# data[].attributes.body
Cooper, Barry. Beethoven. New York City, Oxford UP, 2002.

# data[].attributes.body
During the year of 1776 Beethoven had just started taking music lessons from his father. During these lessons his father was very cruel and unforgiving to young Beethoven.

# data[].attributes.body
At the age of sixteen Beethoven decided to visit Vienna to learn from Mozart. There is no definitive proof of the two meeting, but there are second hand witnesses and stories to this alleged meeting. After arriving in Vienna, Beethoven soon got the unfortunate news that his mother was ill.

"Beethoven set out from Bonn towards the end of march 1787, ... no documents survive relating to the meeting of the two great composers- all we have is second hand anecdotes of uncertain reliability."

(22)

# data[].attributes.body
Shortly after leaving Vienna Beethoven found his mother very ill and shortly after very dead.

" ' she was such a good lovable mother to me, and my best friend' he wrote later that year"

(22)

# data[].attributes.body
Beethoven had left Bonn during November of 1792. with him he brought most of his music and sketches. He had left to start writing in music there.

# data[].attributes.body
after struggling for some time with the finale of his first symphony, Beethoven had finished writing it during the winter of 1799-1800.

"beethoven probably wrote the symphony during the winter of 1799-1800 in the hope of obtaining a date for a benifit concert the following spring ..."
(88)

# data[].attributes.headline
1801- beethoven gets diagnosed for his hearing loss

# data[].attributes.subject
1801- beethoven gets diagnosed for his hearing loss

# data[].attributes.body
while writing music in Vienna Beethoven had dealt with hearing issues. because of these hearing issues he had gone to a doctor to get a professional opinion.

# data[].attributes.body
while he was staying in Heiligenstadt as a treatment for his hearing loss, Beethoven was contemplating suicide, so he wrote the Heiligenstadt testament. in this letter he wrote to his brothers he talks about his fear, sadness, and misfortune when it came to going deaf. Beethoven had rejected suicide before the trip as he had thought that enduring his despair and remaining hopeful for the trip would be a good idea. after the realization that things may not get better he had wrote the Heiligenstad testament.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The first line of the "testament"...

For my brothers Carl and Beethoven

O ye men who think or say that I am malevolent, stubborn or misanthropic, how greatly do ye wrong me, you do not know the secret causes of my seeming, from childhood my heart and mind were disposed to the gentle feelings of good will, I was even ever eager to accomplish great deeds, but reflect now that for six years I have been a hopeless case, aggravated by senseless physicians, cheated year after year in the hope of improvement, finally compelled to face the prospect of a lasting malady (whose cure will take years or, perhaps, be impossible), born with an ardent and lively temperament, even susceptible to the diversions of society, I was compelled early to isolate myself, to live in loneliness, when I at times tried to forget all this, O how harshly was I repulsed by the doubly sad experience of my bad hearing, and yet it was impossible for me to say to men speak louder, shout, for I am deaf. Ah how could I possibly admit such an infirmity in the one sense which should have been more perfect in me than in others, a sense which I once possessed in highest perfection, a perfection such as few surely in my profession enjoy or have enjoyed - O I cannot do it, therefore forgive me when you see me draw back when I would gladly mingle with you, my misfortune is doubly painful because it must lead to my being misunderstood, for me there can be no recreations in society of my fellows, refined intercourse, mutual exchange of thought, only just as little as the greatest needs command may I mix with society. I must live like an exile, if I approach near to people a hot terror seizes upon me, a fear that I may be subjected to the danger of letting my condition be observed - thus it has been during the past year which I spent in the country, commanded by my intelligent physician to spare my hearing as much as possible, in this almost meeting my natural disposition, although I sometimes ran counter to it yielding to my inclination for society, but what a humiliation when one stood beside me and heard a flute in the distance and I heard nothing, or someone heard the shepherd singing and again I heard nothing, such incidents brought me to the verge of despair, but little more and I would have put an end to my life - only art it was that withheld me, ah it seemed impossible to leave the world until I had produced all that I felt called upon me to produce, and so I endured this wretched existence - truly wretched, an excitable body which a sudden change can throw from the best into the worst state - Patience - it is said that I must now choose for my guide, I have done so, I hope my determination will remain firm to endure until it please the inexorable parcae to bread the thread, perhaps I shall get better, perhaps not, I am prepared. Forced already in my 28th year to become a philosopher, O it is not easy, less easy for the artist than for anyone else - Divine One thou lookest into my inmost soul, thou knowest it, thou knowest that love of man and desire to do good live therein. O men, when some day you read these words, reflect that ye did me wrong and let the unfortunate one comfort himself and find one of his kind who despite all obstacles of nature yet did all that was in his power to be accepted among worthy artists and men. You my brothers Carl and [Johann] as soon as I am dead if Dr. Schmid is still alive ask him in my name to describe my malady and attach this document to the history of my illness so that so far as possible at least the world may become reconciled with me after my death. At the same time I declare you two to be the heirs to my small fortune (if so it can be called), divide it fairly, bear with and help each other, what injury you have done me you know was long ago forgiven. to you brother Carl I give special thanks for the attachment you have displayed towards me of late. It is my wish that your lives be better and freer from care than I have had, recommend virtue to your children, it alone can give happiness, not money, I speak from experience, it was virtue that upheld me in misery, to it next to my art I owe the fact that I did not end my life with suicide. - Farewell and love each other - I thank all my friends, particularly Prince Lichnowsky and Professor Schmid - I desire that the instruments from Prince L. be preserved by one of you but let no quarrel result from this, so soon as they can serve you better purpose sell them, how glad will I be if I can still be helpful to you in my grave - with joy I hasten towards death - if it comes before I shall have had an opportunity to show all my artistic capacities it will still come too early for me despite my hard fate and I shall probably wish it had come later - but even then I am satisfied, will it not free me from my state of endless suffering? Come when thou will I shall meet thee bravely. - Farewell and do not wholly forget me when I am dead, I deserve this of you in having often in life thought of you how to make you happy, be so -

