 Section 3 of the Life of Ludwig von Beethoven. Volume 1 by Alexander Wheelock Thayer. Translated by Henry Edward Crebel. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 1, Part 3. It was a period of great awakening in theatrical matters. Princes and courts were beginning everywhere in Germany to patronize the drama of their mother tongue and the labors of Lesing, Gauder, and other well-known names in the original production of German, were in the translation of the best English, Italian, and French plays, were justifying and giving ever new impulse to the change in taste. From the many itinerant troops of players performing in booths, or in the larger cities in the playhouses, the better class of actors were slowly finding their way into permanent companies, engaged and supported by the governments. True, many of the newly established court theaters had but a short and not always a very merry life. True also that the more common plan was merely to afford aid and protection to some itinerant troop. Still, the idea of a permanent national theater on the footing of the already long existing court musical establishments had made way and had already been carried out in various places before it was taken up by the electorate Bonn. It can hardly be supposed that the example of the Imperial Court at Vienna with the immense means at its disposal could exert any direct influence upon the small court at Bonn at the other extremity of Germany. But what the Duke of Gotha and the electorate at Mannheim had undertaken in this direction, Max Friedrich may well have ventured and determined to imitate. But there was an example near a home, in fact in his own capital of Munster where he, the Prince's primate, usually spent the summer. In 1775 Dobbler's troop, which had been for some time playing in that city, was broken up. The West's brothers in Munster built up their own out of the ruins, but it endured only a short time. Thereupon, under the care of the Minister H. von Fürstenberg, one of those rare men, whom heaven elects and equips with all necessary gifts, to cultivate what is good and beautiful in the arts, a meeting of the lovers of this stage was arranged in May, and a few gentlemen of the nobility and a few from the parterre formed a council which assumed the direction. The elector makes a considerable contribution. The money otherwise received is to be applied to the improvement of the wardrobe and the theater. The actors receive their honor raria every month. At Easter, 1777, Sailor, a manager famous in German theatrical annals, and then at Dresden, finding himself unable to compete with his rival, Bondini, left that city with his company to try his fortunes in Frankfurt on the main, Mayans, and other cities in that quarter. The company was very large. The theater Lexicon, Article Mainz, makes it including its orchestra amount to 230 individuals, much too large, it seems, in spite of the assertion of the theater Lexicon to be profitable, be that as it may, after an experience of a year or more, two of the leading members Grossmann and Helmuth accepted an engagement from Max Friedrich to form and manage a company at Bond in order that the German art of acting might be raised to a school of morals and manners for his people. Taking with them a pretty large portion of Sailor's company, including several of the best members, the managers reached Bond and were ready upon the electors' return from Munster to open a season. The opening of the theater took place, says the Bondramater Gixxka, not quick ten, on the 26th of November, 1778, with the prologue spoken by Madame Grossmann, Wilhelmine Blondheim, tragedy in three acts by Grossmann and E. Grossmann Battery, comedy in one act by Aaron Hoffer. The same authority gives a list of all the performances of the season, which extended to the 30th of May, 1779, together with debuts, dismissals, and other matters pertaining to the actors. The number of the evenings on which the theater was open was 50. A five-act play as a rule occupied the whole performance, but of shorter pieces, usually two were given, and thus an opening was found occasionally for an operetta. Of musical dramas only seven came upon the stage, and the somewhat of the lightest order except the first, the melodrama Ariadne Auf Naxos, music by Benda, The Others Were, 1779, February 21, Julie, translated from the French by Grossmann, music by the Saidis. February 28, the Jagger und das Aball, the Marc Kuchen, operetta in one act, music by Duny, March 21, der Hafs Schmeid, in two acts, music by Villador. April 9, version und Kolas, in one act, music by Monsigny. May 5, der Fahs Binder, in one act, music by Udenno. May 14, a prologue dedicated to the birthday festivities of his electoral grace of Cologne, May 13, 1779, by J. A. Frehearn-Vam Hagen. The selection of dramas was on the whole very creditable to the taste of the managers, five of Lessing's works, among them Mina von Barnhelm and Emilia Galati are in the list, and some of the best productions of Bach, Goddard Engel, and their contemporaries. Of translations, there were Coleman's clandestine marriage, Angelus' wife, Geirich's miss in her teens, Cumberland's West Indian, Haudley's suspicious husband, Voltaire Zaire, and Jeanette Bozhe Marche's Eugénie. Two or three of the works of Molliere and Goldoni, et cetera, in short, the list presents much variety and excellence. Max Friedrich was evidently pleased with the company for the knock Richten has the following in the catalogue of performances. On the 8th of April, his electoral grace was pleased to give a splendid breakfast of the entire company in the theatre. The company will occupy itself until the return of his electoral grace from Munster, which will be in the middle of November with learning the newest and best pieces, among which are Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, which are to be given also with much splendor of costume, according to the designs of famous artists. It may be remarked to you that the Bond comedy house for painting the interior of which Clemens Auguste paid $468 in 1751, a date which seems to fix the time at which that end of the palace was completed, occupied that portion of the present University Archaeological Museum room next to the Co-Blanzee, with large doors opening from the stage into the passageway so that this space could be used as an extension of the stage and pieces requiring it for the production of grand scenic effects. Above the theatre was that doubting saw of Max Franz's time. The elector had of course an entrance from the passages of the palace into his box. The door for the public in an angle of the wall now built up opened out upon the grove of horse chestnuts. The auditorium was necessarily low but spacious enough for several hundred spectators, though much criticized by travelers as being unworthy so elegant a court not to say shabby it seems to have been a nice and snug little theatre. Meanwhile affairs with Sailor were drawing to a crisis. He had returned with his company from Mannheim and reopened at Frankfurt August 3, 1779 on the evening of the 7th Tee to escape imprisonment as a bankrupt. Whether through his own fault or that of another, the theatre lexicon affirms the latter case. He took his wife and fled to Mayans. The company was allowed by the magistrates to play a few weeks with a view of earning at least the means of leaving the city. But on October 4 its members began to separate. Benda and his wife went to Berlin but C.G. Neef, the music director and opiates descended the Rhine to Bonn and joined the company there. Neef assuming temporarily the direction of the music in the theatre of which more in another place. No record has been found of the repertory of the Bonn Theatre for the season 1779 to 1780 except that the opening piece on December 3 on the evening after the electors returned from Moonstore was a prologue, Vierhaben in Eder, text by Baron Bonn Hagen, with heirs, rest of tatives and choruses composed by Neef that the day Zeretour was in the list and finally Hillers jagged in June 1781 the season being over. The company migrated to Pyrrhamont from Pyrrhamont to Castel and then to October back to Bonn. The season of 1781 to 82 was a busy one of musical dramas alone 17 are reported as newly rehearsed from September 1781 to the same time in 1782 these the Lieberhunter den Hanbergen, La More Artigiana, music by Gassman, Robert und Kalist, music by Guglielmi, Der Alchemist, music by Schuster, Das Star Riska, Gazette, music by D'Antoine of Bonn, Der Eifer-Suchtige, Liebhaber, Le Mont Jalu, music by Grey Tree, Der Hausfrunde, La Mide la Maison, music by Grey Tree, Die Freundschaft auf der Probe, La Mite, Ah Le Prüve, music by Grey Tree, Henrike und Liede, music by Neef, Die Apotheke, music by Neef, Agensen und Launen der Liebe, music by Deller Teller-Deller, Romeo and Julie, music by Linda, Sof and Nisba, Declop Martien mit Musik, music by Neef, Lucille, music by Grey Tree, Milton und Elmer, music by Mil Ormula, Die Samnitske der Ma Lungsweir, Le Mariage des Samnit, music by Grey Tree, Ernst und Lucinde, music by Grey Tree, Günther von Schwartzberg, music by Holzbauer. It does not follow, however, that all these operas, operettas, and plays with music were produced during the season in Bonn. The company followed the elective Munster in June 1782 and removed the institute Frankfurt on the mind for its regular series of performances at Michael Muss. It came back to Bonn in the autumn. The season 1782-83 was as acted as the preceding. Some of the newly rehearsed spoken dramas were Sir John Falstaff from the English, translations of Sheridan's School for Scandal, Shakespeare's Lear, and Richard III, Mrs. Cowley's Ooze the Duke, and of original German plays, Schiller's Fiesco, Andy Robber, Lessing's Miss Sarah Sampson, Schroder's Testament, etc., etc. The number of newly rehearsed musical dramas in which class are included such ballad operas as General Burgoyne's Made of the Oaks reached 20. These Das Rosenfest, music by Wolf of Weimar, Azalea, music by Johann Kutschler, bassoonist in the Bonn Chapel, D. Sklaven, La Skiava, music by Puccini, Zemir A. Azor, music by Ray Tree, Das Madchen M. Eichthala, Made of the Oaks, music by Don Twarn, captain in the army of the Elector of Cologne, Der Kaufmann, Bonn Smyrna, music by J. A. Juist, court musician in The Hague, the Sidenin Shua, music by Alexander Frisser or Fred Zerry, the Rue Vordaire Tate, music by De Citis, De Arme de Tans, music by J. A. Hiller, the Olympuscan Spila, Olympiad, music by Sikini, the Lugnerin Aus Lieber, music by Salieri, the Itele Narin, Zu London, music by Samarosa, Das Guta Madchen, La Buona, Figli Uola, music by Puccini, Der Ante Quattatin Samler, music by André, the Effer Krang, Aus Demsereo, music by Mozart, the Effer Sucked Off Der Probe, Il Glossa in Cemento, music by M. Farsi, Rang Strait und Effer Sucked Off Dem Lander, le Jalossi Belan, music by Sarty, und der Haakam Off, Les Laises Evénements and Prevues, music by Gray Tree, Felix Oder Der Findling, Felix U. L'enfant Trouvé, music by Monsigny, the Pilgrima von Mecca, music by Gluck. But a still farther provision has been made for the elector's amusement during the season of 1783 to 84 by the engagement of a ballet core