In Search of Beethoven is the eighth book that John Suchet has written about Beethoven, however this book is a bit different because, rather than just being a simple biography of this remarkable musician and composer, it tells Suchet’s personal story of being with Beethoven. It is a story that spans more than forty years, and at this talk Suchet shared with us just some of the tales and memories that are included in the book.
This talk felt very personal and intimate because Suchet made the decision to present from the floor in Firth Hall rather than from the stage. This made the talk more engaging because it felt like he was really sharing his stories with us rather than talking at us. Suchet’s way of story telling was made even more engaging through his physical movements: he was really trying to paint a full picture of his memories for us rather than just leaving us with the basic elements of the story.
Suchet’s passion for Beethoven was evident throughout the talk, and it was clear that he could talk all day about him. Indeed, at times he even said that we’d be here until midnight if he followed some of his trains of thought! I liked that Suchet wasn’t afraid to go off on some digressions as this made the story telling feel very natural. He was, however, able to catch himself when he had wandered too far away from his main points and bring himself back to the topic at hand.
My favourite of the stories that Suchet told at the talk was of his quest to visit the church where Beethoven’s parents were married and where Beethoven himself was baptised and later the organist at the age of just 13. On his most recent visit to Bonn, Beethoven’s birthplace, he went to find the Church of St. Remigius. The first point of confusion came when the church wasn’t in the square that it was supposed to be in. He did however find the Church of St. Remigius and went in, only to be told by a local man that this church was not in fact the one where Beethoven was baptised. That one had burnt down after being hit by lightning in the early 1800s, and the second church (which was built in the same location as the current one) was destroyed in the Second World War. The current church was built in the 1950s, so it is definitely not of Beethoven’s time! Suchet was however very excited to find out that the font in the modern church is in fact the original one that Beethoven was baptised in! I think we all shared in Suchet’s excitement when he revealed this final piece of information because we had all become very invested in his journey thanks to his engagement storytelling.
I absolutely loved this talk. It has even inspired me to start listening to more classical music again, as the way that Suchet talked about its impact on his life really made me want to discover what impact it could have on my own life!
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
