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Despite his surname, Ludwig van Beethoven was only a quarter [[Dutch people|Dutch]]<ref name=Flemish>R. Capell, '''Beethoven''', in ''Music & Letters'', Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct., 1938), pp. 375-390</ref><ref name=Flemish2>Ernest Closson and Gustave Reese, '''Grandfather Beethoven''', in ''The Musical Quarterly'', Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct., 1933), pp. 367-373</ref><ref name=Flemish3>TF Howell, '''Beethoven's nationality''', in ''The Musical Times'', 1915. "The chief hereditary character of Beethoven was Dutch, and all else was what we now label German."</ref>; indeed, his grandfather Lodewijk was the last van Beethoven to be fully Dutch. Most of van Beethoven's most recent family came from what is now Germany, mostly the [[Rhineland]] [[Electoral Palatinate|Palatine]] area. Ludwig is considered to be German, and people occasionally spell his name as 'von Beethoven', which is incorrect. The last German of the Lodewijk van Beethoven line to bear the name "van Beethoven" was '''Karl Julius Maria van Beethoven'''.
Despite his surname, Ludwig van Beethoven was only a quarter [[Dutch people|Dutch]]<ref name=Flemish>R. Capell, '''Beethoven''', in ''Music & Letters'', Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct., 1938), pp. 375-390</ref><ref name=Flemish2>Ernest Closson and Gustave Reese, '''Grandfather Beethoven''', in ''The Musical Quarterly'', Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct., 1933), pp. 367-373</ref><ref name=Flemish3>TF Howell, '''Beethoven's nationality''', in ''The Musical Times'', 1915. "The chief hereditary character of Beethoven was Dutch, and all else was what we now label German."</ref>; indeed, his grandfather Lodewijk was the last van Beethoven to be fully Dutch. Most of van Beethoven's most recent family came from what is now Germany, mostly the [[Rhineland]] [[Electoral Palatinate|Palatine]] area. Ludwig is considered to be German, and people occasionally spell his name as 'von Beethoven', which is incorrect. The last German of the Lodewijk van Beethoven line to bear the name "van Beethoven" was '''Karl Julius Maria van Beethoven'''.


The [[Nazi]]s were especially interested in Beethoven's ethnic background: ''"After making sure that Beethoven had no suspicious racial or national tinge of the non-Germanic in his background (clear evidence of his Flemish ancestry was denied in a series of articles), the masters of the Nazi propaganda and cultural machinery promoted his works as the essence of Germanic and Aryan strength".''<ref>Lewis Lockwood: ''Beethoven: the Music and the Life'' (W.W.Norton, 2005) p.419</ref>
The [[Nazi]]s were especially interested in Beethoven's ethnic background: ''"After making sure that Beethoven had no suspicious racial or national tinge of the non-Germanic in his background (clear evidence of his Dutch ancestry was denied in a series of articles), the masters of the Nazi propaganda and cultural machinery promoted his works as the essence of Germanic and Aryan strength".''<ref>Lewis Lockwood: ''Beethoven: the Music and the Life'' (W.W.Norton, 2005) p.419</ref>


Beethoven himself showed less interest in his ancestors' history, unless - as [[Maynard Solomon]] suggests- it played a role in his composing incidental music for [[Goethe]]'s play ''[[Egmont (play)|Egmont]]'', ''"which tells of the eponymous hero, a sixteenth-century Dutch aristocrat, who is arrested and condemned by the Spanish conquerors"''. Solomon writes: ''"The subject had great resonance for Beethoven as an expression of his faith in the 'bon prince' and in the ideals of national liberation and individual freedom - perhaps also because it intersected with his own Dutch ancestry".''<ref>Maynard Solomon: ''Beethoven'' (Schirmer, 2001) p.273-4</ref>
Beethoven himself showed less interest in his ancestors' history, unless - as [[Maynard Solomon]] suggests- it played a role in his composing incidental music for [[Goethe]]'s play ''[[Egmont (play)|Egmont]]'', ''"which tells of the eponymous hero, a sixteenth-century Dutch aristocrat, who is arrested and condemned by the Spanish conquerors"''. Solomon writes: ''"The subject had great resonance for Beethoven as an expression of his faith in the 'bon prince' and in the ideals of national liberation and individual freedom - perhaps also because it intersected with his own Dutch ancestry".''<ref>Maynard Solomon: ''Beethoven'' (Schirmer, 2001) p.273-4</ref>

Revision as of 20:55, 25 October 2009

Johann van Beethoven[1][2] (14 November 1740 – 18 December 1792) was a German tenor who sang in the court chapel at Bonn. He is remembered as the father of the celebrated composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). Bonn was the place of his birth and death.

Life of Johann van Beethoven

Johann van Beethoven was the father of Ludwig van Beethoven[3][4] (1712 in Mechelen – 1773 in Bonn), Kapellmeister at the court of the Prince-Archbishop-Elector of Cologne Clemens August of Bavaria at Bonn, and Maria Josepha Ball (married 1733). The famous composer is thus named after his grandfather of the same name (aka Louis or Lodewijk), a descendant of a Roman Catholic Flemish family of musicians and instrument makers from the former Duchy of Brabant (presumably the Mechelen-Leuven area) which moved to Bonn in the early 18th century.

