--in each case, entirely disconnected from the normal
rules of musical grammar--are most dramatic, _e.g._

[Music]

At the mysterious entrance of the F natural in this passage it would
seem as if some mighty spirit were suddenly looking over our shoulder.
In the Finale of the Eighth Symphony what can be more startling than
the sudden explosive entrance of the unrelated C-sharp--before the
orchestra continues its mad career--which can be compared only to the
uproarious laughter of Rabelais himself, _e.g._

[Music]

There are numerous examples in Beethoven showing his dramatic use of
such orchestral instruments as the bassoons, horns, kettle-drums and
double basses. Possibly the most striking[170] is the Slow Movement of
the G major Pianoforte Concerto--that inspired dialogue, as it has
been eloquently called, "between Destiny and the human soul," in which
the touching appeals of the solo instrument are constantly interrupted
by the sinister mutterings and forebodings of the strings. Observe
especially the closing measures where the basses, alone are heard
_pp_, _e.g._

[Music]

[Footnote 170: See, however, the octave leaps of the kettle-drums in
the Scherzo of the Ninth Symphony.]

A spiritual quality escapes verbal definition; but just as we can feel
it in certain characters, and just as we recognize the sublime in
nature and in such works of art as a cathedral or a Shakespearian
Drama, so we may find it in the following specific examples from his
works: the Trio of the second movement of the Seventh Symphony; the
Slow Movement theme of the B-flat major Trio and the Slow Movement of
the Sonata op. 109. (See Supplement Nos. 47, 48, 49.) Anyone who
allows these themes to sink into his consciousness is carried into a
realm of ideality where he begins to recognize the truth that "the
things which are unseen are eternal." Music of this transporting power
is far above that which merely excites, amuses or even fascinates; and
of such music Beethoven is the poet for all time.

We have referred above to the voluminous literature extant concerning
Beethoven. Several scholars, in fact--notably Alexander Thayer and Sir
George Grove--have devoted a large part of their lives to finding out
all there is to be known about his life and works. Obviously the
layman cannot be expected to become familiar with this entire mass of
historical and critical writing. The following books, however, may be
considered indispensable aids to