FratFiles

• Save Paper

The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the ranks of history's greatest composers was parallelled by and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy and despair. Beginning in the late 1790's, the increasing buzzing and humming in his ears sent Beethoven into a panic, searching for a cure from doctor to doctor. By October 1802 he had written the Heiligenstadt Testament confessing the certainty of his growing deafness, his consequent despair, and suicidal considerations. Yet, despite the personal tragedy caused by the "infirmity in the one sense which ought to be more perfect in [him] than in others, a sense which [he] once possessed in the highest perfection, a perfection such as few in [his] profession enjoy," it also served as a motivating force in that it challenged him to try and conquer the fate that was handed him. He would not surrender to that "jealous demon, my wretched health" before proving to himself and the world the extent of his skill. Thus, faced with such......

View the rest of this paper...

Approximate Word Count: 1453
Approximate Pages: 6 (250 words per double-spaced page)

Similar Essays

1. Ludwig Van Beethoven
   

   Ludwig van Beethoven Book Report: Ludwig van Beethoven German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, was born December 1770 and spent most of his life in Vienna, Austria. His

2. Ludwig Van Beethoven The Incessant Sound Of A Fallen Tree
   

   Ludwig Van Beethoven The Incessant Sound Of A Fallen Tree There resounds a proverbial question, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear, does it make a sound as

3. Ludwig Van Beethoven
   

   Ludwig van Beethoven October 30th, 2006 Ludwig van Beethoven, baptised December 17th 1770 (Prévot, 2001), must be the most uniquely interesting as well as the most

4. Ludwig Van Beethoven
   

   Ludwig Van Beethoven The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the ranks of history's greatest composers was parallelled by and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy

5. Ludwig Van Beethoven
   

   Ludwig Van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven, 16 December 1770[1] - 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the