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    My latest acquisition

    Ok... If you're so curious about my acquisition that you can't read the story behind it, scroll down to the bottom and look at the pictures. Otherwise, I need to tell a story of how I got this:

    My cousin invites me to a church benefit/charity concert. I've never been to the church before and I thought it would be nice to go so I accept. I get there and manage to walk around the church and into the back where they have a children's wing and other rooms. One of the rooms was what they called the "Children's Center" or library for kids. So I walk in and I glance around the place: Dr Seuss, Cat in the Hat, stuffed animals of monkeys and tigers, childrens books, big Beethoven statue, Jesus portrait... wait! Beethoven?? I jolt my head back and WOW! I see this huge statue that freezes me in my place. I'm staring at this thing with my jaw dropped to the floor. It's Beethoven! More specifically, it's a replica of the Beethoven monument in Vienna. You know the one: he looks like a god on a throne scowling down at all of us peons.

    I could not believe that a church would have this and would even want it in their library. But more importantly, I kept pondering how this thing managed to get here. First, before I go on, you need to understand that I'm a fanatical collector of composer stuff: busts, prints, bookends -I've even got bumperstickers and bobbleheads- and when I saw this I was gazing on something I knew I had to have. So being the self-centered opportunist I am, I ask around about it. To make a long story short, I find out that they didn't even know it was Beethoven. They thought it was just "a nice man in a robe looking pious." Although this was sad, as anyone who has had elementary school music should know what Beethoven looks like, I seized the moment and asked flat out to buy it.

    At first they were a little confused and in a complex series of events, I got distracted and eventually left the church. But I had the intention to come back and talk to the pastor who would be the best person to make a deal. I tell my cousin about this statue and he was so kind that he offered to talk to the pastor himself (them being friends) to see if he would trade or sell it. My cousin talks to the pastor and the pastor says he actually didn't even want the statue and would give it to me for free! This was too good to be true, and somehow I thought getting something great for free was wrong. I decided to make a large donation to their church (I won't say how much; but it's how much the statue means to me) and my cousin delivered this heavy marble-like statue just a few minutes ago.

    Look, I'm in North Carolina and maybe they sell these things over in Vienna like hotcakes, but I'm still amazed I found this exquisite thing in a Church children's library next to a Pokemon stuffed animal. I'm downright excited to have this and it just looks astounding. The size of it is what blows me away; it's huge.

    I wanted to share this with anyone interested so I took some quick pictures with my webcam. Sorry about the quality, but it's just to give you an idea of the statue's grandeur:








    #2
    How wonderful for you and what a story! Sometimes strange things do happen! Thanks for sharing the pictures. That was great!

    ------------------
    'Truth and beauty joined'
    'Truth and beauty joined'

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      #3
      Give you joy of your Beethoven statue!

      ------------------
      To learn about "The Port-Wine Sea," my parody of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin series, please contact me at
      susanwenger@yahoo.com

      To learn about "The Better Baby" book, ways to increase a baby's intelligence, health, and potentials, please use the same address.
      To learn about "The Port-Wine Sea," my parody of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin series, please contact me at
      susanwenger@yahoo.com

      To learn about "The Better Baby" book, ways to increase a baby's intelligence, health, and potentials, please use the same address.

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        #4
        Very nice story!

        ------------------
        'Man know thyself'
        'Man know thyself'

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          #5
          You are one lucky puppy, Nightklavier. What are the odds that you found by accident this statue in that church and that they didn't even know that it was Beethoven? Then they let you have it for free on top of that. Boy, you were in the right place at the right time.

          I love this statue of Beethoven by Caspar Clemens von Zumbush. The original sits in Beethovenplatz here in Vienna as you mentioned. To tell you the truth I have never seen copies of von Zumbush's Beethoven being sold in any of the shops here in Vienna. Your statue is the first I have ever seen. Most of the statues of Beethoven you see here are either just a bust or ones of him full figure and standing. Back when I was living in L.A. I had a large standing Beethoven statue (who was about two and a half feet tall) that I wasn't able to bring with me when I moved here to Vienna. He now stands guard in my best friend's garden and has been there for over 15 years.

          Here are some photos of this wonderful von Zumbush statue in Vienna from Domimique Prevot's lovely Beethoven site: http://www.lvbeethoven.com/MeetLvB/A...ueZumbush.html

          Once again I congratulate you on your great stroke of luck and latest addition to your Beethoven collection.




          ------------------
          "God knows why it is that my pianoforte music always makes the worst impression on me, especially when it is played badly."
          - Beethoven 1804.
          "God knows why it is that my pianoforte music always makes the worst impression on me, especially when it is played badly." -Beethoven 1804.

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            #6
            The only similar experience I have was when at a school jumble sale I came across an extremely rare hardback edition of Thayer's Life of Beethoven, in a presentation box in absolutely mint condition, I don't think a single page had ever been turned. The price was a mere £2. In a typical act of generosity I gave £5.

