Beethovens Life and His Battle with Deafness - Coursework Example

Beethoven’s Life and His Battle with Deafness Critical Writing and Analysis 30 March Ludwig van Beethoven is considered one of the greatest composers in the history of music (Royalty, 2011). Though he suffered from hearing loss, it would be more correctly stated that Beethoven “battled” hearing loss. Despite his handicap, with the use of an oral device that was used to detect correct pitch and such from his piano, Beethoven did not give up his ability to compose and perform. Just like others who develop disabilities, Beethoven too, hid his disability until he no longer could, and also considered the contemplation of suicide coinciding the progression of his hearing loss. Beethoven felt that his hearing loss was the most crippling limitation that he could have ever suffered during the height of his career, and was faced with the fear of losing his identity as a master of sound (Owens, 2011). During his battle with deafness, Beethoven proved to the world that you can still be the best at what you do, and just because one has a disability neither means that he/she should give up on life, nor should he/she give up on the pursuit of their dreams and/or professions. Ludwig van Beethoven: A Legend Is Born Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. Being born to a family of musicians, it was no surprise that Beethoven himself was musically inclined. He studied first under his own father, Johann, who taught young Beethoven all he knew about music. Johann, at times a “raging” alcoholic, and was very strict on Beethoven, often forcing him to get out of bed in the middle of the night in order to practice his music. Sometimes for hours on end, Beethoven was forced by his father to play and practice. The practice paid off and at the age of eight, and Beethoven gave his first live performance (History, 2011). Though Beethoven’s family wasn’t rich, his father hoped to make the family rich through Beethoven’s musical talents. Because Beethoven’s family was respected servants of the royal court, Beethoven’s family had both connections and means to help Beethoven further his musical education. As far as formal, traditional educations go; Beethoven, however, dropped out of traditional school at the age of thirteen in order to concentrate more on his musical talents, going on tours and so forth (Buzzle, 2011). After learning all that his own father could teach him, Beethoven then studied under Haydn and Mozart; Beethoven’s father often said he wanted Beethoven to become the next Mozart (History, 2011). During his lifetime, Beethoven composed forty-one pieces of work, nine of which were symphonies. Beethoven: A Legend Develops a Life Changing Handicap At age twenty-eight, Beethoven gradually began losing his ability to hear (History, 2011). Still, he continued to compose, play, and publish music. He hid his disability from family, friends and the public for as long as he could, which is normal for many people who develop disabilities (Owens, 2011). Once Beethoven’s disability was no longer deniable, he became deeply depressed and began to confide in others of his handicap and of his contemplations on committing suicide, also a common feeling and reaction for those who develop a handicap (Owens, 2011). John Owens became quadriplegic due to a dirt bike accident in 2006; he says that at the onset of his disability, he also went into deep depression and contemplated suicide as well (Owens, 2011). “When you go through something that changes your life forever, it becomes a challenge just to wake up in the mornings. Even I contemplated suicide, feeling that my life was over, knowing that I might never be able to do the things I love the most, which back then was playing football, a sport in which I excelled. I knew I possessed the talent and ability to make football my profession, and I was working toward this very goal before my accident. So, I very much know how Beethoven must have felt being a great musician and losing his hearing. It’s almost like losing your life without actually losing your life,” says Owens, who is overcoming his own disability and is the first known quadriplegic in the state of Louisiana to kill a deer on the first hunt. Also, Susan McCarthy said she contemplated suicide when she became deaf from using hairspray. “I cried a lot and even thought about committing suicide. Thank the Lord I didn’t,” said Susan, who after having her ears cleaned out, was told by her doctor that hairspray had built up so badly in her ears that she had become totally deaf (Weekly, 1990). According to Ludwig van Beethoven’s (online) Biography it reads quote, “In 1801 Beethoven confessed to his friends at Bonn his worry of becoming deaf. At Heiligenstadt, in 1802, he wrote a famous text which expressed his disgust at the unfairness of life: that he, a musician, could become deaf was something he did not want to live through. But music made him carry on. And he wrote that he knew that he still had many other musical domains to explore, to discover, and to pass on. Beethoven did not commit suicide, rather, knowing that his handicap was getting worse and worse, he threw himself into his greatest works: exceptional sonatas for piano (notably The Storm, opus 31), the second and the third symphonies- The Eroica - and of course many more (Ludwig, 2011). Again referencing the website “Beethoven: A Life of Sound and Silence, it says quote, “Deafness and hyperacusis were not his only problems. Beethoven also had tinnitus, complaining in 1801, “My ears whistle and buzz continually, day and night…such