Ludwig van Beethoven remains a phenomenon in the world of music today. This man created his first works as a young man. Beethoven, interesting facts from whose life to this day make one admire his personality, believed all his life that his destiny was to be a musician, which he, in fact, was.
Ludwig van Beethoven family
Ludwig's grandfather and father had a unique musical talent in the family. Despite the rootless origin, the first managed to become a bandmaster at the court in Bonn. Ludwig van Beethoven Sr. had a unique voice and ear. After the birth of his son Johann, his wife Maria Theresa, who was addicted to alcohol, was sent to a monastery. The boy, upon reaching the age of six, began to learn to sing. The child had a great voice. Later, men from the Beethoven family even performed together on the same stage. Unfortunately, Ludwig's father was not distinguished by his grandfather's great talent and diligence, which is why he did not reach such heights. What could not be taken away from Johann was the love of alcohol.
Beethoven's mother was the daughter of the Elector's cook. The famous grandfather was against this marriage, but, nevertheless, did not interfere. Maria Magdalena Keverich was already a widow at the age of 18. Of the seven children in the new family, only three survived. Maria loved her son Ludwig very much, and he, in turn, was very attached to his mother.
Childhood and youth
The date of birth of Ludwig van Beethoven is not listed in any documents. Historians suggest that Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770, since he was baptized on December 17, and according to Catholic custom, children were baptized the day after birth.
When the boy was three years old, his grandfather, the elder Ludwig Beethoven, died, and his mother was expecting a child. After the birth of another offspring, she could not pay attention to her eldest son. The child grew up as a bully, for which he was often locked in a room with a harpsichord. But, surprisingly, he did not break the strings: little Ludwig van Beethoven (later composer) sat down and improvised, playing with both hands at the same time, which is unusual for small children. One day, the father caught the child doing this. He had ambition. What if his little Ludwig is the same genius as Mozart? It was from this time that Johann began to study with his son, but often hired teachers more qualified than himself.
While the grandfather was alive, who was actually the head of the family, little Ludwig Beethoven lived comfortably. The years after the death of Beethoven Sr. became an ordeal for the child. The family was constantly in need because of his father's drunkenness, and thirteen-year-old Ludwig became the main earner of livelihood.
Attitude towards learning
As contemporaries and friends of the musical genius noted, it was rare in those days to meet such an inquisitive mind that Beethoven possessed. Interesting facts from the life of the composer are also connected with his arithmetic illiteracy. Perhaps the talented pianist did not manage to master mathematics due to the fact that, without finishing school, he was forced to work, or perhaps the whole thing is in a purely humanitarian mindset. Ludwig van Beethoven cannot be called ignorant. He read literature in volumes, adored Shakespeare, Homer, Plutarch, was fond of the works of Goethe and Schiller, knew French and Italian, mastered Latin. And it was the inquisitiveness of the mind that he owed his knowledge, and not the education received at school.
Beethoven's teachers
From early childhood, Beethoven's music, unlike the works of his contemporaries, was born in his head. He played variations on all kinds of compositions known to him, but because of his father's conviction that it was too early for him to compose melodies, the boy did not write down his compositions for a long time.
The teachers that his father brought him were sometimes just his drinking companions, and sometimes became mentors to the virtuoso.
The first person, whom Beethoven himself recalls with warmth, was his grandfather's friend, the court organist Eden. Actor Pfeifer taught the boy to play the flute and harpsichord. For some time, the monk Koch taught to play the organ, and then Hantsman. Then came the violinist Romantini.
When the boy was 7 years old, his father decided that the work of Beethoven Jr. should become public, and organized his concert in Cologne. According to experts, Johann realized that an outstanding pianist from Ludwig did not work out, and, nevertheless, the father continued to bring teachers to his son.
Mentors
Soon Christian Gottlob Nefe arrived in the city of Bonn. Whether he himself came to Beethoven's house and expressed a desire to become a teacher of young talent, or Father Johann had a hand in this, is unknown. Nefe became the mentor that Beethoven the composer remembered all his life. Ludwig, after his confession, even sent Nefe and Pfeiffer some money as a token of gratitude for the years of study and the help given to him in his youth. It was Nefe who helped promote the thirteen-year-old musician at court. It was he who introduced Beethoven to other luminaries of the musical world.