of 18 persons. The titles of five newly rehearsed ballets are given in the report from which the above particulars are taken and which may be found in the theatrical calendar for 1784. With N. in large company and a more extensive repertory, preparations were made for opening the theater upon the elector's return at the end of October from Moonstre to Bonn. But the relations of the company to the court have been changed, that the theater calendar described the new position in which the stage at Bonn was placed. Bonn, his electoral grace by a special condescension had graciously determined to make the theatrical performances gratuitous, and to that end has closed a contract with his Highness's theatrical director, Grossman, according to which besides the theater free of rent, the illumination and the orchestra he is to receive an annual subvention for the maintenance of the company. On his Highness's command there will be two or three performances weekly. By particular grace the director is permitted to spend several summer months in other places. The advantages of this plan for securing a good repertory, a good company, and a zealous striving for improvement are obvious, and its practical working during this, its only season so far as can now be gathered from scanty records, was a great success. It will hereafter be seen that the boy Ludwig von Beethoven was often employed at the Piano Forte at the rehearsals, possibly also at the performances of the company of which Neath was the musical director, that a company consisting almost exclusively of performers who had passed the ordeal of frequent appearance on the stage and had been selected with full knowledge of the capacity of each and which more ever had gained so much success of the Bonn court as to be put upon a permanent footing must have been one of more than the ordinary average excellence at least in light opera needs no argument nor need comments be made upon the influence which daily intercourse with it and sharing in its labors especially in the direction of opera must have exerted upon the mind of a boy of 12 or 13 years possessed of real musical genius. The theatrical season and with it the company came to an untimely end. Belder Busch died in January 1784, Madame Grossmann died in Chalbet on March 28, and on April 15 the elector followed them to another world. After the death of the elector, Maximilian Friedrich the court theater was closed for the official morning and the company dismissed with four weeks salary. It is consonant to the plan of this introductory chapter that some space be devoted to sketches of some of the principal men whose names have already occurred and to some notes upon the musical amateurs of Bonn who are known or may be supposed to have been friends of the boy Beethoven. These notices make no claim to the credit of being the result of original research. They are except that of Neith little more than extracts from a letter dated March 2 1783 written by Neith and printed in Kramer's magazine der Musik. Volume one pages 337 and following. At that time the capital director as Neith calls in was Kajetano Mattioli born at Venice August 7 1750 whose appointments were concert master and musical director in Bonn made on May 26 1774 and April 24 1777. He studied in Parma says Neith with the first violinist Angelo Morighi a pupil of Tartini and in Parma Mantua and Bologna conducted grand operas like Orpheus Alcest etc by the Chevalier Gluck with success. He owed much to the example set by Gluck in that matter of conducting it must be admitted that he is a man full of fire of lively temperament and fine feeling. He penetrates quickly into the intentions of a composer and knows how to convey them promptly and clearly to the entire orchestra. He was the first to introduce accentuation instrumental declamation careful attention to forte and piano or all the degrees of light and shade in the orchestra of this place in none of the qualifications of a leader is he second to the famed cannabic of Mannheim. He surpasses him in musical enthusiasm and like him insist upon discipline and order through his efforts the musical repertory of this court has been provided with a very considerable collection of good and admirable compositions symphonies masses and other works to which he makes daily editions in the same manner he is continually striving for the betterment of the orchestra. Just now he is engaged in a project for building a new organ for the court chapel the former organ a magnificent instrument became a prey of the flames of the great conflagration in the palace in 1777. His salary is 1000 florins. The chapel master appointed May 26 1774 was Mr. Andrea Lucchisi born May 28 1741 at Mata in Venetian territory. His teachers in composition were in the theater style Mr. Kochi of Naples in the church style Father Peo Lucchi a pupil of Padre Martini at Bologna and afterwards Mr. Saratelli chapel master the duke of Venice. He is a good organist and occupied himself profitedly with the instrument in Italy. He came here with Mr. Matteoli as conductor of an Italian opera company in 1771. Taken all together he is a light pleasing and gay composer whose part writing is cleaner than that of most of his countrymen. In his church works he does not confine himself to the strict style affected by many to please amateurs. Neath enumerates Lucchisi's compositions as follows. Nine works for the theater among them the opera Lisola della Fortuna 1765 il marito giallosso 1766 lo done sempre done il matrimonio per astuzia 1771 for Venice and the two composed at Bonn il natale di Giove and l'angano scoperto various intermezzi in cantatas various masses vespers and other compositions for the church. Six sonatas for the piano forte in violin a piano forte trio four piano forte quartets and several piano forte concertos. His salary was 1000 florins. The organist of the court chapel was Christian Gottlob Neath son of a poor tailor of Chemnitz in Saxony where he was born February 5 1748. He is one of the many instances in musical history in which the career of the man is determined by the beauty of his voice and childhood at a very early age he became a chorister in the principal church which position gave him the best school and musical instruction that the small city afforded advantages so wisely improved as to enable him in order youth to gain a living by teaching at the age of 21 with $20 in his pocket and a stipend of $30 per annum from the magistrates of Chemnitz he removed to Leipzig to attend the lectures of the university and at that institution in the course of time he passed his examination injurious prudence. Upon this occasion he argued the negative of the question as a father the right to disinherit a son for devoting himself to the theater. In Chemnitz Neath's teachers of music have been men of small talents and very limited requirements and even in Leipzig he owed more to his persevering study of the theoretical works of Marpurg and C.P. E. Bach than to any regular instructor but there he had the very great advantage of forming an intimate acquaintance with and becoming an object of special interest to Johan Adam Hiller the celebrated director of the Goat Wand House concerts the then popular and famous composer the introducer of Handel's Messiah to the German public the industrious writer upon music and finally a successor of Johan Sebastian Bach as cantor of the Thomas school. Hiller gave him every encouragement in his power in his musical career opened the columns of his musical Vaak in the liquor knock Rick 10 to his compositions and writings called him to his assistants and operatic composition gave him the results of his long experience and friendly advice criticized his compositions on that length in 1777 gave him his own position as music director sailors theatrical company then playing at the link is God bod in Dresden upon the departure of that troop for Frankfurt on the mine Neath was persuaded to remain with it in the same capacity he thus became acquainted with frail line zinc previously court singer gotha but now engaged for sailors opera the acquaintance ripened into a mutual affection and ended in marriage not long afterward it is no slight testimony to the high reputation which he enjoyed that at the moment of sailors flight from Frankfurt 1779 Bondini whose success had driven that rival from Dresden was in correspondence with Neath and making him proposals to resign his position under sailor for a similar but better one in his service pending the result of these negotiations Neath taking his wife with him temporarily joined Grossmann and Helmuth a bond in the same capacity those managers who knew the value of his services from their previous experience as members of the sailor troop paid a very strong though involuntary tribute to his talents and personal character by adopting such unfair measures as to compel the musician to remain in bond until Bondini was forced to fill his vacancy by another candidate having once got him Grossmann was determined to keep him and succeeded as long as the Grossmann company remained undivided Neath accompanied it in its annual visits to Munster and other places thus the sketch of his life printed 16 years later in the first fine of the Algeminer music Zeitung of Leipzig Bear's date Frankfurt on the mind September 30 1782 but from that period saved perhaps for a short time in 1783 he seems not to have left bond at all there were others besides Grossmann and Helmuth who thought Neath too valuable an acquisition to the musical circles of bond not to be secured less than a year and a half after his arrival there the minister Belderbusk and the countess hutspelled niece of the elector secured to him though a Protestant in appointment to the place of court organist the salary of 400 Florence together with the 700 Florence from Grossmann made his income equal to that of the court chapel master it is difficult now to conceive of the forgotten name of C. G. Neath as having once stood high in the list of the first north German composers yet such was the case of Neath's published compositions besides the short vocal and clavier pieces in Hillersbury article there had already appeared operettas in vocal score D. Abtecha in 1772 Amor's Gugkastin 1772 D. Ein Sprucke 1773 and Heimreich und Liede 1777 also heirs composed for Hillersdorf Barbier and one from his own republished opera Zemir und Eisler 12 Oaks of Klopstock sharply criticized by Foucault and his musicalish chrystic bibliotech much to the benefit of the second edition of them and that pretty long series of songs of instrumental music he appointed 24 sonatas for piano forte solo or with violin and from Breitkopf and Hartel's catalog 1772 and 1774 maybe added the following works included neither in his own list nor that of Gerber a part to tip for string quartet two horns two oboes two flutes and two bassoons another for the same instruments minus the flutes and bassoons a third for the string quartet and two oboes only and two symphonies for a string quartet two horns two oboes and two flutes the symphonies music was also finished in 20 years later after Mozart had given a new standard of criticism it was warmly eulogized in the alga minor use excite tongue of leipzig at the date