It was an ordinary day. Big day for a fellow known as Ludwig van Beethoven. Celebrating his 250th birthday this week. Wonder if anyone will ever write about me when I celebrate my 250th birthday. I read and read article after article about Ludwig and so many of the posts carried the same information about him. Stories about a harsh father and a mother who died of tuberculosis when he was a teenager. How he got his biggest break when he gave one of his cantatas to the world's greatest composer, Joseph Haydn, etc., etc., etc. Then I found a few posts that told some of the highlights of his life and found many that were extremely interesting. Thought I would give you a few of his life's highlights rather then a play-by-play of his life from one year to the next. Follow along as I list some of the highlights of one of the most amazing musicians who ever lived...Ludwig van Beethoven.
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| A young Ludwig van Beethoven |
Ludwig van Beethoven was born about December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He was the eldest of three children of Johann and Maria Magdalena van Beethoven. His father was a musician who taught his son to play piano and violin, but also was an alcoholic.
Beethoven's father was a failed musician and a bully. He realized his son's talent and, seeing financial rewards for himself, decided the he should be the new Mozart - he made the young Ludwig practice for hours and hours. He died in 1792 before his son's greatness was truly realized.
His mother died of consumption in 1787, and he was forced to look after his younger brothers. He took his responsibilities seriously; to the point where he refused to allow them to marry women whom he thought were unsuitable.
Young Ludwig had to leave school aged only 11 to help with family duties. As a result, he never learned to do multiplication or division.
For three years in his early career he earned his living playing the Viola in an orchestra - possibly one of the reasons he was said to compose for the piano as if it was a stringed instrument.
Thomas Broadwood, the English piano builder, sent Beethoven one of his pianos as a gift in 1818. But by the time he received it, he was profoundly deaf and wouldn't have heard a note.
In one of Beethoven's letters, he said that he thought his deafness had started when he tripped and fell over after being startled. No one knows the real reason, but it is believed to have been more likely to have been as a result of one of his many childhood illnesses - typhus, smallpox, colitis, rheumatism, rheumatic fever, abscesses, ophthalmia, jaundice, chronic hepatitis, infections and cirrhosis of the liver.
Beethoven's final words are believed to have been "Pity, pity, too late!" Apparently, this was in response to having just received the gift of a case of wine from a music publisher.
Beethoven's ninth Symphony is often known as the Choral Symphony, since it was the first symphony ever to have parts for singers.
A disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony arranged by Walter Murphy and called "A Fifth Of Beethoven" was used in the film Saturday Night Fever. His Seventh Symphony was used in the 2010 award-winning film, "The King's Speech."
Beethoven didn't call his Sonata Opus 27, No. 2 the "Moonlight Sonata." He called it No. 14. The name was penned by the German poet Ludwig Relistab some years after Beethoven had died. Apparently, the poet thought the music sounded like moonlight reflecting on Lake Lucerne. The name stuck.
After realizing that his deafness was permanent and irreversible, Beethoven wrote a letter in 1802 to his two younger brothers - it is now known as the Heiligenstadt Testament - in which he faced up to his disability (surely the greatest a musician/composer can suffer) and announced his determination to overcome it. The letter was never sent and was found in his papers after his death in 1827.
After becoming deaf he communicated with his friends with "conversation books" where they would write down what they wanted to ask him.
Deafness began to affect him when he was only 25 years old. He suffered from tinnitus for some years before it deteriorated completely.
His birth date is not actually known. He was baptized on December 17, 1770, so it is usually assumed that he would have been born on the previous day since children at the time were baptized quickly on account that many of them didn't survive very long.
Beethoven always fell in love with unobtainable women so never consummated his love or married.
His first composition was written when he was only 12. It was a set of 9 variations for piano in C minor.
The final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is known as the "Ode to Joy" - words in the movement are sung to the poem of the same written by Freidrich Schiller in 1785. The piece was adopted as the "National Anthem of Europe" by the EU.
Beethoven died during a thunderstorm on the 29th of March, 1827 in Vienna. When he died his headstone had only a single word - "Beethoven". Such was his fame at the time; it was all that was needed.
So, during this week of his birthday, try and listen to one of his compositions if you can. He was one of the greatest composers who will be remembered forever. I often thought what it would be like to be remembered forever, but I will never have to worry about it. My only claim to being like Ludwig van Beethoven is that we both had a hearing loss. As for me...I am lucky enough that I can have aide with my hearing. Happy Birthday ... Mr. Ludwig van Beethoven! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