Beethoven's work was influenced not only by Bach - the young genius idolized Mozart. Once, upon arrival in Vienna, he was even lucky enough to play for the great Amadeus. At first, the great Austrian composer took Ludwig's game coldly, mistaking it for a piece he had previously learned. Then the stubborn pianist invited Mozart to set the theme for the variations himself. From that moment on, Wolfgang Amadeus listened to the young man's game without interruption, and later exclaimed that the whole world would soon talk about the young talent. The words of the classic became prophetic.
Beethoven managed to take several playing lessons from Mozart. Soon the news came of the imminent death of his mother, and the young man left Vienna.
After his teacher was such as Joseph Haydn, but they did not find And one of the mentors - Johann Georg Albrechtsberger - considered Beethoven to be a complete mediocrity and a person unable to learn anything.
Musician character
The story of Beethoven and the ups and downs of his life left a noticeable imprint on his work, made his face gloomy, but did not break the stubborn and strong-willed young man. In July 1787, the closest person to Ludwig, his mother, dies. The young man took the loss hard. After the death of Mary Magdalene, he himself fell ill - he was struck down by typhus, and then by smallpox. Ulcers remained on the face of the young man, and myopia struck his eyes. The still immature young man takes care of the two younger brothers. His father by that time finally drank himself and died 5 years later.
All these troubles in life were reflected in the character of the young man. He became withdrawn and unsociable. He was often sullen and harsh. But his friends and contemporaries argue that, despite such an unbridled disposition, Beethoven remained a true friend. He helped with money all his acquaintances who were in need, provided for the brothers and their children. It is not surprising that Beethoven's music seemed gloomy and gloomy to his contemporaries, because it was a complete reflection of the inner world of the maestro himself.
Personal life
Very little is known about the emotional experiences of the great musician. Beethoven was attached to children, loved beautiful women, but he never created a family. It is known that his first bliss was the daughter of Helena von Breining - Lorchen. Beethoven's music of the late 80s was dedicated to her.
It became the first serious love of the great genius. This is not surprising, because the fragile Italian was beautiful, complaisant and had a penchant for music, and the already mature thirty-year-old teacher Beethoven focused his eyes on her. Interesting facts from the life of a genius are associated with this particular person. Sonata No. 14, later called "Lunar", was dedicated to this particular angel in the flesh. Beethoven wrote letters to his friend Franz Wegeler, in which he confessed his passionate feelings for Juliet. But after a year of study and tender friendship, Juliet married Count Gallenberg, whom she considered more talented. There is evidence that after a few years their marriage was unsuccessful, and Juliet turned to Beethoven for help. The former lover gave money, but asked not to come again.
Teresa Brunswick - another student of the great composer - became his new hobby. She devoted herself to raising children and philanthropy. Until the end of his life, Beethoven had a correspondence friendship with her.
Bettina Brentano - writer and friend of Goethe - became the composer's last passion. But in 1811 she connected her life with another writer.
Beethoven's longest attachment was the love of music.
Music of the great composer
Beethoven's work immortalized his name in history. All his works are masterpieces of world classical music. During the years of the composer's life, his style of performance and musical compositions were innovative. In the lower and upper register at the same time before him, no one played and did not compose melodies.
In the composer's work, art historians distinguish several periods:
- Early, when variations and plays were written. Then Beethoven composed several songs for children.
- The first - the Vienna period - dates from 1792-1802. The already well-known pianist and composer completely abandons the manner of performance characteristic of him in Bonn. Beethoven's music becomes absolutely innovative, lively, sensual. The manner of performance makes the audience listen in one breath, absorb the sounds of beautiful melodies. The author numbers his new masterpieces. During this time he wrote chamber ensembles and piano pieces.
- 1803 - 1809 were characterized by dark works reflecting the raging passions of Ludwig van Beethoven. During this period, he writes his only opera, Fidelio. All compositions of this period are filled with drama and anguish.