of his letter to kramer march to 1783 he had added to his published work sex sonatin am klavier zu zingen vada maykum for labhaber des kazang zunt klavier the klavier score son of the nispa and a concharacter for klavier an orchestra his manuscripts he adds kramer's magazine one page 382 consists of a the scores of the operettas which had appeared in pianoforte arrangements b the score of his opera samera und azerr c the score of his opera adlheit von bell time d the score of a bardic song for the tragedy the romans in germany e the scores of theatrical between ax music f the score of a latin potter noster g various other smaller works he had in hand the composition of the operetta der new goods share the pianoforte score of which has also vetted adlheit von bell time was about to be published by dyke in leipzig a year before at a concert for amateurs at the house of mr von mastio he had produced an ode by klopstock dem unend liken for four chorus voices in a large orchestra which was afterwards performed in holy week in the bowline stiff skirka in short nief brought to bond a high-sounding reputation talent skill and culture both musical and literary which made him invaluable to the managers when new french and italian operas were to be prepared for the german stage great facility in throwing off a new air song entre oct or whatnot to meet the exigencies of the moment very great industry akak he skribendi of the very highest value to the student of bonds musical history in his time and a new element into the musical life there this element may have seemed somewhat formal and pedantic but it was solid for it was drawn from the school of handle and bark lettuce returned to knief's letter to kramer again for some notices of music outside the electoral palace belda bush the minister retained a quintet of wind instruments two clarinets two horns and a bassoon the countess van belder bush wife of a nephew of the minister whose name will come up again play skillfully upon the clavier the countess van hatsfield niece of the elector was trained in singing and clavier playing by the best masters of vienna to whom indeed she does very much honor she declaims recitatives admirably and it is a pleasure to listen to her sing arias de parlante she plays the forte piano brilliantly and in playing yields herself up completely to her emotions therefore one never hears any restlessness or unevenness of time in her tempo rubato she is enthusiastically devoted to music and musicians chancellor and captain bonchal plays clavier and violin though not adept on either instrument he has very correct musical feeling he knows how to appreciate the true beauties of a composition and how to judge them and has large historical and literary knowledge of music frau court counselor van belzer plays the clavier and sings she has a strong masculine contralta of wide range particularly downwards yo han gotfried van mastio of the finance department an incumbent of diverse high offices as a self-taught musician he plays several instruments himself and has given his four sons and a daughter the best musical instruction possible in barn all are pianists and so many of them perform as on other instruments that the production of quintets is a common family enjoyment he is a devoted admirer of hyden with whom he corresponds and in his large collection of music there are already 80 symphonies 30 quartets and 40 trios by that master his rare and valuable instruments are so numerous that he could almost equip a complete orchestra every musician is his friend and welcome to him count all stutter in his house one may at times hear a very good quartet captain don twan a passionate mara and knower of music plays the violin and the clavier a little he learned composition from the books of mara perg kern burger and repel formed his taste in italy in both respects the reading of scores by classical masters has been a great service to him among his compositions are several operetta symphonies and quartets in hyden style the three messiers facis sons of the russian agent here are soundly musical the two elder play the flute and the youngest plays the viol on cello according to fisher the members of this family were visitors of the house of the Beethoven's there are many more music lovers here but the majority of them are too much given to privacy so far as their musical practice goes to be mentioned here enough has been said to show that a stranger fond of music need never leave bond without nourishment nevertheless a large public concert institution under the patronage of his electoral grace is still desirable it would be one more ornament of the capital and a promoter of the good cause of music well with the theater the court music the musical productions in the church and such opportunities in private it is plain that young talent in those days in bond was in no danger of starvation for want of what need calls musical liska now wrong so much upon the dramatic person i other than the principal figure and his family let an attempt follow to describe the little city as it appeared in 1770 in other words to picture the scene by an enumeration made in 1789 the population of bond was now in thousand five hundred and sixty souls a number which probably for a long series of years had rarely varied beyond a few score more or less one therefore that must very nearly represent the aggregate in 1770 for the talented neither manufacturers nor commerce beyond what its own wants supported it was simply the residents of the elector the seat of the court and the people depended more or less directly upon that court for subsistence as a wag expressed it all bond was fed from the electors kitchen the old city walls the garguta fortification duster chur first sicker ganug darin and hoff halton con of yohan hubner's description were already partially destroyed within them the whole population seems to have lived outside the city gates it does not appear that saved by a chapel or two the eye was impeded in its sweep across gardens and open fields to the surrounding villages which then is now hidden in clusters of walnut and fruit trees appeared when looked upon from the neighboring hills like islands rising upon the level surface of the plane the great increase of wealth and population during the last one hundred and fifty years in all this part of the rine valley under the influence of the wise national economy of the prussian government has produced corresponding changes in and about the towns and villages but the grand features of the landscape are unchanged the ruins upon the drachenfels and goddess spurg looked down as now upon the distant roofs inspires a bond the castle of seabird rose above the plains the way to the east the chapel crowned the petersburg the church with the marvel stairs the near grotesburg the fine landing place with its growing trees and seats for idlers the villas hotels coffee houses and dwellings outside the oil walls are all recent but the huge ferry boat the flying bridge even then was ever swinging like a pendulum from shore to shore steam as a local mode of power was unknown and the commerce of the rime floated by the town gliding down with the current on rafts or in clumsy but rather picturesque boats were impelled against the stream by the winds by horses and even by men and women the amount of traffic was not however too great to be amply provided for in this manner for population was kept down by war by the hard and rude life of the peasant class and by the influences of all the false national economic principles of that age which restrained commerce by every device that could be made to yield present profit to the rulers of the ryan lands passengers had for generations no longer been plundered by male clad robbers dwelling upon a hundred picturesque heights but each petty state had gained from the emperor's weakness vested rights in all sorts of custom levies and taxes respect 1780 found nine toll stations between mayans and coblants and thence to the boundary of holland he declares there were at least 16 and that in the average each must have collected 30 000 renish lorns per annum do this stranger coming down from mayans with its narrow dark lanes or up from cologne who's confined in pestiferously dirty street emitting unnamed stenches were but typical of the bigotry superstition and moral filth of the population all now happily changed thanks to a long period of French impression rule little bonds seemed a very picture of neatness and comfort even its ecclesiastical life seemed of another order the men of high rank in the church were of high rank also by birth they were men of the world and gentlemen their manners were polished and their minds enlarged by intercourse with the world and with gentlemen they were tolerant in their opinions and liberal in their views ecclesiastics of high and low degree were met at every corner as in other cities of the ryan region but absence of military men was a remarkable feature yoan houbner gives the reason for this in few and quaint words in times of war much depends upon who is master bond because traffic on the ryan can be blockaded at this pass therefore the place has its excellent fortification which enables the elector to hold his court in ample security within its walls but he need not maintain a garrison there in time of peace and in time of war troops are garrisoned we have taken the oath to the emperor and the empire this was settled by the peace of rizwick as well as restat while the improvement in the appearance of the streets of bond has necessarily been great through the refitting or rebuilding of a large portion of the dwelling houses the plan of the town except in those parts lying near the wall has undergone no essential change the principal one being the open spaces we're in 1770 churches stood on the small triangular rumour plots was the principal parish church of bond that of saint remigius standing in such a position that its tall tower looked directly down the arch of strasa in 1800 this tower was set on fire by lightning and destroyed six years later the church itself was demolished by the french and its stones removed to become a part of the fortifications of at whistle on the small round grass plot as one goes from the moons to church toward the neighboring city gate new Thor stood another parish church a rotunda in form that of st martin which fell in 1812 and was removed and at the opposite end of the minster separated from it only by a narrow passage was still a third the small structure dedicated to st engulf this too was pulled down in 1806 only the fourth parish church that of st peter and dite kerchin is still in existence and was at a later date considerably enlarge after the demolition of these buildings a new division of the town into parishes was made 1806 the city front of the electoral palace now the university was more imposing than now and was adorned by a tall handsome tower containing a carolin with bells numerous enough to play for instance the overture to mont sainese deserter this part of the palace with the tower and chapel was destroyed by fire in 1777 the town hall erected by clemen's august and the other churches were as now but the large edifice facing the university library and