9th Entry

• In 1810, Beethoven fell in love with Therese Malfatti who he had met several years befor in Vienna. But after three months, Therese had turned him down because Beethoven was thirty-one and nearly deaf.


• During the winter of 1813, Beethoven's brother fell gravely ill of comsumption and Ludwig lent him money, although he really could not afford to do so.


• Beethoven always had admired the British (without ever visit there), therefore, when Malzel asked to write for the Panharmonicon, a sort of music box that reproduced the sounds of a military band, he readily agreed to collaborate with Malzel.


• In 1815, Carl Beethoven died. He asked Ludwig, his brother, and his widow, Johanna, be made joint guardians of his nine-year-old son, Karl. Carl also made a plea that the two guardians forget their past differences.


• However, as soon as Carls was dead, Beethoven informed his brother had been poisoned. 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 used the one proven instance as a precedent for all sorts of charges.


• 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.