Middle Period

VIENNA 1811 (Age 40 years)

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.

During the Spring of 1811 Beethoven developed high fever, headaches, etc. His doctor advised a stay at the Bohemian spa town of Teplitz. Beethoven spent six weeks there. Six months later, during the winter of 1812, while working on the Seventh Symphony, Beethoven again became ill, prompting his physician to again advise his moving back to Teplitz during the Summer months; during which time he wrote the letter to his "immortal Beloved," which was never sent.

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 twice used 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.

lifemast image from 1812