Beethoven: Ludwig Van Beethoven and Small Austrian Town Essay

Submitted By jacobsimmons2396
Words: 438
Pages: 2
Open Document
How Beethoven made a difference in the world

Around 1801, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. He suffered a severe form of tinnitus, a "roar" in his ears that made it hard for him to appreciate music and he would avoid conversation. The cause of Beethoven's deafness is unknown, but it has variously been attributed to syphilis, lead poisoning, typhus, or possibly even his habit of immersing his head in cold water to stay awake. Over time, his hearing loss became acute: there is a well-attested story that, at the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he had to be turned round to see the tumultuous applause of the audience, hearing nothing. In 1802, he became depressed, and considered committing suicide. He left Vienna for a time for small Austrian town of Heiligenstadt, where he wrote the "Heiligenstadt Testament", in which he resolved to continue living through his art. He continued composing even as his hearing deteriorated. After a failed attempt in 1811 to perform his own "Emperor" Concerto, he never performed in public again.

As a result of Beethoven's hearing loss, a unique historical record has been preserved: he kept conversation books discussing music and other issues, and giving an insight into his thought. Even today, the conversation books form the basis for investigation into how he felt his music should be performed, and his relationship to art - which he took very seriously.

There are a variety of theories as to why Beethoven suffered from hearing loss, from illness to lead poisoning. The oldest explanation, from the autopsy of the time, is that he had a distended inner ear which developed lesions over time. This theory is outlined in Beethoven et les
Show More

Related Documents: Beethoven: Ludwig Van Beethoven and Small Austrian Town Essay

Essay on Composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Handel

influenced composers for centuries. Even today, their music and legacy live on beyond their imagination. Who are these composers? We’ll begin this tour with Georg Friderick Handel, continue with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and conclude with Ludwig van Beethoven. Georg Friderick Handel Georg Friderick Handel was a 17th century composer who wrote exquisite and delightful masterpieces that share a very special place in my musical collection. In addition to his prolific compositional…

Words 7459 - Pages 30