Take a showman and inventor, add a grumpy genius composer, shake it well and see what happens! Read on to discover this friendship and the achievements they realized together! Who was Johann Maelzel? Maelzel (sometimes Mälzel, August 15, 1772 – July 21, 1838) was a German inventor, born in Regensburg. His father was an organ builder who made sure …
Ear trumpets had helped people with hearing difficulty for centuries. It helped Beethoven, too! What is this aid and how it works? Beethoven loosing his hearing Beethoven first experienced troubles in his ears in 1798, at the age of 27. Until that point he had perfect hearing, something a musician should have! Initially, he kept his problems a secret …
This is the story of Baron de Trémont, a French diplomat in Vienna, who approached Beethoven and against all odds managed to tame the bear. Who was Baron de Trémont? Louis-Philippe-Joseph Girod de Vienney, Baron de Trémont (born 2 October 1799, died 1 July, 1852) was a French officer and diplomat. For us, more importantly he was a musical …
Luigi Cherubini had great influence on Beethoven. Who was Cherubini and what opinion he had of Beethoven? Read on to find out! Who was Cherubini – a short bio Luigi Cherubini (in full Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini) was born September 14, 1760, Florence, Italy and died March 15, 1842, Paris, France. His exact date of birth is …
In this article we discover who was Jérôme Bonaparte, why did he invite Beethoven to his court and how the composer used this offer as bargaining chip for advancing his positions in Vienna. Who was Jérôme Bonaparte? The youngest brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, Jérôme Bonaparte (15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, as Girolamo Buonaparte. He was the eighth – surviving – child of …
After their mother had passed away and their father sunk into alcoholism, Beethoven – a young man himself – had to fulfill the role of a guardian of his two younger brothers. This responsibility meant both financial support and spiritual, moral guidance, as well. As the siblings grew older and financially independent, Beethoven still held on to this role and …