- The music of the last period is more measured and difficult to perceive, and the audience did not perceive some concerts at all. Ludwig van Beethoven did not accept such a reaction. The sonata dedicated to the ex-duke Rudolph was written at this time.
Until the end of his days, the great, but already very sick composer continued to compose music, which would later become a masterpiece of the world musical heritage of the 18th century.
Disease
Beethoven was an extraordinary and very quick-tempered person. Interesting facts from life relate to the period of his illness. In 1800, the musician began to feel. After a while, the doctors recognized that the disease was incurable. The composer was on the verge of suicide. He left society and high society and lived in seclusion for some time. After a while, Ludwig continued to write from memory, reproducing the sounds in his head. This period in the composer's work is called "heroic". By the end of his life, Beethoven became completely deaf.
The last path of the great composer
The death of Beethoven was a great grief for all admirers of the composer. He died on March 26, 1827. The reason has not been clarified. For a long time, Beethoven suffered from liver disease, he was tormented by abdominal pain. According to another version, the genius was sent to the other world by mental anguish associated with the sloppiness of his nephew.
The latest data obtained by British scientists suggests that the composer could have inadvertently poisoned himself with lead. The content of this metal in the body of a musical genius was 100 times higher than the norm.
Beethoven: interesting facts from life
Let's summarize a little what was said in the article. Beethoven's life, like his death, was overgrown with many rumors and inaccuracies.
The date of birth of a healthy boy in the Beethoven family is still in doubt and controversy. Some historians argue that the parents of the future musical genius were sick, and therefore a priori could not have healthy children.
The talent of the composer woke up in the child from the first lessons of playing the harpsichord: he played the melodies that were in his head. The father, under pain of punishment, forbade the baby to reproduce unrealistic melodies, it was only allowed to read from a sheet.
Beethoven's music had an imprint of sadness, gloom and some despondency. One of his teachers - the great Joseph Haydn - wrote to Ludwig about this. And he, in turn, retorted that Haydn had taught him nothing.
Before composing musical works, Beethoven dipped his head in a basin of ice water. Some experts claim that this kind of procedure could have caused his deafness.
The musician loved coffee and always brewed it from 64 grains.
Like any great genius, Beethoven was indifferent to his appearance. He often walked disheveled and untidy.
On the day of the musician's death, nature was rampant: bad weather broke out with a blizzard, hail and thunder. At the last moment of his life, Beethoven raised his fist and threatened the sky or higher powers.
One of the great sayings of a genius: "Music should strike fire from the human soul."
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Ludwig van Beethoven German composer, conductor and pianist, one of the three "Viennese classics". Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn to a family of musicians. Presumably the date of birth is December 16, 1770. The house in which Beethoven was born
Beethoven's first music teacher was his father. It is traditionally believed that he was very harsh towards little Ludwig, who "often was in tears at the instrument." Beethoven's real teacher was Christian Gottlob Nefe. He introduced Ludwig to the works of Bach and Handel. Thanks to Nefe, Beethoven's first composition, a variation on Dressler's march, was also published. Beethoven was twelve years old at the time and was already working as an assistant court organist. Portrait of Beethoven at the age of 13
From the youthful works of the composer, three children's sonatas and several songs are known, including "Marmot". At 17, Ludwig visited Vienna to study with Mozart. But the classes did not take place, because. his mother got sick. After the death of his mother, the seventeen-year-old boy was forced to become the head of the family and take care of his younger brothers. He joined the orchestra as a violist.
In 1892 Beethoven went to Vienna again. Here Antonio Salieri becomes his mentor. Already in the first years of his life in Vienna, Beethoven won fame as a virtuoso pianist. His playing amazed the audience. In Vienna, Beethoven did not immediately become famous as a composer, despite the fact that he devoted a lot of time to studying composition. Portrait of Beethoven, probably 1800
Beethoven's first public performance in Vienna took place in March 1795, where he made his debut with his piano concerto. Beethoven's compositions began to be widely published and enjoyed success. Beethoven composes the Sixth Symphony
Illness Progressive deafness (the first signs of which appear from 1797) forced Beethoven to eventually reduce his concert activity, and in the last years of his life to completely abandon public performances. Due to deafness, Beethoven rarely leaves the house, loses sound perception. He becomes gloomy, withdrawn. It was during these years that the composer, one after another, creates his most famous works Beethoven at work at home
Creativity 9 symphonies: No. 1 (1799-1800), No. 2 (1803), No. 3 "Heroic" (1803-1804), No. 4 (1806), No. 5 (1804-1808), No. 6 "Pastoral" (1808 ), No. 7 (1812), No. 8 (1812), No. 9 (1824). 11 symphonic overtures, including "Coriolanus", "Egmont", "Leonora" No. 3. 5 concertos for piano and orchestra. 6 Youth Sonatas for Piano. 32 piano sonatas, 32 variations and about 60 piano pieces. 10 sonatas for violin and piano. concerto for violin and orchestra, concerto for piano, violin and cello with orchestra ("triple concerto").
