The last years of Beethoven's life. Death of the composer. Ludwig van Beethoven: biography, interesting facts, creativity What sick Beethoven suffered in the last years of his life

One of the most respected and performed composers in the world. He wrote in all genres that existed in his time, including opera, ballet, music for dramatic performances, and choral works. The most significant works in his legacy are considered to be instrumental works: piano, violin and cello sonatas, piano and violin concertos, quartets, overtures, symphonies.

Biography

The house where the composer was born

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 in the city of Bonn into the family of a musician. The exact date of birth has not been established; only the date of baptism is known - December 17. His father was a singer in the court chapel, and his grandfather served as bandmaster there. The grandfather of the future composer was from Holland, hence the prefix “van” before Beethoven’s surname. The composer's father was a gifted musician, but a weak man and also a drinker. He wanted to make a second Mozart out of his son and began teaching him how to play the harpsichord and violin. However, he soon cooled down to his studies and entrusted the boy to his friends. One taught Ludwig to play the organ, the other taught him to play the violin and flute.

In 1780, organist and composer Christian Gottlieb Nefe arrived in Bonn. He became Beethoven's real teacher. Nefe immediately realized that the boy had talent. He introduced Ludwig to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and the works of Handel, as well as the music of his older contemporaries: F. E. Bach, Haydn and Mozart. Thanks to Nefa, Beethoven's first work, Variations on a Theme of Dressler's March, was published. Beethoven was twelve years old at that time, and he was already working as an assistant to the court organist.

After the death of the grandfather, the family’s financial situation worsened, the father drank and brought almost no money home. Ludwig had to leave school early, but he wanted to supplement his education: he learned Latin, studied Italian and French, and read a lot. Having already become an adult, the composer admitted in one of his letters:

“There is no work that would be too learned for me; Without pretending in the slightest degree to be learned in the proper sense of the word, I have nevertheless, since childhood, striven to understand the essence of the best and wisest people of each era.”

Among Beethoven's favorite writers are the ancient Greek authors Homer and Plutarch, the English playwright Shakespeare, and the German poets Goethe and Schiller.

At this time, Beethoven began to compose music, but was in no hurry to publish his works. Much of what he wrote in Bonn was subsequently revised by him. From the composer’s youthful works, two children’s sonatas and several songs are known, including “Marmot”.

Already in the first years of his life in Vienna, Beethoven gained fame as a virtuoso pianist. His performance amazed the audience. They compared it to a volcanic eruption, and Beethoven himself to Napoleon.

Beethoven at 30

In the early years, in the person of the composer one could find some resemblance to the young revolutionary general, but his contemporaries had something else in mind: a manner of performance that violated all previous rules. Beethoven boldly contrasted the extreme registers (and at that time they played mostly in the middle), made extensive use of the pedal (and it was also rarely used then), and used massive chord harmonies. In fact, it was he who created piano style far from the exquisitely lacy manner of harpsichordists.

This style can be found in his piano sonatas No. 8 - Pathétique (title given by the composer himself), No. 13 and No. 14, both of which have the author's subtitle: "Sonata quasi una Fantasia" (in the spirit of fantasy). The poet Relshtab subsequently called Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight,” and although this name fits only the first movement and not the finale, it was forever attached to the entire work.

Beethoven also amazed with his appearance. Casually dressed, with a mane of black hair, with sharp, angular movements, he immediately stood out among the graceful ladies and gentlemen.

Beethoven did not hide his feelings. On the contrary, as soon as he noticed the slightest disrespect for himself, he stated it directly, without choosing expressions. One day, while he was playing, one of the guests allowed himself to speak to the lady; Beethoven immediately interrupted the performance: “I won’t play with such pigs!”. And no amount of apology or persuasion helped.

Beethoven's works began to be widely published and enjoyed success. During the first Viennese decade, a lot was written: twenty piano sonatas and three piano concertos, eight violin sonatas, quartets and other chamber works, the oratorio “Christ on the Mount of Olives,” the ballet “The Works of Prometheus,” the First and Second Symphonies.

Teresa Brunswik, Beethoven's faithful friend and student

In 1796, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. He develops tinitis, an inflammation of the inner ear that leads to ringing in the ears. On the advice of doctors, he retires for a long time to the small town of Heiligenstadt. However, peace and quiet do not improve his well-being. Beethoven begins to understand that deafness is incurable. During these tragic days, he writes a letter that will later be called the Heiligenstadt Testament. The composer talks about his experiences, admits that he was close to suicide. “It seemed unthinkable to me to leave the world,” writes Beethoven, “before I had fulfilled everything to which I felt called.”

In Heiligenstadt, the composer begins work on a new Third Symphony, which he will call Heroic.

As a result of Beethoven's deafness, unique historical documents have been preserved: “conversation notebooks”, where Beethoven’s friends wrote down their remarks for him, to which he responded either orally or in a response note.

