Redefining the Extraordinary: Ludwig van Beethoven

In 1977 the Voyager spacecraft that was launched carried with it the 5th Symphony of Beethoven, the Fall of the Berlin wall was celebrated by organizing an orchestra that played Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and every single computer in the 1990s and 2000s with the windows operating system contained Beethoven’s 9th Symphony as sample music. This indeed speaks volume of the impact of one of the greatest composers of all time. Who was Ludwig Van Beethoven? What was the struggle he endured and what made him stand out from the rest?

A TROUBLED CHILDHOOD

Beethoven was born in a musical family at Bonn in 1770. Exposed to music at a very early age, it wasn’t quite as you would imagine. His father taught him to play the piano but at a cost. Every time the little boy (who would stand on a stool-chair to make it sure that his hands reached the piano keyboard) made a mistake, he was slapped or punched or even at times locked in the cellar for days by his alcoholic father. By the time he was 5, he was exceptionally good at playing the piano which is quite incredible; because often we do see instances that whenever an individual is forced to do an activity he absolutely ends up hating it or fears it for life!

Sure, Beethoven loved music but in the end, he was a human too. The brute force did have its negative toll on him for he feared to make mistakes. He became a loner and often got overwhelmed in social interactions, which a normal child didn’t find too difficult. Anyways, by the age of 7, he was playing the piano good enough to give his first public performance. One of the attendees at this performance was Christian Neefe, an opera composer who was so impressed by this ‘child prodigy’ that he offered to tutor him. Under his guidance, young Beethoven started to explore the world that was going through a revolutionary change. He was inspired by the likes of Voltaire and it was this time, where he was first introduced to the idea of a ‘different approach’ than the conventional tested ways.

A CONSTANT STRUGGLE AGAINST CALAMITIES

When he was 16, he impressed the legendary Wolfgang Mozart (arguably the best composer of his time) during his performance at Vienna, the cultural capital of Europe at that time. Just when Beethoven thought that he would get the chance of learning from the person he had idolized all his life; his mother contracted tuberculosis and died within a few weeks. He had to return back to Bonn and little did he knew, that his first meet with Mozart would also be his last. Beethoven’s father became even more alcoholic after his wife’s death and suddenly, being the eldest of his siblings Ludwig had to take up the responsibility of financially supporting his family. He had lost the opportunity and frustration started creeping in his life, resulting in him being volatile and bad-tempered at times.

However, Beethoven hadn’t completely given up on music. In fact, he found salvation in music as he wrote notes that seemed to be ‘practically unplayable’ for many. This music that was never heard of, made its way to ears of Joseph Haydn, an established composer and a favourite of the nobility. It was the time when the nobles bankrolled the musicians and hence it was necessary to please them. When he was given this chance by Joseph Haydn, he took it with both hands and impressed the nobility. But Beethoven didn’t stop there. He continuously went on breaking the orthodox rules of composition and went on challenging himself only to get better. He could no longer be compared to any other composer as he had created his own kind.

TURNING DEAF: A FIGHT AGAINST HIMSELF

But a pattern that had followed of good instances followed by bad moments, continued. He began hearing a ringing in his ears. A ringing that would never stop and only got worse by each passing day. Gradually, his ability to hear waned. The church bell that once marked the start of his day, he could barely hear it anymore. For a musician & a composer to turn deaf is really a misfortune of gigantic proportions! Beethoven knew that he still had a lot of music in him. He began scribbling the notes furiously. Often he went on to tear the pages and often overwrote the notes he had began with. He had ventured into the depths of despair and the only way he knew so as to vent out his feelings, art and frustration, was through music. As if he had hit the rock bottom and then surged back to the top with sheer tenacity, he started delivering masterpieces yet again!

By the time he had reached the 40s, Beethoven had turned complete deaf. No longer could he hear what he played on the piano. Predictably, deafness shut him down from the rest of the world. In a life that had been a constant struggle, deafness was turning out to be a permanent companion. Beethoven had seen this coming but was still rocked to his core. He drank often and turned violent and acted eccentrically. His behaviour became so unpredictable that his friends abandoned him. His neighbours complained to the landlords and when they arrived they saw Beethoven’s house in a complete mess with tons of music sheets lying all over. They kicked him out.

Sure there was a terrible mess outside, but inside his mind, the music kept playing. Just when it seemed that adversity had finally dented Beethoven’s will, he trumped the adversity head-on. He turned to full time composing. In 1823, he composed for the mass in a Catholic church. It was just the spark he needed to get back in the scheme of things.

TURNING THE GAME HEAD ON

At the age of 54, he composed the 9th Symphony. Critics claim on the basis of sheer merit, this work was completely unprecedented and even claim that this was the best composition not only for Beethoven but for the history of mankind! Unfortunately, the composer of this beautiful art couldn’t even hear the applause after the performance! It was only after a musician nudged him to have a look at the audience.

With the childhood that had shaped him, Ludwig Van Beethoven never gave up on the opportunities that were presented or more aptly, created by him. It was only after he performed brilliantly, the teachers were impressed and were willing to tutor him. When it was an achievement in itself, he was constantly bogged down either by the responsibility of the family or by plain misfortune. Misfortunes so terrible, those beyond the imagination of most. He was not superhuman, for he did disintegrate when the hardships hit him real hard. But with the sheer tenacity and a strong belief that times are bound to change, he disintegrated only to uncover a new, improved and a stronger soul! The legendary composer was deaf when he delivered the best the rest could hear!