5 sonatas for cello and piano. 16 string quartets. 6 trio. Ballet "Creations of Prometheus". Opera Fidelio. Solemn mass. Vocal cycle "To the distant beloved". Songs based on poems by various poets and arrangements of folk songs
Death Beethoven died on March 26, 1827. Over twenty thousand people followed his coffin. Beethoven's grave in the central cemetery of Vienna, Austria
Thank you for your attention! Remember the classics!
As a composer, it consists in the fact that he raised to the highest degree the ability to express instrumental music while conveying spiritual moods and greatly expanded its forms. Based on the works of Haydn and Mozart in the first period of his work, Beethoven then began to give the instruments their characteristic expressiveness, so much so that they, both independently (especially the piano) and in the orchestra, gained the ability to express the highest ideas and the deepest moods of the human soul. . The difference between Beethoven and Haydn and Mozart, who also brought the language of instruments to a high level of development, lies in the fact that he modified the forms of instrumental music received from them, and added a deep inner content to the impeccable beauty of the form. Under his hands the minuet expands into a meaningful scherzo; the finale, which in most cases was a lively, cheerful and unpretentious part of his predecessors, becomes for him the culminating point in the development of the whole work and often surpasses the first part in the breadth and grandeur of its concept. In contrast to the balance of voices that give Mozart's music the character of dispassionate objectivity, Beethoven often gives precedence to the first voice, which gives his compositions a subjective shade that makes it possible to connect all parts of the composition with a unity of mood and idea. What he in some works, such as, for example, in the Heroic or Pastoral symphonies, marked with appropriate inscriptions, is observed in most of his instrumental compositions: the spiritual moods expressed poetically in them are in close relationship with each other, and therefore these works fully deserve the name of poems.
Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven. Artist J. K. Stieler, 1820
The number of Beethoven's compositions, not counting works without an opus designation, is 138. These include 9 symphonies (the last with a finale for choir and orchestra on Schiller's ode to Joy), 7 concertos, 1 septet, 2 sextets, 3 quintets, 16 strings quartets, 36 piano sonatas, 16 piano sonatas with other instruments, 8 piano trios, 1 opera, 2 cantatas, 1 oratorio, 2 grand masses, several overtures, music for Egmont, Ruins of Athens, etc., and numerous works for the piano and for one- and many-voice singing.
Ludwig van Beethoven. The best works
By their nature, these writings clearly outline three periods with a preparatory period ending in 1795. The first period embraces the years from 1795 to 1803 (until the 29th work). In the compositions of this time, the influence of Haydn and Mozart is still clearly visible, but (especially in the piano works, both in the form of a concerto, and in the sonata and variations), a desire for independence is already noticeable - and not only from the technical side. The second period begins in 1803 and ends in 1816 (up to the 58th work). Here is a brilliant composer in the full and rich flowering of a mature artistic individuality. The works of this period, opening up a whole world of the richest life sensations, at the same time can serve as an example of a wonderful and complete harmony between content and form. The third period includes compositions with a grandiose content, in which, due to Beethoven's renunciation due to complete deafness from the outside world, thoughts become even deeper, become more exciting, often more direct than before, but the unity of thought and form in them turns out to be less perfect and often sacrificed to the subjectivity of mood.
March 26 - the day of memory of the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Many considered his music to be gloomy and gloomy, because it did not fit in with the trends that were fashionable at that time. But no one could dispute the genius of the composer. Moreover, Beethoven was so talented that he composed his works even when he was completely deaf.
