The relationship between Archduke Rudolf and Beethoven spanned two decades; he was Beethoven’s most dedicated patron, financial supporter, and piano and composition student. Archduke Rudolf was born in 1788, in Florence. He was the youngest son of Emperor Leopold II and Maria Louisa of Spain. He did not follow a career in the military like most of the men …
Johann van Beethoven, father of the legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven, played a significant role in shaping the musical genius we know today. Despite facing personal and professional challenges throughout his life, Johann’s influence on Ludwig’s early musical education laid the foundation for his later success. This is a short biography of Johann van Beethoven, focusing on his relationship with …
1. What do we know about Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved letter? The famous love letter was found following Beethoven’s death in 1827 among his personal belongings by his secretary Anton Schindler. It was first published by Schindler himself 13 years later in his biography of the composer. The letter has been dated to 1812 when Beethoven was 41 years old, …
Beethoven’s Unsterbliche Geliebte, or Immortal Beloved ‘My angel, my all, my own self’ Written at the age of 41, Beethoven’s famous love letter reads as a breathless expression of despair and hope, of love and devotion for an unnamed woman, his Immortal Beloved, whose identity has sparked two centuries of curiosity, research and debate. Here, we will take a …
Not long after the birth of Beethoven in 1770 the family moved to the house of the Fischer family in the Rheingasse, Bonn. The exact date of the move is unknown. The Beethovens occupied the upper floor, under them the Fischers lived and operated their business, a bakery. It happened many years later that a middle-aged local musician and composer …
The dedication and later the renaming of Beethoven’s Third Symphony is one of the most cited stories in the history of classical music. Beethoven initially admired Napoleon, dedicated his symphony to him, but later when he had heard the news of Napoleon’s own declaration as Emperor, he changed the name to Eroica instead. There had to be a strong self-identification …