The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-07-12

The Last Moments of Beethoven.


life. and that moment killed him.
lie lived in poverty, driven into soli-
tude by the contempt of the world, and
by the natural bent of a disposition
rendered harsh, almost savage. by the
injustice Of his contemporaries But he
wrote the sublimest music that ever man
or angel dreamed. He spoke TO man
kind in his divine language. and they
disdaincd to listen to him. lie spoke to
them as Nature speaks in the celestial
harmony of the winds. the waves, the
singing of the birds amidst the woods.
Beethoven was prophet, and his utter
aLce was from God.
And yet was his talent so disrcgarded.
that lie was destined more than once to
suffer the bittorost agony of the poet the
artist the mus iciau. lie doubted his own
genius
Haydn himself could find for him no
better praise than in saying, " He is a
clever pianist
Thus was it said of Gcricault. 81 He
blends his colors well y and thus of
Goethe. He has a tolerablo style. aud
he commits no faults in orthography."
Beethoven had but one friend, and
that friead was llummcl But poverty
and injustice had irri'ated him and he
was sometimes unjust himself lie quar-
relied with llummcl, and for a long time
they ceased to meet, TO crown his mis-
fortunes, he became completely deaf.
Then Beethoven retired to Baden.
where he lived, isolated and sad, in
small house that scarcely sufiicod for
for his necessities, There his only pleas.
ule was in wandering amidst the green
alleys of beautiful forest in the neigh.
borhood Of the town. Alone with The
birds and the wild flowers he would then
suffer himself to give scope to his gen.
ius, to compose his marvellous symptom
les, to approach the gates Of heaven with
melodious accents, and to speak aloud to
angels that language which was too beau
full for human ears, and which human
cars had failed to comprehend
But in the midst OF solitary dreaming
a letter arrived which brought him back,
despite himself, te the affairs Of the
world, where new grief awaited him.
A Ancphcw whom lie had brought up,
and to whom he was attached by the
good offices which he had himself perform
ed for the youth wrote TO implore his IN
cle's presence at Vienna. lie had be.
come implicated in some disastrous bus
mess, from which is elder relative alone
could release him.
Beethoven set off upon his journey,
and, compelled by the necessity of econ,
omy accomplished part of the distance
on foot One evening he stopped before
the gate OF small, mean-looking house,
and solicited shelter lie had already
several leagues to traverse before reach
ing Vienna, and his strength would not
enable him to continue any longer on the
road
They received him with hospitality;
he partook Of their supper, and then was
installed in the masters chair by the
fresdc.
When the table was cleared, the faith
er of the family arose and opened an
old clavecin. The three sons took each
violin, and the mother and daughter
occupied themselves in some domestic
work.
The father gave the keynote, and all
four began playing with that unity and
precision, that innate genius, which
is peculiar only to tue people Of Ger
mang. 1t seemed that they were deep
ly interested in what they played, for
their whole souls were in the instruments.
The two women desisted from their &C.
cupation to listen, and their gentle
countenances expressed the emotions of
their hearts.
10 observe all this was the only share
that Beethoven could take in what was
passing, for he did not hear a single note.
lie could only judge of their performance
from the movements Of the executants.
and the fire that animated their features.
When they had finished, they shook
each others hands warmly as if to con
gratulate themselves on a community of
happiness, and the young girl threw her,
self weeping into her mother'a arms
Then they appeared to consult together;
they resumed their Instruments they
commenced again. This time their en-.
thusiasm reach its height their eyes
were filled with tears, and the color
mounted to their cheeks.
MY friends" said Beethoven 81 am
very unhappy tina, | can take no part
in the delight which you experience, for
| also love music but as you see, am
80 deaf that | can,,ot haar anu sound
Let me read this music which produces