Welcome to the third episode of Fretful Porpentine (slightly NSFW!), hosted by book critic Valerie Stivers and classical music commentator Jeffrey Gross. This podcast explores musical references in classic literature. Here we talk about Beethoven's "Kreutzer" violin sonata and Tolstoy's "Kreutzer Sonata," extraordinary pieces of music and writing. This epi is slightly NSFW: Tolstoy is obsessed with sex and Beethoven with sonata form -- so we discuss both, sometimes simultaneously! In fact, the obsessions are related via what Jeffrey calls #TheEroticsOfMusic in his forthcoming book on classical music, Get Bach! -- How Classical Music Can Change Your Life. What is the erotics of music? According to renowned musicologist Susan McClary, "Tonality itself - with its process of instilling expectations and subsequently withholding promised fulfillment until climax - is the principal musical means during the period from 1600 to 1900 for arousing and channeling desire." And there's musical desire aplenty in Beethoven. A summary of Tolstoy's text, mainly from Wikipedia: Tolstoy's work was published in 1889, and was promptly censored by the Russian authorities. It's an extravagant, expertly wrought condemnation of our worldly relations. Unburdening himself to an anonymous stranger (the narrator) on a train, the main character Pozdnyshev relates that after he met and married his wife, periods of passionate love and vicious fights alternated. She bore him five children, and then received contraceptives: "The last excuse for our swinish life – children – was then taken away, and life became viler than ever." His wife takes a liking to a violinist, Trukhachevsky, and the two perform Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata (Sonata no. 9 in A major for piano and violin, Op. 47) together. Pozdnyshev complains that some music is powerful enough to change one's internal state to a foreign one. He hides his raging jealousy and goes on a trip, thinking that the violinist was about to move away; however, he is made aware from his wife's letter that the musician has not left, and has visited her instead. Returning early, he finds Trukhachevsky and his wife sitting at the table and kills his wife with a dagger. The violinist escapes; Pozdnyshev states, "I wanted to run after him, but remembered that it is ridiculous to run after one's wife's lover in one's socks; and I did not wish to be ridiculous but terrible." He realizes what he has done only a few days later, when he is led to his wife's funeral. He is acquitted of murder in light of his wife's apparent adultery. At the end of his tale, Pozdnyshev implores the narrator for forgiveness. Are there other Kreutzer sonatas? Several, including films, music, and books. Perhaps the most important is by Leoš Janaček (July 3, 1854 – August 12, 1928), one of the founders of Czech modernism known for his operas like Katya Kabanová and The Cunning Little Vixen. The Tolstoy text served as the inspiration for his first (eponymous) string quartet. There is also a novel by Dutch author, Margriet de Moor. It makes use of many of Tolstoy’s tropes: an anonymous narrator, a journey (by airplane) and above all, themes of sex, jealousy, and disaster. Erratum! "In medias res" is from Horace, not Aristotle. Kreutzer performed by Corey Cerovsek, violin & Paavali Jumppanen, piano. This episode was written and hosted by Valerie Stivers (@Valerie_reads on X.com and @ivalleria on Instagram.com) and Jeffrey Gross (@Klassical_Kat on X.com). It was produced and engineered by Amanda Adams (@amandaadamsmusic on Instagram.com). Thanks also to Monique Pryce (@second_bassoon on X) for assisting with setup and launch. From Hamlet: "And each particular hair to stand on end, / Like quills upon the fretful porpentine"