Later years: 1802-1812

In piano work, the composer's own style is noticeable already in the early sonatas, but in symphonic music maturity came to him later. According to Tchaikovsky, only in the third symphony “for the first time, all the immense, amazing power of Beethoven’s creative genius was revealed.”<

Due to deafness, Beethoven is separated from the world and deprived of sound perception. He becomes gloomy and withdrawn. It was during these years that the composer created his most famous works one after another. During these same years, the composer worked on his only opera, Fidelio. This opera belongs to the genre of “horror and salvation” operas. Success for Fidelio came only in 1814, when the opera was staged first in Vienna, then in Prague, where it was conducted by the famous German composer Weber, and finally in Berlin.

Giulietta Guicciardi, to whom the composer dedicated the Moonlight Sonata

Shortly before his death, the composer handed over the manuscript of Fidelio to his friend and secretary Schindler with the words: “This child of my spirit was born in greater torment than others, and caused me the greatest grief. That’s why it’s dearer to me than anyone else..."

Last years

After 1812, the composer's creative activity declined for a while. However, after three years he begins to work with the same energy. At this time, piano sonatas from the Twenty-eighth to the last, the Thirty-second, two cello sonatas, quartets, and the vocal cycle “To a Distant Beloved” were created. Much time is also devoted to adaptations of folk songs. Along with Scottish, Irish, Welsh, there are also Russians. But the main creations of recent years have been Beethoven's two most monumental works - the Solemn Mass and the Ninth Symphony with choir.

The Ninth Symphony was performed in 1824. The audience gave the composer a standing ovation. Beethoven stood with his back to the audience and did not hear anything, then one of the singers took his hand and turned him to face the audience. People waved scarves, hats, and hands, greeting the composer. The ovation lasted so long that the police officials present demanded that it stop. Such greetings were allowed only in relation to the person of the emperor.

In Austria, after the defeat of Napoleon, a police regime was established. The government, frightened by the revolution, persecuted any free thought. Numerous secret agents penetrated all levels of society. In Beethoven's conversation books there are warnings every now and then: "Quiet! Be careful, there's a spy here! And probably after some particularly bold statement from the composer: “You will end up on the scaffold!”

Beethoven's grave in the central cemetery of Vienna, Austria.

However, Beethoven's fame was so great that the government did not dare touch him. Despite his deafness, the composer continues to keep abreast of not only political but also musical news. He read (that is, listens with his inner ear) the scores of Rossini's operas, looks through a collection of Schubert's songs, and gets acquainted with the operas of the German composer Weber "Free Shooter" and "Euryanthe". Arriving in Vienna, Weber visited Beethoven. They had breakfast together, and Beethoven, usually not given to ceremony, looked after his guest. After the death of his younger brother, the composer took care of his son. Beethoven placed his nephew in the best boarding schools and entrusted his student Czerny to study music with him. The composer wanted the boy to become a scientist or artist, but he was not attracted to art, but to cards and billiards. Enmeshed in debt, he attempted suicide. This attempt did not cause much harm: the bullet only slightly scratched the skin on the head. Beethoven was very worried about this. His health deteriorated sharply. The composer develops a serious liver disease.

Beethoven's funeral.

Beethoven at work at home (note the surroundings)

Czerny studied with Beethoven for five years, after which the composer gave him a document in which he noted “the exceptional success of the student and his amazing musical memory.” Cherny's memory was truly amazing: he knew by heart all of his teacher's piano works.

Czerny began his teaching career early and soon became one of the best teachers in Vienna. Among his students was Theodor Leschetizky, who can be called one of the founders of the Russian piano school. From 1858, Leshetitsky lived in St. Petersburg, and from 1862 to 1878 he taught at the newly opened conservatory. Here he studied with A. N. Esipova, later a professor at the same conservatory, V. I. Safonov, professor and director of the Moscow Conservatory, S. M. Maykapar, whose works are known to every student of the music school.

Czerny was an unusually prolific composer, he wrote more than a thousand works in various genres, but his etudes brought him the widest fame. It is difficult to count how many generations of musicians were brought up in these “schools of finger fluency” that are mandatory for every pianist. Czerny's credit also includes editing the sonatas of Giuseppe Scarlatti and Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

In 1822, a father and a boy came to Czerny, who had come from the Hungarian town of Doboryan. The boy had no idea about the correct position or fingering, but the experienced teacher immediately realized that in front of him was not an ordinary, but a gifted, perhaps a genius, child. The boy's name was Franz Liszt. Liszt studied with Czerny for a year and a half. His success was so great that his teacher allowed him to speak in public. Beethoven was present at the concert. He guessed the boy's talent and kissed him. Liszt kept the memory of this kiss all his life. It is Liszt who can be called a true student of Beethoven.

Neither Rhys nor Czerny, but he inherited Beethoven's style of playing. Like Beethoven, Liszt interprets the piano as an orchestra. While touring Europe, he promoted Beethoven's work, performing not only his piano works, but also symphonies that he adapted for the piano. At that time, Beethoven's music, especially symphonic music, was still unknown to a wide audience. In 1839 Liszt arrived in Bonn. They had been planning to erect a monument to the composer here for several years, but progress was slow.

