Beethoven's Vienna: Italian Or Austrian Influence?

Ludwig van Beethoven, the German composer and pianist, lived in Vienna, Austria, for 35 years, from 1792 until his death in 1827. He was born in Bonn, Germany, and first travelled to Vienna at the age of 17 to study under Mozart, but he had to return to his hometown when he received news of his mother's impending death. At the age of 22, he moved back to Vienna to study under Joseph Haydn, and he remained in the city until his death.

Beethoven's residences in Vienna

Vienna was Ludwig van Beethoven's base from 1792 until his death in 1827. During his 35 years in the city, there is evidence that Beethoven lived in more than 60 different places, 16 of which were located in the inner city. Many of the buildings in which Beethoven lived now contain museums devoted to him, and are open to the public.

One of the most important Beethoven sites in Vienna is the Pasqualati House (also known as the Beethoven-Pasqualati House). Beethoven lived in an apartment on the top floor of this large apartment house for a little over 10 years, from 1804 to 1814, with some interruptions. The house was built by Empress Maria Theresa for her personal physician, Joseph Benedikt Pasqualati. Beethoven's patron, the Empress's son Baron Pasqualati, inherited the house and kept the apartment for Beethoven even while he was away. It was here that Beethoven worked on his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, his opera Fidelio, and the famous Für Elise piano piece. Today, visitors can tour a suite of memorial rooms inside the house, which sits on a raised site above the old city walls.

Another significant Beethoven residence in Vienna is the Beethoven Museum, located in a small country village called Heiligenstadt, just outside the city. In the summer of 1802, Beethoven stayed in a house in Heiligenstadt, where he wrote the Heiligenstädter Testament, a letter in which he raged against his growing deafness. Two centuries later, the village has been swallowed up by Vienna, and the house where Beethoven stayed has become the Beethoven Museum. The museum features six display areas that bring the man and his music to life, with pictures, videos, book and journal excerpts, and more.

Beethoven also lived in the Beethoven-Grillparzer House, a private residence that was once home to both Beethoven and Franz Grillparzer, one of Austria's greatest writers. Both lodged there in 1808, and a large mural outside the building indicates that Beethoven lived at this address between 1815 and 1817.

In 1825, Beethoven moved into a set of six rooms on the third floor of a building known as The Black Spaniard's House (Schwarzspanierhaus). The building was connected to a church that was once part of a monastery of black-robed, Spanish Benedictine monks. It was here that Beethoven died on 26 March 1827. The original house has been demolished, but a plaque outside the early Baroque church of Alserkirche, where his funeral service was held, commemorates the occasion.

Beethoven's grave

Ludwig van Beethoven, the German composer and pianist, died on 26 March 1827 at the age of 56 in Vienna, Austria. He was initially buried in the Währinger Ortsfriedhof cemetery, an outlying district of Vienna, a couple of days after his death.

Beethoven's final resting place is now in the Zentralfriedhof cemetery in Vienna, where he was reburied in 1888. His gravestone is a copy of the original from the Währinger cemetery. It is located among a cluster of famous composers, including Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, and Gluck. The gravestone lies in Group 32a, Grave 29.

Beethoven's hearing loss

> For the last three years my hearing has grown steadily weaker. I can give you some idea of this peculiar deafness when I must tell you that in the theatre I have to get very close to the orchestra to understand the performers, and that from a distance I do not hear the high notes of the instruments and the singers’ voices… Sometimes too I hardly hear people who speak softly. The sound I can hear it is true, but not the words. And yet if anyone shouts I can’t bear it.

Beethoven tried to keep his hearing loss a secret, as he believed it would ruin his career. He wrote:

> For two years I have avoided almost all social gatherings because it is impossible for me to say to people ‘I am deaf’. If I belonged to any other profession it would be easier, but in my profession, it is a frightful state.

> My ears keep buzzing and humming day and night, and if someone yells, it is unbearable to me.

Beethoven sought treatment for his hearing loss from several doctors, including Johann Frank, Gerhard von Vering, and Johann Adam Schmidt. Treatments included herbal remedies, "Danube baths", and bloodletting, but none of these offered any relief.

Despite his hearing loss, Beethoven was able to compose some of his most admired works, including later symphonies, mature chamber music, and the late piano sonatas. He continued to perform publicly, but his hearing loss made it difficult for him to hear the music and follow the orchestra.

By 1815, Beethoven was almost completely deaf and gave up performing and appearing in public. He continued to compose music until his death in 1827, relying on his knowledge of music theory and his imagination to create new works.

Beethoven's patrons

Ludwig van Beethoven's patrons played a crucial role in his journey from obscurity to fame, providing him with financial support, artistic inspiration, and access to influential social circles. Here is an overview of some of Beethoven's notable patrons and their contributions to his career:

Count Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein

Count Waldstein was Beethoven's first significant patron and played a pivotal role in connecting him to Vienna, where he would later settle and establish himself as a composer. They were introduced through the von Breuning family, who were close friends of Beethoven in Bonn. Recognising Beethoven's prodigious talent, Waldstein became his ardent supporter and facilitated his first trip to Vienna in 1787 to meet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This trip broadened Beethoven's horizons and inspired his decision to move to Vienna permanently in 1792. Waldstein's prophecy, inscribed in an autograph album for Beethoven, predicted that he would receive the "spirit of Mozart from the hands of Haydn", which proved true as Beethoven's early works in Vienna reflected the influence of these masters. Waldstein also inspired Beethoven musically, as seen in the "Eight Variations for Piano Four Hands on a Theme by Count Waldstein, WoO 67", where Beethoven created virtuosic variations on a simple C-Major tune composed by the Count.