When the future composer was three years old, because of pranks and disobedience, his father locked him in a room with a harpsichord. However, Beethoven did not beat the instrument in protest, but sat down at it and enthusiastically improvised with both hands. One day, the father noticed this and decided that little Ludwig could become the second Mozart. This was followed by diligent lessons in playing the violin and harpsichord.
Due to the difficult situation in the family (his father suffered from alcoholism), Ludwig van Beethoven had to leave school and go to work. This fact is associated with his inability to add and multiply numbers. Many contemporaries laughed at the composer for this. But Beethoven could not be called an ignoramus. He read all kinds of literature, loved Schiller and Goethe, knew several languages. Perhaps the genius was just a humanitarian mindset.
Ludwig van Beethoven quickly achieves fame and recognition. Despite his disheveled and gloomy appearance, unbearable character, his contemporaries could not help but note his talent. But in 1796, the worst thing that can happen to a composer happens to Beethoven - he hears a ringing in his ears and begins to go deaf. He develops inflammation of the inner ear - tinitis. Doctors attribute this illness to Beethoven's habit of dipping his head in ice water every time he sat down to write. At the insistence of the doctors, the composer moves to the quiet town of Heiligenstadt, but this does not make him feel better.
It was then that the most brilliant works of the composer appeared. Beethoven himself would call this period "heroic" in his work. In 1824, his famous Ninth Symphony was performed. The delighted audience applauded the composer for a long time, but he stood, turning away, and did not hear anything. Then one of the artists turned Beethoven to the audience, and then he saw how they waved their hands, headscarves, hats to him. The crowd greeted the composer for such a long time that the police officers standing nearby began to appease the audience, since such a storm of applause could only be shown to the emperor.
Being in his deafness, Beethoven, however, was aware of all political and musical events. When friends came to him, communication took place with the help of "conversational notebooks". The interlocutors wrote questions, and the composer answered them orally or in writing. Beethoven evaluated all musical works by reading their scores (music notes).
On the day of the composer's death, March 26, an unprecedented storm broke out on the street with snow and lightning. The weakened composer suddenly got up from his bed, shook his fist at heaven and died.
Beethoven's genius was so great that his works are still considered the most performed among the classics. In addition, very often it can be heard in modern reading. Some time ago there was a sensation
In this issue we will talk about the last years of the life of the great Beethoven.
In the previous issue, we talked about the life of the composer, overshadowed by a meager financial situation and consistent failures in relations with the fair sex. But these details, as well as the character, far from the most beautiful character of the composer, did not prevent Ludwig from writing his beautiful music.
Today we, finishing our brief tour of Beethoven's biography, will talk about the last twelve (1815-1827) years of his life.
Beethoven's family problems
It cannot be said that Beethoven once got along well with his brothers, especially with, who by that time was already a wealthy pharmacist who supplied medicines to the army.
In 1812, after meeting with Goethe, the composer went to the city of Linz to visit Johann. True, apparently, Ludwig was inspired to this trip by a selfish idea, namely, to upset the engagement between Johann and one of his employees, Teresa Obermeier, whom the composer simply could not stand. True, the result was not in favor of Ludwig, because his younger brother did not listen to him.
A few years earlier, back in 1806, Ludwig prevented the marriage of his other brother, and part-time secretary - Kaspar, and the attempt was just as unsuccessful. But all these attempts by the composer to interfere in the personal lives of his brothers were not without reason.
After all, the name BEETHOVEN by that time thundered throughout Europe, and the composer could not afford to have his younger brothers disgrace this family. After all, both Teresa and Johanna, the potential daughters-in-law of the great composer, to put it mildly, were not worthy to bear this surname. But still it was useless, because the brothers did not listen to him.
In other matters, Kaspar himself will understand that he made a stupid mistake - in 1811 he will be so disappointed in his wife that he will even try to divorce her, although he still will not reach the final divorce. His wife, Johanna, turned out to be far from the most decent woman, as her elder brother, Ludwig, predicted a few years ago, in every possible way preventing their marriage.
