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Thayer's Life of Beethoven, Part II
Alexander Wheelock Thayer's Life of Beethoven has long been regarded as the classic biography of Beethoven. Thayer's approach to biography was to present in chronological order the factual evidence concerning Beethoven, the man and his work, and to eliminate the analysis and aesthetic evaluation of the music. To gather the material necessary for such an undertaking, he went to Europe; there, he spent most of his life seeking out those persons still alive who had known Beethoven and studying the sources that were available. His biography succeeded in clearing away the romantic fiction that was then, in the 1870's, current and gave for the first time a full account of the composer's life which was based on reliable, historical method.
542 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1921
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January 17, 2021
"I know that I am an artist." A week before he died, Ludwig van Beethoven said those words. He wanted to be remembered as the artist he knew he was. Listening to his music today, there can be no doubt about the artistic contribution he made to music. Once again, as I read about the music he was writing from 1815 until his death in 1827, I could hear it in my mind, especially the symphonies and piano works. I found it interesting that string quartets occupied him during the last year of his life, the transparent and intimate music of four string players. He was not an easy person to know, to be friends with, or to do business with. His complaints are some that I have had myself as a writer: never enough time, too many interruptions, too much of life interfering, and not happy with the business demands artists must deal with. And he was famous. But he wasn't rich, and for most of his life he lived on the verge of destitution despite financial support from three friends in the aristocracy and despite his fame.
For what the reader discovers in this volume of Thayer's biography, revised and edited ably by Elliot Forbes, is that being famous does not mean wealth. It only means fame and success in having one's art appreciated by the public. This was a hard lesson for Beethoven, as I think could be said of a lot of artists even now. He refused to compromise his art for money, even when he composed pieces that he composed only to be paid to put food on the table and a roof over his head. I wish that Forbes had translated the florins and ducats into modern money to understand better what Beethoven earned. At the end, when Beethoven is on his deathbed, the London Philharmonic Society sends him 100 pounds to help with his expenses and ease his mind, and that 100 pounds was equivalent to 1000 florins at that time (1827). When he died, thousands in Vienna attended his funeral, people from all walks of life. And today, his music is some of the most famous and performed in classical music.
With Forbes' edit, he adds insightful comparisons of the different editions of Thayer's biography that were helpful in understanding just how unknowable Beethoven was. People saw the surface of his life -- his love for nature, his dedication to music, his despair at the loss of his hearing, his loneliness and eccentricities. But few knew his heart which he guarded well. And that's the limit of biography whether of a famous person or someone not so famous.
The writing continued in this volume to be ponderous at times, and dense, but I'd gotten used to it. It was interesting to compare Beethoven's writing in his letters to Thayer's prose style and how little progress had been made toward simple, clear prose. Beethoven spends many words coming at a subject indirectly, something he didn't do in his music. Beethoven was a punster as well, and I was glad that I could appreciate his puns in German.
Of special interest to me, though, was Beethoven's health. There's been much speculation about what killed Beethoven over the years. He mentions in letters the issues he had with his health, describing it sometimes as a catarrh. I was fascinated to learn that he suffered from eye inflammation for a long time a couple years before his death and wondered if it was related to an autoimmune issue. He'd had gastrointestinal issues from his teens through adulthood, issues that worsened in his later years. His autopsy is included in this volume, and it is startling to read how "withered" his auditory nerves were, as well as the terrible condition of his liver, pancreas, spleen, stomach and bowels. I'm not a doctor, but it looked much like severe liver disease, maybe cirrhosis caused by his love of wine and beer. He apparently drank quite a lot of wine with his midday and evening meals. Could it be possible that what killed Beethoven was his love for wine?
Reading both volumes of this biography one after the other was a long, but interesting, and ultimately sad journey. It was also extremely worthwhile, and I would recommend it for any classical music lover, especially if you have any curiosity about Beethoven. Be sure to have recordings of his music nearby so you can listen to the music as you read about its conception.
For what the reader discovers in this volume of Thayer's biography, revised and edited ably by Elliot Forbes, is that being famous does not mean wealth. It only means fame and success in having one's art appreciated by the public. This was a hard lesson for Beethoven, as I think could be said of a lot of artists even now. He refused to compromise his art for money, even when he composed pieces that he composed only to be paid to put food on the table and a roof over his head. I wish that Forbes had translated the florins and ducats into modern money to understand better what Beethoven earned. At the end, when Beethoven is on his deathbed, the London Philharmonic Society sends him 100 pounds to help with his expenses and ease his mind, and that 100 pounds was equivalent to 1000 florins at that time (1827). When he died, thousands in Vienna attended his funeral, people from all walks of life. And today, his music is some of the most famous and performed in classical music.
With Forbes' edit, he adds insightful comparisons of the different editions of Thayer's biography that were helpful in understanding just how unknowable Beethoven was. People saw the surface of his life -- his love for nature, his dedication to music, his despair at the loss of his hearing, his loneliness and eccentricities. But few knew his heart which he guarded well. And that's the limit of biography whether of a famous person or someone not so famous.
The writing continued in this volume to be ponderous at times, and dense, but I'd gotten used to it. It was interesting to compare Beethoven's writing in his letters to Thayer's prose style and how little progress had been made toward simple, clear prose. Beethoven spends many words coming at a subject indirectly, something he didn't do in his music. Beethoven was a punster as well, and I was glad that I could appreciate his puns in German.
Of special interest to me, though, was Beethoven's health. There's been much speculation about what killed Beethoven over the years. He mentions in letters the issues he had with his health, describing it sometimes as a catarrh. I was fascinated to learn that he suffered from eye inflammation for a long time a couple years before his death and wondered if it was related to an autoimmune issue. He'd had gastrointestinal issues from his teens through adulthood, issues that worsened in his later years. His autopsy is included in this volume, and it is startling to read how "withered" his auditory nerves were, as well as the terrible condition of his liver, pancreas, spleen, stomach and bowels. I'm not a doctor, but it looked much like severe liver disease, maybe cirrhosis caused by his love of wine and beer. He apparently drank quite a lot of wine with his midday and evening meals. Could it be possible that what killed Beethoven was his love for wine?
Reading both volumes of this biography one after the other was a long, but interesting, and ultimately sad journey. It was also extremely worthwhile, and I would recommend it for any classical music lover, especially if you have any curiosity about Beethoven. Be sure to have recordings of his music nearby so you can listen to the music as you read about its conception.
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