Liszt made up the shortfall with proceeds from his concerts. It was only thanks to efforts that the monument to the composer was erected.

Causes of death

Studies of hair and bone matter allowed archaeopathologists to establish that Beethoven suffered from lead poisoning long before his death. Doses of lead entered his body regularly - presumably either through wine or in the baths he took. This resulted in incurable liver disease, which was confirmed by autopsy.

You know a pregnant woman who already has 8 children. Two of them are blind, three are deaf, one is mentally retarded, and she herself has syphilis. Would you advise her to have an abortion?

If you advised an abortion, you just killed Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beethoven's parents married in 1767. In 1769, their first son, Ludwig Maria, was born, who died 6 days later, which was normal for that time. There is no information on whether he was blind, deaf, mentally retarded, etc. In 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven, composer, was born. In 1774, a third son, Caspar Carl van Beethoven, was born. In 1776, the fourth son, Nikolaus Johann, was born. In 1779, a daughter, Anna Maria Francisca, was born; she died four days later. No information has been preserved on whether she was blind, deaf, mentally retarded, etc. In 1781, his brother, Franz Georg, was born (died two years later). In 1786 his sister, Maria Margarita, was born. She died a year later, when Ludwig was 17 years old. That same year, his mother dies of tuberculosis, which was completely normal at that time.

Works

• 9 symphonies: No. 1 (-), No. 2 (), No. 3 “Heroic” (-), No. 4 (), No. 5 (-), No. 6 “Pastoral” (), No. 7 (), No. 8 ( ), No. 9 ().
• 11 symphonic overtures, including Coriolanus, Egmont, Leonora No. 3.
• 5 concertos for piano and orchestra.
• 32 piano sonatas, many variations and small pieces for piano.
• 10 sonatas for violin and piano.
• concerto for violin and orchestra, concerto for piano, violin and cello and orchestra (“triple concerto”)
• 5 sonatas for cello and piano.
• 16 quartets.
• Ballet "Creations of Prometheus".
• Opera "Fidelio".
• Solemn Mass.
• Vocal cycle “To a distant beloved”.
• Songs based on poems by various poets, adaptations of folk songs.

Musical fragments

Attention! Music fragments in Ogg Vorbis format

• Ode to Joy (small fragment, light file)(info) (file information)
• Moonlight Sonata (info) (file information)
• Concert 4-1 (info) (file information)

Monuments to Beethoven

1. Biography of a genius in fast forward mode

The exact date of birth of Beethoven (Ludwig van Beethoven) is the first of the mysteries of his biography. Only the day of his christening is known exactly: December 17, 1770 in Bonn. As a child he learned to play the piano, organ and violin. At the age of seven he gave his first concert (his father wanted to make Ludwig a “second Mozart”).

At the age of 12, Beethoven began writing his first compositions with funny titles like “Elegy for the Death of a Poodle” (presumably inspired by the death of a real dog). At the age of 22, the composer left for Vienna, where he lived until the end of his life. He died on March 26, 1827 at the age of 56, presumably from cirrhosis of the liver.

2. "Fur Elise": Beethoven and the fair sex

And this topic is surrounded by secrets. The fact is that Beethoven never married. But he wooed several times - in particular, to the singer Elisabeth Röckel, to whom, according to German musicologist Klaus Kopitz, the famous A minor bagatelle “Für Elise” is dedicated) and pianist Teresa Malfatti. Scientists also argue about who the unknown heroine of the famous letter “to the immortal beloved” was, agreeing on the candidacy of Antonie Brentano as the most real.

We will never know the truth: Beethoven carefully hid the circumstances of his personal life. But the composer's close friend Franz Gerhard Wegeler testified: “During his years in Vienna, Beethoven was constantly in a love relationship.”

3. A difficult person to live with

An unemptied chamber pot under the piano, scraps among the scores, disheveled hair and a worn-out dressing gown - and this, too, judging by numerous testimonies, was Beethoven. A cheerful young man with age and under the influence of illnesses turned into a rather difficult character to deal with in everyday life.

In his “Heiligenstadt Testament,” written in a state of shock from the realization of his advancing deafness, Beethoven points specifically to illness as the reason for his bad character: “Oh, you people who consider me malicious, stubborn or misanthropic - how unfair you are to me, because you you don’t know the secret reason for what seems to you. /…/ For six years now I have been in a hopeless state, aggravated by ignorant doctors...”

4. Beethoven and classics

Beethoven is the last of the titans of the “Viennese classics”. In total, he left to his descendants more than 240 works, including nine completed symphonies, five piano concertos and 18 string quartets. He essentially reinvented the symphony genre, in particular by using a chorus for the first time in the Ninth Symphony, which no one had done before.

