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（2015）Withinthespanofahundredyears,intheseventeenthandearlyeighteenthcenturies,atideofemigration—oneofthegreatfolkwanderingsofhistory—sweptfromEuropetoAmerica.46)Thismovement,drivenbypowerfulanddiversemotivations,builtanationoutofawildernessand,byitsnature,shapedthecharacteranddestinyofanunchartedcontinent.47)TheUnitedStatesistheproductoftwoprincipalforces-theimmigrationofEuropeanpeopleswiththeirvariedideas,customs,andnationalcharacteristicsandtheimpactofanewcountrywhichmodifiedthesetraits.Ofnecessity,colonialAmericawasaprojectionofEurope.AcrosstheAtlanticcamesuccessivegroupsofEnglishmen,Frenchmen,Germans,Scots,Irishmen,Dutchmen,Swedes,andmanyotherswhoattemptedtotransplanttheirhabitsandtraditionstothenewworld.48)But,theforceofgeographicconditionspeculiartoAmerica,theinterplayofthevariednationalgroupsupononeanother,andthesheerdifficultyofmaintainingold-worldwaysinaraw,newcontinentcausedsignificantchanges.Thesechangesweregradualandatfirstscarcelyvisible.Buttheresultwasanewsocialpatternwhich,althoughitresembledEuropeansocietyinmanyways,hadacharacterthatwasdistinctlyAmerican.49)ThefirstshiploadsofimmigrantsboundfortheterritorywhichisnowtheUnitedStatescrossedtheAtlanticmorethanahundredyearsafterthe15th-and16th-centuryexplorationsofNorthAmerica.Inthemeantime,thrivingSpanishcolonieshadbeenestablishedinMexico,theWestIndies,andSouthAmerica.ThesetravelerstoNorthAmericacameinsmall,unmercifullyovercrowdedcraft.Duringtheirsix-totwelve-weekvoyage,theysubsistedonbarelyenoughfoodallottedtothem.Manyoftheshipwerelostinstorms,manypassengersdiedofdisease,andinfantsrarelysurvivedthejourney.Sometimesstormsblewthevesselsfarofftheircourse,andoftencalmbroughtunbearablylongdelay.“TotheanxioustravelersthesightoftheAmericanshorebroughtalmostinexpressiblerelief.”saidonerecorderofevents,“Theairattwelveleagues’distancesmeltassweetasanew-blowngarden.”Thecolonists’firstglimpseofthenewlandwasasightofdensewoods.50)Thevirginforestwithitsrichnessandvarietyoftreeswasaveritablerealtreasure-housewhichextendedfromMaineallthewaydowntoGeorgia.Herewasabundantfuelandlumber.Herewastherawmaterialofhousesandfurniture,shipsandpotash,dyesandnavalstores.（2014）Musicmeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeopleandsometimesevendifferentthingstothesamepersonatdifferentmomentsofhislife.Itmightbepoetic,philosophical,sensual,ormathematical,butinanycaseitmust,inmyview,havesomethingtodowiththesoulofthehumanbeing.Henceitismetaphysical;butthemeansofexpressionispurelyandexclusivelyphysical:sound.Ibelieveitispreciselythispermanentcoexistenceofmetaphysicalmessagethroughphysicalmeansthatisthestrengthofmusic.46)Itisalsothereasonwhywhenwetrytodescribemusicwithwords,allwecandoisarticulateourreactionstoit,andnotgraspmusicitself.Beethoven’simportanceinmusichasbeenprincipallydefinedbytherevolutionarynatureofhiscompositions.Hefreedmusicfromhithertoprevailingconventionsofharmonyandstructure.SometimesIfeelinhislateworksawilltobreakallsignsofcontinuity.Themusicisabruptandseeminglydisconnected,asinthelastpianosonata.Inmusicalexpression,hedidnotfeelrestrainedbytheweightofconvention.47)Byallaccountshewasafreethinkingperson,andacourageousone,andIfindcourageanessentialqualityfortheunderstanding,letalonetheperformance,ofhisworks.ThiscourageousattitudeinfactbecomesarequirementfortheperformersofBeethoven’smusic.Hiscompositionsdemandtheperformertoshowcourage,forexampleintheuseofdynamics.48)Beethoven’shabitofincreasingthevolumewithanextremeintensityandthenabruptlyfollowingitwithasuddensoftpassagewasonlyrarelyusedbycomposersbeforehim.Beethovenwasadeeplypoliticalmaninthebroadestsenseoftheword.Hewasnotinterestedindailypolitics,butconcernedwithquestionsofmoralbehaviorandthelargerquestionsofrightandwrongaffectingtheentiresociety.49)Especiallysignificantwashisviewoffreedom,which,forhim,wasassociatedwiththerightsandresponsibilitiesoftheindividual:headvocatedfreedomofthoughtandofpersonalexpression.Beethoven’smusictendstomovefromchaostoorderasiforderwereanimperativeofhumanexistence.Forhim,orderdoesnotresultfromforgettingorignoringthedisordersthatplagueourexistence;orderisanecessarydevelopment,animprovementthatmayleadtotheGreekidealofspiritualelevation.ItisnotbychancethattheFuneralMarchisnotthelastmovementoftheEroicaSymphony,butthesecond,sothatsufferingdoesnothavethelastword.50)OnecouldinterpretmuchoftheworkofBeethovenbysayingthatsufferingisinevitable,butthecouragetofightitrenderslifeworthliving.（2013）Itisspeculatedthatgardensarisefromabasicneedintheindividualswhomadethem:theneedforcreativeexpression.Thereisnodoubtthatgardensevidenceanimpossibleurgetocreate,express,fashion,andbeautifyandthatself-expressionisabasichumanurge;46)yetwhenonelooksatthephotographsofthegardenscreatedbythehomeless,itstrikesonethat,foralltheirdiversityofstyles,thesegardensspeakofvariousotherfundamentalurges,beyondthatofdecorationandcreativeexpression.Oneoftheseurgeshastodowithcreatingastateofpeaceinthemidstofturbulence,a“stillpointoftheturningworld,”toborrowaphrasefromT.S.Eliot.47)Asacredplaceofpeace,howevercrudeitmaybe,isadistinctlyhu