Ludwig van Beethoven by Rubi Duran Puentes

#1 The beginning of a prodigy

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-01 17:54:12 UTC

Former Ludwig van Beethoven is introduced to musical arts around ages 4 and 5. Though it is the beginning of a now universally known prodigy for his beautiful and abstract compositions, his introduction to musical arts wasn’t as beautiful and bright as he expresses his music to be. Since the start of his artistic journey, he is tormented by his father, withstanding various different series of beatings and verbal abuse from his father if he had hesitated at any minor inconveniences. His punishments also consisted of being locked up in a cellar and being flogged. But if not punished, "Johann also deprived him of sleep, waking him at midnight for more hours of practice." (16)

#2 Beethoven's first piano concert

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-07 23:20:44 UTC

After 6 years of consistent piano recitals, Beethoven's teacher Johann allowed him to play with other musicians at his first concert because he felt "confident enough of Ludwig's keyboard prowess," (18). Beethoven played on March 26, 1778, at 5 P.M. His musical performance was so outstanding that it encouraged other parents to start their children's musical journey no older than Ludwig, at 7 years old.

#3 Beethoven fully commits himself into the art of music

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-08 22:29:07 UTC

Upon dropping out of his former high school to advance in his musical path, Ludwig attempted to get his masters as an organist and also attempts to "[bewilder] the congregation with improvisations that belonged to the mass." (21) But unfortunately, his teacher was too strict and stubborn and therefore denied the permission of either ideas.

#4 Beethoven's first composition

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-08 22:33:16 UTC

Ludwig Beethoven's first composition was printed late in the fall in Mannheim. His teacher forced him to write a variation that "marched along" (16) with the original compositions theme. Though he wrote the chorus, his name was not entirely recognized, he was almost 12 years old when writing this composition.

#5 Beethoven's first paid performance

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-20 05:39:51 UTC

On November 23, Ludwig "had his first paid engagement at a royal concert in The Hague" (23). He had left the audience amazed with his piano skills, and received sixty-three florins, which was more than any pianist or performer had typically received.

#6 The beginning of recognition and fame

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-20 05:49:57 UTC

By the age of 13, Ludwig was finally fully recognized and appreciated for his art. People of the palace knew him for his astounding organ playing, he was also a substitute for Neefe as a "cembalist." "In return for [his] services, was paid a "subsistence" allowance" (24), though this allowance didn't pay for long, as Ludwig's salary was no longer paid for due to his elder brother's alcoholic problem.

#7 Absence in the musical realm

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-20 06:05:02 UTC

Though Ludwig was filled with creativity when it came to his art, he was a pupil of Neefe. Being said, Neefe did not like Ludwig's creativity and would attempt "to tone down the wilderness of his musical ideas." (25) Other exterior factors pushed Ludwig to imitate Mozart's playing, as he incorporated all of his techniques with his own personal preferences. These practices created his unique orchestral color, and pushed him to explore his musical creativity. But due to illness, sexual torment, inhibitions imposed by Neefe, and relocation caused Ludwig to go silent for almost four years.

#8 Recovering from absence

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-20 18:11:00 UTC

After recovering from his musical break, Ludwig was finally happy and content at the artistic level he was at. Until, during 1787, Neefe had "persuaded Max Franz that there was a "second Mozart" playing in the electoral orchestra." (30) Max Franz agreed to sponsor Ludwig, with the condition of having Ludwig share half of his court salary, even though he was, by law considered poor due to his debt and alcohol abuse from his elder brother.

#9 Mozart recognizes Beethoven's talent

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-20 18:14:08 UTC

After becoming Mozart's pupil, Mozart had his assistants keep a special close eye on Ludwig, as he believed that "some day he will give the world something to talk about." (31) Even with the compliments from Mozart, Ludwig believed that Mozart's pieces were "choppy."

#10 Maria's death

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-20 18:23:43 UTC

When coming back home from his long journey abroad, Ludwig's mother was crucially sick, as her health had been declining even before Ludwig's leave. To this, Ludwig wrote a depressive letter, stating that he "hurried forward as fast as [he] could although [himself] far from well ... [his] longing once more to see [his] dying mother overcame every obstacle and assisted [him] in surmounting the greatest difficulties." (32) Ludwig's mother had later died on July 17, his mothers death had affected him so immensely to the point where he developed asthma and depression.

#11 Overcoming depression

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-23 06:46:38 UTC

After overcoming depression with the help of Helene von Breuning, he met Franz Gergard Wegeler, a student of the University of Bonn. Ludwig took advantage of "Wegeler's friendship to become a part-time student at the university" (34) He used that opportunity to matriculate in philosophy, jurist, Scientists, theologians, and humanism.

