Celebrating the musical genius’s 245th birth year
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer, who is known for his works during the period which marked the transition between Classical and Romantic eras in the Western Art Music. Till date, he remains one the most influential music composers of all times.
Here we are going to tell you about a few unknown facts about Beethoven.
Not sure when he was born – Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in December 1770. However, no one is sure about the date of his birth. People say that Beethoven’s father lied about his son’s age. He told them that the he was two years younger than his actual age. This was done as a deliberate deception by his father in order to make the musical prodigy seem even younger.
Played the Violin – As a young boy, Beethoven played the violin and he enjoyed improvising the notes rather than just blindly reading them from the score.
First composition – Beethoven’s first composition came at the age of 12. The music is in C minor which is unusual for that period of time. Also, it is extremely difficult to play.
Beethoven was deaf – Composing is a difficult thing to do, and when you are deaf, it is nearly impossible. Beethoven started to go deaf around the age of 25; it is a wonder that he was able to create any music at all. He communicated using conversation books, asking his friends to write down what they wanted to say so he could respond.
Moonlight Sonata – One of Beethoven’s greatest piano works is the Moonlight Sonata. He never knew it as the Moonlight Sonata; he simply called it Sonata No 14. It was given the poetic nickname five years after his death. German Poet Ludwig Rellstab said that the first movement sounded like a moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne and the name stuck.
Only one Opera – Beethoven was a perfectionist. In his career, he composed only one opera, but he poured blood sweat and tears into revising and improving it. He reworked the whole opera over a 10-year period. This resulted in the creations of two versions. The older version is known as Leonore.
Beethoven was an alcoholic – Beethoven was more than just a bit partial towards alcohol. He was also arrested by a policeman, thinking that he was a tramp as he failed to recognize him. Because he used to drink so much, it was also the cause of his death. After his death, his autopsy revealed that his liver had shrunken due to cirrhosis.
