Immortal Beloved

I enjoyed a huge movie marathon this weekend while TBF has been out of town visiting his mom. I think I've already watched 9 DVDs (well, I've at least had them on in the background), and it's only Saturday (oops, is now Sunday morning - 3:27am - I'm too old to be up this late!).

Some funny (Friday), some silly (Legally Blonde), some for the excellent soundtracks (Grosse Pointe Blank and Chicago), some to make me smile (Father of the Bride), some to make me cry (Finding Neverland), some for the fine boys (Footloose and Legends of the Fall ... old Brad Pitt in a pony tail *swoons*).

But for a good love story, few are as passionate and heart wrenching as the story of Beethoven and his Immortal Beloved. This movie has always held a special place in my heart.

First, a powerful quote about the way we are moved by music:

Beethoven says, "Music is a dreadful thing. What is it? I don't understand it. What does it do?" Shindler says, "it exalts the soul." Beethoven says, "Utter nonsense. If you hear a marching band, is your soul exalted? No, you march. If you hear a waltz, you dance. If you hear a mass, you take communion. It is the power of the music to carry one directly into the mental state of the composer. The listener has no choice. It is like hypnotism."

And another quote - more mushy, but beautifully poignant - a letter written to his lover:

My angel, my all, my other self... While still in my bed, my thoughts turn to you, my immortal beloved. Some of them happy, some sad. Waiting to see whether fate will hear us. I can live only completely with you or not at all. Yes, it must be... I must go to sleep now. Be calm, love today, yesterday, what longing with tears for you, you, you're my life, my everything. Farewell then, go on loving me. Ever yours. Ever mine. Forever.