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Paper Abstract: Life & career of 18th Cent.-19th Cent. composer, focusing on his psychological development. Paper Introduction: Beethoven: His Psychology and Great Works Neither a great man nor a great work of art may be understood through a single category of analysis. Such greatness is complex and demands a wider point of view. Beethoven's prolific composition included hundreds of works--ballets, concertos, cantatas and oratorios, chamber music, Lieder, masses, operas and incidental music, overtures, sonatas, string quartets, symphonies, trios, and variations for piano. Such musical greatness originated from a genius of complex psychological makeup. It is the purpose of this paper to explore Beethoven's general biographical background, the psychology of his personality, and a select few of his great public achievements--principally the Eroica symphony, the opera Fidelio, and the Symphony No. 5 in C minor. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. 138). 73). 4 ). Freud and the culture of psychoanalysis: Studiesin the transition from Victorian humanism to modernity. (1984). (Solomon, 1977, p. The elder Ludwig had selected his son's profession,taught him music, introduced him to the court chapel, obtained hisappointment as a court singer, and acted simultaneously as employer,protector, and sole parent, as he had had his wife institutionalized(Solomon, 1977, p. He did not have closerelationships with playmates or others outside the family. He was constantly troubled by sadness, and at onejuncture made what has come to be known the Heiligenstadt Testament, astatement in confessional form of his feelings of suicide, and the relianceupon his art to prevent him from killing himself. 11). Aninteresting musical device in Fidelio is one section of a cantata chorus,"Then mankind mounts toward the light," which appears as the basis for thesecond finale (Solomon, 1977, p. Johann had married in an attempt to escape the near-total dominationof his father, Ludwig. Thisheroic music was that of a "new path." To protect himself from feelings ofsorrow and guilt which accompany this type of separation, Beethoven beganto break the personal tie with Haydn and visited him less and less often.This was a price for his own creative flourishing (Solomon, 1977, p. Opus 67, Symphony No. This line of thinking has consequences in that he had to thinkbadly of his mother too for having such indiscretions, even if onlyimagined. Suchan unbalanced life led the child to develop a fantasy world in an effort tocope with such an unsatisfactory reality. The pattern of wanting unattainable women served to perpetuatebachelorhood, perhaps a necessity for great creative achievement. As an adult, Beethoven was troubled with various medical ailments andhis worst fear--deafness. (1981). Opus 72, Fidelio (Leonore) received its premiere under inauspiciousconditions in November of 18 5 as Napoleon's armies occupied Vienna. M.Dent & Sons Ltd. Solomon, M. He seemed to cope with his internaldifficulties with self-absorption which is the opposite of intimacy withanother. The dynamics of the Beethoven family contributed to his fantasy. Beethoven became the head of the household and was placed incharge of his incompetent father, repeating the father's experience ofdomination by another. The death of a hero was a primary component of Beethoven's musicalvocabulary, and a theme of Revolutionary music. Beethoven proposed marriage to several young women and was turneddown. This incident tells of Beethoven'sharsh temper and more than that, his resistance to tyranny and distressover antagonism between the arts and the state. Such were thetragic circumstances of Beethoven's earliest years. These universal drives and hopes encompassthe full range of human experience--birth, struggle, death, andresurrection. The disease of alcoholism, the system of court patronage ofmusic, and the complexities of Beethoven's personal genius interweave tocreate a masterful figure in the course of music history. The Eroica was subtitled,"Composed to Celebrate the Memory of a Great Man" (Solomon, 1977, p. New York: Pleunum Press. 5 in C minor. Such amatrix of family circumstances, actions, and attitudes might have led anordinary person to despair and disillusionment, but Beethoven's resiliencyand strength of character enabled him to withstand the family stresses. shame and doubt. S. Every person, according to Freudian psychology, has the two strongdrives of sex and aggression (Marcus, 1984, p. 21). In this type offantasy, the child replaces one or both parents with an elevated substitute--a hero, celebrity, king, or noble. He believed that an individual continues togrow and master life tasks through each decade, not merely the childhoodyears. As such, this work and the other heroicworks convey man's struggle to overcome suffering. Some of his early teachers werecourt organist Gilles van den Eeden, Friar Willibald Koch, violinist FranzRovantini, Franz Ries, and Nikolaus Simrock (Solomon, 1977, p. Eric Erikson was the first psychoanalyst to give attention to theadult years of development. 17). (1985). Boston: GeorgeAllen & Unwin. 