In these demanding times, travel and music are both fruitful metaphors for reflecting on life. Even if we’re not allowed to roam, nor attend live concerts. It makes me think about Beethoven. Being already as deaf as a doornail, and not physically able to listen to his own creations anymore, he continued imagining music.
Before his deafness took hold, Beethoven was already known for being able to imagine music in great detail. He simply composed in his head, and then wrote down what he had in fact already finished. No real surprise that his most seminal compositions emerged precisely in this later, ‘silent’ period. Who knows, maybe our most groundbreaking travel plans germinate right now as well? In any case, I have no trouble imagining new, promising destinations and routes. What fills the heart, will flow over from, well, the mind.
In the fourth part of his string quartet no° 16 in F major, Der Schwere Entschluss, in fact his last finished composition, Beethoven seems to muse about his fate, by musically mimicking Muß es sein? (Must it be?). Soon after, he seems to accept his fate. Es muß sein. (It has to be). At least, this is how it was interpreted in later times, with the hindsight of his death only one year later.
Beethoven, String Quartet Opus 135 no° 16 in F major. You’ll find Part IV Der schwere Entschluss (the difficult decision) at 17’25”
In reality, Beethoven wasn’t wondering about his fate at all. It was a rather mundane and humorous event that made him play, musically, with this idea. As far as I’m concerned, precisely the ability to accept a situation in which there is no immediate solution is what keeps me going during this pandemic. Just as it does whilst travelling. Indeed, not everything always goes smoothly on long overland journeys. Sometimes one has to accept situations that are boring, fatiguing, unpleasant, complicated or even challenging.
Although there is still no clear promise about when we’ll be able to travel freely again, I refuse to resign myself to the situation. A substantial part of the overlanding experience, is about imagining the journey ahead. Indeed, in the way Beethoven imagined his compositions. This aspect is a joy in its own right. Beethoven’s ability to silently concoct entire compositions without writing them down – he did so during his daily walks – was based on his immense experience as an improviser. Similarly for me, enjoying memories of past adventures and eagerly looking forward to coming ones, inevitably merge when forging new plans.
Another aspect that I relish, and for which I’m quietly taking my time, is thinking about additional equipment for the truck. Some things still have to be fitted: a winch for unexpected circumstances, a snorkel for dustier destinations, and certainly better headlights. The latter should compensate for the reinforced leaf springs at the rear. This resulted in a slightly downward sloping chassis at the front, causing my headlights not to shine far enough anymore. As if they were saying: for the time being, focus on the present.
My brand new winch, awaiting installation. Perhaps this is the first page on the internet where Beethoven and a powerful winch are characters in the same story.
All these themes mingle in my mind. The overall structure of the composition starts revealing itself. What a pleasant feeling! I just have to wait a bit longer for the moment ‘to ride it down’.