God of Free Music: Beethoven

Author: Qin Zichao / Bai Nan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-08-01
Features: Excerpt: 1 A Tumultuous Childhood On December 16, 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven, the great German composer, was born in the attic of a modest house in Bonn, near Cologne. At that time, Bonn, a small town on the Rhine River, was the residence of the Elector of Cologne and Archbishop Maximilian Friedrich. In the entertainment life of feudal royal and noble families in 18th-century Europe, music, like theater, held the foremost position. Dukes and margraves often had their own private court orchestras, with members mostly musicians employed in courts, theaters, and churches. Among the musicians in the court orchestra at that time were Beethoven's grandfather and father. The Beethoven family lineage can be traced back to the 15th century, when the ancestors of the "van Beethoven" surname were once tenant farmers in what is now Belgium. Several generations later, they settled in places like the Netherlands and Luxembourg, gradually changing their social status, with some becoming merchants and others artists. Another branch of the family, which settled near Antwerp in Belgium, included Michael van Beethoven, Beethoven's great-grandfather. He was a baker and craft weaver but later went bankrupt and moved to Bonn in 1741 to make a living. One of his sons, Ludwig, was Beethoven's grandfather (just like his grandfather, Beethoven was also named Ludwig). Beethoven's grandfather was the most outstanding figure in the family. Born in Antwerp, Belgium, he immigrated to Bonn alone at the age of 12 in 1733. Due to his youth and talent, he soon became a musician in the Elector's court orchestra and was appointed a bass singer and music director of the Elector's court in 1761. Weigl once wrote in his diary: "He was a short, sturdy man with lively eyes, a highly respected artist." Perhaps due to genetic factors, Beethoven inherited many personality traits from his grandfather: a strong will, an unruly temperament, and qualities of diligence, kindness, and a strong sense of justice. It is not surprising that his character and many aspects of his music did not fully reflect German characteristics, given that the blood flowing through Beethoven's veins was not purely German. Beethoven's father, Johann van Beethoven, began his career as a treble in the choir of the Elector's archbishop at a young age (1752). By the time Beethoven was born, he had already become a court tenor singer for Elector Friedrich and was also playing the violin and harpsichord in the orchestra. He often gave music lessons to wealthy young men. In terms of talent, he was a very capable musician. His wife, Magdalena, was born in a region of the Rhine and came from a lineage that included senators, mayors, and merchants. Before marrying Johann, she had been the wife of a court chamber musician for Elector Trifels. After her husband's death, she married Johann in 1767, despite strong opposition from her family.