museum of cast now occupied by private dwellings and shops was then the cloister and church of the franciscan monks a convent of capuchin nuns stood upon the castle gassa its garden is now a bleaching ground let the fancy picture upon a fine east or pentacost morning in those years the little city and its holiday attire and bustle the bells in palace and church tower ringing the peasants course but picturesque garments the women abounding in bright colors come in from the surrounding villages fill the marketplace and crowd the churches at the early masses the nobles and gentry and broad flat coats wide waistcoats and knee breeches the entire dress often a brilliant colored silks satins and velvets huge white flowing necklace ruffles over the hands buckles of silver or even of gold have the knees and upon the shoes huge wigs be curled and be powdered on the heads and surrounded by the cocked hat when not held under the arm i sorted the side and commonly a gold-headed cane in the hand and if the morning be cold a scarlet cloak thrown over the shoulders are daintily picking their way to the palace to kiss his transparency's hand or dashing up to the gates and heavy carriages with white wigged and cocked-headed coachmen and footmen their ladies wear long and narrow bodices but their robes flow with a mighty sweep their apparent stature is increased by very high heeled shoes and by piling up their hair on lofty cushions their sleeves are short but long silk gloves cover their arms the ecclesiastics various in name and costume dresses now save in the matter of the flowing week the electors company of guards is out and at intervals the thunder of the artillery on the walls is heard on all sides strong and brilliant contrasts of color meet the eye velvet and silk purple and fine linen golden silver such were the fashions of the time costly inconvenient in form but imposing magnificent and marking the differences of rank and class let the imagination picture all this and it will have a scene familiar to the boy Beethoven and one of which as he grew up to manhood he had his own small part to play end of section three section four of the life of Ludwig von Beethoven volume one by alexander we lock failure translated by Henry Edward crebel the sleeper box recording is in the public domain chapter two the ancestral von Beethoven family in belgium removal of the grandfather to bond his activities as singer and chapel master birth and education of your Han von Beethoven the parents of the composer the composer's belgium ancestry at the beginning of the 17th century a family named von Beethoven lived in a village of belgium near Louvain a member of it removed to and settled in Antwerp about 1650 a son of this Beethoven named William a wine dealer married September 11 1680 Catherine Grand Jean and had issue eight children one of them baptized September 8 1683 in the parish of Notre Dame now received the name Henri Adelaide his sponsors being Henry von Beethoven acting for Adelaide de Reddink Baron de Roe Kingi and Jacqueline Grand Jean this Henri Adelaide Beethoven having arrived at man's estate took to wife Maria Catherine de Hart who bore him 12 children the third named Louie the 12th named Louie Joseph the latter baptized December 9 1728 married November 3 1773 Maria Teresa Schuero vegs and died November 11 1808 at Oosterwick the second daughter named like her mother Maria Teresa married September 6 1808 Joseph Michael Jacobs became the mother of Jacob Jacobs in the middle of the 19th century a professor of painting in Antwerp who supplied in part the materials for these notices of the Antwerp Beethoven's although the principal credit is due to Monsieur Leon de Bourbour of that city the certificate of baptism of Louie von Beethoven third son of Henri Adelaide is to this effect Antwerp December 23 1712 baptizatus Ludovicus parents Henrika's von Beethoven and Maria Catherine de Hart sponsors Petrus Bale-Mart and Defona von Beethoven it is family tradition professor Jacobs heard it from his mother that this Louie von Beethoven owing to some domestic difficulties according to Monsieur Bourbour they were financial secretly left his father's house at an early age and never saw it again although in later years an epistolary correspondence seems to have been established between the fugitive and his parents gifted with a good voice and well educated musically he went to Louvain and applied for a vacant position as tenor to the chapter odd sanctum petrum receiving it on November 2 1731 a few days later the young man of 18 years was appointed substitute for three months for the singing master von Ascus who had fallen as is attested by the minutes of the chapter under date November 2 1731 the young singer does not seem to have filled the place beyond the prescribed time by decree of Elector Clemens August dated March 1733 the month of Joseph Heidensburg he became court musician in bond with a salary of 400 Florence a large one for those days particularly in the case of a young man who only three months before had completed his 20th year allowing the usual year of probation to which candidates for the court chapel were subjected Beethoven must have come to bond in 1732 this corresponds to the time spent at Louvain as well as to a petition of 1774 to be given hereafter in which Johann speaks of his father's 42 years of service there is another paper of date 1784 which makes the elder Beethoven to have served about 46 years but this is from another hand and of less authority than that written by the son other Beethoven families and bond what it was that persuaded Louvain Beethoven to go to bond is unknown Gottfried Fischer who owned the house in the Rhine Gossa in which two generations of Beethoven's lived professed to know that Elector Clemens August learned to know him as a good singer at Liege and for that reason called him to bond that is not impossible whether the elector went to Louvain or Ludwig introduced himself to him at Liege but it is significant that another branch of the Beethoven family was already represented at bond Michael von Beethoven was born in Malin in February 1684 he was a son of Cornelius von Beethoven and Catherine Liam Poel and beyond out as the later associations in bond proved closely related to the Antwerp branch of the family Michael von Beethoven married Maria Ludovica Stukers or Stukens on October 8707 his eldest son also bore the name of Cornelius born in September 1708 in Malin and there were four other sons born to him during his stay in Malin among them two who were named Louis up to 1715 at a date which is uncertain this family removed to bond there Cornelius on February 20 1734 married a widow named Helena de la Porte nay Collin in the church of St. Gungolf Ludwig von Beethoven the young court singer being one of the witnesses in August of the same year Cornelius was proxy for his father who evidently had not yet come to bond as godfather for Ludwig's first child later after his son had established a household he removed to bond for Michael von Beethoven died in June 1749 in bond and in December of the same year Maria Ludovico Stukens sick the widow von Beethoven Cornelius became a citizen of bond on January 1717 1736 on the ground that he had married the widow of a citizen and in 1738 he stands alone as representative of the name in the list of bonds citizens he seems to have been a merchant and is probably the man who figures in the annual accounts of Clemens Auguste as purveyor candles he lost his wife and for a second married Anna Barbara Marx we'll go on July 5 1755 who bore him two daughters 1756 and 1759 both of whom died young and for both of whom Ludwig von Beethoven was sponsor Cornelius died in 1764 and his wife in 1765 and with this the Maline branch of the family ended which one of the two cousins for so we may in a general way consider them came to bond Ludwig or Cornelius must be left to conjecture there is evidence in favor of the former in the circumstance that Cornelius does not appear as witness at the marriage of Ludwig in 1733 if Ludwig was the earlier arrival and the story of his call by the elector may be true he was not disappointed in his hope of being able to make his way by reason of his knowledge of music and singing the next recorded fact in his history may be seen in the ancient register of the parish of Saint Remergius now preserved in the town hall of Bonne it is the marriage on September 7 1733 of Ludwig von Beethoven and Maria Yosef of Paul the husband not yet 21 years of age the wife 19 then follows in the records of baptisms in the parish 1734 august 8 parents Ludwig von Beethoven Maria Yosef of Paul baptized Maria Bernardina Ludovica sponsors Maria Bernardina Menz Michael von Beethoven in his place Cornelius von Beethoven the child Bernardina died in infancy October 17 1735 her place was soon filled by a son Marcus Yosefus baptized April 15 1736 of whom the parents were doubtless early bereaved for no other notice whatever has been found of him after the lapse of some four years the child was pair again became parents by the birth of a son whose baptismal record has not been discovered it is supposed that this child Johan was baptized in the court chapel the records of which are not preserved in the archives of the town and seemed to be lost or that possibly he was born while the mother was absent from bond an official report upon the condition and characters of the court musicians made in 1784 however gives Johan von Beethoven born in bond and aged 44 thus fixing the date of his birth towards the end of 1739 or the beginning of 1740 the gradual improvement of the elder Beethoven's condition in respect of both the monument and social position is creditable to him alike as a musician and as a man poorly as the musicians were paid he was able in his last years to save a small portion of his earnings his rise in social position is indicated in the public records thus the first child is recorded as the son of L. V. Beethoven musicus as sponsor to the eldest daughter of Cornelius von Beethoven he appears as Dominus von Beethoven to the second as musicus aulichus in 1761 he becomes Herr Kappomeister and his name appears in the court calendar of the same year third in a list of 28 of the older Beethoven's appointment as head of the court music no other particulars have been obtained than those to be found in his petition and the accompanying decree printed in chapter one from these papers it appears that the bass singer has had the promise of the place from Clemens Auguste as successor to Zudoli but that the elector when the vacancy occurred changed his mind and gave it to his favorite young violinist to Schmuller who held the position for so short a time however that his name never appears as chapel master in the court calendar he having resigned on account of the reduction of his salary by Bel Der Busch prime minister of the new elector who just at that period succeeded Clemens Auguste the elevation of a singer to such a place was not a very uncommon event in those days but that a chapel master should still retain his place as singer probably was haza and ground began their careers as vocalists but more to the point are the instances of Stefani Handel's predecessor at the court of Hanover and