Beethoven's Cat
The challenge was to create a situation that would combine two seeming disparate instruments: one known for its subdued tones, the other for its percussive qualities, into one seemingly coherent work. Representations of life or conditions in other parts of the universe were considered, along with conversations between sub-atomic particles like the quark, or maybe even idle chit-chat between a trilobite and an asteroid (starfish).
Then I thought, why not a cat? Not just any cat, but Beethoven’s cat! I’ve found no reference to there ever being one, but imagine if there were. Lying and sleeping there by the master, it would experience both the genius and the frustration first hand. And who knows, in the dark night, maybe, just maybe, Beethoven’s cat would hop to the bench, then piano, and try to replicate what it’s keen ears had absorbed earlier in the day. Beethoven’s Cat represents the thoughts and actions of this most remarkable creature.
Then I thought, why not a cat? Not just any cat, but Beethoven’s cat! I’ve found no reference to there ever being one, but imagine if there were. Lying and sleeping there by the master, it would experience both the genius and the frustration first hand. And who knows, in the dark night, maybe, just maybe, Beethoven’s cat would hop to the bench, then piano, and try to replicate what it’s keen ears had absorbed earlier in the day. Beethoven’s Cat represents the thoughts and actions of this most remarkable creature.