“Electrical”
Today my sister randomly texted me a music quote and the timing was perfect.
Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks, and invents.
~ Ludwig van Beethoven
As a musician, I really appreciated the power of the quote, pun intended. However, I had a question, which spawned more questions. Why the word “electrical”? What would Beethoven know about electricity as this was a century before Edison? So is this quote accurate? I went to the research bots to dig deeper, and this is what I learned:
Early electricity: During Beethoven's lifetime (1770-1827), scientists were experimenting with static electricity and had rudimentary batteries (like the voltaic pile invented in 1800). However, these were primarily used for scientific investigation, not widespread practical applications.
"Electrical" meaning: The word "electrical" existed, but it was mainly used in a scientific context. It wouldn't have had the same connotations of power and energy that we associate with it today.
So, would Beethoven have used the word "electrical" in that quote?
It's unlikely. While he might have been aware of the scientific concept of electricity, it probably wouldn't have been part of his everyday language. The quote mentioned is more likely a later interpretation or adaptation of his ideas, using more modern terminology.
However, the essence of the quote still rings true. Beethoven was known for his passionate and intense personality, and he very likely saw music as a powerful force that could move and inspire people. The use of "electrical" might be an anachronism, but it captures the energy and dynamism that he associated with music.
I dug a little further, looking into the etymology and learned that electricity/electrical/electric stem from the greek word for amber, “elektron” and this was because of the static electricity that can be generated if you rub amber.
Now I know where the fantastic Swedish digital instrument brand Elektron gets its name!
All this to say, a great quote can open the right doorway to curiosity. I asked my sister where she found the quote, and it is from an article that lists a bunch of quotes, I encourage you to go find your favorite one and ask it some questions!