a Regini successively chapel master at Mayance and Berlin in all these cases the incumbents were distinguished and very successful composers Beethoven was not the Vegler's words the chapel master and bass singer had at an earlier date produced operas at the national theater established by the elector have been rather interpreted than quoted by Schindler and others thus it is thought that under the luxury loving elector Clemens Auguste he produced operas of his own composition a construction which is clearly forced and incorrect strange that so few writers can content themselves with exact citations not only is there no proof whatever certainly none yet made public that chapel master von Beethoven was an author of operatic works but the words in his own petition in as much as the toxel must be sufficiently supplied with music can hardly be otherwise understood then as intended to meet a possible objection to his appointment on the ground of his not being a composer Vegler's words then would simply mean that he put upon the stage and conducted the operatic works produced which were neither numerous nor of a very high order during his time his labors were certainly onerous enough without adding musical composition the records of the electoral court which have been described and in part reduced in the preceding chapter exhibit him conducting the music of chapel theater and toxel examining candidates for admission into the electoral musical service reporting upon questions referred to him by the privy council and the like and all this in addition to his services as bass singer a position which gave him the principal bass parts and solos to sing both in chapel and theater Vegler reports a tradition that in Gauss-Mann's operetta la more artigiano and known seniors day zero two he was admirable and received the highest applause if this be true it proves no small degree of enterprise on his part as chapel master and of well conserved powers as a singer for these two operas were first produced the one in Vienna the other in Paris in 1769 when Beethoven had already entered his 58th year the words of demmer in his petition of january 23 1773 the bass singer von Beethoven is incapacitated and can no longer serve as such naturally suggests the thought that the old gentleman's appearance as bruno in lucizi's langano sco perto in may 1773 was a final compliment to his master the elector upon his birthday he did not live to celebrate another the death of Ludwig von Beethoven half cabell meister is recorded a bond under date of december 24 1773 one day after the 61st anniversary of his baptism in antwerp chapel master von Beethoven's trials at home the good man had his cross to bear his wife yo sefa who with one exception have buried all her children and possibly on that very account became addicted to the indulgence of an appetite for a strong drink was at the date of her husband's death living as a border in a cloister at cologne how long she had been there does not appear but doubtless for a considerable period the son too was married but though near was not in his father's house the separation was brought about by his marriage with which the father was not agreed the house in which the chapel master died in which he occupied certainly as early as 1765 was that next north of the so-called goo denour hall later the post office and the neighboring von gasa and bore the number 386 the chapel master appears upon pretty good evidence to have removed hither from the fissure house in the rhine gasa where he is said to have lived many years and even to have carried on a trade in wine which change of dwelling may have taken place in 1767 when one recalls the imposing style of dress at the era the short muscular man with dark complexion and very bright eyes as begler describes him and as a painting by court painter raw do still in possession of his descendants in vienna depicts him presents quite an imposing picture to the imagination of the early life of yohan von Beethoven there are no particulars preserved except such as art directly or indirectly conveyed in the official documents such of these papers as came from his own hand if judged by the standard of our time show a want of ordinary education but it must not be forgotten that the orthography of the german language was not then fixed nor that many a contemporary of his who boasted a university education or who belonged to the highest ranks of society wrote in a style no better than his this is certain that after he had received an elementary education he was sent to the gymnasium for as a member of the lowest class in fema of that institution he took part in september 1750 a singer in the annual school play which it was the custom of a music bar nun sees to give it would seem therefore that his good voice and musical gifts were appreciated at an early period herein probably is also to be found the reason why his stay at the gymnasium was not of long duration the father had sent him apart for a service in the court music and himself as appears from the statements already printed under took his instruction he taught him singing and clavier playing whether or not he also taught him violin playing in which he was capable remains uncertain in 1752 at the age of 12 as can be seen from his petition of march 1756 and his fathers of 1764 he entered the chapel as soprano according to got vol's report of 1756 he had served about two years the contradiction is probably explained by an interruption caused by the mutation of his voice at the age of 16 he received his decretin as excesses on the score of his skill in singing and his experience already acquired including his capability on the violin which was the basis of the decree of April 24 1764 granting him a salary of 100 rikes fallar per annum so at the age of 22 the young man received the promise of a salary and at 24 obtained one of 100 dollars in 1769 he received an increase of 25 florns and 50 florns more by the decree of April 3 1772 he had more over an opportunity to gain something by teaching not only did he give lessons and singing and clavier playing to the children of prominent families of the city but he also frequently was called on to prepare young musicians for service in the chapel thus demmer says the memorandum here to be forgiven paid six rikes fallar to young mr. bethoven for three months and a year later the following result of the privy council was passed odd supplication yohan bethoven the demands of the suppliant having been found to be correct the electoral treasury is commanded to satisfy the debt by the usual withdrawal of the sum from the salary of the defendant bond may 24 1775 attested p which probably refers to a debt contracted by one of the women of the court chapel a few years later as we have seen he seems to have been entrusted with the training of yohana helena averdonk whom he brought forward as his pupil in march 1778 and the singer got senella was his pupil before she went elsewhere it was largely his own fault that the musically gifted man was unfortunate in both domestic and official relations his intemperance in drink probably inherited from his mother but attributed by old fisher to the wine trading which his father embarked made itself apparent at an early date and by yielding to it more and more as he grew older he undoubtedly impaired his voice and did much to bring about his later condition of poverty how it finally led to a catastrophe we shall see later according to the testimony of the widow card he was a tall handsome man and wore powdered hair in his later years fisher does not wholly agree with her of medium height longish face broad forehead round nose broad shoulders serious eyes face somewhat scarred thin pigtail three and a half years after obtaining his salary of 100 followers he ventured to marry hindry keverich the father of his wife was head cook in that palace at erin brightstone in which clemons danced himself out of this world but he died before that event took place his wife as the church records testified was anna claire debauch her daughter maria magdalena born december 19 1746 married a certain yohan lane ballet of the elector of treves on january 30 1763 on november 28 1765 the husband died and maria magdalena was a widow before she had completed her 19th year in a little less than two years the marriage register of saint remigius that bond wasn't rich by this entry the parents of the composer may 12th november 9 prior we are dispensed sat down a super tribe us the none t at the universe capilla we day yo anam wan ba towin deni ludo weki wan ba tovin at marie e yo sefi po kanjagum filiam legitimum at mariam magdalena keverich we duam lame x herrin brightstein and reekie keverich at ani claire where stores filiam legitimum koram testaboose yo sefo clemente del saraski at the lepo salamon that is yohan von ba tovin has married the young widow lane how it came that the marriage took place in bond instead of the home of the bride we were told by a fisher chapel master von ba tovin was not at all agreed that his son should marry a woman of a lower station in life than his own he did not continue his opposition against the fixed determination of his son but it is to be surmised that he would not have attended a ceremony in erin brightstein and hence the matter was disposed of quickly in bond after the wedding the young pair paid a visit of a few days duration to erin brightstein character of madame von ba tovin fisher describes madame von ba tovin as a handsome slender person and tells of her rather tall longish face a nose somewhat bent gets her felt in the dialect of bond spare hernest eyes cause cilia fisher could not recall that she had ever seen madame von ba tovin live she was always serious her life's vices situes may have contributed to this disposition the early loss of her father and of her first husband and the death of her mother scarcely more than a year after her second marriage it is difficult to form a conception of her character because of the positive information about her beglar lay stress upon her piety and gentleness her amiability and kindness towards her family appeared from all the reports nevertheless fisher betrays the fact that she could be vehement in controversies with the other occupants of the house madame von ba tovin fisher continues was a clever woman she could give converse and reply aptly politely and modestly to high and low and for this reason she was much liked and respected she occupied herself with sewing and knitting they let a righteous and peaceful married life and paid their house rent and baker's bills promptly quarterly and on the day she was a good a domestic woman she knew how to give and also how to take in a manner that is becoming to all people of honest thoughts from this it is fair to assume that she strove to conduct her household judiciously and economically whether or not this was always possible in view of the limited income oh fisher does not seem to have been informed she made the best she could of the weaknesses of her husband without having been able to influence him her care for the children in externals was not wholly sufficient young lucbig clung to her with a tender love more than to the father who was only severe but there is nothing