Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-26
ART IN MUSIC.
4 BRIEF SKETCH OF THE GREAT
MASTER, BEETHOVEN.
probation, and the Inspiration
of His Touch and Theme.

each succeeding one seems richer and
rarer than the last, so that each time we
are tempted to exclaim anew, " Here is the
noblest musician of them all" But if We
were to explore the whole realm of music,
we should always return to Beethoven as
the greatest of the masters, the one supreme
genius who has created the sublimest +
strains which have ever stirred the soul.
The early life of this great man, like that
of so many geniuses, was far from happy. |
So obscure was his family that it was with |
some difficulty that the date of his birth |
could be ascertained On December 10, (
1910, Ludwig van Beethoven was born IN !
the little village of Bonn, Germany. The |
family was very poor, and the father, a |
cruel, dissipated man, was only anxious to |
make money out of his sons extraordinary |
power When Ludwig was q very little |
boy, he always fingered by the piano when
his father played, and his greatest happi- |
ness was to be taken on his fathers lap and
to be allowed to pick out a melody on the
piano. When q little older and obliged to
practice, he often worked, as so many OF US
have toiled, with tears i'll his eyes, and
frequently had to be driven to the piano.
It Culll ) ulSllkcsi ~ tic WAS
probably owing to his fathers unreasona-
bic treatment, for in after life no trouble
nor care was too great for the master to
spend over his beloved art.
Beethoven was sent for time to a school.
where he received instruction in Latin and
some of the more common branches, but
before long he gave his whole attention to
music When at school he was very shy,
making few friends, and always leaving
them at a chance to hear a strain of music.
Soon his gifts attracted the attention of
| Van'den Eeden, organist TO the court who,
out of love for his art. offered to teach the
child. He laid the foundation of Beetho-
ven's musical education by drilling him
| in the works of Sebastian Bach The
| young pupil made marvellous progress on
| the organ and piano; in his eleventh year
he could play Bach's Well-tempered
Clavier" with a power and ease beyond
many of the first pianists. He had begun
to compose when only nine, and in his
fifteenth year he was appointed organist to
the electoral chapel.
In 1877 Beethoven met Mozart at Vienna
After hearing the boy improvise, Mozart
! said: Pay attention to him; he will
make noise in the world some day." At
this time it needed no urging to induce
Beethoven to play, but in after life it was
| almost impossible in society to drive him
to the piano.
In 1892 Beethoven again went to Vienna,
then the center of all musical culture in
the German-speaking world Mozart's in
fuence still lived with the people; Haydn
himself gave Beethoven instruction; and
Mozart Gluck, Haydn and Bach were the
idols of the nation. 1t was music, music
everywhere; it was part of the abe of
every ones education, and to hear the best
music was almost as necessary to the cult
waited people of that day as was a kaowl-
edge of the alphabet.
To Vienna, then, Beethoven travelled
there to perfect himself, and to win bread
and fame. He left very warm friends in
Bonn, who predicted the greatest success
for their favorite. They even expected
him TO outshine Haydn and Mozart, 50
strongly had he inspired them with belief
in his power. On arriving at Vienna, he
placed himself under the tuition of HAYDN,
who set him to studying Bach's stvle,
whom he calls the patriarch of harmony"
Beethoven was, of course, very poor
when he began his career in Vienna but.
though he lived in a wretched little garnet,
he soon attracted the attention of the most
powerful people in the city. He had the
most wonderful faculty for drawing people
to him. 1t was something more than his
music; for, as has been said he was very
reluctant to play for people; it was not
owing to any charm of manner as he was
eccentric, and his behavior was often
brusque even to rudeness. Yet he fasci-
mated almost every one he met. Every
one wished to be his friend and to remain
his friend, in spite of any differences which
might arise between them. His face,
though full of strength and spirit, could
not be called pleasing; he paid little atten-
ton to his dress and outward appearance
he was extremely awkward in all his
movements; YET he had the aristocracy of
Vienna at his feet. Until now, an artist
had been held by the nobility as little bet
ter than servant, but Beethoven treated
the peer and the peasant with equal cere-
mony, and by his course made it impossi-
Bile for any artist to ever suffer such inso-
lence from those above him in rank as
musicians before his time had been COM
PEELED to bear.
In 1916 Beethoven began TO keep house,
and sad kind of home he had. He was
like child in the hands of servants and
landlords, and rarely found himself at
peace with either. He constantly changed
his lodgings, and seldom had time to get
things settled in a house before in was
necessary to move again. 1t was seldom
that a servant staid more than few weeks,
and the house frequently took care OF
itself. His room was generally model oil
confusion. Letters strewed the floor. and
the remains of his last meal, sketches OF
his music books and pictures covered the
chairs and tables. Sometimes it would be
weeks before he could discover a man
uscript which he sorelv needed. He
, broke nearly everything he touched. and
sometimes upset the ink in the piano. He
, loved to bath, and frequently would stand
pouring water over his hands, shouting his
music; if any musical idea occurred he
I would rush to the table and note it down
/ splashing water over everything in the
room. Every day, whatever the weather
Beethoven took long walk; he had his
fayorite haunts around the city, and nearly
all his musical ideas came to him in tho
! woods or meadows, amid the trees, tn.
! rocks and the flowers. He was never with
5 out little book in which he wrote dowr
1 any thought which seized him; and Their
/ at home the thought would grow into ;
, song or symphony. He thought no labor
too great to spend on his art; from dav
break till dinner at o'clock, he WORKED
steadily, always giving every care to tb,
smallest detail some one has said hi
n symphonies arose like plant or like ;
Q tree, and we think so ourselves when w
n find it was a common thing for him to re
f write a bar a dozen times After he ha,
once finished work, however, he couIt
not be induced to change it. This is wha
:. might be called hard work, and when W,
remember that he supported himself b,
playing and giving lessons, we can see tina
his was busy life. In his improvisations
: he touched the deepest emotions of til,
: heart Czerny tells us that he drew tear.
( from people, often forcing them to sol
: aloud This power, he says, was due ever
more to his marvellous expression than t,
his ideas What a picture he must hav,
been when at dusk-his fayorite hour 70
e playing-he flooded his little room will
music; his face aglow with love of tn
D strains which possessed him, his small
body growing larger and larger till i
2 seemed to match the size of the giant spiri
} withinl He passionately loved everything
+ connected with his art; the very instru
! ment on which he played was sacred. II
f dedicating his many works, we never fine
: him inscribing them with empty compli
/ | ments 10 King or Prince. in order TO receiv
e position or money; he had consecrated him
q self to his art, and all his composition
were dedicated to loving friends or [,
t lovers of music. With Beethoven, it wa
J, all for love.
r Perhaps much of the effect he produce,