Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-17
4tll5tGilanp.
The Loves of Beet hoven.

1hrc is q prevalent idea that no man can be
= gra4, musician or great poet without hay-
!nl been ln love. As most men have prefer
enc sJue time IN the course OF their lives, there
doe ~. appear u be any reason why these
should form 0u exception 20 ihe rule. The
question whether Beethoven was eyer in love
las !. seems, been warmly disputed by his BIZ
osrap4ar-. Baron Ernyay seems to nave SET the
question at rest N recent article published ~
tae Rrue C0Hitmporaite that Is, as far az as
teuiou goes, ANA II be hus not been msled by
d. Wcltier.
HI frst love, t seems, wa Jeanette lion
rltb. o., Cologne This young lady is described
a. far, Of au aGectonate character and endoar-
Iur manners. Sac us occasionally 70 clme
to Bonn 90 ysi. family there to whom Beet
hoven was auOw7, aad this lel to his forming
an attachment o. her. Unfortunately Tor his
peace OF mind the young aty nJ sooner re-
c1iyed the addresses oil a captain IN the Austr
Iu asir.cs t1Au she discarded b T musical ad-
m.rer and yo. he was nota uaa altogether
unworthy OF being regarded w.;n layor by d
lady ltom "a merely physical point Of view IN
his young days. tle had not then the stern, un-
attractive txpressi0n OF couusenance which char
ac.e zss the portraits taken OF him IN middle
age. oeylried, who knew him well IN hs
youth, say be was then OF the middle height,
1r.4d-shouldeIod and I0bus--a very model Of
5sraasth Add u this that he had keeu, pen
straUuE eye and lively and characteristic
phvsuynomy, aad We have the picture of a man
who m,g ghi reasonably expect that the course OF
tfue love would run smoothly IN his cate. But
those VIE rgmember-and who les not tho
uatbctic sonata. - Absence and Return, would
bo surprised rather than otherwise to hear that
he had escaped the ordeal which has purfCd 60
many eeniusgs-tbat Of loving well, but not
wisely. Ia point OF fact, It appears that this
sonata is connected with q love passage in his
lie, which is referred 10 in the following letter
written by him TO Dr. Wegeer. In this .etter
he refers IN very despondent tone, to the state
oi hls dearing, which IN spite OF ali the ICme'
dies he lal tried, was getting worse and he
vas then about to soe new doctors After de-
scnbug how hard be was working, even grOdg-
ing the time he was obliged 70 Devote TO sleep.
10 complete a work that should do him honor,
he says
For the last two years hayo lived soil
tsry Nle daresay am considered mlsan-
tbrope, ami SCI | am not anything OF the k'nd'
4 mttam0gphosls has been worked IN me by a
dear anu must ravshiug slrl, whom | love aud
VINO loves nc. am in0cbud to her Tor many
Happy moments during these two years, and
for the htst time in my lie feel that marriage
could maze me perfectly happy. Unfortunately
0us social position Is not the slme-and in my
situation really could not mdrry-l shall have
much 10 20 through before that can be.
Somo passages arc evidently suppressed In
lbis letter bat We eaa galheI from 1t that his
lie was embttered by hls mIludy aud tie ub-
staocs which the axis ooratic pr ludlees Of thC
Austraus placed in the way OF his maTrisae
for the laiv on whom he bad placed his slec
,Iops was countess To this cil cumstanco per-
hals, quite as much as to any democratic con
yictlons, may be attributed the onslaughis, he
uttered 50 frequently against social distinctions.
This passion, which seems to have been th'
first experienced by Beethoven after he AaC
cache manhood ended badly 10, him. ih'
lady abruptly broke Oh the connection viii
him in order 10 marry ruined count-anf t'
c5up.ete ths measure Of his humiliation I
touni who was by profession muelcll con-
poser, y composer OF deuoe-musio, VITO satsc
qucutiy GOT blllo. OF hls pliced On the sos
a. Pans, wheIe IL was oyerW heim1d by the con
demna,iou OF the press and as the scene o
tins ballet was ald in America, one OF the crit
les remarked that the music WIS not only Vi Oh
new world but ct the other world.
Tho effect Of this deception on Beethoyc
wac most disastrous ltsm0te him douby hGrC
by wouudiug his pride as man aud as an ar
tlst. lie uttered TO complaints but his mel
uuehuiy Was such that il was easy 70 see tla
DO desired death rather than lie. One ct hl
greatest admirers, who felt ior him the rure'
ana warmes; friendship, thought to relieve hi
miud by inducing him 20 take up his resleeno
az country A8use belonging 10 her not ia
from Vienna Here he wandered about ia
putk but instead Of lnding peace. he beeam
noie and more dependent. Iherusiling oi II
leav,s, the notes OF the bnds, repeated his mi
fortune continually until, he said ut late
period u hls life, he began TO feel that he WI
abandoned by God as well as by the woman
bud loved 80 profoundly, This disapp1intmer
was near ending fatally, One evening he dI
not return to tue house as usual, and It wi
supposed that he had suddenly set out Ior Wei
na consequently no alarm was excited by h
uon.appearance. Three days afterwards he W
discovered by fri,Ed, lying at the foot OF
Tree, IN the most distant part OF the park, nea
~ dead fom want Of food The earnest sol'
tationa Of his ltiends induced him to alsta
rom any similar attempts TO end hiS pain