A Novel Approach: Beethoven, Dvořák, Elgar, & Shostakovich as Protagonists in Fiction

Jun 19

One of the many genres I enjoy reading is historical fiction. Can one learn history from fiction? Yes, I think so, if the history is well-researched by the author, and if the reader is careful to separate fact from fiction. I often find that reading a historical novel leads me to investigate further the history (and geography) of whatever I'm reading; the story, as written by a good author, leads me in and piques my interest.

I have recently read four novels which are based on events in the lives of Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonín Dvořák, Sir Edward Elgar, and Dmitri Shostakovich. They were all enjoyable; I recommend them!

Dvořák in Love (original title: Scherzo capriccioso) by Josef Škvorecký (1983); translated from the Czech by Paul Wilson (1986)

In 1891, Bohemian composer Antonín Dvořák is offered, and accepts, the post of Director of the National Conservatory in New York; in 1895 he resigns the post and returns to Europe. This novel is mostly about the composer's time in the United States, as seen from the points of view of various family members as well as many American friends and acquaintances. The “love” of the title is that of Dvořák for his sister-in-law, Josephine. The novel is complicated: each chapter has a different narrator (sometimes first-person, sometimes third-person); some chapters are narrated shortly after the events described, and some are reminiscences many years later. It's a well-written novel that offers us a glimpse of America in the 1890s in addition to varied impressions of the composer in his family life and professional life.

Gerontius by James Hamilton-Paterson (1989)

The main character in this novel is Sir Edward Elgar. It's 1923: he is 66 years old, his wife and many of his good friends have died, he's no longer inspired to write music, and, although the English like to bellow out his "Land of Hope and Glory", for the most part his music is at this time considered to be old-fashioned. On a whim, he decides to take a trip to Brazil; he meets some interesting characters and spends much of the time on the trip musing about growing older. The book is based on fact, but since not much is known about what Elgar actually did on his trip to Brazil, the author of this novel is free to speculate about the voyage on the RMS Hildebrand, Elgar's brief visit to Madeira, and his excursion up the Amazon river.

The first 12 pages contain a rather odd dream sequence. Once you get past that, the story picks up. The author is also a poet, and it shows in his use of language. A poignant story, and an enjoyable read.

Conversations with Beethoven by Sanford Friedman (2014)

In the later years of his life Ludwig van Beethoven was deaf; he always kept a notebook in which people could write their comments and questions. This novel begins with a letter from Beethoven's nephew, Karl, dated July 29, 1826, and ends with a letter from Karl's mother to her son describing Beethoven's death and funeral in March 1827; between these letters the book consists almost entirely of notebook entries from friends, family members, students, colleagues, doctors, and others who wished (or needed) to converse with Beethoven; we can identify who is speaking by the form of address (the author helpfully provides a list of characters and the form of address each one used), the context, the content of the message, and the choice of words. Occasionally the reader gets to hear Beethoven's side of the conversation (written in italics) when he is asked to write his replies, as his speaking voice is alternately too soft to be heard or (more often) far too loud, due to his inability to hear himself. Most of the time, however, the reader must infer what Beethoven says. Through the mostly one-sided conversations we get to know an interesting and varied cast of characters, and a sympathetic and occasionally funny portrait of Beethoven emerges. It's a clever idea, and it works very well.

The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes (2016)

In this novel we see Dmitri Shostakovich at three different times in his life. In the first section of the book, it is 1936, and the composer is standing by the elevator, reflecting on his life and his current predicament: Stalin has denounced his opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk; Shostakovich is certain that he will be exiled to Siberia or killed. He has packed an overnight case and waits by the elevator because he wants to be ready for them. (They never come.) In the second section, it is 1948: Shostakovich has been coerced into praising the Soviet state at a cultural conference in New York, and he is on the plane coming home, thinking about his experience in the United States. In the third section, it is in the 1970s, and he is riding in a chauffeur-driven car, reflecting on having been bullied into joining the Party in 1960. In all three sections, he thinks about his “conversations with Power” and what it means to be a composer in the Soviet Union. “Lenin found music depressing. Stalin thought he understood and appreciated music. Khrushchev despised music. Which is the worst for a composer? To some questions, there were no answers.” (page 123).

When reading a work of fiction about a historical figure, one wonders how true to life the protagonist might be. Well, in the case of Shostakovich, I was able to ask someone who actually knew him! My friend Nadia Adler, who emigrated to Canada from Russia in 1990, had met Shostakovich when she was younger and had edited some of his music for publication. When I told her about the novel, she borrowed it from me and read it, and she thought it was good.

Four composers from different countries, with very different life experiences. Four unique novels, all worth reading.

“What could be put up against the noise of time? Only that music which is inside ourselves – the music of our being – which is transformed by some into real music. Which, over the decades, if it is strong and true and pure enough to drown out the noise of time, is transformed into the whisper of history.” (The Noise of Time, page 135)

Here are some links to Youtube recordings of works referenced in the above-mentioned novels:

Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C# Minor, op. 131* (*The first movement is required listening for the RCM's History 10.)

Beethoven: String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, op. 135

Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, op. 95 “From the New World”

Dvořák: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, op. 104

Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme (Enigma), op. 36

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D, op. 39, no. 1

Shostakovich: Katerina’s Arioso from Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, op. 29

Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, op. 110