Immortal Beloved

What is it about gifted composers that turned them into objects of fascination? They lived during tumultuous times, led a tumultuous life. It may be the triumph of the will, of how they overcame the odds, to produce musical scores that would be listened again and again. Such treasure.

The death of Ludwig van Beethoven on March 26, 1827 became the talk of the Austrian Empire. It was during his later life that he was able to compose some of his finest works. A funeral was held for three days, the procession witnessed by a large crowd. Beethoven started to lose his hearing at the age of 26. This didn't deter him to come up with scores like Missa solemnis. Then there was his social background, which affected his love life. This didn't stop him from writing letters to his Immortal Beloved.

Immortal Beloved was the great mystery during Beethoven's time - and after his death. Historians couldn't agree on the identity of the lady, the inspiration behind some of the composer's music. The candidates were Giulietta Guicciardi, countess and (piano) student of Beethoven, Therese Malfatti, the Austrian's fellow musician, Antonie Brentano, art patron, and Josephine Brunsvik, countess of Bratislava. Many believed it was Brunsvik, as she was considered an important lady in Beethoven's life. The basis was his fifteen or so letters, addressing her as "Only Beloved". But such title might be interpreted as something else, as Beethoven was a commoner.

One would recall Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, where the latter was jealous of the former. This was the premise of Alexander Pushkin's play, where class background may be the reason behind their rift. But like Beethoven's Immortal Beloved, this could be a matter of debate.

Bernard Rose produced a biofilm on Beethoven's Immortal Beloved in 1994. It wasn't a mystery, which it should be, as the English filmmaker seemed captivated by Beethoven's music that the feeling was like looking up at a starry sky. It didn't matter that his beloved didn't turn out to be Brunsvik, even Brentano. Neither Guicciardi nor Malfatti. But he had the right to, as Beethoven produced thirty two piano sonatas, sixteen string quartets, nine symphonies, and five concertos for the piano.

Below are selected compositions by Beethoven:

Piano Sonata

Opus 10: Three Piano Sonatas (1798)

• No. 1: Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor
• No. 2: Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major
• No. 3: Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major

String quartets

Opus 18: Six String Quartets

• No. 1: String Quartet No. 1 in F major (1799)
• No. 2: String Quartet No. 2 in G major (1799)
• No. 3: String Quartet No. 3 in D major (1798/99)
• No. 4: String Quartet No. 4 in C minor (1799)
• No. 5: String Quartet No. 5 in A major (1799)
• No. 6: String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat major (1800)

Symphonies

• Opus 21: Symphony No. 1 in C major (composed 1799–1800, premièred 1800)
• Opus 36: Symphony No. 2 in D major (composed 1801–02, premièred 1803)
• Opus 55: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major ("Eroica") (composed 1803/04, premièred 1805)

Concertos

• Opus 15: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major (composed 1796–97)
• Opus 37: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor (composed 1800–01)
• Opus 56: Triple Concerto for violin, cello, and piano in C major (1803)
• Opus 58: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major (composed 1805–06)
• Opus 61: Violin Concerto in D major (1806)