anywhere to indicate that she exerted an influence upon the emotional life and development of her son and in respect of this no wrong will be done her if the lower order of her culture be taken into consideration no must it be forgotten that in all probability she was naturally delicate and that her health was still for the weekend by her domestic troubles and frequent akushma the quiet suffering woman as madame carth causer died in 1787 of consumption at the age of 40 years long years after in vienna betovin was want when among his intimate friends to speak of his excellent vortua flick mother at the time when yohan ban betovin married there was quite a colony of musicians and other persons in the service of the court in the band gossip as that street is in part named which extends from the lower extremity of the marketplace to the cologne gate chapel master von betovin had left the house in the rinegasa and lived at number 386 and the adjoining house north number 387 lived that musical family reese farther down the east house on that side of the way before the street assumes the name curl nurse drasa was the dwelling of the hornest afterward publisher sim rock nearly opposite the chapel masters the second story of the house number 515 was occupied but not till after 1771 by the salamons the parterre and first four by the owner of the house a lace maker or dealer in lace is named clausen of the two adjoining houses the one number 576 was the dwelling of yohan rom a master locksmith doubtless the gene courton sir ruria of the court calendar for 1773 in number 617 was the family hertel 12 or 15 years later living under the betovin in the benzo gossip and not far off a family poll perhaps relations of madame betovin the elder conrad poll's name is found in the court calendars of the 1770s as one of the eight electoral high drunken footmen in 1767 in the rear of the clausen house north there was a lodging to let and there the newly married betovens began their humble housekeeping their first child was a son ludwig maria baptized april 2 1769 whose sponsors as may be read in the register of saint remigius perish were the grandfather betovin and anna maria low wife of gene courton the next door neighbor this child lived but six days and two years the loss of the parents was made up by the birth of him who is the subject of this biography end of chapter two section five of the life of ludwig van betovin volume one by alexander we lock there translated by henry edward crebel this lieber vox recording is in the public domain chapter three the childhood of betovin an inebriate grandmother and a dissipated father the family homes in barn the boys schooling his music teachers visits holland with his mother there is no authentic record of betovin's birthday vegler on the ground of custom in barn dates at the day preceding the ceremony of baptism an opinion which betovin himself seems to have entertained it is the official record of this baptism only that has been preserved in the registry of the parish of san remigius the entry appears as follows parentus d johannes van betovin and helena keverich conjugal pro lace 1770 december ludovicus patrini d ludovicus van betovin and gertrudis moeller dictabombs the sponsors therefore were betovin's grandfather the chapel master and the wife of the next door neighbor yohann bomb secretary at the electoral cellar the custom obtaining at the time in the catholic ryan country not to postpone the baptism beyond 24 hours after the birth of a child it is in the highest degree probable that betovin was born on december 16 1770 of several certificates of baptism the following is copied and full for the sake of a remark upon it written by the master's own hand department de ran a moselle marie de barn extra du registre de naissance de la poros de san remi a barn ano melissimo sept in gentissimo septuagesimo de decima septima decemberis baptizatas est ludovicus parentus d yohannes van betovin at helena keverich's conjugal patrini de ludovicus van betovin et gertrudis moeller's dictabombs pour extra confirm de livrer à la merie de barn barn le de juin 1810 signatures and official seals on the back of this paper betovin wrote 1772 s shaint der tafschein nicht reiktig da nacht ein ludwig von mir einer baumgarten war glaber ich mein patr ludwig von betovin the composer then even in his 40th year still believed the correct date to be 1772 which is the one given in all the old biographical notices in which corresponds to the dates affixed to many of his first works and indeed to nearly all illusions to his age in his early years only by keeping this fact in mind can the long list of chronological contradictions which continually meet the student of his history during the first half of his life be explained or comprehended whoever examines the original record of baptism in the registry of barn sees instantly that the certificate in spite of betovin is correct but all possible doubt is removed by the words of vegler little louis clung to his grandfather with the greatest affection and young as he was when he lost him his early impressions always remained lively he liked to speak of his grandfather with the friends of his youth and his pious and gentle mother whom he loved much more than he did his father who was only severe was obliged to tell him much of his grandfather at 1772 been the correct date the child could never have retained personal recollections of a man who died on December 24 1773 a survey of the whole ground renders the conclusion irresistible that at the time when the board began to attract notice by his skill upon the piano forte and by the promise of his first attempts in composition his age was purposely falsified a motive for which may perhaps be found in the excitement caused in the musical world by the then recent career of the Mozart children and in the reflection that attainments which in a child of eight or ten years excite wonder and astonishment are considered hardly worthy of special remark in one a few years older there is unfortunately nothing known of Johann von Beethoven's character which renders such a trick improbable noteworthy is it that at first the falsification rarely extends beyond one year and also that in an official report in 1784 the correct age is given here and untruth could not be risked nor be of advantage if it had been Dr. C. M. Niesl who championed the cause of the house in the Benghasa in a controversy conducted in the Colnisca Zeitung in 1845 touching the birthplace of Beethoven remarks that the mother was as is known a native of the Eren Breitstein Valley and separated from her relatives he Johann von Beethoven was without relatives and in somewhat straightened circumstances financially what then was more natural than that he should invite his neighbor Frau Baum a respected and well-to-do woman in whose house the baptismal feast was held to be sponsored for his little son this last fact indicates clearly the narrowness of the quarters in which the young couple dwelt doesn't not also hint that the grandfather was now a solitary man with no home in which to spread the little feast that Johann von Beethoven himself described the pecuniary condition in which he found himself upon the death of his father most reverend archbishop most gracious elector and lord lord will your electoral grace graciously be pleased to hear that my father has passed away from this world to whom it was granted to serve as electoral grace clemens august and your electoral grace and gloriously reigning lord lord 42 years as chapel master with great honor whose position i've been found capable of filling but nevertheless i would not venture to offer my capacity to your electoral grace but since the death of my father has left me in needy circumstances my salary not sufficing and i compelled to draw on the savings of my father my mother's still living and in a cloister at a cost of 60 roik's thawler for board and lodging each year and it is not advisable for me to take her to my home your electoral grace is therefore humbly implored to make an allowance from the 400 roik's thawler vacated for an increase of my salary so that i may not need to draw upon the little savings of my mother may receive the pension graciously for the few years which she may yet live to deserve which high grace it shall always be my striving your electoral grace is most humble and obedient servant and musicus jan von betogan there is something bordering on the comic in the coolness of a hint here given that the petitioner would not object to an appointment as his father's successor especially when it is remembered that lucizi and mattioli were already in bond and the former had sufficiently proved his capacity by producing successful operas both taxed and music for the electors delectation the hint was not taken what provision was granted him however may be seen from a petition of january eight 1774 praying for an addition to his salary from that made vacant by the death of his father and a pension to his mother who has kept it bored in a cloister the memorandum appears on the margin to the effect of the elector graciously consents that the widow so long as she remains in the cloister shall receive 60 works taller quarterly another petition of a year later has been lost but its contents are indicated in the response dated june 5 1775 that yohan von betogan on the death of his mother shall have the enjoyment of the 60 rikes taller which had been granted her the death of the mother followed a few months later and was thus announced in the intel hens blot of bond on october 3 1775 died on september 30 maria joseph paul's sick widow von betogan aged 61 years in a list of salaries for 1776 among the papers at dusseldorf for the music party the salary of yohan von betogan is given at 36 rikes taller 45 alb payable quarterly the fact of the great poverty in which he and his family lived is manifest from the official documents which confirm the many traditions to that effect and from the more important recollections of the age of people of bond brought to light in a controversy concerning the birthplace of the composer for instance dr henness in his unsuccessful effort to establish the claims of the fisher house in the rye gossip says the legacy left him yohan von betogan by his father did not last long that fine lenin which as i was told could be drawn through a ring found its way piece by piece out of the house even the beautiful large portrait showing the father wearing a tassel cap and holding a roll of music went to the second hand shop this is an error though the painting may have gone for a time to the pond broker from the bond gossip the betovans removed when is uncertain to a house number seven or number eight on the left as one enters the drake plots and passing from the stern strasset to the moons to plots they were living there in 1774 for the baptism of another son on the 8th of april of that year is recorded in the register of the parish of saint gongol to which those houses belonged this child's name was caspar and tan carl the first two names from his sponsor the minister bel debush the third from caroline van salston hoffman abbas a village was this condescension on the part of the minister and the abbas intended to