The Late Ira Brilliant’s Invaluable Legacy
When real estate magnate and music scholar Ira Brilliant died at age 85 in San Jose on September 10, he left behind the most important collection of items related to the life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven in North America. Located in a cozy corner of the fifth floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies gives visitors a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of humankind’s greatest geniuses. It is open to the public from 11am to 6pm most days and is one of the best free rides in town.
How the collection came to be at SJSU is a long story; suffice to say that Mr. Brilliant, who began collecting the items in 1975, found a willing and enthusiastic partner in the university. Originally located in a temporary building on campus, the Center was given a permanent climate-controlled home in the new library near the university’s music collection. Under the direction of Dr. William Meredith and Curator Patricia Stroh, the Center has a friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable staff ready, willing and able to give each visitor a tour and answer all their questions. While preparing this piece I was looked after by Administrative Assistant Kathy Fox and volunteer Fred Saunders who were extremely helpful.
So, what’s so important about all of this? Well, just about everything, and it’s incredible to think that this invaluable collection is right here in San Jose and most people don’t even know about it. The jewels in the collection are probably the famous lock of the composer’s hair (on display in July and December), autographed letters in his own hand and a page from one of his sketchbooks. There is an incredible collection of period keyboard instruments, including a newly acquired 1823 Broadwood fortepiano that is virtually identical to Beethoven’s own 1817 model. For those used to the size of a modern Steinway grand, the much smaller Broadwood will come as a shock, and the tone is quite different. There are some upcoming public concerts where this fortepiano will be played by period instrument specialists in performance of Beethoven’s works, and concertgoers will be able to hear these works they way Beethoven himself did (before he went completely deaf). Outside of the instruments, there is a huge number of first (300) and early (2000) editions of Beethoven’s scores, including his Op. 1 Piano Trios printed in 1795; facsimiles of his sketchbooks and manuscripts; engravings and illustrations from the period; early biographical material, including facsimile pages of his conversation books (where visitors wrote their questions and replies in conversation with the deaf maestro) and an invitation to his funeral on March 29, 1827; 3,600 books about the composer and the period in which he lived; and scores and recordings from all over the world. All of these items are either on display or readily accessible.
Besides looking after visitors to the Center, the staff answers research queries from all over the world. Music and history scholars constantly require bibliographic assistance and photocopies of items in the collection, and when I was there earlier this week, they were processing requests from San Diego, London and Tokyo. Currently, the staff is engaged in compiling the Beethoven Bibliography Database, the biggest and most comprehensive Beethoven bibliography ever, and they are about 75% of the way to catching up with everything now available. The database will constantly be revised and updated in the future and is fully accessible through the Internet.
The Center is supported by public and private funds and the university provides salaries, space and supplies. The associated American Beethoven Society supports the programs of the Center by acquiring important documents, sponsoring the Young Pianists’ Beethoven Competition and concerts, lectures and other events, and publishes “The Beethoven Journal.”
The Beethoven Center is fascinating, fun and friendly, not at all stuffy, and I hope our readers will make a point to visit and enjoy a unique experience. Outside of Bonn and Vienna, you won’t see anything like it in the world. If you are interested in visiting the Center or becoming a member of the American Beethoven Society, you can go to their website for further information.
As we approach the New Year, let’s remember Ira Brilliant in thanks for his great gift to our city and the world.
Jack:
My thanks also for sharing this (unkonwn) local treasure in our own backyard.
Such treasures, when properly promoted by a convention and visitors’ bureau and by local officials, help make a city great. Simply building a sports arena, convention hall, or other public works project worthy of Megastructures does not give a city “greatness” in the public eye.
Hopefully, the incoming Reed administration will recognize this lesson in attempting to repair 8 years’ damage under the (outgoing) Gonzales administration.
I also hope Mayor Reed will capitalize on the money making potential of our cultural resources. The present administration voted to demolish the home where the Greatful Dead first player together as a band. An other city would promoted it as their
“Graceland”, we chose to demo it to make way for our new cityhall
Where was the PAC? They wanted to preserve that old dump of a garage, but not where the Dead played? HHHhmmmm.
4 – You’re ignorance of historic buildings is showing, once again. I can’t speak to the Dead house so I’ll let others more knowledgeable do that. I’m not sure what building you are referring to when you say “that old dump of a garage” but appearance is not the only category that is used to determine an historic building.
I know your argument, if somebody wants to save something let them buy it. Of course if we used that criteria we would have even fewer historic buildings in San Jose than we do (and a LOT of them have been destroyed). The character of a community is greatly impacted by its architecture and a city with little historic inventory says a lot about its values.
I hope in the new year you will work a little harder to understand the importance of historic buildings to a community and maybe you will even join PAC-SJ and help them save what is left of the historic buildings in our city.
Dear San Jose:
I had an Econ class with a Professor at San Jose State named David Shapiro. I believe that Dr. Shapiro was a friend of Ira Brilliant and played a part in lobbying Mr. Brillant to bring his collection to SJSU. I always felt that Dr. Shapiro should get some of the credit for all of this, but he was not the sort of guy to brag. Thanks to Brilliant, (and to Shapiro too).
Pete Campbell
Native, I’m tired of “preservationists” trying to save marginal buildings because something special happened there many moons ago. An outhouse doesn’t warrant preservation because George Washington once took a dump there but Washington’s home, Mt. Vernon deserves to be preserved. By insisting that otherwise bland buildings be saved, you just cheapen the cause of preservation. Historic buildings are important, but let’s concentrate on the really significant ones.
7 – You probably won’t find much disagreement with those who are trying to save what is left of SJ history. There are very specific guidelines that are used to determine the historic “worthiness” of a building. By adhering to these guidelines buildings are evaluated objectively and not by what you or I think is historic and worthy of saving.
Jack you’ve finally done it. I’ve waited and waited for something musical from you and now it’s here. Have you visited Beethoven’s birthplace in Germany? Thanks for sharing this wonderful information with us. Sometime, when we are together, I’ll share a couple of very fuuny stories with you about my visit to Mozart’s home in Salzburg.
Isn’t it about time to go to Kings College and listen to the choir sing Christmas Carols?
Jack,
Thanks for sharing information on this often overlooked local treasure.
Perhaps it illustrates a larger point: there are tremendous cultural resources in San Jose and Silicon Valley.
We are far from being the cultural backwater that the smaller city to the north (and sadly, some of our own residents) would have us believe.
#4 JMO
PAC SJ was there fighting for the building. That is how I found out about it. Where were you? I’m sure Pac could have used your support on the issue.