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Volume I. Chapter I. Fall of ecclesiastical-civil states in Germany ; Character of their rulers ; The electors of Cologne in the eighteenth century ; Joseph Clemens ; Clemens August ; Max Friedrich ; Incidents and achievements in their reigns ; The electoral courts and their music ; Earliest records of the Beethovens and the Rhineland ; Musical culture in Bonn at the time of Ludwig van Beethoven's birth ; Operatic repertories ; Christian Gottlob Neefe ; Appearance of the city -- Chapter II. Beethoven's ancestors in Belgium ; Louis van Beethoven, his grandfather ; He leaves his paternal home ; Tenor singer at Louvain ; His removal to Bonn ; Marriage ; Activities as bass singer and chapel-master in the electoral chapel ; Birth and education of Johann van Beethoven, father of the composer ; Domestic afflictions ; His marriage ; Appearance and character of the composer's mother -- Chapter III. Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, the composer ; Conflict of dates ; The house in which he was born ; Poverty of the family ; An inebriate grandmother and a dissipated father ; The composer's scant schooling ; His first music teachers ; Lessons on the pianoforte, organ and violin ; Neefe instructs him in composition ; A visit to Holland -- Chapter IV. Beethoven a pupil of Neefe ; Early employment of his talent and skill ; First efforts at composition assists Neefe at the organ in the orchestra of the electoral court ; Is appointed assistant court organist ; Johann van Beethoven's family ; Domestic tribulations ; Youthful publications -- Chapter V. Elector Max Franz ; Appearance and character of Maria Theresias's youngest son ; His career in church and state ; Musical culture in the Austrian imperial family ; The elector's admiration for Mozart and Mozart's characterization of him ; His court music at Bonn -- Chapter VI. Beethoven again ; His studies interrupted ; A period of artistic inactivity in Bonn ; The young organist indulges in a prank ; A visit to Vienna ; Mozart hears the youthful Beethoven play ; Sympathetic acquaintances ; Death of Beethoven's mother ; Association with the von Breuning family ; Some questions of chronology discussed -- Chapter VII. The family von Breuning ; Beethoven brought under refining influences ; Count Waldstein ; Beethoven's first Maecenas ; Time of the count's arrival in Bonn ; Beethoven forced to become head of his father's family -- Chapter VIII. The national theatre of elector Max Franz ; Beethoven's associates in the court orchestra ; Anton Reicha ; Andreas and Bernhard Romberg ; His practical experience in the electoral band ; The operatic repertory of five years in the court theatre -- Chapter IX. The last three years of Beethoven's life in Bonn ; Gleanings of fact and anecdote ; A visit from Haydn ; Merry journey up the Rhine ; Beethoven's meeting with Abbe Sterkel ; He extemporizes ; His playing described by Carl Ludwig Junker ; He shows a cantata to Haydn ; The extent of Max Franz's patronage of the composer ; Social and artistic life in Bonn ; Madame von Breuning a guardian angel ; The circle of companions ; Friendships with young women ; Jeannette d'Honrath ; Fraulein Westerhold ; Eleonore von Breuning ; Beethoven leaves Bonn forever ; The parting with his friends ; Incidents of his journey to Vienna -- Chapter X. Beethoven's creative activity in Bonn ; An inquiry into the genesis of many compositions ; The cantatas on the death of Joseph II and the elevation of Leopold II ; Vicissitudes of these compositions ; A group of songs ; The "Ritterballet" and other instrumental works ; Several chamber compositions ; The string trio, op. 3, carried to England ; Manuscripts taken by Beethoven from Bonn to Vienna -- Chapter XI. Beethoven in Vienna ; Care for his personal appearance ; Death of his father ; Records of minor receipts and expenditures ; His studies with Haydn ; Clandestine lessons in composition with Johann Schenk ; A rupture with Haydn ; Becomes a pupil of Albrechtsberger and Salieri ; Characteristics as a pupil -- Chapter XII. Music in Vienna at the time of Beethoven's arrival there ; Theatre, church and concert-room ; Salieri and the royal imperial opera ; Schikaneder's theater auf der Wieden ; Composers and conductors in the imperial capital ; Paucity of public concerts ; A music-loving