Playwright: Mark Guarino . At: House Theatre of Chicago at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division. Phone: 773/251-2195; $25 - $29. Runs through: Dec. 20
You don't hear the music in Beethoven, As I Knew Him. You feel it. And if it that sounds like hyperbolic Cheez Whiz, so be it. It's also quite true. The music within Hershey Felder's one-man tribute to the German composer behind some of the world's most iconic music is something rare and wonderful. The plot of the thingwell, that's another, far lesser story. But Beethoven's legacy is his music, not his biography, and in capturing that glorious sound, Felder is a maestro.
As a concert pianist, Felder possesses that rare blend of extraordinary technique and passionate interpretation that separate truly gifted artists from the rest of us. As an actor in this piece, he suffices.
Felder is primarily known in Chicago for George Gershwin Alone, wherein he seemed to channel the great American composer in a 90-minute show that brought both the artist and his music to extraordinary life. The piece ran in Chicago for over a year, as Felder single-handedly reclaimed Rhapsody in Blue from those heinous United Airlines ads.
Beethoven, As I Knew Him differs substantially from Gershwin, Alone in structure: Felder doesn't play Beethoven in this bio-concert. The piece opens after Beethoven's death. It is told from the point of view of one Gerhard von Breuning, who as a boy, spent considerable time with the elderly Beethoven. The script isn't great: First off, who cares about Gerhard von Breuning? Second, Beethoven's life is unveiled in sketchy, melodramatic strokes. There's nothing here you won't find skimming Google entries. And while a 95-minute show will never capture Beethoven in full, Felder glosses over some mighty questions: What led to Beethoven's hearing loss at such an early age? ( Some scholars argue it was syphilis. ) Why was the mighty composer living in the abject squalor of the mad near the end of his lifechamber pots unemptied, apartment strewn with rancid food scraps? Why did he place so much importance on a nephew who was so clearly ( in today's terms ) toxic?
But Felder makes up for that frustrating lack of biographical detail with his magnificence on the piano. When Felder applies his exquisite blend of technical prowess and intense emotion to Beethoven, the music is nothing short of rapturous. When he brashly announces that Beethoven captures the ethos of the universe entire in four, simple notes, you believe it with both your head and your heart. When Felder plays those four notes? Don't be surprised at the sudden appearance of goosebumps.
Mozart, so the saying goes, heard the voice of God. Beethoven made that voice audible within the 88 keys of a piano. When Felder lets loose with Fur Elise, Beethoven's Fifth or his revolutionary Pathetique, you believe it.