Baron Gottfried van Swieten

Baron van Swieten, an Austrian diplomat and music enthusiast, was a prominent patron of composers like Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was known for his passion for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. Van Swieten took Beethoven under his wing during his early years in Vienna, introducing him to the works of Handel and Bach, as well as the poetry of William Shakespeare and Homer. Beethoven often attended weekly gatherings at van Swieten's home, which focused on the music of Bach, Handel, and C.P.E. Bach. Van Swieten also played a role in Beethoven's counterpoint studies with Haydn and hosted concerts featuring Beethoven's compositions. Beethoven dedicated his "Symphony No. 1, Op. 21" to van Swieten, reflecting his gratitude and recognition of the Baron's support.

Prince Karl Lichnowsky

Prince Lichnowsky was one of Beethoven's most ardent supporters and patrons in Vienna. He provided Beethoven with accommodation, financial support, and valuable connections. Lichnowsky paid Beethoven an annuity of 600 florins and allowed him to stay in one of his houses. The Prince also facilitated Beethoven's travels to cities like Prague, Berlin, Dresden, and Leipzig, expanding his reputation beyond Vienna. Lichnowsky hosted musical salons and concerts in his home, where Beethoven had the opportunity to perform his compositions for Vienna's elite. Lichnowsky's patronage and social influence helped establish Beethoven as a successful and recognised composer in the city.

Princess Marie Christine Lichnowsky

Princess Marie Christine Lichnowsky, the wife of Prince Lichnowsky, was also a generous patron and friend to Beethoven. She and her husband offered Beethoven a room, a place at their table, a personal servant, and access to instruments for an excellent string quartet. The Princess treated Beethoven like an adopted son and made attempts to teach him social graces, although he was occasionally annoying and unpolished in his habits. Many of Beethoven's works received their first performances at the Lichnowsky palace.

Archduke Rudolf of Austria

Archduke Rudolf of Austria was one of Beethoven's most important aristocratic patrons and friends. He began studying piano and composition with Beethoven in 1803 or 1804 and their meetings continued until 1824. Beethoven dedicated 14 compositions to Rudolf, including significant works such as the "Archduke Trio Op. 97" and the "Missa solemnis Op. 123". Rudolf's support extended beyond patronage, as he also pledged financial support to Beethoven along with other patrons when he considered leaving Vienna in 1808.

Other Patrons

Beethoven also received support from other Viennese noblemen, including Prince Joseph Franz Lobkowitz, who was an early patron and commissioned Beethoven's first six string quartets (Op. 18). Additionally, Baron Gottfried van Swieten and Prince Karl Lichnowsky were among those who pledged financial support to Beethoven to persuade him to stay in Vienna. Beethoven also had several aristocratic patrons who commissioned works from him, such as Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, who commissioned Beethoven's first stage work, the ballet "Musik zu einem Ritterballett (WoO 1)".

Beethoven's time in Bonn

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770. The house in which he was born, at Bonngasse 20, is now a museum. Beethoven lived in Bonn until he was 21, when he moved to Vienna.

Beethoven's grandfather, also named Ludwig van Beethoven, was a musician and singer at the court of the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne. Beethoven's father, Johann, worked as a tenor in the same musical establishment and gave keyboard and violin lessons to supplement his income. Beethoven's mother, Maria Magdalena, was the daughter of a head chef at the court of the Archbishop of Trier.

Beethoven's first music teacher was his father. He later had other local teachers, including the court organist Gilles van den Eeden, and Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer, a family friend who provided keyboard tuition. Beethoven's tuition began when he was five years old, and the regime was harsh and intensive, often reducing him to tears. There were irregular late-night sessions with the young Beethoven dragged from his bed to the keyboard.

Beethoven's musical talent became obvious at a young age. His father attempted to promote him as a child prodigy, claiming that Beethoven was six (he was seven) on the posters for his first public performance in March 1778. In 1780 or 1781, Beethoven began his studies with his most important teacher in Bonn, Christian Gottlob Neefe. Under Neefe's tutelage, Beethoven published his first work, a set of keyboard variations, in 1783. Beethoven soon began working with Neefe as assistant organist, at first unpaid, and then as a paid employee of the court chapel.

Beethoven also met and befriended several people who would become important in his life. He developed a close relationship with the upper-class von Breuning family, and gave piano lessons to some of the children. The widowed Helene von Breuning became a "second mother" to Beethoven, taught him more refined manners, and nurtured his passion for literature and poetry. The warmth and closeness of the von Breuning family offered the young Beethoven a retreat from his unhappy home life, which was dominated by his father's decline due to alcoholism.

Beethoven also met Franz Wegeler, a young medical student who became a lifelong friend and married one of the von Breuning daughters. Another frequenter of the von Breunings was Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, who became a friend and financial supporter of Beethoven. In 1791, Waldstein commissioned Beethoven's first work for the stage, the ballet Musik zu einem Ritterballett.

In 1792, Beethoven left Bonn for Vienna, amid rumours of war spilling out of France. Shortly after departing, he learned that his father had died. Over the next few years, he responded to the widespread feeling that he was a successor to the recently deceased Mozart by studying Mozart's work and writing works with a distinctly Mozartian flavour.

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