CHENNAI: You may not know the name of this tune, but you’ve certainly heard it – in an elevator at a five star hotel, as a ring tone on a friend’s phone or at a concert if you enjoy western classical music. Beethoven’s popular Fur Elise (pronounced fure-el-lise) that has been passed down from pianist to pianist for over two centuries, was originally composed in 1810. And the original manuscript of his composition was found to carry the date April 27 — making it 212 years since it was composed. While it may be just a tune that strikes a familiar note in most people’s minds, to a section of Chennai’s western classical pianists and students it means a great deal more.Says music director Satish Chakravarthy who scored the music for the recently released Leelai’, “I started playing the piano very young and was very good with all the theory and exercises. But the first time I played Fur Elise was when I realised that I could actually make music with the piano.”Although a majority of music lovers are only familiar with the first part of the tune, conductor of the Madras Musical Association (MMA) Augustine Paul points out that the composer set a trend with the second part. “The second episode (part) is definitely difficult, Beethoven doesn’t give away anything easy,” he laughs, then grows serious, “but technically speaking, none of the classical pieces in that era sounded anywhere near similar. Beethoven started a style of his own with the repeated repetition of notes in the second episode.”Perhaps one of the reasons that Fur Elise has stayed so well known despite its classical origins is the fact that once learnt, it is impressed on the minds of youngsters and adults alike. Paul states with a hint of humour, “You know that a teenager won’t be too thrilled if his grandfather is impressed,” and laughs heartily. “But Fur Elise is that one piece that is recognised in a peer group as well.” Also, he adds with a smile, “I know the kids love it because I’ve found little ones humming it every time a car goes into reverse gear.”And it doesn’t look like the song’s popularity will wane any time soon. Vivin Kuruvilla, who plays the keys for metal group Wolf Lair, recalls, “I was playing at a prominent hotel in the city for a while and I was surprised night after night to get requests for this tune.” He continues, “It was mostly the older crowd that knew the melody by name, but it’s hard to find anybody who hasn’t heard this tune.”Beethoven, settled in heaven, may not be able to hear the various versions of his melody, but he can certainly feel proud. The irony is that Beethoven is said to have lost his hearing before 1810, which means that he never heard his own composition.
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