Interesting piece but his statement that Beckett is as great an artist as Shakespeare & Beethoven strikes me as fatuously stupid. If we describe the full gamut of human experience being the palette of the artist then Beckett works from a very limited range of colours compared to the other illustrious two. Shakespeare & Beethoven also flatly contradict Beckett's version of reality...it is ridiculous to place them together. So while Beckett if we are honest is essentially pessimistic and says no to life, Bethoven's art is the co-mingling of the human and the divine to the point where the human is divine. You might as well compare Beckett to being as great as a certain type of car as to say he is as great as Beethoven- in fact it possibly makes more sense as the two entities don't cintradict each other.
By and large, I agree, Andrew. Beckett's OK in small doses, and he seems to have been a pretty nice guy, but his sour outlook suffers, in my view, from the problem that it is false.
My view too, Frank. If the lens with which the artist views the world is false then however well he describes what he sees, it interests me very little.
Interesting piece but his statement that Beckett is as great an artist as Shakespeare & Beethoven strikes me as fatuously stupid. If we describe the full gamut of human experience being the palette of the artist then Beckett works from a very limited range of colours compared to the other illustrious two. Shakespeare & Beethoven also flatly contradict Beckett's version of reality...it is ridiculous to place them together. So while Beckett if we are honest is essentially pessimistic and says no to life, Bethoven's art is the co-mingling of the human and the divine to the point where the human is divine. You might as well compare Beckett to being as great as a certain type of car as to say he is as great as Beethoven- in fact it possibly makes more sense as the two entities don't cintradict each other.
ReplyDeleteShould have said 'possibly don't contradict each other' in the last sentence.
ReplyDeleteBy and large, I agree, Andrew. Beckett's OK in small doses, and he seems to have been a pretty nice guy, but his sour outlook suffers, in my view, from the problem that it is false.
ReplyDeleteMy view too, Frank. If the lens with which the artist views the world is false then however well he describes what he sees, it interests me very little.
ReplyDelete