Moral Courage
Beethoven’s Ninth turned suffering into universal harmony—a vision multilateralism once aspired to echo. Now, that moral music weakens under trends and slogans. Can the concert hall of nations recover its universal score—or will it simply binge what’s next?
Music
In October 1956, Hungary’s revolt found its soundtrack in Beethoven’s Egmont Overture. From its tragic chords to its triumphant blaze, the music mirrored their struggle: freedom martyred in blood, yet unconquered in spirit.
Music
Baroque music was fought over in courts, theatres, and pamphlets. Out of duels, diva feuds, and national quarrels arose les goûts réunis—a shared European musical language, cosmopolitan yet born of rivalry.
Music
Chopin called it żal—a sorrow that smiles through tears. From mazurkas to Paderewski’s anthems, Polish music became a form of sovereignty: beauty transfigured by suffering, melody as the nation’s survival.