Ludwig van Beethoven: Great composer with a water bucket 

Beethoven, who slowly lost his hearing, made a name for himself as a master of symphonies. His radically new creations are as legendary as his eccentricities.

A man strides briskly along country roads near Gumpoldskirchen, close to Vienna. He looks unkempt. At times he seems pensive, then he sings and gestures so wildly that the oxen pulling passing carts become skittish. It is Beethoven composing. For some, he was a nuisance. He was even arrested once for vagrancy. What was his greatest achievement? Why did this passionate wanderer move so often – and is it true that he produced his greatest compositions at the end of his life, by then completely deaf?

When Beethoven was born in Bonn in December 1770, Mozart was already known as a child prodigy, and his father Johann, head of a musical family and a tenor in an electoral court orchestra, wanted something similar for his son. Here, too, he possessed extraordinary talent, a great will, and a deep affinity for music. It was a genuine need for him. At the age of 13, Beethoven became second court organist. He also played the harpsichord and viola in the Bonn court orchestra. 

Difficult childhood, strange habits 

Beethoven's childhood was not easy: his father drank heavily and liked to parade the boy before his guests early in the morning. Slaps and beatings were still commonplace at that time. He developed a strong bond with his grandfather, a conductor who died when he was three years old. His grandfather's portrait hung on the wall in all his homes. 

Beethoven, too, was extremely disciplined in his musical work. Like the other great composers of the Viennese Classical period, he also displayed a few quirks and eccentricities outside of his demanding work. He liked coffee. However, it always had to be made from 60 coffee beans, which he counted out beforehand. For networking in high Viennese circles, he dutifully bought wigs, composed dances to impress, and dressed neatly. But fashion didn't matter to him, and personal hygiene wasn't a priority either. Sometimes he really did look like a vagrant. And: He became a world champion at changing clothes. 

From his move to Vienna in 1792 until his death in 1827, he changed his residence a total of 68 times: because he wanted to, he needed a change. Because it wasn't unusual. People didn't own as much property back then and left the cramped and hot city in the summer whenever they could. And because he was sometimes evicted. Landlords weren't too fond of piano playing at two in the morning. When he felt overheated from strenuous composing, he would pour a bucket of cold water over his head in the middle of his apartment – ​​much to the displeasure of his downstairs neighbors.

Musical breakthrough in Vienna 

At the end of December 1786, the 16-year-old Beethoven traveled to Vienna—the musical capital of Europe—for the first time to meet Mozart and take lessons from him. He was fortunate, with a patron: the extravagant Count Ferdinand Waldstein, who served the Elector of Bonn. But he had to return to Bonn; his mother was ill. She died of tuberculosis. There were no vaccinations or antibiotics yet. His father, Johann, was devastated by this tragedy and completely succumbed to alcoholism. Beethoven was even entrusted with the care of his younger siblings, and shortly after he finally moved to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn, his father also died. Haydn's composition lessons took place in the Hamberg House on the Wasserkunstbastei, today's Seilerstätte, practically opposite the House of Music. 

The Viennese believe that Beethoven was of noble birth – because of the "van" in his name. However, this is based on the fact that.. 

Beethoven traces his lineage solely back to his ancestors in Mechelen, now in Belgium. He is clever enough to let people believe this and to exploit it for his own benefit. 

He now makes connections and establishes himself as a pianist and composer. It is the beginning of a creative period in which he composes some of his most famous works, including the piano sonatas, the first symphonies, and string quartets. He breaks new ground in structure. Passion and emotion resonate in his works. The man is a genius and possesses perfect pitch. All the more shocking, then, when he experiences his first hearing problems in 1796, at the age of 26. 

Hearing problems caused by typhus

“These problems probably stemmed from a case of typhoid fever,” explains Katharina Albrecht, head of music education at the House of Music. “It’s interesting how Beethoven dealt with the process until he finally became completely deaf at the age of 47. That took about 20 years.” 

At first, he's embarrassed. Then he tries everything: goes to doctors, applies herbs, puts liquids in his ears, takes hot baths. Nothing helps. His hearing gets worse. Tinnitus develops. A catastrophe. He can no longer hear high-pitched sounds. There's a constant rushing and buzzing. In the end, he has to keep conversation books to communicate. From them, we know what he liked to eat: pike with lemon and thyme, macaroni and cheese, and bread soup. 

Composing a symphony – completely deaf

In 1807, he wrote his Fifth Symphony, setting new standards and breaking taboos. Beginning with a knocking motif, as he did, was frowned upon. And he immediately adopted it as his leitmotif and melody. But what he made of it, with such creativity! Already completely deaf, at the age of 53, three years before his death, he wrote his Ninth Symphony. Over 70 minutes of music for choir, soloists, and orchestra. All from his own mind. 

“An incredible achievement,” says Albrecht. “And he drew on a text by Schiller that he knew from his youth. Someone will have to try and replicate that. Just as everyone waits for the downhill race at the Winter Olympics, or the 100-meter dash in track and field, everyone in classical music looks to his symphonies. He is in a class of his own.” 

Ludwig van Beethoven's Dramatic Final Chord

Politically, Beethoven was a sympathizer of the French Revolution and saw the young Napoleon Bonaparte as a hero who would liberate the people from aristocratic servitude. He therefore dedicated his "Eroica" – the "Heroic Symphony" – to him. When the Corsican had himself proclaimed emperor in 1804, Beethoven felt betrayed and subsequently dedicated the symphony to one of his greatest patrons, Prince Lobkowitz. Interestingly, despite his critical stance towards the upper class, Beethoven had no problem having his livelihood financed by aristocratic benefactors

Beethoven remained childless. He never married, but was often in love. He loved nature and went to the countryside as often as possible. He needed exercise to compose: a short walk in the morning, a longer one in the afternoon. In between, he would jot down notes, whistle melodies, and then put the music down on paper. This is probably why he was so fit and lived to be 56. After a quarrel with his brother Nikolaus Johann – who was a pharmacist and lived in Gneixendorf near Krems – he took the first available open carriage back to Vienna in the cold of December. He caught a cold on the way. Pneumonia! Then he developed cirrhosis of the liver. 20,000 people attended his funeral on March 29, 1827, in the Währing cemetery. What a final chord!.