soothe father under the failure of his hopes of advancement from the drake plots the betovans migrated to the fisher house number 934 in the rhinegasa so long held to be the composer's birthplace and long thereafter distinguished by a false inscription to that effect whether the removal took place in ludwig's fifth or sixth year is not known but at all events it was previous to the second of october 1776 for upon that day another son of yohan van betovan was baptized in the parish of saint remigius by the name of nicolas yohan dr hennes and his letter to the kerb niska zeithung lays much stress upon the testimony of kirk cilia fischer he says the maiden lady of 76 years kirk cilia fischer still remembers distinctly to have seen little louis in his cradle and can tell many anecdotes about him et cetera the mistake is easily explained without supposing any intentional deception seek the two years afterwards she mistook the birth of nicolas yohan for that of ludwig according to fischer's report the family removed from this house in 1776 for a short time to one in the new gasa but returned again to the house in the rhinegasa after the palace fire in 1777 one thought which suggests itself in relation to these removals of yohan van betovan may perhaps be more than mere fancy that in expectation of advancement in position upon the death of his father he had exchanged the narrow quarters of the lodging in the rear of the classroom house for the much better dwelling in the drier plots but upon the failure of his hopes had been had been feigned to seek a cheap replace in the lower part of the town down near the river there is nothing decisive as to the time when the musical education of ludwig van betovan began nor any positive evidence that he like handle heiden or mozart showed remarkable genius for the art at a very early age slasher has something on this point but he gives no authorities while the particulars which he relates could not possibly have come under his own observation mewler had heard from france reese and nicolas simrach that yohan van betovan gave his son instruction upon the piano forte and violin in his earliest childhood to scarcely anything else did he hold him in the dedication of the piano forte sonatas 1783 to the elector the boys made to say music became my first youthful pursuit in my fourth year which might be supposed decisive on the point if his age were not falsely given on the title page this much is certain that after the removal to the fisher house the child had his daily task of musical study and practice given him in spite of his tears was forced to execute it caselia fisher writes henness still sees him a tiny boy standing on a little footstool in front of the clavier to which the implacable severity of his father had so early condemned him the patriarch of barn head burgo master wind deck will pardon me if i appeal to him to say that he too saw the little louis van betovan in this house standing in front of the clavier and weeping to this writes dr begler i saw the same thing how the fisher house was perhaps still is connected by a passageway in the rear with a house in the gear agasa which was then occupied by the owner a high official of the renish revenue service mr bachon grandfather of court counselor bachon in of this city the youngest son of the latter benedict was my schoolmate and all my visits to him the doings and sufferings of louis were visible from the house it must be supposed that the father had seen indications of his son's genius for it is difficult to imagine such and one remaining unperceived but the necessities of the family with the failure of the petition for a better sorry sent in just at the time when the elector was so largely increasing his expenditures from using by the engagement of lucizi and matioli and in other ways are sufficient reasons for the inflexible severity with which the boy was kept at his studies the desire to say something new and striking on the part of many who have written about Beethoven has led to such an admixture of fact and fancy that it is now very difficult to separate them one slasher tells his readers that the greatest joy the lad was when his father took him upon his knees and permitted him to accompany a song on the clavier with his tiny fingers while others tell the tale of his childhood in a manner to convey the idea that the father was a pitiless tyrant the boy a victim and a slave an error which are calm consideration of what is really known of the facts in the case that once dispels there is but one road to excellence even for the genius of a handle or a Mozart unremitted application to this young Ludwig was compelled sometimes no doubt through the fear of or the actual inflection of punishment for neglect sometimes to the father whose habits were such as to favor a bad interpretation of his conduct was no doubt harsh and unjust and such seems to be the truth at any rate the boy at an early date acquired so considerable a facility upon the clavier that his father could have him play at court and when he was seven years old produce him with one of his pupils that are concert in bond here is the announcement of the concert as it was reproduced in the curl niska zeitung of december 1818 70 from the original avaritism today march 26 1778 in the musical concert room in the stern and gaza the electoral court tenorist Beethoven will have the honor to produce two of his scholars namely man was a avar donk court control this and his little son of six years the former will have the honor to contribute various beautiful arias the latter various clavier conservators and trios he flatters himself that he will give complete enjoyment to all ladies and gentlemen the more since both have had the honor of playing to the greatest delight of the entire court beginning at five o'clock in the evening ladies and gentlemen who have not subscribed will be charged to flooring tickets may be had at the aforesaid akata my sol also of mr claren alf der bach in mulenstein unfortunately we learn nothing concerning the pieces played by the boy nor of the success of his performance that the violin as well as the piano forte was practiced by him is implicitly confirmed by the terms in which schindler records his denial of the truth of the well-known spider story the great ludwig refused to remember any such incident much as the tale amused him on the contrary he said it was more to be expected that everything would have fled from his scraping even flies and spiders the father's main object being the earliest and greatest development of his son's musical genius so as to make it a marketable commodity he gave him no other school education than such as would afford it in one of the public schools fissures says he first attended a school in the new gasa taught by a man named hooper and thence went to the moonstre school among the lower grade schools in barn was the so-called tyrosinium a lot in school which prepared pupils for the gymnasium but was not directly connected with it but had its own core of teachers like the whole educational system of the period under the supervision of the academic council established by max friedrich in 1777 the pupils learned outside of the elementary studies arithmetic and writing are said to have been excluded to read and write latin up to an understanding of cornelius nepus yohan quengel a much respected pedagogue was teacher at the time and was appointed municipal school master in 1783 by academic council in 1786 he transferred the school to the barn gasa to this school young Beethoven was sent when is uncertain his contemporary and school fellow word sir electoral counselor and afterwards president of the land gerrick relates the following in his memoirs one of my schoolmates under quingal was louis van Beethoven whose father held an appointment as court singer under the elector apparently his mother was already dead at the time for louis van b was distinguished by uncleanness negligence et cetera not a sign was to be discovered in him of that spark of genius which clothes are brilliantly in him afterwards i imagine that he was kept down to his musical studies from an early age by his father bertzer entered the gymnasium in 1781 Beethoven did not this therefore must have been the time at which all other studies were abandoned in favor of music in what manner his education was otherwise peaceed out is not to be learned the lack of proper intellectual discipline is painfully obvious in Beethoven's letters throughout his life in his early manhood he wrote a fair hand so very different from the shocking scrawl that was later used as to make one almost doubt the genuineness of autographs of that period but in orthography the use of capital letters punctuation and arithmetic he was sadly deficient all his life long he was still able to use the french tongue at a later period and a lot and he had learned enough to understand the texts which he composed but even as a schoolboy his studies appeared to have been made second to his musical practice with which his hours out of school were apparently for the most part occupied he was described by dr muller as a shy and taciturn boy the necessary consequence of the life apart which he led observing more and pondering more than he spoke and disposed to abandon himself entirely to the feelings awakened by music and later by poetry into the pictures created by fancy of those who were his school fellows and who in after years recorded their reminiscences of him no one speaks of him as a play fellow none has anecdotes to relate of games with him where amazon the hills or adventures upon the rind and its shores in which he bore apart music and ever music hence the power of clothing his thoughts and words was not developed by early culture and the occasional bursts of eloquence in his letters were and recorded conversations are held not to be genuine because so seldom found as if the strong lines struggling for adequate expression should not at times break through all barriers and overcome all obstacles urged forward thus by the father's severity by his tender love for his mother and by the awakening of his own tastes the development of his skill and talents was rapid so much so that in his ninth year a teacher more competent than his father was needed the first to whom his father turned was the old court organist then dan eden who had been in the electoral service about 50 years and had come to bond before the arrival there of Ludwig von Beethoven the grandfather one can easily imagine his willingness to serve an old and deceased friend by fitting his grandson to become his successor and this might account for Schlosser's story that at first he taught him gratis and that he continued his instructions at the command and expense of the elector the story may or may not be true but nothing has been discovered in the archives of duso dwarf confirming the statement in fact concerning the time the subjects and the results of van den eden's instruction we are thrown largely upon conjecture in his eighth year says mara in his notices court organist van den eden took him as a pupil nothing has been learned of his progress this if mara was correct in stating his age would have been about 1778 it is after this that mara refers