Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Artistic Inspiration

People often think talent is hereditary and a family tradition. When people reflect on famous composers, they often consider their talent was passed on from one generation to the other. Quite the opposite is the case for the well-known and respected German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven who was born on December 16, 1770 (Hershman & Lieb, 1998, p. 62). Beethoven is an inspiration for the accomplishments that come along with talent, education, goals, determinations, and mental strength. This essay will illustrate Beethoven’s inspiring actions, discipline, mental will, engagement, and musical contributions. While many people might view such an amazing composer as a weak man who might have considered suicide after his complete loss of hearing, this essay will emphasize the love, discipline, and willpower Beethoven exemplified through the musical work of art.

Inspiration and Discipline

The talent to compose that overflew Ludwig Van Beethoven was not a family tradition. Some of the artist’s relatives worked as tradesmen (Cooper, 2008, p. 1). Nonetheless, Beethoven had a significant amount of musical talent in his family and ancestors (Cooper, 2008, p. 1). The young genius revealed his musical talent around the age of five. His musical abilities in conjunction with his father’s disciplined piano lessons prepared Beethoven to delight the court with marvelous piano playing while preparing himself for his public debut (Cooper, 2008, p. 4). Research has not gathered precise reasons that led to the composer’s inspiration; however, the desire to compose appears to have come naturally without much preparation or practice (Cooper, 2008, p. 5). An interesting fact worth noting is the peculiar decision Beethoven would make upon leaving his friends playing as he heard his father sing. Such a young and unusual decision is an example of a genuine and heartfelt desire to pursue an artistic career. His inspiration to become a musician might have been ignited from his father’s singing, as his voice was like a magnet to Beethoven.

Beethoven’s disciplined behavior led him to become the professional musician he once was. Particularly, adopting the habit of immediately writing his ideas on paper as soon as he thought of them made a tremendous difference at the time of composing his music; otherwise, he would have risked forgetting ideas and inspirations (Cooper, 2008, p. 7). Along with this level of discipline, Beethoven displayed other interesting features of his early years as a composer. While children usually produce and display a certain level of originality and creativity, Beethoven’s skills were more technical than that of his contemporary composers (Cooper, 2008, p. 7). His technical incorporations included uncommon note figurations that required awkward finger placement. While his earlier musical arrangements were simpler than his later ones, they were more complicated than his fellow composers during that point in time.

Mental Will, Commitment, Engagement, and Contributions

Beethoven’s profound connection to his music allowed the composer to hear the tunes in his mind even after he became deaf. Ironically, the greatest composer of the world was not able to hear his music or the loud and lengthy applauds from his audiences. Many people have been misinformed about whether the famous musician was born or became deaf. While Beethoven was deaf for most of his life, he was very well of hearing during approximately the first thirty years of his life (McFarren & Johnson, 2003, p. 140). It was precisely during this time that he learned to play the piano, organ, and violin (McFarren & Johnson, 2003, p. 140). The type of positive mentality Beethoven possessed is an example that demonstrates the number of objectives people can achieve during younger years if they follow a similar approach. During the beginning stages of Beethoven’s hearing loss, the well-known musician avoided being near people except medical doctors. To improve his hearing, Beethoven followed certain recommendations, such as utilizing a hearing aid (McFarren & Johnson, 2003, p. 140). The negative results of the medical recommendations led Beethoven into a further alienation until he realized his loss of hearing was not powerful enough to prevent him from furthering his musical career as a composer and musician.

Beethoven had such an immense commitment and connection to music that he wrote some of his best musical pieces without any sense of hearing. While Beethoven had not completely lost his hearing during the stage previously described, he became completely deaf by the time he turned fifty years old (McFarren & Johnson, 2003, p. 140). Incredibly enough, not only was the artist able to compose and play music without hearing, but he was also able to conduct a full orchestra (McFarren & Johnson, 2003, p. 140). Beethoven is indubitably a representation of commitment, success, dedication, and mental power. It is his mental power and inspiration that led to some of the best musical compositions.

Some of the words that describe the artist best are poignant and pedantry. The artist’s excessive concern with minor details and his keen sense of mental and emotional authority has led to the inspiration behind his compositions. Behind most of his music, there is a sense of freedom. In the artist’s own words, “As regards me, great heavens! My dominion is in the air; the tones whirl like the wind, and often there is a like whirl in my soul” (Beethoven, Kerst, & Krehbiel, 1964, p. 24). While some people may argue the necessity of hearing to compose and play music, Beethoven demonstrates that a greater need is to possess the ability to imagine. As the artist further elaborates, “I always have a picture in my mind when composing, and follow its lines” (Beethoven, Kerst, & Krehbiel, 1964, p. 24). Although Beethoven has often imagined the actual paper of composition, his example can serve as an encouragement to create mental goals and ideas.

Beethoven’s music contributed to the genre of classical symphonies. His innovative musical attributes expanded the scope of what sonatas, symphonies, concertos, and quartets were and transformed them into what they could be when a certain level of risk and freedom is incorporated to the work. Beethoven’s famous composition of the Ninth Symphony was a risky combination of vocal and instrumental music, which was never attempted in his previous times. As the support for courts and churches faded, Beethoven continued to earn a living through the sales and publications of his musical compositions (Hershman & Lieb, 1998, p. 61). Applying a different perspective towards Beethoven’s life outside his musical achievements, the artist’s life was not filled with other personal desires or work for the community. Besides his relocation from Germany to Vienna, Austria at the age of twenty-two and his unfortunate loss of hearing shortly after, the composer was primarily focused and consumed with his passion for music. He embraced his young found talent juxtaposed with rigorous musical education and excelled at it, even when presented with major life problems.

Conclusions

This essay portrayed the self-will, commitment and discipline Beethoven displayed over his devastating hearing problem. While such negative life experience could have yielded detrimental results in the musician’s career, Beethoven continued to excel in composing and playing music. His young discovered talent to compose was one he solely possessed, as none of his relatives had previously shared the talent of composing music. His inspiration and discipline yielded some of the world’s best musical compositions. The sole fact of furthering his musical career even with the loss of his hearing is an attribute worth recognizing and respecting.

References

Beethoven, L. V., Kerst, F., & Krehbiel, H. E. (1964). Beethoven, the man and the artist, as revealed in his own words. New York: Dover Publications.

Cooper, B. (2008). Young genius. In Beethoven (pp. 1, 4 - 5, 7). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hershman, D. J., & Lieb, J. (1998). Preface. In Manic depression and creativity (pp. 61-62). Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books.

McFarren, K., & Johnson, S. (2003). The arts. In Nonfiction reading practice (p. 140). Monterey, CA: Evan-Moor Corp.