Classical Counterfeiting

SOME time ago the Guardian ran a story entitled 'Beethoven was Black: Why the Radical Idea Still has Power Today' and then proceeded to regurgitate one of the most ludicrous and unsubstantiated theories of modern times.

Referring to Stokely Carmichael's claim that the composer was “one of the blackamoors that hired themselves out in Europe as professional soldiers,” the Guardian went on to insist that Beethoven "helped galvanise the US civil rights movement". Several days later, the Vox website ran an alternative report in which they insisted that we should be more aware of

“the wealthy white men who embraced Beethoven and turned his symphony into a symbol of their superiority and importance. For some in other groups – women, LGBTQ+ people, people of colour – Beethoven’s symphony may be predominantly a reminder of classical music’s history of exclusion and elitism.”

The Classic FM radio station, in a remarkably rare stand against the creeping cancel-culture of Jacobin revisionism, followed this nonsense up by rubbishing the claims of elitism altogether:

"Before and during Beethoven’s time, cheering, clapping and generally having a rootin’-tootin’ time at the symphony was pretty standard. The German composer, too, expected spontaneous talking and clapping throughout performances, particularly when his pieces were premiered."

Look on the bright side, if a kangaroo court of Leftist iconoclasts does eventually decide that Beethoven was Black and that to deny it is wicked and racist then at least we won't have to put up with any more remarks about 'elitism'.