did Beethoven ever own a dog?

[Preston]

Simple question. I know he owned horses at one point around the age of 30, but apparently they were mistreated because he was not capable of looking after them properly. Though, looking at my dog (golden retriever) the other day I wondered, for some reason?, if Beethoven ever had a dog or if he even liked dogs?

[Michael]

I don't think there is any reference to B owning a dog, but he did set to music a poem on the death of a pet poodle (WoO 110, 1793).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGc3oHWBzxs

[Roehre]

I don't think there is any reference to B owning a dog, but he did set to music a poem on the death of a pet poodle (WoO 110, 1793).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGc3oHWBzxs

And this "Elegy" is not particularly a mournful piece either...

[Preston]

It sounds quite sad to me. And what I have read of the lyrics are quite touching - though I have only read little. After reading these things it sounds like Beethoven cared very much for the dog (plural sense)?

From Poodle Music:

The gist of the text (author unknown): You've died; tears flow; gave loyal, happy companionship; black...yet without imperfection; comforted me...gaiety and peace; everything we love is only loaned to us; and finally, the last line: "du, lebe fort und gaukele in Gedanken, Mir fröhliche Erinnerungen vor..." (see above), very roughly: You live on joyfully in my happy memories. For sheet music of this song, which echoes the feelings of every person who has lost a beloved Poodle: Beethoven: Lieder und Gesänge mit Klavier (Munich: G. Henle, 1990), vol. 1, p. 72 (#29). Here are two recordings: MPS, 168.004 (33RPM): Bonner Lieder; Lieder op. 52; Dressler Variationen; and, more recently (and easy to find): three-CD set of Beethoven lieder, Capriccio recording CAP10343/45. Music historians apparently feel obliged to observe that Beethoven himself treated the "Pudelselegie" as an allegory, which, for dog-lovers who also strive for that balanced attitude of mind while mourning, rather misses the point. It should come as no surprise that the Poodle temperament described in the poem is similar to that described by Goethe in Faust, part one, lines 1147-76 (see ...Lit 101).

If any of you members who speak German could translate more appropriately, that would be good, . Because Google Translate could not do the best job.

"Strib immer hin, es welken ja so viele
Der Freuden auf der Lebensbahn,
Oft, eh' sie welken in des Mittags Schwüle,
Fängt schon der Tod sie abzumähen an.


Auch meine Freude, du! Dir fliessen Zähren,
Wie Freunde selten Freunden weih'n,
Der Schmerz um dich kann nicht mein Aug' entehren,
Um dich Geschöpf, geschaffen, mich zu freu'n.


Allgeber gab dir diese feste Treue,
Dir diesen immer frohen Sinn
Für Tiere nicht! Damit ein Mensch sich freue,
Schuf er dich so, und mein war der Gewinn.


Oft, wenn ich, des Gewühles satt und müde,
Mich gern der eklen Welt entwöhnt,
Hast du, das Aug' voll Munterkeit und Friede,
Mit Welt und Menschen wieder mich versöhnt.


Du warst so rein von aller Tück' und Fehle
Als schwarz dein krauses Seidenhaar,
Wie manchen Menschen kannt' ich, dessen Seele
So schwarz als deine Aussenseite war.


Trüb sind die Augenblicke unsres Lebens,
Froh ward mir mancher nur durch dich,
Du lebtest kurz und lebtest nicht vergebens,
Das rühmt ach selten nur ein Mensch von sich.


Doch soll dein Tod mich nicht zu sehr betrüben,
Du warst ja stets des Lachens Freund,
Geliehen ist uns alles, was wir lieben,
Kein Erdenglück bleibt lange unbeweint.


Mein Herz soll night mit dem Verhängnis zanken
Um eine Lust, die es velor;
Du lebe fort und gaukle im Gedanken
Mir fröhliche Erinnerungen vor."

TRANSLATES INTO ENGLISH (ROUGHLY)

"Strib always out, it faded so many
The joys of life on the train,
Often, before they wilt in the midday humidity,
Already starts at the death they mow.


Also, my joy, you! Dir flowing tears,
As friends often weih'n friends
The pain for you can not dishonor my eye,
To subscribe creature created to freu'n me.


Allgeber gave you this firm loyalty,
You always this happy sense
Not for animals! For a man looking forward to
He created you so much, and my profit was.


Often, when I tired of the hustle and tired
Weaned me like the loathsome world,
Do you have that eye full of cheerfulness and peace,
With the world and people reconciled myself again.


You were so free from all malice 'and error
When your black silk hair frizzy,
Like some people I knew someone whose soul
As black as your outside was.


Turbidity are the moments of our lives,
I was just glad some of you,
You have lived and short-lived not in vain,
Oh that prides itself on rarely only one person.