nobility: the Esterhazys; Kinsky; Lichnowsky; von Kees; van Swieten ; Private orchestras ; Composers: Haydn, Kozeluch, Forster, Eberl, Vanhall ; Private theatres -- Chapter XIII. Beethoven in society ; Success as a virtuoso ; The trios, op. 1 ; Tender memories of friends in Bonn ; A letter to Leonore von Breuning ; Wegeler comes to Vienna ; His reminiscences ; A quarrel and petition for reconciliation ; Irksome social conventions ; Affairs of the heart ; Variations for Simrock ; First public appearance as pianist and composer ; The pianoforte concertos in C and B-flat ; The trios, op. 1, revised ; Sonatas dedicated to Haydn ; Dances for the Ridotto room ; Plays at Haydn's concert -- Chapter XIV. The years 1796 and 1797 ; Success achieved in the Austrian capital ; A visit to Prague ; The scena: "Ah, perfido!" ; Sojourn in Berlin ; King Frederick William II ; Prince Louis Ferdinand ; Violoncello sonatas ; Relations with Himmel ; Plays for the singakademie ; Fasch and Zelter ; War-songs ; The Rombergs ; A forgotten riding-horse ; Compositions and publications of the period ; Matthisson and his "Adelaide" ; Quintet for strings, op. 4 ; Pieces for wind-instruments ; The "Jena" symphony ; Dances -- Chapter XV. General Bernadotte ; The fiction about his connection with the "Sinfonia eroica" ; Rival pianists ; Joseph Wolffl ; Tomaschek describes Beethoven's playing ; Dragonetti ; J.B. Cramer ; Beethoven's demeanor in society ; Compositions of 1798 and 1799 ; The trios, op. 9 ; Pianoforte concertos in C and B-flat ; An unfinished rondo for pianoforte and orchestra ; Several pianoforte sonatas ; "Sonate pathetique" ; Trio for pianoforte, clarinet and violoncello ; Origin of the first symphony ; Protest against an arrangement of it as a quintet -- Chapter XVI. Beethoven's social life in Vienna ; Vogl ; Kiesewetter ; Zmeskall ; Amenda ; Count Lichnowsky ; Eppinger ; Krumpholz ; Schuppanzigh and his quartet ; Johann Nepomuk Hummel ; Friendships with women ; Magdalene Willmann ; Christine Gerhardi ; Dedications to pupils ; Countess Keglevics ; Countess Henriette Lichnowsky ; Countess Giulietta Guicciardi ; Countess Thun ; Princess Liechtenstein ; Baroness Braun -- Chapter XVII. Beethoven's character and personality ; His disposition ; Evil effects of early associations and inadequate intellectual training ; Sentimental ideals not realized in conduct ; Self-sufficiency and pride ; The homage of young disciples ; Love of nature ; Relations with women ; Conceptions of virtue ; Literary tastes ; His letters ; The sketchbooks ; His manner of compositions ; Origin of his deafness -- Chapter XVIII. Beethoven's brothers ; His first concert on his own account ; Septet and first symphony performed ; Punto and the sonata for horn ; The Charlatan Steibelt confounded ; Beethoven's homes in Vienna ; Madame Grillparzer, the poet's mother ; Dolezalek ; Hoffmeister ; E.A. Forster ; The quartets, op. 18 ; Prince Lichnowsky's gift of quartet of viols ; Publications of 1800 -- Chapter XIX. The year 1801 ; Compositions offered to Hoffmeister ; Concerts for wounded soldiers ; Vigano and the ballet "Prometheus" ; Interest in the publication of Bach's works and his indigent daughter ; Stephan von Breuning ; Summer home in Hetzendorf ; Composition of "The mount of olives" ; Compositions and publications of the year ; The funeral march in the sonata, op. 26 ; The so-called "Moonlight" sonata ; Inspired by a poem of Seume's ; Illicit publication of the string quintet, op. 29 -- Chapter XX. Important letters of 1801 ; Communications to Amenda, Hoffmeister and Wegeler ; The composer's ill health ; The beginning of his deafness ; Early symptoms described by himself ; Thoughts of marriage ; Indignation aroused by the criticisms of the allgemeine musikalische Zeitung ; The "Leipsic oxen" ; Gradual recognition of Beethoven's genius ; Anton Reicha ; Von Breuning's relations with Beethoven ; Lessons to Ferdinand Ries and Carl Czerny -- Chapter XXI. Beethoven's love-affairs ; Countess Guicciardi ; A conversation with Schindler about her marriage ; Schindler's contradictory story ; Countess Erdody ; Schindler's theory disproved ; The letter to the "Immortal beloved" ; Critical study of its date ; Countess Guicciardi not the woman addressed ; A conjecture concerning the Countess Therese von Brunswick ; Other candidates for the honor of being the object