The contemporary American composer Ned Rorem has called Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony “the first piece of junk in the grand style.” He is in a decided minority.
To many, Beethoven’s Ninth is arguably the greatest symphony ever written. Not a few music lovers and scholars would claim that even without the Ninth, Beethoven was nonetheless the greatest composer of all time. For example, his Fifth Symphony, featuring the most recognizable musical motif ever penned, is one of the pillars of Western music.
But as much as I love Beethoven’s music, as one for whom food has always been a consuming passion, I think it’s important not to overlook his eating habits. The old adage, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are,” applies to musicians, too.
Beethoven was not especially interested in food, sometimes skipping meals altogether when working on a piece. He didn’t know much about cooking, though there is one recorded instance of him donning an apron and preparing a meal for some friends. One of his biographers reports that it was a complete disaster.
Nonetheless, he had culinary preferences, and there was one thing about which he was especially particular. He was one of the great coffee drinkers of history. His friend Anton Schindler recalled, “Coffee seems to have been his most indispensable food.”
Though he had a cook, he always made his own coffee. He calculated that a good cup of the brew must start with exactly 60 beans, and he counted them out, one by one. He would grind them and, using what has been described as a “glass contraption,” infuse them with hot water. Not surprising for a man who when composing, his marked up scores reveal, always sought perfection.
When it comes to Beethoven, his music, like chocolate cake, is immensely satisfying. And when it comes to either, I’m always ready for seconds.
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Ode to Beethoven Cake
Any birthday or holiday party will be joyous when you serve this cake. Based on a recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking Chez Moi,” its frosting is spiked with coffee, a beverage about which the composer was persnickety, and it’s topped with shards of Symphony bars.
3-½ sticks butter
23 ounces bittersweet chocolate, divided
6 eggs
1-½ cups sugar
1-¼ cups flour
1-¼ cups cream
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
6 ounces chopped Hershey’s Symphony Bars with almonds and toffee chips
Melt together butter and 14 ounces chocolate. Beat eggs and sugar at medium speed until light in color. On low speed gradually mix in flour and then the chocolate mixture. Divide batter evenly among three 9-inch pans which have been greased and floured and lined on the bottom with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-19 minutes until toothpick inserted in centers comes out slightly moist. Cool three minutes and remove from pan, peeling off parchment paper. Cool completely. Melt together remaining 9 ounces chocolate, cream, and coffee granules. Let cool, stirring often, until thick enough to spread. Spread frosting between cake layers, frost top and sides, and sprinkle chopped candy bars on top.
