Middle Period

VIENNA 1810 (Age 39 years)

POLITICAL CLIMATE: A police state existed at this time and Love for the Kaiserwas mixed with dread of the secret police. There was a sense of fear and uncertainly following the Habsburg submission to Napoleon (following the defeats of 1797-1809) along with a sense of national impotence since the death of Joseph II; with his death there was a diminished hope for the enlightened despotism he had espoused. In this era of failed political nerve and a decrease in outward concern for the human condition, music became an expression of these uncensorable statements. The High Classic style was not trivial but expressed a utopian ideal. Womanhood was Idealized and a commercialized view of sex and marriage obtained. The greater works of Mozart, Haydn and early Beethoven contradicted Viennese life where gaiety disguised a sense of loss, courtly grace was penetrated by brusque and dissonant elements. Fantasy was mixed with profound expression. Boneparte's image actually replaced Christ's in many homes in Europe. Beethoven rejected hierarchial orthodoxy in liturgical and in secular life and so had conflicts with Bonaparte in terms of his image as a hero and the reality of his brutality and repression.

1809 was a traumatic time in Vienna during which time Napoleon's forces bombarded and occupied Vienna.

His friend, Ferdinand Ries, recalled that during a loud bombing attack in May 1809, Beethoven tried to protect himself and what remained of his hearing by evacuating to the basement of his brother's house, there covering his ears with pillows.

image from 1809-10

CREATIVE / FINANCIAL:Decreased Composition from 1810-1811

The annuity payments promised to Beethoven became irregular, and then with Kinsky's sudden accidental death, Lobkowitz's bankruptcy, and the French invasion of Vienna causing marked monetary inflation, Beethoven's financial position became insecure. He reacted by redoubling his focus on selling his compositions.

MEDICAL:Beethoven continued to seek medical advise and treatment for his several ailments including his now marked hearing loss associated with tinnitus. He was thereby not able to keep up with conversations, especially in noisy environments, causing him to withdraw from those settings. In addition, he found that he could not adequately perform, which led him increasingly toward composition as a means of income rather than performance.

MUSIC: Beethoven's music was influenced by French heroic style during these years. A four note motto was often used, e.g.: Harp quartet, 4th piano conc., Appassionata, 5th symph. Key of c was now used to express the heroic rather than pathos (e.g. 5th sym). The 4 notes are never twiused in the same way however.

ROMANTIC:Beethoven proposed marriage to the 19 yo Therese Malfatti, which was rejected. But, it appears as though Beethoven remained in love with the Brunsvik's youngest daughter, Josephine - now for over a decade. She, in turn had returned his affection, but - in the end she later married Count Josef Deym, a happy marriage, but one that lasted only a short time with his sudden death in 1804. Many love letters were written to her over the years 1804-1805 and beyond (see Anderson's Letters from those years), but by 1807 - under pressure from her family and with the knowledge that her ongoing relationship with Beethoven could result in the loss of her children, she withdrew from him and three years later, in 1810, she married Baron von Stackelberg.

Letter to Wegeler admitting depression & increasing deafness: "...Yet I would be happy, perhaps one of the happiest of men, if the demon had not settled in my ears. - If I had not read somewhere that man must not voluntarily part with his life as long as he can still perform a good deed, I would long ago have ceased to be - and, indeed, by my own hand. - Oh, life is so beautiful, but for me it is poisoned forever. - " B. also asked that his baptismal certificate be sent from Bonn (evidently related to marriage proposal made that month). [per Solomon]

Letter from B. to Wegeler: "I am sure you will not refuse me a friendly request, if I beg you to see to my certificate of baptism." -- Breuning has a running account with you, you can at once pay yourself, and I can settle everything here with Steffan, -- If you yourself think it worth the trouble to hunt up the matter, and care to make the journey from Coblenz to Bonn, put everything down to my account. -- But there is one thing that you must bear in mind, namely that a brother was born before me who was also called Ludwig, only with the additional name Maria, but he died. In order to fix my age beyond doubt, this brother must first be found, in as much as I already know that in this respect a mistake has been made by others and I have been said to be older than I am -- I have lived for a long time without, unfortunately, knowing myself how old I am. -- I had a family register but it has been lost -- heaven knows why -- So do not be angry if I commend this matter very warmly to you, viz. to find out about the Ludwig Maria and the present Ludwig who came after him -- The sooner you send the certificate the greater will be my obligation. -- [Anderson p2730 per Man of His Word p71]