a condition is truly frightful.” In 1802, he moved from the noise of Vienna to the village of Heiligenstadt to help his hearing. There, he wrote the Second Symphony. At the end of six months, however, it was clear that his last hope of an improvement was illusory. He then writes a testament in Heiligenstadt stating that his condition has driven him to despair and suicidal thoughts. Only morality and music keep him from killing himself. He complains that his hearing condition is hopeless, and although naturally sociable, that he has had to withdraw from society. “How could I possibly admit to an infirmity in that one sense which ought to be more perfect in me than in others, a sense which I once possessed in the highest perfection, a perfection such as few in my profession have or ever have had…. [The humiliation] drove me to despair…I would have ended my life. It was only my art that held me back. (Huxtable, 2001).” The website, “Beethoven: A Life of Sound and Silence goes on to read, “These early years of high anxiety for Beethoven were extremely productive musically. In 1800, he completed, among other works, the six string quartets of Opus 18, the First Symphony, and the Third Piano Concerto. In 1801, he wrote The Creatures of Prometheus, a string quintet, two violin sonatas, and four piano sonatas. This productivity has led biographers to suggest that his hearing crisis was necessary for his creativity, allowing him to listen to inner sounds without distraction. One biographer surmises that “deafness may have heightened his abilities as a composer…by permitting a total concentration within a world of increasing auditory seclusion”. He continues, “One begins to suspect that Beethovens crisis and his extraordinary creativity were somehow related, and even that the former may have been the necessary precondition of the latter.” Another writes, “His deafness caused no tragic turn…it was, indeed, a definite aid that held him back from his worldly desires and kept his eye on his mission (Huxtable, 2001)” Beethoven Will Not Give Up On His Career Despite Being Deaf By 1814, Beethoven was almost completely deaf; however he refused to give uhis passion for the art that he loved most—his music. No longer being able to hear, according to MBBSoftware, “Beethoven used a special rod attached to the soundboard on a piano that he could bite—the vibrations would then transfer from the piano to his jaw to increase his perception of the sound. A large collection of his hearing aids such as special ear horns can be viewed at the Beethoven House Museum in Bonn, Germany…” [Though] Beethoven was almost totally deaf when a group of visitors saw him play a loud arpeggio or thundering bass notes at his piano remarking, "Ist es nicht schön?" (Isnt that beautiful?), they felt deep sympathy considering his courage and sense of humor (MBBSoftware, 2011).” In Conclusion/Affirmation Theory Ludwig van Beethoven proved to be one of the greatest composers, performers and publishers of music in the history of the genre. Being forced to become a child prodigy, Beethoven developed a genuine love for the art of music. Despite his life change and challenges due to his hearing loss at such an early age, Beethoven proved the affirmation theory, related to disability, that through crisis, you can still find means of overcoming your adversities and press on to become all that you are created to be. Beethoven is not only a perfect example of legendary music; he has also set a perfect example for people, who have disabilities, to affirmatively triumph over their challenge and not allow their tragedy to steal their life purposes. References A Brief History of Beethoven (2011). Retrieved on 27 March 2011. from http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/BeethovenMissaSolemnis/background_on_beethoven.html Beethoven: A Life of Sound and Silence. Huxtable, Ryan J. (2001). Retrieved on 28 March (2011). from http://molinterv.aspetjournals.org/content/1/1/8.full Buzzle.com: Intelligent Life on the Web. “Biography of Beethoven.” Retrieved on 27 March 2011. from http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/1-30-2005-65025.asp Capistrano School. Ludwig Van Beethoven 1770-1827 (2009). Retrieved on 27 March 2011. from http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/classical/beethoven/beethove.htm Disability Studies Quarterly. Vol. 24.4 (2004). Johnstone, Christopher J. Retrieved on 28 March 2011. from http://www.dsq-sds.org/article/view/880/1055 Ludwig van Beethoven’s Biography. Retrieved on 28 March 2011. from http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Bio/BiographyLudwig.html Ludwig van Beethoven—The Only One. MBBSoftware: Development Company (2011). Retreived on 28 March 2011. from http://www.mbbsoftware.com/Articles/Artist.aspx?name=Beethoven@_Ludwig_van Personal Interview with John Owens, the first known quadriplegic in the state of Louisiana to kill a deer on the first hunt. 29 March 2011. Related story (2011). from http://www.centralspeaks.com/louisiana-quadriplegic-kills-on-the-hunt-yet-again/ RoyaltyFreeMusic.Com. “Ludwig van Beethoven (2011). From http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/public-domain/composers/beethoven.html Weekly World News Magazine. “Hairspray Made Me Deaf.” Howard, Jennie (1990). Retrieved on 27 March 2011. from http://books.google.com/books?id=9fQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=when+i+started+going+deaf,+i+thought+of+suicide&source=bl&ots=rsCvyN4iPm&sig=ASIadVK2YK8mvH2Dh7LGmDWEddg&hl=en&ei=rkKSTfqVJ5GXtwfc8vhP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Read More

