Beethoven’s Shakespeare: “Mystery of the Tempest in Taiwan”

Abstract

The Piano Sonata in D minor Op.31, No.2 was composed in 1801/2 by Ludwig van Beethoven, and is usually referred to as “The Tempest” (Der Sturm). But this title was not given by Beethoven, instead, it comes from a claim by Anton Schindler that the sonata was inspired by the Shakespeare play. However, scholar Donald Francis Tovey states “The story that Beethoven connected this sonata with the Tempest is evidently one of many such inventions by his biographer Anton Schindler.” Yet, he does not deny that there is for sure a mood in common to both. Beethoven had been thoroughly familiar with and fond of all Shakespeare’s plays all his life time. With all the tragic power of his first movement the D minor Sonata is, like Prospero, almost as far beyond tragedy as it is beyond only foul weather. The tradition of music expression in Classic period and the turning point of Beethoven’s life in 1802 made the meaning of Tempest Sonata complicated and mysterious to Taiwan’s musician. It is impossible to merely use the story line of Shakespeare’s Tempest to explain all Beethoven’s innovations in Op.31, No.2. This creates a very interesting situation－the pianists, the teachers, the students, the audience and the music scholars in Taiwan try very hard to mix limit understanding with vast imagination to invent their own interpretation of the Tempest Sonata.