            ------------------
            "If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
            http://classicalmusicmayhem.freeforums.org

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              #7
              Nice one, Nightklavier!
              My only purchase worth mentioning was of some of Beethoven's original sketches for the Ninth Symphony. An aunt of mine was using them to line the bottom of her bird cage. They were rather torn and the handwriting was atrocious and I foolishly gave her two pounds for them. My wife objected to the smell so I threw them in the fire.

              Michael

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                #8
                Here is another item worth collecting, Nightklavier (and this is a genuine news item!)

                CHICAGO (Reuters) - Beethoven composed many enduring symphonies, but now a Chicago company wants to make a Beethoven piece that lasts forever -- a diamond made out of strands of the 18th-century composer's hair.

                LifeGem Memorials, a company that first gained attention in 2002 by making diamonds out of the carbon from cremated human remains, now says it can make diamonds out of human hair, allowing people to bury their loved ones but still have a memento they can carry with them.

                To publicize this -- and to raise money for charity -- the company has teamed with John Reznikoff, who is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest and most valuable collection of celebrity hair.


                Reznikoff is giving six to 10 strands of Beethoven's hair to LifeGem, which will use it in a process to create three diamonds of between 0.5 and 1 carat in weight.

                Greg Herro, chief executive officer of LifeGem, said the diamonds will initially be put on a worldwide tour of museums and opera houses for about half a year as the company tries to gain attention for its ability to make diamonds from hair.

                "We thought, well, what better way to do it than with an international icon who is known to millions," Herro said.

                Eventually, the diamonds will be sold at auction, with the proceeds donated to raise money for military families, Herro said.

                Reznikoff, who has about 115 hair samples in his collection -- including locks from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Dickens -- noted that Beethoven has wide appeal. The composer's music has been used in jazz, disco and rock songs, including the use of the familiar da-da-da-dum beginning to Symphony No. 5 in the Electric Light Orchestra's version of "Roll Over Beethoven."

                Michael

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                  #9
                  oh wow nightklavier that's a cool story. And I can't believe you got it for free. Amazing. Still some nice people left :-) I am sure the pastor realized how passionate you are about Beethoven.

                  Funny enough I also was lucky to buy a nice Beethoven Memorablia in an auction last week. It's the rare first Festschrift of 15 years Beethovenhaus in Bonn from 1904. It's a beautiful book in a very good condition (no stains, no water stains, the cover very nice, I suppose it's been in an attic over those 102 years) containing the history of the first 15years of the Beethoven Haus, its members, patrons, programmes of Beethoven concerts from 1890, musicians, Beethovens belongings, instruments etc. being bought by the Beethoven Haus and and and...
                  It also contains a couple of photographs and very nice reproductions of some Beethoven letters (they look almost real, given the original paper and the way the letters were reprinted, very nice) and compostions. It feels as if you are holding the originals.
                  Very pleased with my new book :-)

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                  *~Ja, was haben's da scho wieder gmacht, Beethoven?~*

                  [This message has been edited by Anthina (edited 05-13-2006).]
                  *~Ja, was haben's da scho wieder gmacht, Beethoven?~*

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                    #10

                    Great story Knightklavier ! So thrilling !

                    I once found a very rare early steel engraving of JS Bach at a book sale in London. It was the first (I understand) made in England of the composer and is of wonderful workmanship. Trying not to show too much interest I grabbed several prints and asked the seller 'How much for each of these ?'. I managed to get it for 5 British Pounds - around 10 US Dollars.

                    More recently I've been delighted to get hold of a German edition of the thematic catalogue of all JS Bach's works and one also for Franz Schubert - both hugely comprehensive and costing me less than 10 dollars for them both. Great treasures in my book collection.

                    Tremendous statue. You must be so happy.

                    Robert

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Rod:
                      The only similar experience I have was when at a school jumble sale I came across an extremely rare hardback edition of Thayer's Life of Beethoven, in a presentation box in absolutely mint condition, I don't think a single page had ever been turned. The price was a mere £2. In a typical act of generosity I gave £5.

                      I bought a paperback edition of this work in London in 1971 for three pounds, new. I thought this was quite reasonable being the (then) cost of two full-price long-playing records. Unfortunately, after thirty odd years, the spine is starting to give way (Thayer's, not mine) so you did considerably better with your hardback edition.

                      Michael

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Michael:
                        I bought a paperback edition of this work in London in 1971 for three pounds, new. I thought this was quite reasonable being the (then) cost of two full-price long-playing records. Unfortunately, after thirty odd years, the spine is starting to give way (Thayer's, not mine) so you did considerably better with your hardback edition.

                        Michael

                        I bought my original Thayer softback about twenty years ago, it cost £12 new from the famous London bookshop Foyles, in Charing Cross Road.

                        ------------------
                        "If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin
                        http://classicalmusicmayhem.freeforums.org

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