Margarita Hohenrieder and Julius Berger have known it all their lives: the elucidations of Carl Czerny or Rudolf Kolisch, the latest Urtext editions that will lead them to "faithfulness to the text", the disquisitions from Romain Rolland to Eleonore Buning - they read, they discuss, it all seems helpful and necessary. At the end of the day it is the mature individual, the serious exponent, who makes the decision led by the promptings of conscience, and who simultaneously senses this "growing" of which Zagajewski speaks. Both climb a steep path, in order to approach Beethoven more closely. The summit of this path is visible, but not attainable. That is why the artists keep returning to this path, endless as it is. Beethoven lives in us, as he changes, as we change. Life aspires to art, art is a way forward, life is our way forward. Beethoven changes us through his "growth". We grow with him!
