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Beethoven: The Mad Genius Who Doused Himself In Cold Water To Create Music


One of the most famous classical music composers in the history of mankind is Ludwig van Beethoven, second only to Mozart and Bach. And yet his life was anything but smooth. We know the most tragic reality of his life was the fact that he went deaf at a time his career was at its peak. Much like the iconic painter Vincent van Gogh who painted with a failing eyesight in his later years. His most famous work 'Starry Night' was painted at this time. An artist losing the very physical ability that his art depends on—it is as baffling as it is tragic. 

And yet these are legendary masters in their fields. It's either a mad desire to succeed or a mad desire to express and create that wins over most hurdles. Beethoven's hearing ability started to fail in his late twenties itself but the man kept making music. It is believed that he used a pencil to feel the vibrations of the notes on his piano. He would keep one end of the pencil in his mouth and the other end on the piano's soundboard that would transfer vibrations and help him read the notes. 

Beethoven: The Life Of A Genius Who Went Deaf At The Peak Of His Career© Thinkstock/Getty Images

As a child, Beethoven was frequently beaten up by his alcoholic father who wanted him to become a child prodigy like Mozart. His training started young – at the age of 5 – and any lack in attention or excellence invited a severe beating. So little was young Beethoven then that he had to stand on a stool to reach the piano. 

When his father appointed a tutor, his friend Tobias Friedrich  Pfeiffer, to teach Beethoven,  there was not much relief for the young musician, even though his new tutor had a significant role in shaping up Beethoven's music foundation. Tobias was an eccentric musician himself – being an insomniac, he preferred the middle of the night to tutor young Beethoven and would wake him up at ungodly hours for lessons. 

Beethoven: The Life Of A Genius Who Went Deaf At The Peak Of His Career© Wikimedia Commons

The mad genius that Beethoven was, he was known to dip his head in cold water before composing. Not only that, he would pour water over his hands when he practiced and he would keep pouring until his clothes were wet. The extent of this odd habit was so much that water would often leak onto the ceiling of the room below his, much to the discomfort of his hosts or neighbours. Considering the fact that Beethoven lived in Austria, it's a miracle he didn't catch pneumonia. 

Beethoven: The Life Of A Genius Who Went Deaf At The Peak Of His Career© Wikimedia Commons

The eccentric artist was a master at his craft but it wasn't without hard labour. Beethoven was dyslexic and had discontinued formal education at the age of 10, to pursue music training full-time. He did not learn the basics of mathematics and language, and struggled to do even simple calculations. He was not as comfortable with numbers and alphabets as he was with music. But this did not mean composing was cakewalk for him. He often struggled to understand and create his music, probably one reason why he felt the need to cool himself down with cold water. 

Beethoven: The Life Of A Genius Who Went Deaf At The Peak Of His Career© Thinkstock/Getty Images

There is a rather interesting story behind how he became deaf. Beethoven had been working on something for his primo tenore who seemed to disapprove his notes. When finally he created something to satisfy the man who then left, he got down to his work. Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door and Beethoven realized it was the primo tenore again, asking him to rework the notes again. Beethoven got so mad with rage that as soon as the man entered his room, he threw up and injured a nerve, that eventually led to his hearing loss. 

“I sprang up from my table under such an excitement of rage that as the man entered the room I threw upon the floor as they do on the stage, coming down upon my hands. When I arose I found myself deaf and have been so ever since. The physicians say the nerve is injured." 

Symphony 9, which is considered to be one of his greatest symphonies ever recorded, was written at this time. It was composed between 1822-1824. Beethoven died in 1827. 

For all his brilliance in composing, Beethoven had a difficult personality. He refused to adhere to societal formalities and was known to be moody and short-tempered. He would often stomp away from the stage if he heard the audience members murmuring amongst themselves. No amount of confrontations could coax him into being more agreeable and bowing down to social norms. So headstrong was he that he was eventually excused from following regular court etiquette. 

His short-temper, combined by a deep mistrust of people and lack of understanding of human relationships kept him away from people. Even though his friends were irked by his choleric temper, he had a circle of friends who remained by his side—his exceptional talent and forthright personality were too hard to ignore. When he died, his funeral was attended by 20,000 people. 

What is it about artists and eccentricities that goes so well together? Psychologists have often wondered if there is a connection between genius and eccentric tendencies. Nikola Tesla, the genius inventor responsible for giving the world the alternating current motor design, suffered from obsessive compulsive tendencies that caused him to carry 18 napkins with him most of the time. Never mind that famous composer Mozart sometimes liked to pretend to be a cat and jumped over tables and chairs during rehearsals, 'meowing' like one. 

What's yours? 

Sources: 

The National Opera and Balet Theatre Maria BieÅu RM

Martin Cooper. “Ludwig van Beethoven” 

Nicholas Lezard. New Statesman. “Meet the maestro: Beethoven's fraught personal life” 

Phil Gibbons. “18 Grim Facts About The Life Of Beethoven You Never Learned As A Kid

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