Ludwig+van+Beethoven

**Introduction**  "Tones sound, and roar and storm about me until I have set them down in notes" – Ludwig Van Beethoven (brainyquote). This accurately depicts the genius and maniac that Ludwig Van Beethoven was. He had great charisma and devotion towards his music (Smith). In times of strife, he would turn to music as his way of escaping reality (Chessick). At a young age, he lost his hearing, but that definitely did not get in his way of becoming one of the most famous musicians, alongside Mozart (Hewett). The legacy that he has left in music history is truly remarkable. Beethoven shows that with passion and determination, anything is possible, no matter the consequences (Chessick).  **Personal Background**   The world did not expect what was in store for it when the musical extraordinaire Ludwig Van Beethoven had been born. He was born on December 17, 1770 in the city of Bonn in Germany (Altenhof). His days of youth were not as enjoyable as ones of a typical human. He had gone through many complicated struggles in his life. When he was 16, his mother had passed away. That was not the only parental complication; his father was also an alcoholic. He had “three younger siblings, two brothers and a baby sister who died shortly after the death of her mother” (Chessick). As ironic as it was, Beethoven was a master in creating romantic music, yet he had trouble himself finding a soul mate (Hewett). Through all of the chaos in his life, he knew he could find peace in music. With the loss of his hearing at the age of 26, he still proceeded to make music (Smith). Many would assume that a man who is deaf would not be able to make music, but Beethoven refutes that belief. Due to his deafness, he was often felt lonely and rejected. His isolation and sorrow had bothered him so much that he once considered suicide. Thankfully, he realized his potential and decided to showcase his talent to the world (Smith). With no surprise, his ability to transfer creative thoughts into notes that form a harmony and melody is incredible. Beethoven had a very meaning relationship with music and words (Fenby-Hulse). Having so much time dedicated to his work, he “never truly learned to understand the world outside music” (Bose). At the age of 16, Beethoven played an improvisation for Wolfgang Mozart, a musical genius and a great inspiration. Very impressed, Mozart realized his potential and stated “watch out for that boy, one day he will give the world something to talk about” (Smith). And sooner or later, he indeed did become a great astonishment to the world. **Personality Traits**  Even though Beethoven seemed to be an easy-going, simple man who enjoyed playing music, there may be some unexpected facts about him. For instance, unlike most people, Beethoven enjoyed solitude. When he got mad, he became defiant, hostile, and resentful (Bose). Due to his deafness and independence, he grew to be irascible and chaotic (Chessick). Also, he possessed an erratic behavior and a fierce temperament (Smith). Beethoven was open to different genres, but he especially liked the dark ages. He pushed through his hard times, which made him mighty and immeasurable (Fenby-Hulse). On the other hand, he was not always cantankerous; he overcame his troubles, became motivated, and passed his aggressive stage in life (Bose). He had an “indomitable will to triumph over all the painful external circumstances” (Chessick). Beethoven had a very large heart and an enormous passion (Smith). In addition, he was a “strong-willed but socially adept virtuoso pianist” (Stauffer). Beethoven greatly enjoyed expressing his musical gift to the world (Smith). In addition, he was courageous and humorous through his music (Hewett). Beethoven adopted a discerning literary palette which allowed him to have a taste of many different genres (Fenby-Hulse). As a result, he is a very inspiring person because despite the obstacles in his life, he still had a burning passion to move forward in life and to excel in his musical career. **Obstacles** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">Ludwig Van Beethoven did not have an easy pathway to success. He had to overcome an abundance of obstacles to for one, live his life, and to reach the pinnacle of his musical career. To begin with, Beethoven had a rough childhood. He experienced difficulties within his family, his father was an alcoholic, his mother died when he was young, and he was left in charge of his siblings (Chessick). Beethoven had a lot on his plate, including striving to become a musician. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">To add, Beethoven began to lose his hearing when he was 26 (Smith). This affected his concentration because he would be bothered when he heard squealing, buzzing and humming (Bose). Considering his deafness, he began to have a solitude attitude (Chessick). In addition, Beethoven had gastrointestinal issues, which included stomach pains and more (Stauffer). Nevertheless, he found determination and muse to continue his legendary work. