But the quality of his character was such that he could not be true to himself without breaking through all the conventions and rising out of all the platitudes of the age into which he came. Music to him was no entertaining kaleidoscope of tones and rhythms, but the warm word of the heart. To see how true this was, one must know in some detail the story of his life. It must be added, however, that this story should be interpreted always by the message of his music. Life and art are here, probably more than in the case of any previous composer, inseparable. The purely psychological problem in this case has perennial interest. But the fact that this strange personality and this inspired genius came upon the stage just when he did, also gives his career unique historical importance. His advent set forward the whole process of musical development by a startling leap, the momentum of which lasted long afterward.
Beethoven's life may be variously divided. In any case his early years at
Bonn (1770-92) stand by themselves. At Vienna his work shows three
stages or 'manners,' whose limits may be roughly stated thus:—(a) To the
conviction that his deafness was incurable (1802), (b) to his last public
appearances as a player and the beginning of his guardianship over his
nephew (1814-5), and (c) to his death (1827). This makes four periods in
all, but the line between the first and second 'manners' is indistinct.
Ludwig van Beethoven (d. 1827) was born in 1770 at Bonn on the Rhine. On the father's side he came of Belgian stock, his grandfather (d. 1773), an able musician, having come from Antwerp to the Electoral Chapel at Bonn in 1733 (choirmaster from 1761). His father (d. 1792) was a singer in the Chapel since 1756—an intemperate, shiftless and harsh man. His mother (d. 1787) came from Ehrenbreitstein—apparently a sweet and gentle character. Of the seven children, three sons survived, Ludwig the eldest, Caspar (d. 1815) and Johann (d. 1848).
Beethoven's boyhood was made painful by poverty and by the eagerness of the father to use the boy's talents to make money. He was silent and sensitive, not fond of play, and received but a slight education except in music. His precocity in the latter led to comparisons with Mozart. He had lessons at 4, played in public at 8, composed a cantata and some variations at 10, assisted his first good teacher, Neefe, the court-organist, at 12, became cembalist or conductor at the theatre at 13, and had his first salary as assistant organist at 14. In 1787 he somehow managed to visit Vienna, there meeting Mozart, who prophesied that he would "make a noise in the world." In 1788 the Elector reorganized his opera-troupe, attracting to it several noted musicians. Beethoven had useful violin-lessons from Ries, and played the viola in the orchestra. From 1789 part of his father's salary was paid to him as conservator. In 1790 and again in 1792 Haydn passed through Bonn. In 1791 the Elector took his establishment up the Rhine to Mergentheim, where