5. The only opera

Beethoven wrote only one opera - Fidelio. Working on it was painful for the composer, and the result still does not convince everyone. In the operatic field, Beethoven, as Russian musicologist Larisa Kirillina points out, entered into polemics with his idol and predecessor, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

At the same time, as Kirillina points out, “the concept of “Fidelio” is directly opposite to Mozart’s: love is not a blind elemental force, but a moral duty that requires its chosen ones to be ready for heroism. The original title of Beethoven’s opera, “Leonora, or Conjugal Love,” reflects this anti-Mozartian moral imperative: not “all women act this way,” but “this is how must all women do."

6. "Ta-ta-ta-taaaah!"

If you believe Beethoven's first biographer Anton Schindler, the composer himself said about the opening bars of his Fifth Symphony: “So fate itself is knocking on the door!” A person closer to Beethoven, his student and friend, composer Carl Czerny, recalled that “the theme of the C-Moll symphony was inspired by the cry of a forest bird”... One way or another: the image of a “duel with fate” became part of Beethoven’s myth.

7. Ninth: Symphony of symphonies

Interesting fact: when the technology of recording music on CDs was invented, it was the duration of the Ninth Symphony (more than 70 minutes) that determined the parameters of the new format.

8. Beethoven and the revolution

Beethoven's radical ideas about the role and significance of art in general and music in particular made him an idol of various revolutions, including social ones. The composer himself led a completely bourgeois lifestyle.

9. Stingy Star: Beethoven and Money

Beethoven was already a recognized genius during his lifetime and never suffered from a lack of conceit. This was reflected, in particular, in his ideas about the amount of fees. Beethoven willingly accepted orders from generous and influential patrons of the arts, and sometimes conducted financial negotiations with publishers in a very harsh tone. The composer was not a millionaire, but a very wealthy man by the standards of his era.

10. Deaf composer

Beethoven began to go deaf at the age of 27. The disease developed over two decades and completely deprived the composer of his hearing by the age of 48. The latest research proves that the cause was typhus, an infection common in Beethoven's time and often carried by rats. However, having absolute inner hearing, Beethoven could compose music while deaf. Until the last years of his life, he did not give up desperate - and, alas, unsuccessful - attempts to restore his hearing.

See also:

• Through the historical places of Bonn

  First steps

  This photograph captures one of the first key moments in Germany's post-war political history. In September 1949, Konrad Adenauer was elected first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and soon began negotiations with the high commissioners of the victorious Western powers in order to achieve greater sovereignty for his government.



Through the historical places of Bonn

"The Path of Democracy"

Meetings between Adenauer and the commissioners took place in a hotel on Mount Petersberg near Bonn, where their headquarters were located. For the next 40 years, this small city on the Rhine was to become the temporary capital of Germany - until the official reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990. The government operated here even longer, before moving to Berlin in 1999.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Government Quarter

You can get a glimpse into Bonn's recent past by taking a walk along the "Way of Democracy" (Weg der Demokratie) route. Most of the historical sites are located in the former government quarter. Information boards are installed near each of them. The photo shows a monument to Konrad Adenauer (CDU) on an alley named after another German Chancellor - Willy Brandt (SPD).



Through the historical places of Bonn

Special status

Before going on a walk along the route, we note that Bonn is now a city of federal significance. This is enshrined in a special law. About 7,000 government officials continue to work here, the main offices of six of the fourteen ministries, some departments, and other official institutions and organizations are located.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Museum of History

The starting point of the "Way of Democracy" is the Museum of German History (Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik), located opposite the former Office of the Federal Chancellor. It was opened in 1994 and is now one of the most visited museums in Germany - about 850 thousand people annually. Among the exhibits is this government Mercedes.



Through the historical places of Bonn

The first stop on the route is the Federation House (Bundeshaus). These buildings on the banks of the Rhine housed the parliament: the Bundesrat and the Bundestag. The oldest part of the complex is the former Pedagogical Academy, built in the 1930s in the style of new materiality. In the northern wing of the academy in 1948-1949, the Basic Law (Constitution) of the Federal Republic of Germany was developed.



Through the historical places of Bonn

First hall

The first Bundestag began working in the former Pedagogical Academy, rebuilt in just seven months, in September 1949. A few years later, a new eight-story office building for deputies was erected nearby. The Bundestag met in its first plenary hall until 1988. It was then demolished and a new hall was built on this site, which was used until the move to Berlin.



Through the historical places of Bonn

UN in Bonn

Now most of the former parliament buildings in Bonn have been transferred to the disposal of UN units located in the former capital of Germany, in particular, the Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. In total, about a thousand employees of this international organization work in the city.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Made of glass and concrete

The next stop is near the new plenary hall of the Bundestag, the construction of which was completed in 1992. The last time MPs gathered here on the Rhine was in July 1999, on the eve of moving to the Berlin Reichstag and the new parliamentary complex on the banks of the Spree.



