Music, just as any other art is the reflection of the soul and inner feelings and emotions of the creator. It is the reflection of reality as the artist perceives it. Since a work of art is the creation of a person, it is impossible to interpret it apart from the personality of the author. This is the way with one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of music, Ludwig van Beethoven, a man with a very interesting life, contradicting personality, and a musical legacy of unsurpassed brilliance.
Some critics claimed that Beethoven’s personality “was relatively unimportant” as his emotions represented in music were “universal ones”, “common for all people” (Wallace, 1990, p.147). For example, Frohlich stated that there was Beethoven’s personality in the Ninth Symphony only because it dealt with common feelings (Wallace, 1990, p.147). Comini (2008) also states that that Beethoven’s worshippers expected to find unison of his personality and music but they often did not (p. 32). It is impossible to know for sure what feelings the composer embodied in music, still, the beauty and immortality of his compositions suggests strong feelings and emotions of the author.
It is known that the people who associated with the composer described him as a person of distrustful, tyrannical, rebellious, and melancholy mood (Comini, 2008, p. 32). For example, he was guilty of his nephew’s suicide attempt as Beethoven insisted on being his father. At the same time, this person composed music with an evident lofty purpose. The secret of a discrepancy between the historic personality and the creative work of genius has always been interesting for researchers and music worshippers.
People often write poems when in love; no doubt, Beethoven’s love, and affection can be traced in his works. Despite his difficult nature, he was a man who could and wanted to love. Moonlight Sonata is the best proof of this idea. The main characteristics of the sonata are intimacy and directness (Stanley, 1998, p. 29). The unity of contradicting feelings and intense emotions make it a unique piece of music. Every time this sonata is played, it “reanimates the spirit” (Stanley, 1998, p. 29). It is like a declaration of love embodied in notes and sounds. Indeed, it was a real declaration of love to Julia Giulietta as Beethoven dedicated it to her (Clive, 2001, p. 142). Moonlight Sonata expresses passion and love for this woman in every note, it is the composer’s love for his “Immortal Beloved” (Ewen, 2007, p. 33).
Beethoven was a fighter during his whole life. The descriptions of his attempts to struggle against his illness, worsening deafness, can really reduce anyone to tears. A person of strong will and persistence, he could not but compose music in accordance with his moral principles. The main features that are typical of Beethoven’s music are contrast, motive development, sense of drive, and personality (Hoffer, 2008, p. 152). All these features are present in his character as well. Beethoven was a man of contrasts, bright and sociable in his youth, he became irritable as his disease progressed. His musical ideas are short and simple but very strong. His music is characterized by “inevitability”, it is constantly moving to its final destination. Such was the author of the music himself, always moving to his aim, always struggling against life that was unjust to him.
Drawing a conclusion, it is necessary to state that the personality of the great composer was a contradicting and mysterious one. There were a lot of differences between his traits of character, the way he treated people around him, and his music. However, a deep insight into Beethoven’s music shows deep feelings and emotions embodied in the beauty of sound by a person who loved music most of all (Beethoven, 2004, p. 45) and was unable to hear it.
References
Clive, H.P. (2001). Beethoven and His World: A Biographical Dictionary. NY: Oxford University Press.
Comini, A. (2008). The Changing Image of Beethoven: A Study in Mythmaking. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press.
Ewen, D. (2007). Composers of Yesterday. Read Books.
Hoffer, C. (2008). Music Listening Today. NY: Cengage Learning.
Stanley, G. (1998). Beethoven Forum, Volume 6. USA: U of Nebraska Press.
Beethoven, L. V. (2004). Beethoven: The Man and the Artist. 1st World Publishing.
Wallace, R. (1990). Beethoven’s Critics: Aesthetic Dilemmas and Resolutions During the Composer’s Lifetime. NY: CUP Archive.