Was Beethoven a lefty?

[Zevy]

I recently read that Beethoven was left handed. Does anyone know if this was true?

Thanks,

Zevy

[Megan]

We can conclude from a study of portraits and drawings of Beethoven that he was right handed. Take for instance the Stieler portrait, B. is holding the score of the Missa Solemnis in his left hand and a pencil in the right one.
There is also a drawing of B. in 1820's holding a walking cane in his Right hand.
And a drawing by Klosson - B. sits at a table in a public house reading a newspaper in left hand and pipe in his right hand.
Actually thinking of it, I wouldn't rule out that Beethoven may well have been ambidextrous!

He may well have been right handed, but he sure had two left feet !

.

[Athea]

Originally posted by Megan:

He may well have been right handed, but he sure had two left feet !
.

Why do you think?


[This message has been edited by Athea (edited 07-20-2006).]

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Zevy:
I recently read that Beethoven was left handed. Does anyone know if this was true?

Dear Zevy;

Despite the fact that Beethoven's name appears amongst the musicians on a left-handers website, Beethoven WAS NOT A LEFTY!

I wrote to the website in question and asked for their source. The website openly admitted that they had no source and they took it for granted because one of their subscribers wrote that Beethoven was a lefty. I told the website that they were mistaken and I suggested that they remove Beethoven's name, but they steadfastly refused stating that the website was established primarilly to address the problems left-handers face daily and the accuracy of their "lefty listing" was a very minor issue.


Righthanded Hofrat

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Megan:

He may well have been right handed, but he sure had two left feet !

Dear Athea;

Megan was referring to the fact that Beethoven was a very poor dancer.


Hofrat

[Athea]

Originally posted by Hofrat:

Dear Athea;

Megan was referring to the fact that Beethoven was a very poor dancer.

Ah, I forgot all about it, yes, Beethoven as a dancer, it's so funny image, ha ha

[Ateach Asc]

Even more important to B's musical styles is the fact that from those styles we can conclude that one of his legs was shorter than the other. But noone is sure which one of the two.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Ateach Asc:
Even more important to B's musical styles is the fact that from those styles we can conclude that one of his legs was shorter than the other. But noone is sure which one of the two.

Everyone's a comedian here!

------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[robert newman]

It was definitely Beethoven's left leg that was shorter than his right one. The only problem is we don't know if it was his left leg relative to us as observers (and therefore possibly his right leg relative to Beethoven himself) !

I love the fact that Beethoven was a clumsy dancer and didn't like dancing. Great. I'm the very same and like him never dance in public. Don't know if it's true but I read somewhere that Beethoven said 'I dance within myself, isn't that enough ?', or something similar.


[This message has been edited by robert newman (edited 07-23-2006).]

[Athea]

I LOVE dancing!!! Though I danced with clumsier people than Beethoven ever was

[Joy]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Beethoven did like to dance when he was younger although he wasn't very good at it.

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

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Joy:
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Beethoven did like to dance when he was younger although he wasn't very good at it.

What about Bruckner, who loved a beer and a dance? Just imagine the poor ol' short hillbilie composer trying his luck at the pub.



------------------
"Wer ein holdes weib errugen..."

[Nightklavier]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa: What about Bruckner, who loved a beer and a dance? Just imagine the poor ol' short hillbilie composer trying his luck at the pub.

Wagner was also fond of dancing. He once said about Beethoven's Seventh Symphony: "if anyone plays the Seventh, tables and benches, cans and cups, the grandmother, the blind and the lame, aye, the children in the cradle fall to dancing." When he heard Liszt play the transcription on piano, he championed his own theory and started dancing to the music.

I'm sure the egomaniac said similar things about his own music and danced to Parsifal or Lohengrin.

[robert newman]

Not to be more controversial but......JS Bach probably wrote more dance music than Johann Strauss !

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:

Originally posted by Joy:
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Beethoven did like to dance when he was younger although he wasn't very good at it.

What about Bruckner, who loved a beer and a dance? Just imagine the poor ol' short hillbilie composer trying his luck at the pub.

That's the first time in ages I've seen Bruckner referred to as a "hillbillie composer"!