Through the historical places of Bonn

New hall

The plenary hall is not empty now. It regularly hosts various meetings and events. This photo was taken in the former Bundestag in June 2016 during the Global Media Forum conference. It is held annually by the media company Deutsche Welle, whose editorial complex is located nearby. The WCCB international convention center and a large five-star hotel were built opposite it.



Through the historical places of Bonn

From September 1986 to October 1992, plenary sessions of the Bundestag, while the new hall was being built, were temporarily held in a former water station on the banks of the Rhine - Altes Wasserwerk. This impressive neo-Gothic style building was erected in 1875. In 1958, the water pumping station was decommissioned. The building was purchased by the government and became part of the parliamentary complex.



Through the historical places of Bonn

From Bonn to Berlin

On October 3, 1990, on the day of the country's reunification, Berlin again became the capital of a united Germany, but the question of where the government would work remained open. The place where the historic decision to move from Bonn was made was the plenary hall in the old water pump. This happened on June 20, 1991, after a heated ten-hour debate. The margin was only 18 votes.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Parliament building

The next stop on the "Way of Democracy" is the high-rise building "Langer Eugen", that is, "Long Eugen". So he was nicknamed in honor of the Chairman of the Bundestag Eugen Gerstenmaier, who especially advocated for this project. Nearby are the white buildings of Deutsche Welle. These buildings were supposed to house the offices of the parliament, which expanded after the reunification of the country, but plans changed due to the move to Berlin.



Through the historical places of Bonn

"Tulip Field"

The Tulip Field office complex (Tulpenfeld) was built in the 1960s by order of the Allianz concern specifically to be leased to the government. The fact is that earlier the German authorities decided not to build new buildings in Bonn, since the city was considered as a temporary capital. The premises here were rented by the Bundestag, various departments and the Federal Press Conference.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Bonn editions

This photo was taken in the hall of the Federal press conference in 1979 during the visit of USSR Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko. Next to the "Tulip Field" on Dahlmannstraße, the Bonn editorial offices of leading German media and correspondent bureaus of foreign press and news agencies were located.



Through the historical places of Bonn

We have already talked about this residence of German chancellors in detail in a separate report, which can be viewed at the link at the end of the page. In 1964, the first owner of the chancellor bungalow, built in the classical modern style, became the father of the German economic miracle, Ludwig Erhard. Helmut Kohl, who headed the German government for 16 years, lived and worked here the longest.



Through the historical places of Bonn

New Chancellor's Office

From the chancellor's bungalow it is a stone's throw to the Federal Chancellor's Office. From 1976 to 1999, the offices of Helmut Schmidt, Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder were located here. In 1979, the work of the British sculptor Henry Moore "Large Two Forms" was installed on the lawn in front of the main entrance. Now the central office of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development is located here.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Previously, the offices of German chancellors were located in Schaumburg Palace. It was erected in 1860 by order of a textile manufacturer, later purchased by Prince Adolf zu Schaumburg-Lippe and rebuilt in the style of late classicism. Since 1939, the building was at the disposal of the Wehrmacht, and in 1945 it was transferred to the command of the Belgian units in occupied Germany.



Through the historical places of Bonn

From Adenauer to Schmidt

In 1949, Schaumburg Palace became the place of work of the first Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer. This is what his office looked like. The palace was then used by chancellors Ludwig Erhard, Kurt Georg Kiesinger, Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt until 1976. In 1990, German-German agreements on the creation of monetary, economic and social unions were signed here.



Through the historical places of Bonn

The neighboring Villa Hammerschmidt, built in the mid-18th century, was occupied by German presidents until 1994, when Richard von Weizsäcker decided to move to Berlin's Bellevue Palace. At the same time, the Bonn villa retained its status as a presidential residence in a federal city on the Rhine.



Through the historical places of Bonn

König Museum

The first pages of the post-war history of Germany were written... in the König Zoological Museum. In 1948, the Parliamentary Council began to meet in it, whose tasks included the development of a new constitution. Also here, for two months after his election as chancellor, before moving to Schaumburg Palace, Konrad Adenauer worked. This photograph was taken during a visit to his former office by Angela Merkel.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Old Town Hall

During its decades as a capital, Bonn has seen many politicians and statesmen from all over the world. One of the points of their mandatory program was a visit to the city hall in order to leave an entry in the Golden Book of Honored Guests. This photograph was taken on the main staircase during Mikhail Gorbachev's visit to Germany in 1989.



Through the historical places of Bonn

Many heads of state visiting Bonn stayed at the Petersberg Hotel, where we began our reporting. It served as a government guest residence. Elizabeth II, Emperor Akihito, Boris Yeltsin, and Bill Clinton lived here. This photo was taken in 1973 during the visit of Leonid Brezhnev, who got behind the wheel of the Mercedes 450 SLC that had just been given to him. On the same day he crushed it on the Bonn road.



Through the historical places of Bonn

P.S.