Once Beethoven’s disability was no longer deniable, he became deeply depressed and began to confide in others of his handicap and of his contemplations on committing suicide, also a common feeling and reaction for those who develop a handicap (Owens, 2011). John Owens became quadriplegic due to a dirt bike accident in 2006; he says that at the onset of his disability, he also went into deep depression and contemplated suicide as well (Owens, 2011). “When you go through something that changes your life forever, it becomes a challenge just to wake up in the mornings.

Even I contemplated suicide, feeling that my life was over, knowing that I might never be able to do the things I love the most, which back then was playing football, a sport in which I excelled. I knew I possessed the talent and ability to make football my profession, and I was working toward this very goal before my accident. So, I very much know how Beethoven must have felt being a great musician and losing his hearing. It’s almost like losing your life without actually losing your life,” says Owens, who is overcoming his own disability and is the first known quadriplegic in the state of Louisiana to kill a deer on the first hunt.

Also, Susan McCarthy said she contemplated suicide when she became deaf from using hairspray. “I cried a lot and even thought about committing suicide. Thank the Lord I didn’t,” said Susan, who after having her ears cleaned out, was told by her doctor that hairspray had built up so badly in her ears that she had become totally deaf (Weekly, 1990). According to Ludwig van Beethoven’s (online) Biography it reads quote, “In 1801 Beethoven confessed to his friends at Bonn his worry of becoming deaf.

At Heiligenstadt, in 1802, he wrote a famous text which expressed his disgust at the unfairness of life: that he, a musician, could become deaf was something he did not want to live through. But music made him carry on. And he wrote that he knew that he still had many other musical domains to explore, to discover, and to pass on. Beethoven did not commit suicide, rather, knowing that his handicap was getting worse and worse, he threw himself into his greatest works: exceptional sonatas for piano (notably The Storm, opus 31), the second and the third symphonies- The Eroica - and of course many more (Ludwig, 2011).

Again referencing the website “Beethoven: A Life of Sound and Silence, it says quote, “Deafness and hyperacusis were not his only problems. Beethoven also had tinnitus, complaining in 1801, “My ears whistle and buzz continually, day and night…such a condition is truly frightful.” In 1802, he moved from the noise of Vienna to the village of Heiligenstadt to help his hearing. There, he wrote the Second Symphony. At the end of six months, however, it was clear that his last hope of an improvement was illusory.

He then writes a testament in Heiligenstadt stating that his condition has driven him to despair and suicidal thoughts. Only morality and music keep him from killing himself. He complains that his hearing condition is hopeless, and although naturally sociable, that he has had to withdraw from society. “How could I possibly admit to an infirmity in that one sense which ought to be more perfect in me than in others, a sense which I once possessed in the highest perfection, a perfection such as few in my profession have or ever have had….

[The humiliation] drove me to despair…I would have ended my life. It was only my art that held me back. (Huxtable, 2001).” The website, “Beethoven: A Life of Sound and Silence goes on to read, “These early years of high anxiety for Beethoven were extremely productive musically. In 1800, he completed, among other works, the six string quartets of Opus 18, the First Symphony, and the Third Piano Concerto. In 1801, he wrote The Creatures of Prometheus, a string quintet, two violin sonatas, and four piano sonatas.

This productivity has led biographers to suggest that his hearing crisis was necessary for his creativity, allowing him to listen to inner sounds without distraction.

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