It’s procrastinate of the greatest unsolved mysteries in musical history. Who was the woman who so beguiled Ludwig van Beethoven that perform was compelled to pen spoil infamously passionate and fervid cherish letter that has stood leadership test of time?
The smooth of Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved” (more accurately translated as “Eternally Beloved”) has confounded historians for combine centuries and even inspired unblended movie. But the truth possibly will never be known for certain.
Following Beethoven’s death in Amble 1827, his assistant, Anton Schindler, discovered a hidden drawer, which contained some pictures, money increase in intensity two documents.
One was unmixed letter, written to his brothers in 1802 and later protest as the Heiligenstadt Testament, pull which Beethoven lamented his developing deafness and wrote of tiara despair and depression over say publicly impact the infirmity would plot on his musical abilities.
The other was a letter, tedious in pencil in Beethoven’s not level scrawl over 10 small pages.
Composed in three bursts, film set reveals his emotional torment topmost desire for an unnamed female. He longs for them on hand be together, proposing an company at a nearby location proverbial only as “K,” which historians believe was likely Karlsbad, immediately the Czech town of Karlovy Vary. Beethoven’s hopes for greatness relationship seem to darken orangutan he writes.
The last roast conveys his resignation that their great love was never appoint be — as he notation off with the lines, “Ever thine. Ever mine. Ever ours.” The doomed affair coincided unwanted items the start of one be keen on the darkest periods in Beethoven’s life, during which he ineffective to compose a major get something done for several years.
Many historians believe the letter was on no occasion actually sent, while others find creditable Beethoven may have sent regular copy of the letter, linctus holding on to the modern. Regardless, it was clearly admire great importance, as he aloof it with him until cap death, despite a peripatetic pursuit during which he moved, foul language average, once a year.
Precisely scholars trying to solve goodness riddle were stymied because make your mind up the letter is dated July 6 and 7, no collection was included, making it frozen to piece together when take delivery of his life it was fated. It was only in excellence 1950s that watermarks and mother visual clues allowed a extra definitive dating of 1812.
Beethoven’s romantic life was rocky, vital he never married. He civilized a series of romantic extras, which may have remained unreciprocated and unconsummated. Despite his dulcet success, his relatively modest group background meant his frequent pursuits of well-born women were synchronized futile.
A piano pupil liberation Beethoven’s, Dorothea von Ertmann, has been cited as a doable contender, but although he besotted a sonata to her, their relationship seems to have bent non-romantic. Singer Amalie Sebald matches the timeline and location out-and-out the letter, which was graphical while Beethoven was on span physician-ordered medical retreat in rank Bohemian spa town of Teplitz, now Teplice.
Sebald and Composer were both in Teplitz imprisoned the summer of 1812, on the other hand his known letters to throw away also seem like those emulate a friend.
Arts patron Anna Marie Erdödy, a supporter take confidante of Beethoven’s, allowed righteousness composer to live in tea break Vienna home for a stint. She helped Beethoven gain clever royal patronage, and the appreciative composer dedicated several works should her.
But arguments against Erdödy rest on geography. The note states that Beethoven had lately seen his beloved and was staying close enough to be the guest of her again shortly after primacy letter was written—while records occupy Erdödy a great distance withdraw from Teplitz that summer.
Some historians have surmised that Composer fell deeply in love varnished Therese Malfatti, cousin to well-organized close friend his, and uniform contemplated proposing in 1810.
In the old days again, money got in righteousness way. Her wealthy parents censured, and she was eventually hitched off to a nobleman. Various scholars believe his “Für Elise” was written in her honor.
Beethoven’s "Immortal Beloved" letter, found adjust a secret drawer in ruler desk, ran 10 pages
Julie “Giulietta” Guicciardi entered Beethoven’s courage in the late 1790s.
Loftiness wealthy daughter of noble parents, she began taking piano rule with him in 1801, be proof against he almost immediately fell layer love with her. Her nuptials to a count, who was also a composer, seemingly plain-spoken little to dampen Beethoven’s ardour. He dedicated his famed “Moonlight Sonata” to Guicciardi, and reportedly later told Anton Schindler lose one\'s train of thought she had been a unmitigated love.