Our report has come to an end, but “The Path of Democracy” does not end. The route then passes by ministries on the banks of the Rhine, the offices of parliamentary parties and the Hofgarten park. It was the site of rallies that attracted more than 300 thousand people. For example, in 1981 there were protests here against the deployment of American nuclear missiles in West Germany.

Recently, on the pages of the media and on the Internet, you can read that the composer Ludwig van Beethoven was the eighth son of a woman who suffered from syphilis, and whose seven children suffered from various congenital diseases. It is often used by abortion opponents in disputes with their opponents. However, this statement is a real myth.

It is interesting that this myth arose quite recently, at the end of the last century - but now it is almost impossible to establish who its author is. It has many variations, but the most common formulation is this: imagine that a principled opponent of abortion is talking with a person who allows such an operation for medical reasons. They, of course, are heatedly arguing about whether abortion is permissible in principle or not, and then the opponent asks his opponent the following question: “Suppose you know a pregnant woman who already has 8 children. Two of them are blind, three - deaf, one is mentally retarded, she herself is sick with syphilis. Would you advise her to have an abortion?"

As a rule, a supporter of abortion for medical reasons answers in the affirmative: “Yes, in such a situation you need to have an abortion.” After which his opponent, with a malicious grin, says: “Congratulations, you just killed Ludwig van Beethoven.” After which the opponent’s answer is no longer important - the main thing is that by presenting such an argument (which is declared to be the pure truth), the principled opponent of abortion managed to drive him into a corner and experience a feeling of guilt. After all, you must admit that it’s no joke to just kill the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

However, I will not talk about abortion now - supporters and opponents of this operation have many quite reasonable arguments in defense of their point of view. I will say something else - the above argument is completely incorrect, since it is a myth of the purest water. And the use of myths in a discussion about real problems is a very dishonest technique, completely unacceptable in decent company. And in general, you cannot fight for the truth while resorting to lies.

The most interesting thing is that in order to make sure that the statement about a pregnant woman with syphilis who wants to give birth to her eighth child despite the fact that all her children are chronically ill people is false, just read Beethoven’s biography. And those who do this will see that in 1770 in Bonn, Johann van Beethoven and Maria Magdalene Keverich had a second son, who was named Ludwig. However, he was destined to remain the eldest son in the Beethoven family, since the first-born, Ludwig Maria, born a year earlier, died six days after his birth. The reasons for such an early death are unknown, but it should be noted that in those days this was a completely common occurrence due to non-compliance with sanitary standards during childbirth.

Afterwards, the Beethovens had five more children, two of whom, Nikolaus Johann and Kaspar Karl, lived to adulthood. Moreover, if Kaspar Karl died at the age of 31 from pulmonary tuberculosis (he left behind a son, whom Ludwig took under his care), then Nikolaus Johann, who was distinguished by good health, died in the sixty-second year of his life, outliving Ludwig by 21 years (who died in 1827 year at the age of 57 years). The remaining three children died in infancy, and the cause of death in all cases was the same - tuberculosis. However, none of these five were blind, deaf, or mentally retarded. And Ludwig himself, by the way, was not deaf from birth - he lost his hearing after otitis, which happened due to his habit of often lowering his head into a basin of ice water while working on his works.

So, we immediately see at least three incorrect statements: the children in the Beethoven family were not eight, but seven, Ludwig was not the youngest, but the second oldest (and the eldest among the survivors), and none of all the children suffered from any congenital diseases . Of course, it is a pity that more than half of the young Beethovens did not live to adulthood - who knows, maybe in them the world has lost real musical geniuses, because both Nikolaus and Kaspar were also capable musicians. However, alas, in those days tuberculosis was a terrible disease from which there was practically no salvation - more than a hundred years remained before Robert Koch’s discovery, which helped people cope with this disease.

Well, now let's check whether the mother of the great composer Maria Magdalene Keverich had syphilis. It is known about her that she died in 1787 at the age of 39 from tuberculosis, a disease that stole most of her children. By the way, this happened in the same year when the last Beethoven child, Maria Margarita, died. Apparently, Mary Magdalene contracted tuberculosis while caring for her sick daughter, and the body of the not-so-young woman, weakened by frequent childbirth (let me remind you that in those days ladies rarely lived to be fifty years old, and those who succeeded were considered ancient crones) could not cope with the disease.

It is clear that syphilis was not the cause of Beethoven's mother's death. However, did they suffer from this venereal disease during their lifetime? Most likely not - no documentary evidence has been found to confirm this. And this despite the fact that Mary Magdalene often turned to doctors - which, in fact, is not surprising, since she often gave birth. But none of the Bonn doctors who examined Beethoven’s mother ever mentioned any signs of syphilis. And this is already enough to conclude that Mary Magdalene did not suffer from this disease - in those days, doctors immediately informed all loved ones about the first signs of syphilis in someone from their family. This was necessary in order to prevent the spread of the disease.