For my brothers Carl and
to be read and executed after my death.

Heiligenstadt, October 10, 1802, thus do I take my farewell of thee - and indeed sadly - yes that beloved hope - which I brought with me when I came here to be cured at least in a degree - I must wholly abandon, as the leaves of autumn fall and are withered so hope has been blighted, almost as I came - I go away - even the high courage - which often inspired me in the beautiful days of summer - has disappeared - O Providence - grant me at least but on e day of pure joy - it is so long since real joy echoed in my heart - O when - O when, O Divine One - shall I find it again in the temple of nature and of men - Never? no - O that would be too hard.

The beginning of the Heiligenstadt Testament...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Heiligenstadt Testament - Ludwig van Beethoven's website

# data[].attributes.body
After returning to Vienna, Beethoven continued to write his third symphony.  He had finished writing this symphony during summer of 1803.

# data[].attributes.body
When Beethoven performed his opera fall of 1805 it was met with a musical and financial failure.

"his relationship with the theatre ... had proved an unhappy one"
(154)

# data[].attributes.body
The fifth symphony had been written for over three years at this point as Beethoven had started writing this symphony in 1804 and resumed in 1807. After being resumed the symphony was done later that year.
"as mentioned above this had veen begun in early 1804 ... in june 1807, by which time sketching for no.5 had been resumed and was probably well under way... and it was virtually finished by about the end of the year."
(169)

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOk8Tm815lE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ludwig Van Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C Minor (Full)

# data[].attributes.body
Beethoven had been offered by Napoleon's brother an invitation to be his kapellmeister at kassel. after hearing about this Beethoven's fans had rallied for him to stay in Vienna along with the city of Vienna offering him three sponsors willing to support him.

# data[].attributes.body
After Beethoven's brother Carl had been diagnosed with Tuberculosis, Beethoven started taking care of him which caused a large financial burden.
"By november 1815 beethoven estimated he had spent 10,000 fl. WW-equivalent to nearly three years salary at its revalued rate."
(238)

# data[].attributes.body
later that year Carl ended up dying of tuberculosis  and with him he left behind a will.
"Carl had written a will which included the crucial sentence 'along with my wife i appoint my brother Ludwig van Beethoven co guardian'"
(246)

# data[].attributes.body
after a long while Beethoven hearing had worsened substantially.
" ... and by early 1818 it had degenerated so much that he began using conversation books."
(260

# data[].attributes.body
the philharmonic society of London had offered/payed Beethoven to write them a symphony.
" 'what might the philharmonic society [of London] offer me as an honorarium for a grand symphony' "
(297)

# data[].attributes.body
after seven years of writing his ninth, beethoven finally finished writing it. during this time he had started rounding up his unused works to get published

# data[].attributes.body
beethoven had a large performance of his final symphony.
during this symphony he had conducted even though he had gone fully deaf.
"at one point probably after the second movement of the symphony Beethoven stood turning pages oblivious to the applause..."
(317)

# data[].attributes.body
The ninth symphony was a large musical success but sadly not a financial one.  although he did receive the sum of money promised by the philharmonic society of London. due to the financial disaster the symphony was at the box office Beethoven had thought that he was being cheated

# data[].attributes.body
during the year of 1825 beethovens health had started declining as he was diagnosed with intestinal inflammation. due to his sickness the third movement of the piece he had been working on was at first titled "hymn of thanks from a sick man to god on his recovery - feeling of a new strength and reawakened feeling."

# data[].attributes.body
during the year of 1827 Beethoven had met his demise. his autopsy revealed that he had died from liver disease. his funeral service soon followed with over 20,000 people mourning the loss.