Beethoven Dies: Music's Titan Falls Silent
Ludwig van Beethoven began losing his hearing in his late 20s. By his mid-30s he was contemplating suicide and wrote what's called the Heiligenstadt Testament — a letter to his brothers never sent, saying he'd considered ending his life but couldn't, because he hadn't yet produced what he felt capable of. He kept composing. By the time he wrote his Ninth Symphony he was completely deaf — he conducted the premiere in 1824, and when it ended he kept beating time, unaware the orchestra had stopped. A soloist had to turn him around to see the audience's standing ovation. He never heard the final chord. He died in 1827, and it's estimated 20,000 people attended his funeral procession through Vienna.
March 26, 1827
199 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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