3 in E-flat major, the Eroica. His father, Johann, was an alcoholic who in themode of that disease was alternately neglectful and physically abusive tohis son. In his fortiesand fifties, his impression of mad genius had become widespread, fromchildren who mocked his dishevelled appearance, stamping and singingthrough the streets of Vienna, to the secret police who benevolentlytolerated or ignored his blasphemies against the state. It is thepurpose of this paper to explore Beethoven's general biographicalbackground, the psychology of his personality, and a select few of hisgreat public achievements--principally the Eroica symphony, the operaFidelio, and the Symphony No. This type of beginning left indelible marks onBeethoven, his life, personality, and work. Beethoven made the changes requested by his patronsbut remained angry at Salieri who could not accept Beethoven's later styleof music (Solomon, 1977, p. 41). Although it is almost impossible to totally separate the man from hiscreative work, a view of his personality and the events that shaped itassist us in understanding the components of such creative grandeur. As a teenager, he was prone to melancholia andtended to become enamored of women who were unavailable, a life-longpattern (Solomon, 1977, p. Fidelio was adapted from a French post-Revolutionary opera style termed "rescue opera" (Solomon, 1977, p. Such greatness is complex and demands awider point of view. It seemsthat his greatest love was his art, and the earthly love of women, althougha temporary palliative to deep loneliness, was in actuality an impedimentto his creative mission (Solomon, 1977, p. He made varying degrees of peace with hisdeafness, and at one point made a curious note among the sketches for thethird quartet: "Let your deafness no longer be a secret--not even in art"(Matthews, 1985, p. The Eroica expresses Beethoven's search, also, for an expression of"pathetique" sentiment. Matthews, D. Both Freud and Otto Rank name the myth of theFamily Romance that may preoccupy a child in fantasy. The creative genius finds it difficult to reconcile himself withearthly parentage. A., & Nemiroff, R. Ludwig van Beethoven was born into a family of court musicians inBonn on December 17, 177 . Cantabile, expressive, sustainedmelodies appear in Fidelio, as well as the conceptual theme of the death ofa hero. His generation is obvious quite copious,but the final stage of his life shows more despair rather than integrity(Colarusso & Nemiroff, 1981, p. Solomon hints that Beethoven may have been drawn to the idea ofdeath itself. In Beethoven's Family Romance, he replaced his father with someunknown royal figure, and imagined that he was an illegitimate child ofexotic noble heritage. These creations are representative of the aftermath ofBeethoven's creative and personal crisis that may have been a turning pointof creative renewal. Such musical greatnessoriginated from a genius of complex psychological makeup. Even his barking tirades were onlyexplosions of his fanciful imagination and momentary excitement (Matthews,1985, p. London: J. His relationship with his mother wasunsatisfactory, although he protested that he deeply loved and respectedher. The center of Beethoven's life was his music. 151). 49). 172). The Eroica is one of the symphonies ofthe middle period of symphony composition. Although the resultis not a happy person, society certainly benefits. Beethoven's music presents the collision of tragedy and triumphantvictory, a clash in which a hero (perhaps the listener) emerges withrenewed and transfigured life. (1981). 192). A number of the motifs,passages, and dramatic ideas from the Joseph Cantata appear in the Eroica.The unfolding style expressed in the Eroica has been called one of theextraordinary leaps in Beethoven's creative power (Solomon, 1977, p. New York:Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. He practiceduntil well past midnight most nights. Beethoven was apparently frequently boxed around the ears, perhaps afactor in his later deafness. For three years he hadsuffered severe anxiety and panic, somewhat due to increasing deafness, andsomewhat due to deep emotional patterns set in childhood. He is imbued with a sense of superiority and greatness,even over those who gave him life. An interesting aspect of this fantasy is that formany years Beethoven argued that his birth date was not his actual birthdate. Beethoven did achieve tremendous creative development, but he didnot develop a whole, balanced personhood. The Eroica symphony was criticized as "too long, elaborate,incomprehensible, and much too noisy." It was said to contain "an excess ofwhimsicalities and novelties," to which Beethoven responded, "If you fancyyou can injure me by publishing articles of that kind, you are very muchmistaken. Freud believed that adults cannot achieve mental health unless theyfully explore their mental and creative potentials (Freeman & Strean, 1981,p. Beethoven: His Psychology and Great Works Neither a great man nor a great work of art may be understood througha single category of analysis. 138). Adult Development: A newdimension in Psychodynamic theory and Practice. Beethoven began music training very early, at age five, and formed aclose, adoring relationship with his grandfather, a steadier man than thealcoholic father. Beethoven's prolific composition included hundreds ofworks--ballets, concertos, cantatas and oratorios, chamber music, Lieder,masses, operas and incidental music, overtures, sonatas, string quartets,symphonies, trios, and variations for piano. The later childhood years bring tasksof initiative and industry which Beethoven was able to master but as beforewith the burden of great insecurity and loneliness. Although it is knownthat Beethoven did have sexual partners, primarily prostitutes and theloaned wives of friends, his sexuality did not have the customary outlet ofan on-going relationship. 195). (1977.) Beethoven. Beethoven's eccentricities increased during adult years. The master musicians: Beethoven. 