Morgenthaler, Beethoven, Thesis

I don't know why I read Margaret Wente's columns in the Globe, but somehow I can't help it. Maybe there's something appealing about getting angry in the morning, but I can't imagine that's it, since I also believe that much of what she writes is actually dangerous. Today's column was about Dr. Henry Morgenthaler, who recently received the Order of Canada for his work on abortion rights. Her thesis is that it should be safe, accessible, and rare, but she does not outline how society is somehow supposed to make people have less abortions while also increasing accessibility. It seems to me that she needs more to back up what she's saying (which is always her problem)--what are the demographics that are getting abortions? Are there less abortions in school districts that have better sex-ed programs and easily accessible contraception? But what really made me upset was this line: "You can't put all the blame on lack of access to sex education or birth control, which are readily available almost everywhere. Instead, it seems plain that a lot of women are using abortion as a substitute for birth control." What?! How is that "plain"? And aren't there many places that don't have adequate sex-ed? Or condoms in the schools? Perhaps I am being naive, but I cannot imagine how anyone would use abortion as a birth control method. Though Wente claims to be pro-choice, this seems like what anti-abortion people say. More to the point, if you're someone crazy enough to use abortion as birth control, there's probably nothing "society" can do to change your habits, and making abortion less accessible is a health risk we should not tolerate. Wente is always full of contradictions and she really doesn't pursue her statements to their logical conclusions. Yes, I would write in the margins, "substantiate," "clarify logic," "develop consequences." Goodness!

In other news, I've been working on some Beethoven sonatas. For the past few weeks, I've been tackling the F minor, Op.2, No.1 --mostly the first and fourth movements. The third movement is nice, but short, and the second movement I'll look at later. I need more discipline for the second movements; when I start, I like the thrill of the faster first and last. The fourth movement is really fun to play. A couple days ago I started playing around with the G minor, Op.49, No.1, and it's easy enough to sight-read with satisfaction. I've been honing the C minor, Op.10, No.1 for a while now and it's improving with age, especially the slow second movement. Of course, I also like storming my way through the Pathetique and the gentle melancholy of the Moonlight. I've been listening to some recordings, and some people use more pedal than others. If any pianists are reading--what are your thoughts about this? I tend to use as little pedal as possible, but I often need it because my hands are so small. My old piano teacher used to hate using pedal with Beethoven. I'd been playing Chopin for so long, I got used to it, but Beethoven certainly does lend itself to a drier sound. Especially in the first movement of Op.10, No.1 I use very little pedal because I remember playing if the first time (with some pedal) for my piano teacher and she left my 16 year-old self in tears. In any case, these early sonatas are not nearly as interesting or complex, as, say, Pathetique, but still fun to play! I do wish my hands were bigger, as Beethoven likes those octaves! I feel handicapped! I should add some Bach and Mendelssohn to the mix, and perhaps ressurect my Mozart concerto in D minor (no.20). If I won the lottery, I really would just play piano all day.

My second chapter is progressing, nearing completion, perhaps even in the next 24 hours. I feel a sense of anxiety that I may not have enough time to revise, and believe me my drafts are rough. Yet when I read through passages, without the pressure of writing, I'm reminded of how beautiful and astute Bowen's writing is, and it feels like a privilege to be working with such wonderful material. If I had another month or two, I feel my thesis could be my best work thus far (which is as it should be, ideally). Oh well, we shall see!