Well, in 1815, Kaspar left this world. The late Kaspar Karl, in his dying will, asked Ludwig, his older brother, to become the guardian of his son, a nine-year-old boy, also named Karl.
This boy, as he grew up, brought his uncle, the great Beethoven, a huge amount of trouble.Moreover, immediately after the death of his brother, Ludwig had to “fight” with the child’s mother, the widow of Kaspar, Johanna, whom he could not stand. For five years, Beethoven tried with all his might to deprive Johanna of parental rights, and in 1820, he finally achieves his goal.
Financial problems still haunted the composer, who struggled to earn money in order to feed his beloved nephew and continue to be creative.
There was even a case when the British pianist Charles Neath, together with Ferdinand Rees, advised Beethoven to hold a concert in England. Beethoven's music was greatly appreciated in this country. The composer had an excellent reputation in England, which means that his performance at a solo concert would guarantee him an excellent income.
Beethoven understood this very well, and, in general, he had long dreamed of going on tour to London, as one of his teachers, Joseph Haydn, did in his time. Moreover, the British Philharmonic sent an official letter to Ludwig with conditions that were simply amazing for a composer basking in everyday problems, partly related to poor financial condition.
But at the last minute, Beethoven changed his mind, or rather, was forced to refuse to go to England due to illness. Moreover, the composer felt that he could not leave his nephew for such a long time, so he refused such a generous gift of fate.
We will not dwell on Beethoven's nephew, for it will be dedicated to him. In the meantime, just note that the guy brought the composer a lot of everyday problems and emotional experiences, which were reflected for the worse on Beethoven's already “undermined” health.
But still, the composer was madly in love with his nephew and helped him in every possible way, despite all the bad sides of his character. After all, the composer understood that he would no longer have other heirs. Even in letters, the composer addressed his nephew as "Dear son."
The last "Academy" of a deaf composer
Beethoven continues to write his beautiful music, which is radically different from the works written in his youth. The composer completes the last piano sonatas, while simultaneously composing simple piano pieces and chamber music commissioned by publishers in order to provide himself and his nephew with an income for subsistence.
One of the most important events of this period of Beethoven's life is his last "Academy" held on May 7, 1824 in the famous theater Kärtnertor.
His famous "Solemn Mass" was performed there, and the famous "Ninth Symphony" was presented to the public for the first time - a unique work that breaks all ideas about the traditional classical symphony.
Viennese old-timers testified that at this event there was a standing ovation, previously unheard of at any concert by any other musician. Even now, there is no need to invent anything about the success of the Ninth Symphony, because a fragment of this particular work is used in the anthem of the European Union.
Well, on that evening, when the absolutely deaf composer first presented this masterpiece to the Viennese public, the delight of the audience was indescribable. Hats, along with scarves, flew through the air. The applause was so loud that it simply cut the ear. But only the absolutely deaf composer, unfortunately, did not see anything (because he stood with his back to the audience) and did not hear, until Carolina Unger, one of the vocalists, turned Ludwig towards the applauding audience.
The applause touched Beethoven so emotionally that the composer, who saw flying scarves and tears in the eyes of applauding listeners, literally fainted.
At that moment, the hall simply exploded from the applause that subsided with renewed vigor. The emotions were so powerful that after a while the police officers were forced to intervene. It was a huge success. Well, in less than 2 weeks, the performance will be repeated already in the Redoubt Hall of the same Vienna.
True, the artistic success of the work still did not bring serious material benefits to Beethoven. The material side again let the composer down - both concertos turned out to be absolutely unprofitable and even unprofitable for Beethoven himself.
Of course, in a short time, one authoritative publishing house paid the composer both for the Ninth Symphony and for the Solemn Mass and several other works, but all the same, the artistic success of the works was much higher than the material profit.
Beethoven was such a unique composer: all the dukes, barons, lords, kings and emperors of Europe knew his name. But until the end of his days he remained poor.
progressive disease. last months of life.
In 1826, Beethoven's health deteriorated further after the twenty-year-old Carl, his favorite nephew, attempted suicide, possibly due to large gambling debts (however, this has not been confirmed).
