Transcript Ludwig Van Beethoven - steffan`s e

Ludwig Van Beethoven
By: Steffan Larsen
Birth
•Ludwig Van Beethoven
was born in Bonn,
Germany on or around
December 16th, 1770.
(exact date is not
known)
•His parents were
Johann and Maria
Magdalena van
Beethoven.
•He was the second of
seven children. Four of
which died.
Present day Bonn, Germany
Early childhood
•Beethoven's father was a court
musician who took it upon himself
to teach young Beethoven how to
play music.
•He would sometimes have to
entertain his fathers tavern
buddies by playing the violin.
•Despite his fathers abuse and
forcing young Beethoven to play
(which could have made him hate
music) he had a great talent
which he nurtured.
Gifted Child
•On the 26th of march in 1778 Beethoven gave his first public performance. He was just seven
and a half years old.
•In 1782 gottlob neefe tutors the young Beethoven. Teaching him much more about music than
his father could. Also teaching him about philosophy as well. About Beethoven neefe said " This
young genius deserves to be supported in his artistic endeavors. If he continues in the same
manner he started, he is sure to become a second Wolfgang-Amadeus Mozart ".
•At 14 he was appointed organist of the court of Maximilian Franz, Elector of Cologne.
•At the age of 17 Beethoven was sent to Vienna to meet Mozart and to further his musical
education.
Vienna: The music capital of the world
Vienna: the music capital of the world
•
While in Vienna Beethoven took lessons from great musicians such as Franz Joseph
Haydn, Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, and Antonio Salieri.
•
It was here in 1800 that Beethoven organized and played his first symphony. Which
was thought of by the people as being strange and overly extravagant. But
Beethoven was simply pushing the limits of the music of that time.
•
It was in Vienna that Beethoven first noticed and confessed his deafness.
•
He made a lot of rich friends and ended up getting paid 4,000 florins per year to
write music (about $2234.79), as long as he stayed in Vienna. He was the first
composer to get paid to make music. Most others became servants in wealthy
aristocratic households.
His later years
•
Around 1812 his financial support was cut off. One of his benefactors died,
another fell into financial difficulties, and another was called off to war.
•
Beethoven's deafness continued to get worse.
•
In 1815 Beethoven's brother Kaspar Karl died, leaving behind a wife and young
child whom he requested his brother, Ludwig, and his wife to watch over. This
proved very difficult for him.
Beethoven's last days
•
As time went on Beethoven's deafness continued to get worse.
•
Financial troubles still haunted Beethoven constantly. Most of the money he made
he put aside to give to his nephew Karl when he passed.
March 26, 1827
•On March 24th Beethoven signed his last will and testament, leaving everything he had to his
nephew Karl.
•Romain Rolland said in his biography of Beethoven "That day was tragic. There were heavy
clouds in the sky… around 4 or 5 in the afternoon the murky clouds cast darkness in the entire
room. Suddenly a terrible storm started, with blizzard and snow… thunder made the room
shudder, illuminating it with the cursed reflection of lightning on snow. Beethoven opened his
eyes and with a threatening gesture raised his right arm towards the sky with his fist clenched.
The expression of his face was horrifying. His hand fell to the ground. His eyes closed.
Beethoven was no more.“
•He died on march the 26th, 1827.
The funeral
•It is estimated that over 20,000
people followed the casket of
Ludwig Van Beethoven. This
represented nearly one tenth of the
population of Vienna.
•All schools were closed in sign of
mourning.
•His belongings were sold at auction
for incredibly cheap prices (his
symphony number 5 was sold for
only 6 florins equivalent of $3.35).
Most manuscripts were either lost
or stolen.
Beethoven's music.
•Beethoven wrote only nine symphonies during his career. While this may seem like a lot this is a
miniscule amount when compared to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who wrote over 150
symphonies.
•What set his music apart was his breaking the mold of the highly structured and refined rules
on classical music of that time.
•It is said that his most famous works are the symphonies 3, 5 and 9.
Symphony no.3 (Eroica)
•The symphony no. 3 has been one of the most discussed symphonies of all time.
•It was composed as a sign of great admiration for Napoleon Bonaparte.
•First public audition of “Eroica” took place on April 7th 1807. It was viewed with skepticism
because of its “innovative spirit” and “distance from the Viennese vision of symphonies”.
Symphony no. 5
•
Considered a natural continuation of his symphony no. 3.
•
Is sometimes called the symphony of destiny. Mainly because Anton Felix
Schindler, his biographer, stated: " So pocht das Schicksal an die Pforte! “ or in
“English That’s how destiny knocks on your door”.
Symphony no. 9
• Sometime called the symphony of joy
• Completed in 1824 when Beethoven was completely deaf.
• First showing on May 7, 1824 in the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna.
• When the piece ended, Beethoven, being deaf, was still conducting. The
soprano soloist turned him around to accept his applause.
Beethoven, the
disposition of.
•Ludwig Van Beethoven has been
described having a very “strong
personality” and very hard to get
along with.
•While living in Prince Lichnowskis
house in Vienna he is described as
being very stubborn, purposely
coming to dinner late.
•He is one of the greatest
composers of all times so he kind
of has that right.
• Beethoven's Health.
Beethoven’s deafness.
•
Beethoven first admitted he was going deaf in 1801. He wrote to friends who were
close to him yet geographically far. These were his friends in Bonn.
•
He felt it was unfair that he, a great composer, should have “his greatest faculty”
taken from him.
•
But instead of taking his own life he kept on composing, teaching, and playing his
music.
Beethoven’s deafness continued.
•
A number of studies have been done to find out the cause of Beethoven’s deafness.
•
The first was during his autopsy in 1827, the day after he died. It is said by the medical
examiner “... The ear cartilage is of a huge dimension and an irregular form. The scaphoïde
dimple, and above all the auricle, were vast and had one and a half times the usual depth...”.
•
The subject was brought up again in 1928 when Doctor Marage theorized that the cause of
his deafness was labrinthitis.
•
Again in 1986 Doctors agree that among other reasons, labrinthitis could be the cause.
•
While medical professionals are not 100% sure what caused Beethoven's deafness, most
agree that it is labrinthitis.
Labrinthitis
Labrinthitis is described as
“Inflammation of the labyrinth
of the inner ear, which is a
group of cavities and canals
communicating between one
another”.
The symptoms include.
 Vertigo
Nausea
Nystagmus (movement in the
ocular globe)
Deterioration of hearing
Whistling sounds
Humming / buzzing drones in
the ear.
Possible cures.
•There are different forms of labrinthitis
some viral and some bacterial.
•He was told by doctors to take almond oil,
take cold baths, pills for his stomach, and
herbs for his ears. All these succeeded in
doing though was helping his upset
stomach and diarrhea. His deafness
remained the same.
•Nowadays it is treated with antibiotics (if
it’s a bacterial infection) and surgery (if
necessary).
•If it is a viral infection you will
spontaneously get better.
Works cited.
•http://www.all-about-beethoven.com
•http://www.lvbeethoven.com
•http://www.beethoven.ws/personality.html
•http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/classicalmusic101/a/beethovenguide.htm
•http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21685