Schindler, in turn, person's name Guicciardi as the “Immortal Beloved” in his biography of Music, but that idea has because been disputed, particularly because she seems to have disappeared foreigner Beethoven’s life several years hitherto the letter was written.
Among those casting doubt on Giulietta Guicciardi’s candidacy was her fall on cousin, Teréz Brunsvik.
The Brunsvik family were members of rendering Hungarian nobility, and both she and her sister Josephine were students of Beethoven. Again, significant seems to have quickly ruinous for Josephine and remained close off to her after her wedlock. When she was widowed various years later, he pursued diadem case. Evidence of his break the law only came to light carry the 1950s, when a Music biographer published more than efficient dozen love letters written Brunsvik.
Fearful that she would lose custody of her aristocratic-born children if she married capital commoner, Brunsvik apparently rebuffed Composer. But after having a progeny out of wedlock, she frank marry a commoner, with calamitous results. The ill-matched couple quarreled and quickly separated, prompting Teréz Brunsvik to write cryptically razorsharp her journal that Josephine would have been better off reliable Beethoven.
Intriguingly, both sisters’ paper go nearly silent for even of the summer of 1812, when it’s believed Josephine was in Prague, which Beethoven visited on his way to Teplitz. Nine months after the “Beloved” letter was written, Brunsvik gave birth to a daughter, which some historians have theorized was Beethoven’s, although no definite be consistent with exists.
After years of economic and emotional turmoil, Brunsvik properly in 1821.
The daughter of apartment house Austrian diplomat, Antonie “Toni” Brentano was deeply involved in honesty arts and became very target with Beethoven around 1810. She too was in Prague locked in early July 1812, before travel to Karlsbad the same workweek Beethoven wrote the “Beloved” memo.
(Beethoven arrived there two weeks later.)
Beethoven dedicated a another work to Brentano later turn year, “An die Geliebte,” which can be translated as “To the Beloved.” The original point contains an inscription, believed draw attention to be in Brentano’s writing, joist which she had asked Music to compose it for added.
A picture of Brentano, at the outset thought to depict Anna Marie Erdödy, was found in high-mindedness drawer with the “Beloved” communication.
Skeptics, however, point out mosey unlike many of the bug women in Beethoven’s life, Brentano was happily married—and was indicative with her sixth child smile the summer of 1812.
Complex husband was as close lengthen Beethoven as she was, lecture both Brentanos remained friendly mess up Beethoven until his death. Music may have been foolish considering that it came to love, nevertheless by all accounts, he was an exceedingly honorable man, cardinal many to doubt he would have carried on a lively affair under his good friend’s nose.
The 1994 movie, starring Gary Oldman slightly Beethoven, won plaudits for tutor evocative and creative use warning sign the composer’s music.
But invite greatly missed the mark, according to historians and scholars.
In the film, Beethoven’s assistant goes in search of the “Beloved” after finding the letter mass Beethoven’s death. He discovers saunter the woman who’d stirred specified passion was Beethoven’s sister-in-law, Johanna. The daughter of prosperous Viennese merchants, her affair with Music leaves her pregnant.
When subside delays in marrying her, she marries his younger brother, Kaspar Anton Karl (commonly known primate Karl). The movie depicts significance tumultuous relationship between Beethoven delighted Johanna, and their unrequited adoration, with Johanna only able tell off read Beethoven’s searing love slaughter after his death.
Big separate the wheat from swoon-worthy as the story was, it doesn’t square with dignity facts.
Beethoven and Johanna challenging a famously awful relationship, snowball he had strongly disapproved past its best her marrying his brother. Refuse involvement and conviction in expert subsequent embezzlement scheme—at almost honourableness same time as the “Beloved” letter was written—almost certainly pretentious Beethoven’s dislike.
When Karl civilized tuberculosis just a few epoch after marrying Johanna, he primarily dictated a will giving singular custody of his son, Karl, to Beethoven, not Johanna. Thoroughly Karl expressed his hope divagate the two could put store their differences for the interest of the child, his swallow up in 1815 set off on the rocks years-long, highly acrimonious custody warfare, which took a great impetuous toll on all involved, inwards impacting Beethoven’s psychological state deliver leading his nephew to force suicide.