Beethoven's 9th finally explodes in the throttling murderous rage of a rapist incapable of attaining release?

Question

What is your opinion on Susan McClary - a so called New Musicologist? In other words a sociologist/academic feminist who occasionally throws in bits of vague musicological terminology here and there for credibility.

Here's an extract from her analysis of Beethoven which aims to deconstruct, Beethoven's constructions of subjectivity - or something like that.

"The point of recapitulation in the first movement of the Ninth is one of the most horrifying moments in music, as the carefully prepared cadence is frustrated, damming up energy which finally explodes in the throttling murderous rage of a rapist incapable of attaining release."

Here is another extract from an analysis on Schubert's sexuality, through his music:

"What is remarkable about this movement is that Schubert conceives of and executes a musical narrative that does not enact the more standard model in which a self strives to define identity through the consolidation of ego boundaries...in a Beethoven world such a passage would sound vulnerable, its tonal identity not safely anchored; and its ambiguity would probably precipitate a crisis, thereby justifying the violence needed to put things right again."

What is your opinion on this? Pseudo-scientific/pseudo-musicological nutcase or the real deal?

Answer 1

Oh my word, what a load of crap. Analyzing a person's sexuality through their music, when that person is long-dead and you don't know what they were even thinking when they composed it? Give me a break! She's looking for violence and hate, and no surprise, twisting their music to "find" it.



Ten bucks this woman is one of those uber-feminist "sex is a man's way of expressing contempt for a woman" morons. She's also terribly pedantic, so much so that her writing becomes meaningless through her attempts to make it so incredibly "meaningful". It's like she's just copying words from a psychotherapy textbook. What crap.



As a musician, her nonsense leaves me cold. That is NOT the message of the music! It says an awful lot about *her* though. She needs therapy.



Mabel - baaaa ha ha!!! That's awesome! I bet she'd agree.

Answer 2

Okay. I'd nomarmally answer this kinda question seriously.



But that just makes my brain bleed.



I can understand a feminst motive but this is just ridiculous and is a practically a hyperbole of the stereotypical feminist. What next? Critisize the consumption of water as a male dominated, used to ensure the oppression of females can be continued?



Seriously. People like that just want to find holes in anything they can and somehow expect it to make an impact on people.... Or maybe not. Maybe they just enjoy preaching to the converted, the extreme feminist who suffer some kinda paranoid disorder

Answer 3

This sounds like the ramblings of a man-hating lesbian -- no offense intended to lesbians that don't hate men.



Deconstruction isn't even credible enough to call a pseudo-science, and the same goes for all of post-modernism. Deconstruction is done to discredit or destroy something with very dubious methods.

Answer 4

Pseudo-scientific/pseudo-musicological nutcase is my vote...



there is no justification for such tripe!!.... just because SHE has an overactive imagination that borders on the edge of reason is no justification for her to foist her pantings off on poor old Beethoven!.... I abhor those who try to prove their own sense of self worth by beating down another person.... I'll bet she actually thinks she wrote something important, doesn't she?....

Answer 5

Ridiculous

Answer 6

She must be a feminist. They've got rape on the brain and call all men rapists. I'm not saying I know much about classical music but wasn't Beethoven's ninth symphony supposed to be about peace and joy and friendship? How could anyone ever interpret that as rape?

Answer 7

The former.



Deconstructionism and postmodern theory will make you bleed from the ears as you rapidly lose your capacity for rational thought. Clearly this "new musicologist" has suffered an overdose of academia.

Answer 8

I wander what she would think of grindcore band An*l cu*t.



With songs like...



Kill women

I became a rape counseller so I could tell women they deserved it

I lit your baby on fire

Hitler was a sensitive man

You quit heroin you f*cking p*ssy

I just met the gayest guy on earth

Windchimes are gay

Pottery is gay

Technology is gay

All our fans are gay

I thought you were pregnant so I kicked you in the stomuch to kill your baby...





A bunch of feminists complained when they played 'kill women' live, so they made a bunch of more misogynistic songs.

Answer 9

She sounds like an ideal candidate for Pseud's Corner in Private Eye - you should send them some quotes. Hideous nonsense.

Answer 10

The hysterical feminist who made the remarks about Beethoven's 9th later retracted them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_McClary

Answer 11

She could get a job as a banker with the amount of BS she talks

Answer 12

Yikes, never thought of Beethoven ninth that way, don't know if I agree, I'll have to listen to it and see. Very poor use of words in her narrative.

Answer 13

Oh pleeeeaaaaaasssssseee NO!



I suppose singing in the rain is about some pervert who forces his wife to indulge in golden showers...

Answer 14

What a complete load of crap! I hate people who overanalyze things to suit their own agenda!



Can't people just enjoy music?!

Answer 15

Another feminist spouting nonsense i rarely pay attention to them

Answer 16

I've said it before and i'll say it again-and feminists wonder why their so freakin despised.

Answer 17

Nothing new. Another dumbshit feminist.