It is interesting that Beethoven’s father, apparently, did not suffer from syphilis either - in general, unlike his fragile and sickly wife, he was in excellent health. The only thing that undermined his powerful body was drunkenness, often very, very immoderate. However, even this did not prevent him from living to the age of fifty-two - for those times this was considered practically longevity. As we see, it is completely unfounded to suspect the parents of the great composer that one of them was sick with a terrible venereal disease.

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 into the family of a court musician.

Mysteries accompanied the musical classic throughout his life - from birth to death - and even today there remain unresolved mysteries associated with the name of the great composer.

Was there a boy?

The very birth of the German genius is shrouded in mystery. He was baptized on December 17th. In the past, his date of birth was considered December 16, since according to Catholic tradition, babies were baptized the day after birth. His family also celebrated the boy's birthday on the 16th. However, there is no written evidence that he was born on this day.

Another myth from the “early Beethoven”: it was believed that Ludwig’s mother was sick with tuberculosis, and his father with syphilis. Their first child was born blind, the second died during childbirth, the third was deaf and dumb, and the fourth suffered from tuberculosis.

Nothing is known for certain about illnesses in the Beethoven family. The level of development of medicine at that time was low; children actually often died at birth or in the first years of life. In addition, there is evidence that the father of the family was an alcoholic. This increased the risk of mortality among newborns: of the seven children, four died in infancy.

Flemish roots

Although the future classic of the Viennese school was born in Bonn, his surname contains the prefix “van”. This is easily explained: the van Beethoven family comes from Flanders. The bandmaster grandfather, in whose honor the musician was named, was from Mechelen, a city in Belgium, between Brussels and Antwerp. Hence the prefix before the surname.

In the small electorate, the family keeps memories of Mecheln, Louvain and Antwerp. They say that “van Beethoven” means “a bed of red beets.”

Grandfather Ludwig was a respectable man, respected by everyone. In the portrait that Beethoven kept in Vienna, his grandfather is depicted wearing a beret, a fur coat, and his whole Flemish appearance is full of dignity. Beethoven treated him with great respect.

In the footsteps of Mozart

Beethoven was born at a time when talk about the genius of Mozart had not yet subsided. Ludwig's father, who devoted his entire life to music, was inspired to make his son a second miracle child.

The boy studied the harpsichord for 8 hours, or even more, under the sensitive gaze of his ambitious father. It is traditionally believed that Beethoven the elder was very harsh towards his son, who “often was in tears at the instrument.” However, researchers believe that there is no reliable documentary basis for this, and that “speculation and myth-making have done their job.”

Be that as it may, although Ludwig did not become a genius, daily drills helped develop the boy’s natural talent and subsequently make him into the greatest musician, masterfully composing in all genres that existed at that time, including opera, music for dramatic performances, and choral works.

He gave his first concert in Cologne at the age of eight, and at the age of 12 he was fluent in playing the harpsichord, violin, and organ.

Diagnosis: speechlessness

Beethoven began to lose his hearing around 1796.

He suffered from a severe form of hearing impairment: “ringing” in his ears prevented him from perceiving and appreciating music, and at a later stage of the disease he avoided conversations.

The cause of Beethoven's deafness is unknown. Suggestions have been made such as syphilis, lead poisoning, typhus, systemic lupus erythematosus. According to one version, even the habit of dipping his head in cold water to avoid falling asleep affected the composer’s health.

Over time, his hearing became so weakened that at the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he was forced to turn around to see enthusiastic fans applauding.

In the last years of his life, Beethoven continued to write music with the persistence of a fanatic, but was forced to completely give up performing. Progressive deafness caused him true suffering. They say that Beethoven destroyed his piano when, in a vain attempt to hear the sounds produced by the instrument, he struck the keys with incredible force.

One result of his deafness was a unique piece of historical material: the notebooks that Beethoven used to communicate with friends over the last ten or so years. For performers of his music, they are an important source for finding out the author’s opinion on the interpretation of his works.

Lead poisoning

The composer died at the age of 56 in 1827.

As evidenced by the facts of Beethoven's biography, from about the age of 20 he was tormented by abdominal pain, which became more severe with age.

American scientists, having examined hair and fragments of Beethoven’s skull, came to the conclusion that the German composer could have died from long-term lead poisoning: the content of this metal in the remains was 100 times higher than normal. How exactly lead got into Beethoven's body is unknown. According to one version, the great composer was treated for stomach diseases with an ointment containing large quantities of lead. According to another version, lead could have entered Beethoven’s body with water, since pipes for supplying drinking water were made from this metal at that time.

Lost Music

In 2011, British media reported that the lost music of Beethoven would be performed in Manchester for the first time: using rough excerpts, experts managed to restore the second, slow part of the work, written by the composer in 1799.

Beethoven was working on an opus for string quartet, but a year later, being a perfectionist, he became disillusioned with the composition, abandoned the drafts and began writing a new version. The notes have not been completely preserved, but a professor at the University of Manchester managed to restore the missing parts.