After this reckless act of his nephew, Beethoven's health will deteriorate so much that he will never recover again, unlike Karl, who survived this moment and soon joined the army.
Pneumonia, inflammation of the intestines, cirrhosis of the liver and subsequent dropsy, due to which the composer's stomach was pierced several times - even in our age, the chances of being cured from such a set of diseases seem to be something supernatural.
In the last days of the sick Beethoven's life, a variety of people visited: Kramolini with his fiancee, Hummel, Yenger, Schubert (though it is believed that he could not enter the composer's room. And, in general, the fact of Schubert's visit to Beethoven has not been proven) and other people who appreciated the work of the composer.
But most of the time with Beethoven was spent by his courting friends - Schindler and another old friend - the same Stefan Breuning from Bonn, but now already living nearby with his family.
Speaking about the Braining family, it is worth noting that in these days clouded by illness, Beethoven was especially pleased with Stefan's son, Gerhard, nicknamed "Ariel". Beethoven simply adored this boy, who did not understand anything and was constantly “shining”, and this love was mutual.
Even the stingy brother Johann began to spend a lot of time with the dying composer. And this, despite the fact that just a few months before his death, Ludwig and his nephew (after his suicide attempt) came to Johann with some requests, and the latter treated his brother like a stranger - he took money from him and his nephew for an overnight stay , and also sent them home in an open wagon (after which, it is believed, Ludwig fell ill with pneumonia).
The material poverty of the composer in the last weeks of his stay was diluted by a good amount received from the London Philharmonic Society, and collected thanks to Moscheles, one of Beethoven's students.
Another joy for Ludwig was another, truly valuable and for that time extremely rare gift sent from the English capital by Johann Stumpf (harp maker) - it was the complete works of Handel, whom Beethoven considered almost the greatest composer.
Modest, but, at the same time, very pleasant for the composer gifts in the form of jars of compote were sent by Baron Pascalati, in whose house Beethoven lived for some time. The publisher Schot also distinguished himself by sending the famous Rhine wines to the dying Beethoven. Only Beethoven himself noted with regret that this gift was a little late, although in his heart he was glad of this package.
And, of course, two weeks before his death, Ludwig was finally awarded the title of honorary member of the Vienna Society of Music Lovers of the Austrian Empire. Only this title remained only symbolic, since it was not supported by any material benefit.
It is also worth noting that until his death, Ludwig, despite an incurable illness, thought more than adequately. Even suspecting that he could die at any moment, Beethoven still continued to read the most complex philosophical and other literature in different languages, thereby continuing to enrich himself intellectually.
Already on March 24, 1827, the composer signed a will, according to the contents of which, all his property was inherited by his nephew, Karl. On the same day, a priest visits Beethoven.
The death of the great Beethoven came after three days of hellish torment - March 26, 1827. It happened in Vienna, in the same house where Beethoven lived the last months of his life. This house had an interesting name "Schwarzpanierhaus", which translates as "House of the Black Spaniard".
At the time of death, the composer's friends, Breuning and Schindler, were not around. At that moment, foreseeing the imminent death of Ludwig, they went to negotiate the place of burial (possibly with Ludwig's brother, Johann), leaving a mutual friend, Anselm Hutenbrenner, next to the composer.
It was the latter, perhaps together with Teresa (the wife of Johann, brother of Ludwig), who witnessed the death of the great Beethoven. It is he who will later tell how the great Ludwig van Beethoven met his death, looking menacingly into her eyes and shaking his fist (in the literal sense) under a roll of thunder. It was Hutenbrenner who closed the eyes of the great composer, whose soul left this world from that moment on.
Ludwig van Beethoven was buried on March 29th. The scale of the ceremony is striking: about 20 thousand people participated in the procession - this is almost a tenth of the entire population of Vienna at that time.And this is surprising, given the fact that, compared with the funeral of Beethoven, the scale of the funeral of the older classicists, Mozart and Haydn, was much less significant.
One of the torchbearers of the mourning ceremony was another great composer, Franz Schubert, who, by the way, will die literally next year.
A variety of people, ranging from ordinary Viennese citizens, and ending with representatives of the imperial palace, came to send the great Beethoven on his last journey.