But your death will not sadden me too much,
You were always the laughing friend
Loaned us everything that we love,
No earthly happiness remains long unlamented.


My heart will quarrel with the fatal night
A pleasure that it Velor;
You continue to live in thoughts and jugglers
Happy memories to me before. "

[Michael]

That's some Google translation, Preston. Maybe the dog committed suicide. Here's a slightly better one:

Die in spite of everything, so many pleasures
fade, after all, on our journey through life.
Even before they wither in the midday heat,
death often begins to cut them down in their prime.

Even you, my joy! For you tears flow freely
such as friends rarely shed for friends;
pain at your passing cannont dishonour my eye.
I grieve for you, a mere creature, created to give me joy.

And yet your death shall not sadden me too much;
you wee always fond of laughter;
all that we love is on loan to us;
no earthly joy remains unwept for long.

My heart shall not rail at fate
on account of the joy it has lost;
you go on living and, in my thoughts,
conjure up happy memories.

(Not one of Anon's better works. I think I prefer your Google version!)

[Quijote]

I never read in the literature that B had a dog, but I remember playing a forgettable work called Pizzicato for a Poodle in my school orchestra many years ago. I can't recall the composer, but I do remember not asking myself if it was by Beethoven.

[Preston]

Michael - lol! The google translation is much more poetic, that's for sure, ! It comes from the supposed original poem.

Though, I quite like it too because I have a deep respect for the dog. It is certainly a unique and different creature.

(intersting link about the dog throughout history)
http://asiapacificuniverse.com/pkm/dogstory.htm

[Quijote]

I also remember reading in the literature that when B was a young boy in Bonn, he took particular delight in wringing the neck of some chicken or other he and one of his brothers had managed to catch. In fairness, they did ask Mama to cook it and enjoyed eating it later.
A propos dogs, I was in China some years ago (yes Philip, you mentioned this before) and quite liked dog meat. Not so much pizzicato then, more of an émincé de chien. Must dash, my son is hungry.

[Peter]

In the first Beethoven's Wig picture book for children, Perlmutter's lyrics to Beethoven's 5th Symphony are illustrated by artist Maria Rosetti. Each picture captures a moment in the song, which describes Beethoven's gigantic, titanic, monumental and colossal wig. In the book, Beethoven's pet dog, cat, bird, and a little mouse follow the great composer and his wig through city and country, out to sea and into outer space. The animals enjoy skiing, boating and surfing, and help shampoo and "mow" the wig after Beethoven is refused service at the barber shop of Vidal Bassoon. It all end happily at the concert hall when all the musicians pop out of the wig to play!

Throughout the book, Perlmutter's lyrics and the actual notes to the Fifth Symphony are music woven into the illustrations. When Beethoven's dog walks along the music staff its paw prints become notes. And when Beethoven's fish commandeers a submarine and his cat goes scuba diving, little fish in the ocean become notes too. If you can read music, you can actually play right along as you sing the tune of the song "Beethoven's Wig!"

There is a bonus CD with the book that contains three Beethoven's Wig songs. Two are among the group's best-loved songs, "Beethoven's Wig," and "Beep Beep Beep." The third, which is only available with the book, is the hilarious "Minuet For My Pet," a tender homage to a dancing horse, set to Beethoven's famous "Minuet in G." The CD also includes three classical pieces by Beethoven without lyrics – "5th Symphony," "Moonlight Sonata," and "Minuet in G."

I hasten to add this is not a book I use to teach with - the next generation are going to grow up with some very weird ideas about Beethoven - most probably think he is a St.Bernard as it is!

[PDG]

Well, Beethoven certainly did have a dog. But Ludwig just couldn't think of a name for his faithful companion, so he thought he'd base a name on the key of the dog's bark. That turned out to be F major, and so impressed was Ludwig with the sound of his friend's language, that he tried to get the bark published. But, alas, no publisher was interested ("Those cattle, those asses!").

So Beethoven resigned himself to leaving to posterity, this miniature work as unpublished, WoO.F...

[Megan]

Well, Beethoven certainly did have a dog. But Ludwig just couldn't think of a name for his faithful companion, so he thought he'd base a name on the key of the dog's bark. That turned out to be F major, and so impressed was Ludwig with the sound of his friend's language, that he tried to get the bark published. But, alas, no publisher was interested ("Those cattle, those asses!").

So Beethoven resigned himself to leaving to posterity, this miniature work as unpublished, WoO.F...

Hello PDG, welcome back!

[Michael]

So Beethoven resigned himself to leaving to posterity, this miniature work as unpublished, WoO.F...

You're mixing this work up with one of Mozart's early works: K9.

By the way, welcome bark!