In his opinion, all 74 measures are present in the drafts, but the parts for all instruments of the quartet were not written down everywhere. Therefore, he filled in some of the gaps himself.

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 into the family of a court musician. Mysteries accompanied the musical classic throughout his life - from birth to death - and even today there remain unresolved mysteries associated with the name of the great composer.

Was there a boy?

The very birth of the German genius is shrouded in mystery. He was baptized on December 17th. In the past, his date of birth was considered December 16, since according to Catholic tradition, babies were baptized the day after birth. His family also celebrated the boy's birthday on the 16th. However, there is no written evidence that he was born on this day.

Another myth from the “early Beethoven”: it was believed that Ludwig’s mother was sick with tuberculosis, and his father with syphilis. Their first child was born blind, the second died during childbirth, the third was deaf and dumb, and the fourth suffered from tuberculosis.

Nothing is known for certain about illnesses in the Beethoven family. The level of development of medicine at that time was low; children actually often died at birth or in the first years of life. In addition, there is evidence that the father of the family was an alcoholic. This increased the risk of mortality among newborns: of the seven children, four died in infancy.

Flemish roots

Although the future classic of the Viennese school was born in Bonn, his surname contains the prefix “van”. This is easily explained: the van Beethoven family comes from Flanders. The bandmaster grandfather, in whose honor the musician was named, was from Mechelen, a city in Belgium, between Brussels and Antwerp. Hence the prefix before the surname.

In the small electorate, the family keeps memories of Mecheln, Louvain and Antwerp. They say that "van Beethoven" means "red beet patch."

Grandfather Ludwig was a respectable man, respected by everyone. In the portrait that Beethoven kept in Vienna, his grandfather is depicted wearing a beret, a fur coat, and his whole Flemish appearance is full of dignity. Beethoven treated him with great respect.

In the footsteps of Mozart

Beethoven was born at a time when talk about the genius of Mozart had not yet subsided. Ludwig's father, who devoted his entire life to music, was inspired to make his son a second miracle child.

The boy studied the harpsichord for 8 hours, or even more, under the sensitive gaze of his ambitious father. It is traditionally believed that Beethoven the elder was very harsh towards his son, who “often was in tears at the instrument.” However, researchers believe that there is no reliable documentary basis for this, and that “speculation and myth-making have done their job.”

Be that as it may, although Ludwig did not become a genius, daily drills helped develop the boy’s natural talent and subsequently make him into the greatest musician, masterfully composing in all genres that existed at that time, including opera, music for dramatic performances, and choral works.

He gave his first concert in Cologne at the age of eight, and at the age of 12 he was fluent in playing the harpsichord, violin, and organ.

Diagnosis: speechlessness

Beethoven began to lose his hearing around 1796.

He suffered from a severe form of hearing impairment: “ringing” in his ears prevented him from perceiving and appreciating music, and at a later stage of the disease he avoided conversations.

The cause of Beethoven's deafness is unknown. Suggestions have been made such as syphilis, lead poisoning, typhus, systemic lupus erythematosus. According to one version, even the habit of dipping his head in cold water to avoid falling asleep affected the composer’s health.

Over time, his hearing became so weakened that at the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he was forced to turn around to see enthusiastic fans applauding.

In the last years of his life, Beethoven continued to write music with the persistence of a fanatic, but was forced to completely give up performing. Progressive deafness caused him true suffering. They say that Beethoven destroyed his piano when, in a vain attempt to hear the sounds produced by the instrument, he struck the keys with incredible force.

One result of his deafness was a unique piece of historical material: the notebooks that Beethoven used to communicate with friends over the last ten or so years. For performers of his music, they are an important source for finding out the author’s opinion on the interpretation of his works.

Lead poisoning

The composer died at the age of 56 in 1827.

As evidenced by the facts of Beethoven's biography, from about the age of 20 he was tormented by abdominal pain, which became more severe with age.

American scientists, having examined hair and fragments of Beethoven’s skull, came to the conclusion that the German composer could have died from long-term lead poisoning: the content of this metal in the remains was 100 times higher than normal. How exactly lead got into Beethoven's body is unknown. According to one version, the great composer was treated for stomach diseases with an ointment containing large quantities of lead. According to another version, lead could have entered Beethoven’s body with water, since pipes for supplying drinking water were made from this metal at that time.

Lost Music

In 2011, British media reported that the lost music of Beethoven would be performed in Manchester for the first time: using rough excerpts, experts managed to restore the second, slow part of the work, written by the composer in 1799.

Beethoven was working on an opus for string quartet, but a year later, being a perfectionist, he became disillusioned with the composition, abandoned the drafts and began writing a new version. The notes have not been completely preserved, but a professor at the University of Manchester managed to restore the missing parts.

In his opinion, all 74 measures are present in the drafts, but the parts for all instruments of the quartet were not written down everywhere. Therefore, he filled in some of the gaps himself.