#12 Beethoven's first musical hit

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-03-23 07:12:31 UTC

After having thought Beethoven was a faded prodigy, rumors about him dropping his opportunity of performing Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II because he had found the project too difficult to handle had spread among the musical community for a long period. Nearly a century later, "Johannes Brahms discovered that Ludwig had in fact produced a massive, forty-minute work." (37) Musicians later on praised him for his work, calling it imaginative and "violent" in the intensity of its emotions." (40)

#13 The launch of Beethoven's musical career

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-02 22:17:44 UTC

When Beethoven was about to publish his first Piano concerto called, trios, Op.1, "He did not feel that either of his piano concertos was good enough" (67) despite this concerto being impressive enough to erase the violin variations. He ended up putting this concerto printable to a private subscription, asking for only one gold ducat for each copy. This successfully launched his career, as his subscriptions totaled up to 249, and were also a grand success for it was reprinted three times for popular distribution both at home and abroad.

#14 Miracle for Beethoven

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-03 04:18:18 UTC

Shortly after being announced dangerously "sick," Beethoven wrote a war song for the conquest of northern Italy. Fortunately, "an armistice was declared the next day, so the song, entitled "Ein grosses, deutsches Volk," was forgotten." (72) This was a major shift of events for Beethoven, as the song would have negatively impacted his twentieth-century reputation.

#15 Fully committing into his musical career as an independent artist

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-03 05:52:32 UTC

Wanting to become a universal talent, Beethoven chose to cancel "a fall tour of Poland, and set himself up as a self-employed artist, independent of aristocratic favor." (75) The want of becoming a universal talent was a factor of this rational decision, but wanting to write an opera powerful enough to erase the memories of his master Hayden's, weak attempts at music drama. He accomplished this goal by isolating himself, drowning in work loads, and renting an individual apartment.

#16 Experiencing overseas fame

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-03 06:05:31 UTC

After focusing on his projects as a solo artist, Beethoven was fascinated by the concept of war but was too uneducated to involve himself in politics. He instead wrote a song about the war during his time but didn't like the melody so "he published it in a set of party pieces for Viennese youth to dance to." (86) After thinking long and hard about this piece, the melody concept brought Beethoven to write a ballet for the court spring season called Creatures of Prometheus. Miraculously, this ballet was a big hit, playing twenty seven performances at the Imperial Court Theater and boasting his other concertos, as "commissions were coming in faster than he could handle them." (87) This was Beethoven's first experience in overseas fame.

#17 Beethoven's deteriorating health

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-03 06:18:08 UTC

Upon finally achieving the recognition Beethoven deserved as a musical prodigy, he was suffering various types of health problems. For instance, he describes how for the past few years his "hearing has become weaker and weaker ... [he] has been constantly afflicted with diarrhea and [had] been suffering in consequence from an extraordinary debility" (86) These health problems severely impact his musical and personal life, for if his deafness becomes more severe it could fluctuate his ability to compose and write music.

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-04 16:29:48 UTC

Music Division. Beethoven: The Universal Composer . Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -10-25, 2005.

#18 Persevering through deafness

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-04 16:52:12 UTC

Despite the numerous health issues, Beethoven was inspired to write another Symphony in D major called Sonata quasi una Fantasia, Op. 27 No.2, or more popularly known as "Moonlight Sonata" and was said to have been dedicated to the young pupil, Giulietta Guiccaiardi. Though this was his unique way of "proposing" to her, Beethoven's self-abasement was so unlike him that it was thought that this musical piece was a way of looking for a reason to be rejected.

#19 Depression

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-06 04:34:48 UTC

As Beethoven's deafness and health deteriorated increasingly, his ear doctor had recommended that he'd move away from the city since the city consisted of loud noises. Beethoven followed through and rented a farmland where he would teach Ferdinand Ries, who later then observe and wrote about Beethoven's mental state. Ries would explain in his letters how Beethoven was in a state of black gloom, and experienced restlessness, suicidal thoughts, and was reluctant to teach anything regarding music. These emotions were evident when Beethoven wrote a letter to his brothers, titled To be read and executed after my death.

#20 Overcoming depression a second time

duranrub001_1_1 — 2024-04-06 05:02:41 UTC

Thankfully, Beethoven's mental progression had led him to start writing new piano variations, some of which were a "footprint of a theme not yet played." (98) The variations were counted to be up to fifteen, an extensively large amount of piano variations for Beethoven but he claimed to have written them because he wanted to write at his peak before he had "exhausted its pianistic potential." (98) Not only that, but Beethoven chose to write these variations to prove that "heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter." This work was later on named the "Prometheus" variations.