Ludwig Van Beethoven

One would only need to listen to Ludwig van Beethoven's poignantly beautiful "Moonlight Sonata" to get a sense of the sort of man he was. Passionate, mercurial, brilliant---Beethoven's persistent reputation as a genius has been no exaggeration. His fruitful mind bore thirty-two piano sonatas, sixteen sonatas for a single instrument and the piano, sixteen string quartets, nine symphonies, five piano concertos, and one opera (Beethoven 1770-1827). His music was known to be so moving as to border on the scandalous; yet he was even more the beloved musician and icon of his day for it. His reputation endures, as it rightfully should, as the ultimately tragic and brilliant musician whose life perhaps mirrored the Romantic movement of the period; blossoming and fading with the very same fervor.

Baptised on December 17th 1770 in Bonn, Germany, Ludwig van Beethoven was the eldest living son of three born to an alcoholic musician father and a warm yet serious mother. Since the age of four, Johann, Ludwig's father, pressed Ludwig hard in the realm of music, sometimes acting upon him in ways that may be considered abusive. Insistent that his son come to be the next child prodigy, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann had Ludwig play for the first time publicly in Cologne on March 26, 1778. Although he was seven and a half, Beethoven's father declared that he was only six, causing Beethoven to forever believe he was younger than he was (Pervot).

Eventually Ludwig began to learn organ compositions, such as those by Gottlob Neefe. Acknowledging young Ludwig's talents, Neefe schooled him in music and philosophy. In 1782, before he was even twelve years old, Beethoven published his first piece; nine variations in C Minor for Piano, on a march by Ernst Christoph Dressler. In the summer of 1784, Neefe recommended Ludwig to Maximilian Franz, Elector of Cologne. There, at the age of only fourteen, Beethoven played as the organist for the court. Impressed with Beethoven's immense talents, Maximilian Franz sent Ludwig to Vienna, the heart of high culture, in 1787 (Pervot).

He did not stay long, as he received word that his beloved mother was dying that very same year. For this reason, he returned to Bonn and did not return to Vienna for five years, after which he received another grant for his musical education by Maximilian Franz. While in Vienna, Ludwig received lessons with Haydn, Albrechtsberger, and Salieri. While his temperament may have been quite often unpleasant, he more than made up for it with his talents. In 1795, Ludwig performed for the first time publicly in Vienna. He then toured and played concerts in Prague, Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin, and Budapest (Pervot).

In Vienna in 1800, Beethoven presented his first symphony. With a piece so passionate and beautiful, it is not so difficult to see how it may have been construed as a bit scandalous for its time. Fraught with great crescendos and brilliant tension, it roused powerful emotions in the listeners. In 1801, Ludwig began to divulge to his confidants that he feared he was becoming deaf. Rather than give up on music altogether, his passion and brilliance only increased with his handicap. Subsequently he wrote pieces such as the Storm, Opus 31, and his second and the third symphonies, amongst many others. His third symphony was originally dedicated to the fresh new leader of the Romantics, Napoleon Bonaparte. However, once Bonaparte proved himself mad with power, Beethoven rescinded this dedication with some fervor. In April of 1805, the piece was played for the first time (Pervot).

During this period, Ludwig wrote his first opera, originally titled Leonore, but eventually changed to Fidelio. In November of 1805 he presented the opera to none other than a scant crowd of French officers, due to the recent capture of Vienna by Napoleon. Remaining prolific, Ludwig composed pieces such as the haunting and elegant Fur Elise, and the Coriolan Overture. He also accepted students, many of them young ladies. An exception was the Archbishop Rudolph, who befriended Ludwig and became one of his benefactors. He ended up being one of the sponsors that offered Beethoven large sums of money to never leave Vienna, which he accepted (Pervot).

In 1812, Beethoven is said to have written an impassioned love letter addressed only vaguely to "my immortal beloved". The recipient of the letter is still unknown, and is subject to much debate. At the end of that year, Beethoven met Goethe, a poet who he greatly admired but failed to connect with. Three years later, Ludwig's brother Kasper Karl passed away. Beethoven was suddenly cast into the role of surrogate father, as Kasper had expressed his desire that Beethoven and his wife take care of his son, Karl, after his death. Unfortunately, he found great conflict with Kasper's wife, and great difficulty fostering Karl. He did as his father had done, and attempted to teach the boy the art of piano. However, the boy did not have the talent Ludwig had hoped for (Pervot).

In 1824, Beethoven's ninth symphony was played for the first time. Regardless of some errors, the symphony was a resounding sensation. Despite this, Beethoven began to decline financially and emotionally. Though he saved money, it was intended for his nephew, Karl. During this same period, Ludwig began composing his tenth symphony, a piece which he would never finish. In late 1826, Ludwig became ill with a cold. Unable to fight the sickness, Beethoven passed away in 1827 surrounded by his dearest friends (Pervot).

His funeral was, of course, greatly attended. Between 10,000 and 30,000 people came to mourn the loss of the extraordinarily talented musician (Pervot). An intensely burning ember of brilliance, Beethoven's loss continues to echo throughout the ages. Perhaps a fitting close to this reflection on Ludwig van Beethoven's life would be his composition Fur Elise, a gorgeously evocative piece that lingers upon the heart of the listener long after it has ceased to play.

Beethoven's music influenced countless strings of talented musicians, changing the face of music forever. For example, he influenced the composer Franz Peter Shubert so much that he was one of the bearers of his casket, though he was never formally introduced to him. A year later, Shubert was even buried beside him (Pervot). The love and adoration Beethoven's music generated is quite the testament to his genius; but the music will always speak for itself.

References

"Beethoven 1770-1827." Life of Beethoven. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. 12 Oct. 2007 .

Pervot, Dominique. "Beethoven: Biography." LVBeethoven. Dec. 2001. 12 Oct. 2007 .