A Story about Ludwig van Beethoven - Essay Example

and The Giant behind Ludwig Johann and Maria Magdalena are having their breakfast, lost in their world of thoughts, in a land far away from that of their ancestors, with the constant thought of being parents ringing in their mind. Having descended from a Dutch family, from Brabant in Belgium they set focus in the extensive colorful plains of Bonn, Germany (Ludwig Van Beethoven Biography). They blended well with the culture here and the anxiety of their expectancy snatches away their desire to enjoy the cake Maria had struggled to prepare the previous night. It’s 14th December 1770, and two days later, Ludwig Van Beethoven is born. The family attends a service the following day in the Roman Catholic Church, and Ludwig is baptized, a custom that is common in this denomination. Johann, a musician at the Court of Bonn, seems to be a great source of inspiration to Ludwig his son. Ludwig attends music practice at the court and Johann teaches him day and night with the conviction that he was a great talent. He dared to envision creating a new Mozart in Ludwig (Ludwig Van Beethoven Biography). My first encounter with Ludwig was in cologne, where we experienced his first public performance (BURNHAM). His confidence and composure took many by surprise and proved that indeed he was a marvel of brilliance. I was utterly moved by the fact that he was only six. Interestingly, Ludwig felt that he was younger than six as he even thought that his birth records belonged to his elder brother born two years before him but had passed on. Every day proved to be a resource experience for Ludwig. He learned every bit of music that came along. He learned about the organ and reached out for compositions by other musicians. He managed to meet a renowned musician, Gottlob Neefe, who taught his music and introduced him to ancient and modern philosophy (SCHMIDT-GORG). My desire to engage in music was more inspired by Ludwig. He did it with passion, and nothing proved so had for him. I enrolled in the Court of Bonn, and my interaction with his dad gave me a clear insight about self-drive, commitment and a ‘don’t give up attitude’. Unlike mine, Ludwig’s life was moving fast. Ludwig van Beethoven had his first work published, and he would feature in the Magazine for Music. Every music competition was fun and everybody would be thrilled to watch us fight for the top prize. This time in Cologne I was involved, and I had the intention to reveal to the world how well I would play the violin. With the atmosphere so musical, and an audience that had taken sides, he knew the moment was critical. Therefore, he had to get on the podium before other, as he would certainly set the bar too high. The judges were keen to seek quality characters that would represent cologne in the nationals. Every touch on the strings was critical, and I would never have known I was a complete disaster if Ludwig had not performed thereafter. With a crushed spirit and no place to represent cologne, I became an observer rather than a musician, who would only marvel at what Ludwig would accomplish. For Ludwig, 1774 was a good year for Ludwig. He was just 14 and the new organist of the court of Maximillian Franz (Ludwig Van Beethoven Biography). This was envy for many and we would do anything to be identified with him. I was a little concerned with his dad, who was proving to be a gifted alcoholic. He couldn’t attend to the clients at the court of Bonn, and his performance and progress got poor. There was a gap to be filled until Ludwig saved the court. We were there again, with someone my age mate proving to be the best teacher I have ever known. Every lesson was a masterpiece. I managed the piano for once, and the following month received awards and invitations to perform. This was a turning point until our gifted teacher left for Vienna under the stewardship of the Prince Maximillian Franz (Aloys). Maybe we were devastated but then Ludwig would meet the greet Mozart and better his musical education. We carried on, and I was the new master of Bonn. I took every stage by storm. There was no challenge not unless something super dramatic happened. Every single performance proved easy to win. I was a temporal Ludwig, and I seized every opportunity that came my way to shine. Representing Cologne in Berlin was special. The arena was flooded with red lights and the podium was well elevated for the best sight by the audience. Our performances were rated and this time I managed an award for cologne in Ludwig’s absence. Every dawn brought something different, and Bonn lost Ludwig’s mother the morning of July 1787. It was a doomsday in Bonn. She was the best gift for Ludwig, and we all empathized with him. She was the best-hearted woman we had ever known, kind, gentle to everybody even the strangers. Her service to Bonn would live on, and her gift in the form of Ludwig would forever be celebrated. Ludwig was back from Vienna and moaned his mother who he had valued and treasured. With brilliance and extraordinary ability, Ludwig made everything work with some magic, be it orchestral, concertos, chamber music, piano music, stage music and other forms of vocal music. All who grew in Bonn were proving to pick up from him. With skills gathered from him and his dad, I would get involved and train a few individuals who bothered to learn. The staged competition was good for the growth of music in Bonn. Ludwig’s support before his second departure bettered us even some more. Enrollment of new learners made the community grow. There was much to do in the society, but the music played a great role on people lives (Feinstein 9). Musical events were good platforms for socialization and my friend Kelly pulled the best stunt ever when he proposed to his lady in the middle of a performance. The moment was epic, but the girl Memsy was not ready to put a ring on it. Ludwig carried on in Vienna, and we all thrilled at his prevalence and easiness of winning followers. Having to attend his concerts in Vienna was special especially his first symphony. The reception was thunderous, and the audience was mesmerized by his performance. We felt that we owned him and represented our hood wherever he went. His association earned us social classes, and we could easily win ladies to ourselves. We felt like crooks, but we still had fun. Our saddest days were yet to come. Everything was fine until Ludwig revealed that he was going deaf (Jenkins 25). He couldn’t listen to his music. This proved devastating knowing that we had grown together and even did some stuff together. Bonn was not the same anymore, and we were completely disturbed that we had nothing to offer. His talent had opened to so many in Born, and we earned a living from lessons and skills amassed from his talent.He was such an inspiration as he never gave up as he gave us Sonatas for Piano and many others (Ludwig Van Beethoven Biography). Bonn became our music hub even when Ludwig was not there. The gigs and the events we organized left a lot to be admired. We were empowered socially and even financially. The shadow of Ludwig lived with us and desired his presence when he was away. Ludwig’s death was the most felt strike in our hearts. He departed so soon and left us with loss feeling, but he gave us music that has always lived with us and constantly assures us that he was there to stay. We have to agree that Ludwig Van Beethoven was one of the most talented songwriter, pianist and composer of all times. His role in music will ever be cherished and he strong persevering character will always aspire many in the society. His music will live on for generations to come. Indeed, he was a music giant. Works Cited Aloys, Johann. Beethoven. Amadeus Press, 1996. BURNHAM, Scott. Beethoven and his world. Princeton University press, 2000. Feinstein, Michael. The Gershwins and Me: A Personal History in Twelve Songs. London : Simon and Schuster, 2012. Print. Jenkins, Ferguson. Boys Life for All Boys. New Jersey : Boys Scout of America, 1973. Print. Ludwig Van Beethoven Biography. n.d. 3 Dec 2014. . SCHMIDT-GORG, Joseph. Ludwig Van Beethevon. New York: Praeger, 1970. Read More