One of the least documented tours of Beethoven is the one he made as a young boy to Rotterdam, Holland. This article will cover the story!
It all started with the sudden and tragically early death of Franz Georg Rovantini. He was a court musician in Bonn, just as his father, Johann Conrad before him. Young Rovantini lived in the same house as the Beethovens and not by accident. The Rovantinis were relatives of Beethoven’s mother. Franz Georg was a respected music teacher and young Ludwig was one of the students. He learned violin and viola from him. Rovantini passed away in 1781, at a very young age, he was only 24. The Beethovens loved the young man and in his honor, when in 1783 a new boy was born in the family, they named him Franz Georg van Beethoven. Sadly, the boy died at the age of two.
Rovantini’s sister, Maria Magdalena, came all the way from Rotterdam to visit his brother’s grave and stayed at the Beethoven family. She was not alone, but with her came a wealthy widow and her daughter. Maria Magdalena worked for them as a nanny. They all stayed with the Beethovens for more than a month, made sightseeings in Bonn and trips around Rhineland.
It was only natural that a return invitation was due. The father, Johann, could not leave the court duties behind, this way only Ludwig and his mother embarked on the journey. It was the winter of 1781. They shipped north on the river Rhine towards Rotterdam in extreme cold weather. Ludwig had to put his feet in her mother’s hands and lap from freezing.
Their enthusiastic host organized more events that allowed the young talent to express himself. Beethoven this way had the chance to play in The Hague for distinguished aristocrats and at many other important families (his repertoire may have included his own composition, the Piano Concerto in E-flat major, WoO 4). In general, he made great impression everywhere and received gifts from the delighted adults. He even met the violinist and composer Carl Stamitz from Mannheim, and they played together. Stamitz had to be the first internationally famous musician he ever met. Talking about valuable gifts! For his concert young Beethoven got 63 florins, five times more than Stamitz did.
One very strange incident is connected to this Holland tour, which is hard to comprehend and not well documented. According to a report, during their stay an envy child or an insane adult injured young Beethoven’s fingers with a knife to prevent him from being able to play music. Seems grotesque indeed.
Despite the attention, gifts and superstar fee of 63 florins, young Beethoven was not impressed. He wrote in his diary, “The Dutch are skinflints <Pfennigfuchser>; I’ll never go to Holland again.” Try to impress a teenager….
Although Beethoven had planned a visit to both Paris and London all his life, he finally never did. This way his trip to Rotterdam was one of the longest journeys in his life.
