to become the Beethovens of their day.” Hmm... were composers Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms oppressed — or inspired — by Beethoven?
