ABSTRACT
The introduction discusses definitions of the lyric impulse, focussing in particular on the ideas of Herder, a poet and theorist who influenced both Goethe and Beethoven. These two were rivals for the mantle of supreme lyricist. Goethe implied Beethoven had missed the boat when it came to setting the songs of Mignon, the poet’s vision of a perfect lyricist. However, the Herder context offers a wider perspective for evaluating Beethoven’s song-writing. Herder believed that the lyric should be seen as a mode of address rather than as a genre; he prioritised the creation of resonance and of physical response from listeners as signs of the lyric impulse, rather than adherence to particular stylistic boundaries. If one accepts such definitions then Beethoven’s experiments in song-writing can gain new currency, for their communicative urgency is seldom in doubt.
