7 April 2019

The arrest of Ludwig van Beethoven (in the 1820s) caused by clothing inspired music performance, premiere during Viertelfestival in Lower Austria (11 May - 11 Aug)

In the early 1820s, composer Ludwig van Beethoven left Baden (where he stayed for recreational reasons and wrote parts of his 9th symphony; details) for an around 24 kilometer walk to Wiener Neustadt. He wore a comfortable old frock-coat without hat. (The Austrian daily newspaper 'Kurier' published recently an article with matching portrait image of the composer.) Arriving in Wiener Neustadt, Beethoven was arrested under the suspicion of vagrancy.

Now, musicians from Lower Austria under the artistic direction of Alexander Gheorghiu, Concertmaster of the Tonkünstler Orchestra (the orchestra counts to the country's musical ambassadors, performed in mid-March at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg) teamed up under the name 'van Schmetthoven' for the music performance 'Die Verhaftung des Ludwig van. Roll over Beethoven'. The premiere will happen on 25 May in Wiener Neustadt on occasion of the upcoming Viertelfestival Niederösterreich (11 May – 11 August). The festival pays tribute to the cultural history and creative output of artists of the 'Industrieviertel'; the 'Industry Quarter' surrounds Vienna in the city's west, south and south-east.

Beethoven, at the 1820s already a famous composer (who was from around 1815 almost totally deaf), was arrested over hours until the police called the music director of Wiener Neustadt to identify him. Some speculate that not only his clothing but also his deafness could had been one of the reasons why police didn't believe that he was a famous composer.

The 'van Schmetthoven' ensemble developed the performance 'The arrest of Ludwig van. Roll over Beethoven' from the leading questions "Was Beethoven the first punk? Have Chuck Berry and Beethoven anything else in common than struggling with the law?" The music performance consisting of a 20-minute re-composition of Beethoven's nine symphonies and Chuck Berry's roll over Beethoven matches this year's 'Viertelfestival Niederösterreich' motto 'Schnittstelle' (translated 'Interface'). The festival motto references the meeting, interaction of different living worlds - their judgements, experiences, structures and frame works.

fig.: Campaign image of the music performance 'Die Verhaftung des Ludwig van. Roll over Beethoven' premiere on 25 May 2019 in Wiener Neustadt; a project by Viertelfestival Niederösterreich (11 May - 11 August 2019). Photo: © Maria Frodl.


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