of Beethoven's supreme love ; Magdalena Willmann ; Amalia Sebald ; The arguments of Kalischer, Mariam Tenger and Marie Lipsius (La Mara) set forth by the editor of this biography ; Statements of relations and descendants of the Countesses Guicciardi and von Brunswick ; The memoirs of the Countess Therese ; Later French investigations -- Chapter XXII. The year 1802 ; The village of Heiligenstadt ; Beethoven's views on transcriptions ; His despondency ; The "Heiligenstadt will" ; Confession of his deafness ; The second symphony ; Return to Vienna ; Marches for the pianoforte, four hands ; A defence of brothers Johann and Karl Kaspar ; Their characters ; Karl's management of Beethoven's business affairs ; The bagatelles, op. 33 ; The songs, op. 52 ; Compositions and publications of 1802 ; Three sonatas for pianoforte and violin ; The sonatas for pianoforte, op. 31 ; An alteration by Nageli ; Finale of the sonata in D minor ; Beethoven on the character of his variations. |
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Volume 2. Chapter I. The year 1803 ; Cherubini's operas in Vienna and rivalry between Schikaneder and the imperial theatres ; Beethoven's engagement at the theater-an-der-Wien ; "Christus am Olbert" again ; Bridgetower and the "Kreutzer" sonata ; Career of the violinist ; Negotiations with Thomson for the Scottish songs ; New friends ; Willibrord Mahler's portrait of Beethoven ; Compositions of the year ; A pianoforte from Erard -- Chapter II. The year 1804 ; Schikaneder sells his theatre and is then dismissed from the management ; Beethoven's contract ended and renewed by Baron Braun ; The "Sinfonia Eroica" ; Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia ; Quarrel between Beethoven and von Breuning ; The "Waldstein" sonata ; Sonnleithner, Treitschke and Gaveaux ; Paer and his opera "Leonora" ; "Fidelio" begun ; Beethoven's growing popularity ; Publications of the year -- Chapter III. The year 1805 ; Schuppanzigh's first quartet concerts ; First public performance of the "Eroica" ; Pleyel ; The opera "Leonore," or "Fidelio"; Jahn's study of the sketchbook ; The singers and the production ; Vienna abandoned by the aristocracy as French advance ; Rockel's story of the revision of the opera ; Compositions and publications of the year -- Chapter IV. The year 1806 ; Repetitions of "Fidelio": a revision of the book by von Breuning ; Changes in the opera ; The "Leonore" overtures ; A second failure ; Beethoven withdraws the opera from the theatre ; Marriage of Karl Kaspar van Beethoven ; A journey to Silesia ; Beethoven leaves Prince Lichnowsky's country-seat in anger ; George Thomson and his Scottish songs ; Compositions and publications of the year ; The "Appassionata" sonata and Rasoumowsky quartets ; Reception of the quartets in Russia and England ; The concerto for violin -- Chapter V. Beethoven's friends and patrons in the first Lustrum of the nineteenth century ; Archduke Rudolph, an imperial pupil ; Count Andreas Rasoumowsky ; Countess Erdody ; Baroness Ertmann ; Marie Bigot ; Therese Malfatti ; Nanette Streicher ; Doctor Zizius ; Anecdotes -- Chapter VI. Princes and counts as theatrical directors: Beethoven appeals for an appointment ; Vain expectations ; Subscription concerts at Prince Lobkowitz's ; The symphony in B-flat ; Overture to "Coriolan" ; Contract with Clementi ; Errors in the dates of important letters ; The mass in C ; A falling-out with Hummel ; The "Leonore" overtures again ; Performances of Beethoven's works at the "Liebhaber" concerts ; The year 1807 -- Chapter VII. The year 1808 ; Johann van Beethoven collects a debt and buys and apothecary shop in Linz ; Wilhelm Rust ; Plans for new operas ; Sketches for "Macbeth" ; Imitative music and the "Pastoral" symphony ; Count Oppersdorff and the fourth symphony ; A call to Cassel ; Organization of Rasoumowsky's quartet ; Appreciation of Beethoven in Vienna: disagreement with orchestral musicians ; Mishaps as the performance of the choral fantasia -- Chapter VIII. Jerome Bonaparte's invitation ; A new plan to keep Beethoven in Vienna ; The annuity contract ; Ries's disappointment ; Farewell to Archduke Rudolph in sonata ; The siege and capitulation of Vienna ; Seyfried's "Studies" ; Reisig's songs ; An abandoned concert ; Commission for music to "Egmont" ; Increased cost of living in Vienna ; Dilatory debtors ; Products of 1809 -- Chapter IX. The years 1807-19: a retrospect ; Beethoven's intellectual development and attainments: growth after emancipation from domestic cares ; His natural disposition ; Eager in self-instruction ; Interest in Oriental studies ; His religious beliefs ; Attitude towards the church -- Chapter X. The year 1810 ; Disappointing decrease in productivity ; The music for "Egmont" ; Money from Clementi, and a marriage project ; A new infatuation prompts attention to dress ; Therese Malfatti ; Beethoven's relations with Bettina von Arnim ; Her correspondence with Goethe ; A question of authenticity discussed ; Beethoven's letter to Bettina ; An active year with publishers -- Chapter XI. The year 1811 ; Bettina von Arnim ; The letters between Beethoven and Goethe ; The great trio in B-flat ; Music for a new theatre in Pesth: "The ruins of Athens" and "King Stephen" ; Compositions and publications of the year -- Chapter XII. The year 1812 ; Reduction of income from the annuity ; The Austrian "Flioanzpatent" ; Legal obligation of the signers to the agreement ; First performance of the pianoforte concerto in E-flat ; A second visit to Teplitz ; Beethoven and Goethe ; Amalie Sebald ; Beethoven in Linz ; He drives his brother Johann into a detested marriage ; Rode and the sonata op. 96 ; Spohr ; The seventh and eighth symphonies ; Malzel and his metronome ; A canon and the allegretto of the eighth symphony -- Chapter XIII. The year 1813 ; Beethoven's journal ; Illness of Karl Kaspar van Beethoven ; He requests the appointment of his brother as guardian of his son ; Death of Prince Kinsky ; Obligations under the annuity agreement ; Beethoven's earnings ; Malzel and "Wellington's victory" ; Battle pieces and their popularity ; Postponement of the projected visit to London ; The seventh symphony ; Spohr on Beethoven's conducting ; Concerts, compositions and publications of the year -- Chapter XIV. The year 1814 ; Success of "Wellington's victory" ; Umlauf rescues a performance ; Revival and revision of "Fidelio" ; Changes made in the opera ; Success attained ; The eighth symphony ; Beethoven plays in the great trio in B-flat ; Anton Schindler appears on the scene ; The quarrel with Malzel ; Legal controversy and compromise ; Moscheles and the pianoforte score of "Fidelio" ; The Vienna congress ; Tribute from a Scottish poet ; Weissenbach ; Tomaschek ; Meyerbeer ; Rasoumowsky's palace destroyed by fire -- Chapter XV. The year 1815 ; New opera projects considered ; "Romulus and Remus" ; Settlements with the heirs of Prince Kinsky ; Unjust aspersions on the conduct of Kinsky and Lobkowitz ; "The mount of olives" in England ; Negotiations with English publishers ; Diabelli ; Charles Neate ; Death of Karl Kaspar van Beethoven ; His wishes with regard to the guardianship of his son ; Growth of Beethoven's intimacy with Schindler ; Compositions and publications of the year -- Chapter XVI. The year 1816 ; A commission from the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde ; Guardianship of nephew Karl ; Giannatasio del Rio ; Beethoven's music in London ; The philharmonic society ; Three overtures composed, bought and discarded ; Birchall and Neate ; The Erdodys ; Fanny Giannatasio ; "An die ferne Geliebte" ; Major-general Kyd ; Accusations against Neate ; Letters to Sir George Smart ; Anselm Huttenbrenner ; The year's productions -- Chapter XVII. The year 1817 ; Beethoven and the public journals of Vienna ; Fanny Giannatasio's journal ; Extracts from Beethoven's "Tagebuch" ; The London philharmonic society again ; Propositions submitted by Ries ; Nephew Karl and his mother ; Beethoven's pedagogical suggestions to Czerny ; Cipriani Potter ; Marschner ; Marie Pachler-Koschak ; Another mysterious passion ; Beethoven and Malzel's metronome ; An unproductive year -- Chapter XVIII. The year 1818 ; Gift of a pianoforte from John Broadwood ; The composer takes personal charge of his nephew ; His unfitness as foster-father and guardian ; Abandonment of his projected visit to London ; The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde's oratorio ; The nephew and a mother's legal struggle for possession of her son ; The case reviewed ; The predicate "van" and Beethoven's nobility ; Archdukie Rudolph becomes Archbishop of Olmutz ; Work on the mass in D, ninth symphony and grand trio in B-flat. |
