Preface: Beethoven is my favorite composer whose music has inspired me greatly.
I've composed a web page on Beethoven's Eroica Symphony,
inspiring Beethoven quotes on music, and a
poem on "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony". When
Charles Schulz died on February 12, 2000, I compiled this web page
"Charles Schulz & Peanuts" in his memory.
Imagine my delight when I saw advertisements in the Mercury News on an exhibit "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" at
the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose (May 1-July 31, 2009).
I attended the "Memorial Service to Celebrate the Life of Ira Francis Brilliant" on October 14, 2006 in the Concert Hall,
at San Jose State University's Music Building, and realized his passion for Beethoven's music and scholarship. So it was
a joy when on the 107th anniversary of my Dad's birth that I made my pilgrimage to this
exhibit on Wednesday, July 29, 2009. When I walked up to the
fifth floor staircase, there were panels filled with butterflies. Since psyche
in Greek means both "butterfly" and "soul", it occured to me that Beethoven's 5th Symphony is really a hymn to the soul.
Imagine my delight when I counted 55 Schulz's Beethoven comic strips in this exhibit. Plato called
"Soul of the Universe",
the numerical sum of the Lambda series of double & triple interval series which add up to 55 (Timaeus, 35b).
So today's visit to "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" is truly a journey to the soul. No photographs of the
Peanuts comics were permitted, but everything else was OK, including Beethoven's lock of hair. I waited an
hour for audio headphones to listen to the piano sonatas Schroeder was playing in Schulz's comic strips that was an extra treat.
(Schulz Museum Press Release; Slide Show of Santa Rosa Exhibit: NY Times, January 13, 2009)
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 1:52-2:45 pm Mountain View to San Jose: Ride Bus #522 to Santa Clara St. & 4th Street; Reading book "Mind & Life: Discussions with Dalai Lama on the Nature of Reality" by Pier Luigi Luisi Schroeder has the answer on nature of reality— Beethoven! | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 2:56 pm San Jose, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" (Ad) Schroeder at the piano— Snoppy stands up tall when Beethoven is played. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 3:13 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Butterflies panels in 5th floor staircase— In Greek, "Psyche" means "butterfly" & "soul". Opening four notes of Beethoven's "5th Symphony" is a Hymn to the Soul. Walked up to fifth floor, saw panels of butterflies— Beethoven's soul work! | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 3:20 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Busts of Beethoven & Schroeder at Entrance Earphones for listening to Beethoven's music Schroeder is playing. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 3:32 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Schulz's Panel on "Unrequited Love" Unrequited love— central theme in Peanuts and in Beethoven's life. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 3:50 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Mannequin of Beethoven (1990s) Text Life-size mannequin of Ludwig van Beethoven dreaming of music. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 3:52 pm "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" August 5, 1994 Peanuts comic strip: "Beethoven had an unfortunate love affair too, Charlie Brown, but it didn't discourage him, he kept right on working." Beethoven's antidote to his suffering is living in his music. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 3:55 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven sweatshirt designed by Schulz Beethoven birthday party— Schulz designed sweatshirt as gift for his friend. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:00 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Schulz's Love for Classical Music, Schroeder's Obsession with Beethoven Schroeder's obsession with Beethoven reflects Schulz's love of music. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:04 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Photo of Charles Schulz by Frank Ross Charles Schulz, creator of Peanuts— a children's playground full of delight. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:06 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Letter to Frank Dieffenweirth" Schulz writes to army buddy about his passion for classical music. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:35 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Doodle Sketch for June 16, 1999 comic strip How whimsical— Snoopy watching musical notes dancing into mouse hole. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:40 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Photo of Schulz by David Fleming (c. Feb. 1980) Charles Schulz working at his drawing board for another Peanuts strip. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:45 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Hand-cut multiple layer silhouette of Beethoven (1925) by Josefine Allmayer (Text) Beethoven hiking in the woods contemplating the beauty of Nature. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:46 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's Hiking & Pastoral Symphony Notes from "Peanuts" July 7, 1959 (3rd Movement) Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony shows his immense love of Nature. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:50 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Edmund Gosse's Portrait of Napoleon (c. 1837) & Carl Pidoll's novel "Eroica" (1956) (Music) Beethoven's Eroica celebrates the soul in man finding his spirit. