Monday, September 27, 2010

Introduction/Beethoven

Hi!  Welcome to my blog.  I'd like to use this to simply provide people with interesting facts about music.  Use these in any conversation, you're sure to be the more interesting person in the room.
I'm going to start off with incredibly famous composer Ludwin van Beethoven.  He was an amazing man, and changed the face of music in general.  Many people know about his deafness, but fewer know about his manic depression.  Losing his hearing was drawing him away from his art--his livelihood, his passion, and his love.
The following is a letter containing his will, sent from Beethoven to his brothers, whom he was very close to:
For my brothers Carl and [Johann] Beethoven

O ye men who think or say that I am malevolent, stubborn or misanthropic, how greatly do ye wrong me, you do not know the secret causes of my seeming, from childhood my heart and mind were disposed to the gentle feelings of good will, I was even ever eager to accomplish great deeds, but reflect now that for six years I have been a hopeless case, aggravated by senseless physicians, cheated year after year in the hope of improvement, finally compelled to face the prospect of a lasting malady (whose cure will take years or, perhaps, be impossible), born with an ardent and lively temperament, even susceptible to the diversions of society, I was compelled early to isolate myself, to live in loneliness, when I at times tried to forget all this, O how harshly was I repulsed by the doubly sad experience of my bad hearing, and yet it was impossible for me to say to men speak louder, shout, for I am deaf. Ah how could I possibly admit such an infirmity in the one sense which should have been more perfect in me than in others, a sense which I once possessed in highest perfection, a perfection such as few surely in my profession enjoy or have enjoyed - O I cannot do it, therefore forgive me when you see me draw back when I would gladly mingle with you, my misfortune is doubly painful because it must lead to my being misunderstood, for me there can be no recreations in society of my fellows, refined intercourse, mutual exchange of thought, only just as little as the greatest needs commanddisposition, although I sometimes ran counter to it yielding to my inclination for society, but what a humiliation when one stood beside me and heard a flute in the distance and I heard nothing, or someone heard the shepherd singing and again I heard nothing, such incidents brought me to the verge of despair, but little more and I would have put an end to my life - only art it was that withheld me, ah it seemed impossible to leave the world until I had produced all that I felt called upon me to produce, and so I endured this wretched existence - truly wretched, an excitable body which a sudden change can throw from the best into the worst state - Patience - it is said that I must now choose for my guide, I have done so, I hope my determination will remain firm to endure until it please the inexorable parcae to bread the thread, perhaps I shall get better, perhaps not, I am prepared. Forced already in my 28th year to become a philosopher, O it is not easy, less easy for the artist than for anyone else - Divine One thou lookest into my inmost soul, thou knowest it, thou knowest that love of man and desire to do good live therein. O men, when some day you read these words, reflect that ye did me wrong and let the unfortunate one comfort himself and find one of his kind who despite all obstacles of nature yet did all that was in his power to be accepted among worthy artists and men. You my brothers Carl and [Johann] as soon as I am dead if Dr. Schmid is still alive ask him in my name to describe my malady and attach this document to the history of my illness so that so far as possible at least the world may become reconciled with me after my death. At the same time I declare you two to be the heirs to my small fortune (if so it can be called), divide it fairly, bear with and help each other, what injury you have done me you know was long ago forgiven. to you brother Carl I give special thanks for the attachment you have displayed towards me of late. It is my wish that your lives be better and freer from care than I have had, recommend virtue to your children, it alone can give happiness, not money, I speak from experience, it was virtue that upheld me in misery, to it next to my art I owe the fact that I did not end my life with suicide. - Farewell and love each other - I thank all my friends, particularly Prince Lichnowsky and Professor Schmid - I desire that the instruments from Prince L. be preserved by one of you but let no quarrel result from this, so soon as they can serve you better purpose sell them, how glad will I be if I can still be helpful to you in my grave - with joy I hasten towards death - if it comes before I shall have had an opportunity to show all my artistic capacities it will still come too early for me despite my hard fate and I shall probably wish it had come later - but even then I am satisfied, will it not free me from my state of endless suffering? Come when thou will I shall meet thee bravely. - Farewell and do not wholly forget me when I am dead, I deserve this of you in having often in life thought of you how to make you happy, be so -

Heiligenstadt October 6,1802 Ludwig van Beethowen

(end letter)

Beethoven was an incredible man, and a very good writer.  Always stick to your passion once you've figured out what it is, because you never know what may happen in the future.

19 comments:

  1. Truly inspiring. Beethoven was an amazing man.

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  2. Beethoven is awesome! I love how he was all rebel-ish and shit x)

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  3. this was verry insightful i love beethoven

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  4. this was reaaalllyyy long but i got through most of it. might have to re-read it sometime later

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  5. My eyes hurt, needs more contrasting colors

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  6. very morbid once he starts talking about death freeing him from life. I feel for him.

    Also, hard to read, but highlighting fixes that

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  7. hey, this is one of my more favorite posts from you :)

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  8. This is a pretty good blog,my friend.

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  9. Beethoven was a very strong individual.
    Not many people can be like him, and certainly not me. Not in a thousand years would I dream of continuing my audio engineering and compositional activities if I would turn deaf.

    When sound is your life, the final silence could only be death.

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  10. Where did you find the will? Is there a scan of it somewhere?

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