to his study under pfeiffer independently of all this fisher says his father not being able to teach him more in music and suspecting that he had talent for composition took him at first to an aged master named Santorini who instructed him for a while but the father thought little of this teacher did not consider him the right man and desire to change this desire resulted in securing pfeiffer through the mediation of grossman there was no musician Santorini in the court chapel but an actor named Santorini was a member of grossman's troop he cannot be considered in this connection there's evidently a confusion of names in the whole context especially the reference to the age of master shows that no other than van den eden was meant by the teacher who gave instruction for a short time before pfeiffer schlosscher does not say that this instruction was on the organ and it is unlikely that the boy who was destined for a more systematic instruction in piano forte playing was put at the organ at so early an age it was a deduction probably from the fact that van den eden was an organist and that later Beethoven displayed a great deal of dexterity upon that instrument it is not worthy that veggler says nothing definite as to whether or not Beethoven took lessons from van den eden he merely thought it likely because he knew no one else in bond from whom Beethoven could have learned the technical handling of the organ but there were several such in bond irrespective of nief schindler makes certainty out of veggler's conjecture relates that Beethoven often spoke of the old organist when discoursing upon the proper position of movement of the body and hands in organ and piano forte playing he having been taught to hold both calm and steady to play in the connected style of handle and Bach this may have been correct so far as piano forte playing is concerned but schindler had little knowledge of Beethoven's bond period and the possibility of a confusion of names is not excluded even on the part of Beethoven himself who received hints from several organists. Maurer after speaking of Pfeiffer continues as follows van den eden remained his only teacher in thorough base as a man of 70 he sent the boy Louis between 11 and 12 years old to accompany the mass and other church music on the organ his playing was so astonishing that one was forced to believe he had intentionally concealed his gifts while pre-leading for the cradle he took a theme from the movement and developed it to the amazement of the orchestra so that he was permitted to improvise longer than his customary that was the opening of his brilliant career. Maurer seems to know nothing of nief when he says that van den eden was Beethoven's only teacher in thorough base what he says too about the last performance that the organ as substitute obviously rests upon a confounding event then eden with another of Beethoven's organ teachers most likely nief it is our conjecture that van den eden taught the boy chiefly and perhaps exclusively piano forte playing he being a master in that art but his influence was small it must be remembered that van den eden was a very old man as whose successor nief had been chosen in 1781 and who died in June 1782 nowhere does he like the other teachers of Beethoven disclose individual traits he is a totally colorless picture in the history of Beethoven's youth nor does it appear that there was any intimacy between him and the Beethoven family since otherwise he would not have been missing in the notices of fisher who does not even know his name the judgment of the father that his instruction was inefficient was probably correct a fitter master was thought was obtained in Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer who came to bond in the summer of 1779 as tenor singer and grossman and helmets theatrical company. Maurer the vial on cellist in some reminiscences of that period communicated to this work by professor Jan says that Pfeiffer was a skillful pianist and gave the boy lessons but not at any regular hours often when he came with Beethoven the father from the wine house late at night the boy was roused from sleep and kept at the piano forte until morning of course not particularly favorable to his progress at school but one which may be readily credited in the light of what is known of Pfeiffer and Johann Beethoven and one more over which would cause the lessons to make an enduring impression upon the memory there's some reason to think that the former was an inmate of the latter's family which has probability to the story although Pfeiffer was in bond but one year Begler affirms that Beethoven owed most of all to this teacher and was so appreciative of the fact that he sent in financial help from Vienna through Simrot to what extent Begler's opinion as to Beethoven's obligations is correct it would be difficult to decide but the other improbability that a single year's lessons from this man would profit a boy eight and a half to nine and a half years old more than those from any other of his teachers much longer and systematically continued his manifest about this time the young court musician Franz Georg Rovantini lived in the same house with Beethoven he was a son of a violinist Johann Conrad Rovantini who had been called a bond from erin breitstein and who died in 1766 he was related to the Beethoven family the young musician was much respected and sought after as a teacher according to the Fisher document the boy Beethoven was among his pupils taking lessons on the violin and viola but these lessons too came to an early end Rovantini died on September 9 1781 age 24 a strong predilection for the organ was awakened early in the lab and he eagerly sought opportunities to study the instrument apparently even before he became Neve's pupil in the cloister of the Franciscan monks at Bond there lived a friar named Willebot Koch highly respected for his playing and his expert knowledge of organ construction we have no reason to doubt that young Ludwig Sodamount received instruction from him and made so much progress the friar Willebot accepted him as assistant in the same way he made friends with the organist in the cloister of the minorites and made an agreement to play the organ there at six o'clock morning mass it would seem that he felt the need of familiarity with a larger organ and that of the Franciscans on the inside of the cover of a memorandum book which he carried of Vienna with him is found the note measurements was mass of the minorite petals and bond plainly he had kept an interest in the organ still another tradition is preserved in the letter to the author from this august rim dated september 1872 to the effect of Heinrich Fysen born in 1759 organist at Reinbrach Bach near Honeck on the Rhine studied the organ in company with Beethoven under Zenzer organist of the Moonsturker at Bond and that's the lad of 10 years surpassed his fellow student of 20 the tradition says that already at that time Ludwig composed pieces which were too difficult for his little hands why you can't play that Ludwig his teacher said to have remarked and the boy to have replied I will when I am bigger and Beethoven's studies with Ben Eden began and ended whether they were confined to the organ or piano forte or part of both these are undecided points it does not appear that any instruction in composition was given him until he became the pupil of need in the facsimile which follows the part devoted to thorough base in the so-called studio the composer says dear friends I took the pains to learn this only that I might write the figures readily and later instruct others for myself I never had to learn how to avoid errors for from my childhood I had so keen a sensibility that I wrote correctly without knowing it had to be so or could be otherwise this lens plausibility at least to another anecdote related by more concerning and alleged precautions composition by Beethoven about this time the English ambassador to the electors court named Kressner who had extended help to the Beethoven family living scantily on a salary of 400 Florence died louis composed a funeral cantata to his memory his first composition he handed his score to lucizi and asked him to correct the errors lucizi gave it back with a remark that he could not understand it and therefore could not comply with his request but would have it performed at the first rehearsal there was great astonishment at the originality of the composition but approval was divided after a few rehearsals the approbation grew and the piece was performed with general applause george kressner came to bond in the autumn of 1755 and died there january 1717 81 in the 81st year of his age the about this time and our story agrees therefore well enough with that date it is however a suspicious circumstance that marr had left the service and returned to cologne in the spring of 1780 and therefore was not eyewitness to the fact and another death of circumstance was not remembered by other members of the court chapel not even by france reese nor by nief who though not then a member was already in bond in 1780 continues marr Beethoven got acquainted with some bono who called his attention to his neglected education gave him lessons daily in latin louis continuing a year in six weeks he read cicero's letters also logic french and italian until sambona left bond in order to become bookkeeper for paul toadie and mulheim in the geheim strass conference of protocollin may 20 1787 one reads stefan sambona prays to be appointed comma portier etc to which is appended the remark the request not granted sambona is a name too which half a dozen years later often appears in the bond in teller jen's block as that of a shopkeeper in the marr place about town if the story of the cantata be doubtful that of these private studies in the part of a boy in Beethoven's position owning his tenth year and a schoolboy then if ever like hamlets possible dreams in the sleep of death must give us pause mother and son undertook a voyage to holland in the beginning of the winter of 1781 the widow cart one of the heartel family born in 1780 and still living in bond in 1861 past her childhood in the house number 462 when zugasa in the upper story of which the Beethoven's then lived one of her reminiscences is in place here she distinctly remembered sitting when a child upon her own mother's knee and hearing madame found Beethoven a quiet suffering woman relate that when she went with her little boy ludwig to holland who was so cold on the boat that she had to hold his feet in her lap to prevent them from being frostbitten and also that while absent ludwig played a great deal in great houses astonished people by a skill and received valuable presents the circumstance of the cold feet warmed in the mother's lap is precisely one to fasten itself in the memory of a child and form a point around which other facts might cluster another incident related in connection with his journey to holland that is the fact but as one which she had heard spoken of in her childhood and one very difficult to comprehend is that some person whether an envious boy or a heartless adult she could not tell drew a knife across the fingers of ludwig to disable him from playing end of section five