Focus Assignment

Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers, and musicians in the whole music history. Beethoven was also well known as a deaf who kept working on music after he had lost his hearing. He had created the opera, Fidelio, and more than three hundred and forty pieces of music in his whole life. Many people think that Beethoven’s whole life was shiny and successful; however, he had been struggled by many things that most people don’t know.

When Ludwig was eight years old, his father, who was extremely hoping his son became the next Mozart, arranged the first concert for him, and so the great composer started his music career. In the first few years, he played as a violist in the court until 1787 when he moved to Vienna. Beethoven had met Haydn and Mozart when he lived in Vienna. During the years, Beethoven had gone back to Bonn only once because his mother was dying. On the way back, Beethoven had run out of money and he borrowed from Councilor von Schaden; however, he did not have money to give back to Schaden. He wrote a letter to Schaden, said, ”I shall hope to receive your forgiveness for my long silence. You showed me extreme kindness and friendship by lending me three Carolins in Augsburg, but I must entreat your indulgence for a time”, he concluded as “ your most obedient servant and friend”. From the words Beethoven had written, it described that he was a responsible person and had put a great value on friendship when he was only sixteen years old.

Ludwig van Beethoven had shown his genius in music when he was young. He was a famous composer and musician when everyone else in his same age was still wondering around and doing nothing. Beethoven had an impolite hobbit, which was when an average musician was performing, Beethoven often talked aloud or walked about the room or flipped the pages of his own score loudly enough for all to hear. These actions were extremely inappropriate while someone was performing.

Beethoven first found his hearing was deteriorating in 1798. It seemed getting worse and worse everyday, Beethoven had even made a suicide since he had written the Heiligenstadt Testament. The testament fully explained that his hearing problem had been bothering him so hard and he did not want to live anymore since there was no way that a composer was also a deaf. However, Beethoven had got it over because he believed it was a shame to let the music in his mind to die with him.

In 1815, Carl Beethoven, the great composer’s brother, had died. He asked Ludwig and his widow, Johanna, be made joint guardians of his son, Karl. Unfortunately, Beethoven and Johanna did not get well with each other. As soon as Carl was dead, Beethoven informed his brother was poisoned by Johanna. During the inquest, Beethoven took care of Karl. When the poisoning charge was proved groundless, he filed suit, Johanna was unfit mother and that he should be the child's sole legal guardian. Beethoven was a poor guardian. Karl escaped the house as often as possible and sometimes ran to see his mother, which was totally not allowed by Beethoven.

In Beethoven’s whole life, the relationship with other people was not completely perfect. When he was young, he had been invited to many fashionable or music parties. But since his hearing problem was bothering him, he sometimes turned to a grumpy and lonely man. Beethoven often condemned and banished his closest friends, yet expected them to be available and utterly devoted to him a moment later. Beethoven had even made many proposals of marriage in his life; however most of them were refused by two reasons, the huge age difference and he nearly a deaf.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s life was not totally perfect. Even though he had some special talents that people should be admired; however, he had lost his hearing. His achievement was based on the opinion of never give up.