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">As if his life wasn’t complicated enough, Beethoven was never able to find a soul mate (Hewett). His shyness restricted him from ever being able to be in a real relationship. He usually spent his days lonely because he favored keeping to himself. Though, this helped him focus on his music and to not get distracted by other things (Chessick). One could say Beethoven had a problematic life, but he proved that he could move forward by the mark of his success. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">**Historical Significance** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">Beethoven was a composer who stole the attention of millions in his time of glory. Of course, his golden legacy still lies in this modern era due to his mass brilliance. He had many significant accomplishments which lead him to his fame. Beethoven used the emotions of his time, which struck the interests in others. Within just one of Beethoven’s pieces, he could portray an abundance of different themes. He was compared to Mozart and Shakespeare because of his level of complexity and aptitude displayed in his music (Hewett). <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">However, Beethoven was not like most of the famous composers of his time. What makes him so unique and distinct is that he proceeded to compose and play music even after he became deaf (Bose.) Even though he was going through hard times, he had still made his mark on the world. This validates that even in the toughest times, people can still become victorious and successful. Beethoven was always determined to work and he learned to compose in an assortment of genres. Eventually, he excelled artistically due to his diverse range of styles of music. Using his deafness to an advantage, it helped him protect “his inner creative forces from the intrusions of the social world around him” (Chessick). <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">Beethoven was seen somewhat as a hero for his music. His complex pieces of music makes listeners rethink their understanding of the relationship between music and literature. This was also known has his heroic period (Fenby-Hulse). He was also heroic in a way that he conducted music by mentally hearing it in his head (Smith). Many people would find it impossible for one to be able to play, or much rather, be able to compose and conduct while deaf. But, Beethoven is a strong example to show that anything is possible. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">When listening to one of his pieces now, one is able to hear the little details that he perfected it with. All of the crescendos, decrescendos, accents, trills and more where placed where they are because Beethoven knew what he was doing and it resembles his focus in his work. Still to this day, people play the pieces that he has written, whether it is to enjoy his music, or to bring back his lively compositions. His expertise in music is highly spoken of and shall forever be shared in music history. He may have ended his career in the romantic period, but he certainly ended his career with a big boom. Ludwig Van Beethoven is sincerely “the epitome of true genius” (Fenby-Hulse). <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: justify;">**References** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Bose, Sudip. ""Beethoven": Solitude was composer's freedom -- and his only peace (Posted 2014-08-09 23:26:50)." Washington Post. 09 Aug. 2014eLibrary. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. SE#3

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Chessick, Richard D. "Beethoven: The Music and the Life." American Journal of Psychiatry 12(2004):2342. eLibrary. Web. 06 Dec. 2014. SE#6

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Fenby-Hulse, Kieran. "Beethoven, literature, and the idea of tragedy." Musical Times. 01 Jul. 2014: 41. eLibrary. Web. 25 Sep. 2014. SE#1

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">HEWETT, IVAN. Telegraph, London Daily. "Beethoven." Montreal Gazette. 01 Nov. 2014: H10. eLibrary. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. SE#5

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">"Ludwig van Beethoven." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. 5 February 2015.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Altenhof, Alevtina. "Kissed by the Muse-Beethoven's Bonn." German Life. 01 Oct. 2010: 22. eLibrary. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Smith, Sue, Karen. "GENIUS IN SILENCE." America. 15 Sep. 2014: 36. eLibrary. Web. 01 Oct. 2014. SE#2

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Stauffer, George B. "Hello, Beethoven." Weekly Standard. 02 Jun. 2014: 34. eLibrary. Web. 07 Nov. 2014. SE#4