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 4:55 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Harper's Weekly, XIV, No. 704, June 25, 1870 Beethoven portrait on cover (story on p. 407) Birth centennial cover of Beethoven ready to write more music. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 5:02 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Early 19th century Viennese currency: For his "Fifth Symphony" Beethoven received 500 gulden from Count Oppersdorf in 1807. That would have paid the rent of his apartment in the Pasqualiti House in Vienna for a year. Beethoven's fee for his Fifth Symphony paid his entire year's rent. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 5:05 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Life Mask of Beethoven: Bronze reproduction made from plaster mask (1812) by Franz Klein (Text) Beethoven was told not to smile so his mask appeared somber and gloomy. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 5:20 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Exhibition Introduction Panel with Audio by Jean Schulz on "Sparky" Charles Schulz's nickname was "Sparky", quite apropos for bringing sparks to all. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 5:35 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's Birthday Panel: Schulz acknowledged Beethoven's birthday in his strip 27 out of 49 years. Lucy loves to tease Schroeder when he forgets Beethoven's birthday. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 6:33 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" George F. Marek's 1969 book "Beethoven: Biography of a Genius" Author signs his book "To Schroeder— a famous lover of Beethoven". |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:28 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Guevara Lock of Beethoven's Hair bought at Sotheby's for £3600 on Dec. 1, 1994 Lock of Beethoven's hair that Brilliant bought at Sotheby's London Auction. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:28 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Guevara Lock of Beethoven's Hair Authenticity letter of Paul Hiller (1883): "Beethoven's hair cut off from Beeethoven's corpse by my father Dr. Ferdinand von Hiller on the day after Beethoven's death on 27 March 1827, and was given over to me as a birthday present in Cologne on 1 May 1883. Paul Hiller" (56 years after Beethoven's death). His father cut the hair from Beethoven's corpse a day after he died. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:30 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's "Pathétique" Sonata manuscript Is music heavenly inspired or is Beethoven's mind angelic? | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:32 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's "Pathétique" Sonata Score Pathétique's first movement slow and solemn followed by quickness and vigor. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:34 pm "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" "Peanuts" comic strip (3-20-1969) with "Pathétique" score in final panel. Strip was arranged horizontally in Photoshop from scan of Mercury News ad. (1st movement)
What is the answer to life? / BEETHOVEN IS IT! / Clear and simple! | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:37 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's Bust on shelf above manuscripts Beethoven's eyes uplifted heavenward bring down celestial music. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:40 pm "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" "Peanuts" comic strip (Sunday, 1-25-1953) with the opening bars of Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" Sonata #29 (Op. 106) in final panel. Schroeder embarks on an intensive workout of 7 exercises: pushups, skipping rope, lifting barbells, touching toes, leg lifts, shadow boxing, jogging, and a bowl of cereal before tackling the "Mt. Everest of music". (Image: NY Times, 1-13-2009) (YouTube: Emil Gilels)
Schroeder's strenuous / workouts before tackling / the Hammerklavier! | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:48 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's Letter (March 21, 1824) Request for concert hall for the premiere of his Ninth Symphony. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:50 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's autograph in March 21, 1824 letter Beethoven's autograph in his 1824 letter on the first day of Spring. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:50 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Beethoven's autograph in March 21, 1824 letter Beethoven's "B" used as the logo for Ira Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:52 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Portrait of Guilietta Guicciardi (Immortal Beloved: Candidates, Letters) Beethoven's beloved— Guilietta who loved him but married a count. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 8:00 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Schroeder with his Beethoven Buttons Beethoven buttons in a glass display case of collector's items. |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 8:02 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Snoopy dancing on Schroeder's Piano Snoopy happily dancing on piano while Schroeder plays Beethoven. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 8:05 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Book "Play It Again!": Schroeder & Lucy Lucy tells Schroeder "Play it again!"— it is not Sam but Beethoven! |
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 8:06 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Snoopy dreaming on a crescent moon Snoopy sleeping on a crescent moon with his Impossible Dream. | |
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 8:08 pm Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" Lucy with Schroeder Playing Beethoven Lucy loves Schroeder but Schroeder's love is for Ludwig van Beethoven! |
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