One of my favorite composers, Ludwig van Beethoven, born in Bonn, Germany in 1770, a composer and a virtuoso pianist, is still considered one of the greatest composers of all time. There are two aspects of his life which I find rather fascinating, and I am currently in the process of doing rather extensive research in these areas. For now, a synopsis, if you will.
Beethoven's Hearing Difficulties
Beethoven began to lose his hearing in his early twenties, around 1796. Although he continued to compose, perform and conduct his music, it became increasingly difficult for him to perceive and appreciate music. According to several sources, he also avoided conversation, and spoke of suicide(it is now believed that he was possibly bipolar).
“Over time, his hearing loss became profound: there is a well-attested story that, at the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he had to be turned around to see the tumultuous applause of the audience; hearing nothing, he began to weep Beethoven's hearing loss did not prevent his composing music, but it made concerts—lucrative sources of income—increasingly difficult.”¹
In order to assist with his perception of sound when he played the piano, he used a special rod which was attached to the soundboard on the piano that he could then bite.In doing so, the vibrations would travel to his jaw, and aid him in his quest to perceive the music. He also owned a large collection of hearing aids, which now reside at the Beethoven House Museum in Bonn, Germany. Unfortunately, Beethoven was completely deaf by 1814.
Beethoven's Romantic History
Beethoven's personal live was also fraught with difficulties, not the least of which was his propensity for attraction to married women, or aristocrats, neither of which were suitable for him at that time. He never married, but was once engaged to Giulietta Guiccardi; her father's opposition prevented the marriage from occurring.
“Giulietta's marriage to a nobleman was unhappy, and when it ended in 1822, she attempted unsuccessfully to return to Beethoven. His only other documented love affair with an identified woman began in 1805 with Josephine von Brunswick, young widow of the Graf von Deym. It is believed the relationship ended by 1807 because of Beethoven's indecisiveness and the disapproval of Josephine's aristocratic family.
In 1812, Beethoven wrote a long love letter to a woman he identified only as "Immortal Beloved". Several candidates have been suggested, including Antonie Brentano, but the identity of the woman to whom the letter was written has never been proven.”¹
My next post will be the publication of Beethoven's love letter to the unidentified woman, known as "Immortal Beloved".
The image is a drawing of Beethoven by C.F.K. Klober, 1818, now in the public domain, and obtained from Wikimedia Commons.
¹Wikipedia source
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