Johann married Maria Magdalena Keverich (1746 in Ehrenbreitstein – 1787) on 12 November 1767 in the Catholic St. Remigius church, Bonn. He worked as a musician in the Electoral court at Bonn. Johann was an alcoholic and young Ludwig had to support the family at a young age. Johann realized Ludwig's talent and became his first teacher. It is said that Johann was a violent father when it came to Beethoven's music. Whenever Beethoven would play poorly, Johann would exclaim that it was an embarrassment to the family.

Beethoven's Dutch ancestry

Despite his surname, Ludwig van Beethoven was only a quarter Dutch[5][6][7]; indeed, his grandfather Lodewijk was the last van Beethoven to be fully Dutch. Most of van Beethoven's most recent family came from what is now Germany, mostly the Rhineland Palatine area. Ludwig is considered to be German, and people occasionally spell his name as 'von Beethoven', which is incorrect. The last German of the Lodewijk van Beethoven line to bear the name "van Beethoven" was Karl Julius Maria van Beethoven.

The Nazis were especially interested in Beethoven's ethnic background: "After making sure that Beethoven had no suspicious racial or national tinge of the non-Germanic in his background (clear evidence of his Dutch ancestry was denied in a series of articles), the masters of the Nazi propaganda and cultural machinery promoted his works as the essence of Germanic and Aryan strength".[8]

Beethoven himself showed less interest in his ancestors' history, unless - as Maynard Solomon suggests- it played a role in his composing incidental music for Goethe's play Egmont, "which tells of the eponymous hero, a sixteenth-century Dutch aristocrat, who is arrested and condemned by the Spanish conquerors". Solomon writes: "The subject had great resonance for Beethoven as an expression of his faith in the 'bon prince' and in the ideals of national liberation and individual freedom - perhaps also because it intersected with his own Dutch ancestry".[9]

Descendants of Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven never married and most likely never had any children. Hence a direct family connection to Beethoven is impossible today. His brother Karl, however, did have children, but none of his living descendants bears the name van Beethoven (the last such having died in 1917).

Notes

  1. ^ Johann van BEETHOVEN, Tenorist an der kurfürstlichen Hofkapelle zu Bonn, geboren um 1740 in Bonn? (Religion: rk), gestorben am 18.12.1792 in Bonn, Sohn von Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (siehe IIb) und Maria Josepha BALL. Kirchliche Trauung am 12.11.1767 in Bonn, St.Remigius mit Maria Magdalena KEVERICH, 20 Jahre alt, geboren am 19.12.1746 in Ehrenbreitstein (Religion: rk), gestorben am 17.07.1787 in Bonn mit 40 Jahren. Schwindsucht, Tochter von Johann Heinrich KEVERICH, Kurfürstlich Trierscher Oberhofkoch, und Anna Clara WESTORFF. [1]
  2. ^ Johan Van Beethoven, dus vermoedelijk geboren te Bonn omstreeks 1739. Hij werd opgeleid om zijn vader op te volgen, en werd tenslotte als hofmusicus aangesteld. Hij huwde te Bonn in de St.-Remigiuskerk op 12 november 1767 met Maria-Magdalena Keverich, geboren te Ehrenbreitstein bij Koblenz op 19 december 1746 en overleden te Bonn op 17 juli 1787. Johan stierf 4 jaar later op 18 december 1792. [2]
  3. ^ Ludwig van BEETHOVEN, Kapellmeister der kurfürstlichen Hofkapelle zu Bonn, getauft (rk) am 05.01.1712 in Mecheln, St.Katharina, gestorben am 24.12.1773 in Bonn mit 61 Jahren, Sohn von Michael van BEETHOVEN (siehe I) und Marie Louise STUYCKERS. Aufgebot am 26.08.1733, kirchliche Trauung mit 21 Jahren am 07.09.1733 in Bonn , St. Remigius mit Maria Josepha BALL, geboren um 1714 in ? Gestorben am 30.09.1775 in Bonn. [3]
  4. ^ Lodewijk Van Beethoven, gedoopt te Mechelen op 5 januari 1712. Na 12 jaar koraalschool en twee jaar bij meester Colfs was hij in 1727 haast 16 jaar oud : een degelijk gevormd koorzanger en organist. Op 2 november werd hij aangesteld tot plaatsvervangend tenor en enkele dagen later als plaatsvervangend dirigent van het koor van de Luikse St. Lambertuskathedraal. Daar, te Luik , moet de Keulse aartsbisschop hem gehoord hebben en troonde hem mee naar Bonn. In deze residentiestad der Keulse keurvorsten werd Lodewijk vanaf 1733 aangesteld tot bassist van het hofkoor met een jaarwedde van 400 gulden. Hij huwde te Bonn in de St.-Remigiuskerk op 17 september 1733 op 21-jarige leeftijd met Maria-Jozef Poll, een meisje uit Bonn. Lodewijk stierf te Bonn op 24 december 1773 in de ouderdom van 62 jaar. Maria-Jozef overleed op 30 september 1775. [4]
  5. ^ R. Capell, Beethoven, in Music & Letters, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct., 1938), pp. 375-390
  6. ^ Ernest Closson and Gustave Reese, Grandfather Beethoven, in The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct., 1933), pp. 367-373
  7. ^ TF Howell, Beethoven's nationality, in The Musical Times, 1915. "The chief hereditary character of Beethoven was Dutch, and all else was what we now label German."
  8. ^ Lewis Lockwood: Beethoven: the Music and the Life (W.W.Norton, 2005) p.419
  9. ^ Maynard Solomon: Beethoven (Schirmer, 2001) p.273-4
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