Beethoven, Ludwig van

ba'to-ven, Ludwig van (1770-1827), a German musician, born at Bonn. He was of Dutch descent, hence the van. His father, a tenor singer in the elector's chapel, is said to have whipped Beethoven at the age of five to make him practice. At thirteen the lad published a volume of musical compositions. Seeing his precocity, the elector of Cologne sent Beethoven to Vienna to enjoy the instruction of Haydn, who made him familiar with the music of Handel and Mozart. He became attached to Vienna and remained there the greater part of his life. He held various positions, such as chapel master, and drew a liberal pension. He was naturally eccentric. Dyspepsia made a short temper worse. A growing deafness rendered him incapable of conducting concerts, and, finally, total deafness drove him out of society. Like all musicians he was sensitive and fond of praise. In his later years he became morose. He remained single all his life. Singular habits of abusing his friends and servants by spells rendered it difficult for him to maintain a home. He was a man of short stature, and had long hair and black, piercing eyes.

Beethoven's compositions are numerous and are regarded as the works of a genius. He worked by no rule, but seemed to compose offhand under the stress of his feelings. Deafness and a bluntness of character led him to hold aloof from society and wander about in byways alone. Returning from these trips, he was wont to jot down his feelings in musical notation to be elaborated later. Nevertheless he wrote with care. One of his notebooks shows that he revised one piece eighteen times. Many critics deem him the greatest of musical composers. Others say he is preeminent in orchestral music only. He wrote also for the voice, for the piano, for the violin, and for the cello. He wrote songs, symphonies, operas, sonatas, and other forms familiar to the student of music.

One of Beethoven's most popular compositions is the Moonlight Sonata. A story is told concerning its production which gives no doubt a clue to the real nature to be found beneath the musician's rough exterior. While walking one moonlight evening in a poor quarter of the city of Bonn, the musician was led to enter a very humble dwelling by hearing the strains of one of his own compositions. He discovered the performer to be a blind girl living with her brother in poverty. Beethoven seated himself at the old-fashioned harpsichord, and for a long time delighted the blind girl with his playing. At last the light of the single candle in the room flickered and went out. The shutters were thrown open, and there, inspired by the beautiful moonlight and the humble listener to whom he was giving so much happiness, Beethoven improvised his Moonlight Sonata.