Ludwig van Beethoven: Part II

Note: read Part I

“What I have in my heart must come out; that is the reason why I compose.” —Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven stood short and burly, with a large head and a reddish, pockmarked face. Though not vain, he dressed with modest elegance, especially in his younger years when he took care to present himself well, especially in the salons and concert halls where reputation mattered. But it was his emotion that defined him — restless, impatient, tempestuous, it was as if he lived on the edge of eruption.

Beethoven was keenly aware of his volatile nature. In a letter written in 1793, shortly after arriving in Vienna for a second time, he confessed:

“I am not wicked — Hot blood is my fault — my crime is that I am young. I am not wicked, truly not wicked. Even though wildly surging emotions may betray my heart, yet my heart is good —”

In the same letter, he declared his belief in Enlightenment ideals—“revolutionary fever,” he called it:

“To do good whenever one can, to love liberty above all else, never to deny the truth, even though it be before the throne.”

Beethoven was coming into his own. Caring for his family had given his structure and confidence. But it had not dulled his spirit. He arrived in Vienna fiery, uncompromising, profoundly talented and increasingly comfortable being all of those things.

Beethoven's return to Vienna came at a critical moment in the city’s musical life. Mozart had died the year before. Vienna was now in search of greatness. And it didn’t take long for Beethoven to make a name, and arguably take the mantle from the man he idolized, as he dazzled audiences with his performances just as he had done a few years prior with Mozart.

Like the revolutions sweeping Europe, Beethoven entered Vienna’s music scene with fervor and fire. Where classical music had often aimed for elegance and grace, he made it personal. He turned inward and what came out was stormy, emotional, unapologetically human. He used harmony, structure, and silence itself to reflect the feelings of the soul. His soul. “To play a wrong note is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable!” Beethoven would say.