65). His grand, expanded scale precipitated longer compositions, twicethe size of the symphonic model inherited from Haydn and Mozart (Solomon,1977, p. The precipitating "Fate" theme of the Fifth symphony has been calledtragic. Hismother frequently criticized her husband, making it difficult for the childto think well of him. There is a report that Beethoven had difficulty hearing the windinstruments during an 18 4 rehearsal of the Eroica Symphony, amanifestation that was apparently terrifying to him. He was never able to establish a warm, enduring relationship with asuitable woman, possibly because of early family difficulties. TheHeiligenstadt Testament shows how fragmented his thinking actually was andalso reveals that in spite of his emotional difficulties, he was making amoment by moment decision to keep on living (Solomon, 1977, p. Freeman, L., & Strean, H. Freud found that this fantasy wasprevalent in many people, particularly intense among creative and talentedchildren. One of Beethoven's greatest public achievements was Opus 55, SymphonyNo. Beethovenmade attempts to establish a relationship with his nephew, but he couldonly relate in a domineering way. 5 in C minor, expresses the "pathetique"sentiment, inherent in the chosen key as most expressive of that mood.Musicologists document the clear use of French material in the fifthsymphony, and the continued development of the exalted, grand style of aflexible sonata form also contains elements of French influence. Freud and Women. Beethoven and his biographers attest to theexcruciatingly painful process of the creation of something genuinely new.It took great courage and endurance of personal loneliness to cross theboundaries of form inherent in The Eroica and Fidelio. 127). 133). References Colarusso, C. Part ofBeethoven's genius seemed to be the capability of mixing styles andinfluences to create something new (Solomon, 1977, p. Beethoven's genius lies, in part, in his ability to givethose human emotions form, musical form, in ways that had not been donebefore. Beethoven's teacher Salieri criticized Fidelio, as did the nobilitywho commissioned it. However, the death-haunted mood is supplanted in the finalmovement by a rising march theme. In Erikson's second stage of development, the years from two to four,the central conflict centers on autonomy vs. 21). It is important toremember that Beethoven's existence depended upon patronage from thepolitical figures, which at times he grew to hate. During Beethoven's teen years, his mother died, as well as an infantsister. 51).The Eroica style was such a dramatic departure for Beethoven, that hefeared it would not meet the approval of his friend, Joseph Haydn. 32). One account relates that Johann took credit for theboy's genius, and after boozing in the taverns until late at night, hewould come home, shake the son awake, and demand that he perform piano inthe middle of the night while shaking and weeping (Solomon, 1977, p. 229). Freud's notions that the cast ofa personality are set in the earliest relations with father and motherportend fairly certain difficulty for a person who comes from a family suchas Beethoven's. 75). He insisted that he was born two years earlier, and even altered hisbirth certificate to show his preferred date of birth. 5 ). Analysts have speculated about the connections between Beethoven'sunique psychology and the brilliance of his work. With Erikson's concepts in mind, one can postulate that Beethovenmay have not developed trust during the infancy stage, setting a tone ofdoom throughout his life. 119). Beethoven seemed unable to fulfill the adult developmental tasks ofintimacy, except with his art. In an alcoholic home there is littleconsistency, continuity, and basic responsiveness to the infant's needs.Thus the first building block of interpersonal relating is missing, and aperson such as Beethoven is unable to develop close, intimate relations,particularly with someone of the opposite sex (Colarusso & Nemiroff, 1981,p. Beethoven was able to develop the sonata form tosuit his themes of tragic and dramatic subjects (Solomon, 1977, p. TheTestament is a funeral to his despair, a leave-taking toward a fresh start. It is helpful to exploreBeethoven the person, his history, and his musical genius in terms of whatis known about adult psychology, especially the ideas of Erikson and Freud. 29). Once when Beethoven was reproached that he should wash up, hereplied, "What's the difference--when I become a Lord no one will pay thatany mind." (Solomon, p. This fantasy world can only takehold when the child is neglected, maltreated, and unloved. Beethovenwas certainly able to achieve autonomy, both practically and creatively,but it is obvious from his biographers that he was imbued with great doubt,at times even contemplating suicide. The later adult phases usually show a need to nurture youngerpeople, a need to generate output, and a need for integrity. Both the Eroica and Fidelio emerged after the HeiligenstadtTestament. He may develop a narcissistic feelingof self-creation and self-sufficiency. Marcus, S. A. The funeral march of the Eroica symphony iswritten in C minor which would become his "heroic" key (Solomon, 1977, p.1 3). It seems that hispeculiarities had a child-like quality. Beethoven was ableto perceive startling and unprecedented potentialities within a flexibleframework of sonata form. As something in his psyche died, the new, heroicstyle could be born. One often repeated story says that upon hearing that Napoleon hadbecome emperor, Beethoven took the first page of the Sinfonia Eroica, toreit in half, and threw it to the floor. It became very easy for him to retreat into ideasthat his mother had been unfaithful with unknown noblemen, so that he couldhave such divine blood rather than the obvious limitations of his ownfather. Even in histwenties Magdalena Willmann described him as half crazy. Both his sexuality and aggression seem to havebeen strongly channeled into the power of his music. On the contrary, by so doing you merely bring your journal intodisrepute" (Solomon, 1977, p. New York: Schirmer Books.----------------------- 6 If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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