Beethoven and his squalid home

[Chaszz]

I've come to think, as a result of general experience, that people who live more or less in squalor and in slovenly surroundings do not respect themselves, perhaps on an unconscious level. Do you think this was true of Beethoven?

[Peter]

Don't forget Beethoven's 'homes' were always temporary and he was rarely in the same place for two years. Beethoven also had servants, a cook and housekeeper so he cannot have been living continuously in 'squalor' especially as he had his nephew living with him for many years. I think a lot of the accounts we read of Beethoven can present a distorted picture (generally from his last years) - for example in his youth he was known to be smartly turned out, yet the dishevelled image from the later years is the one most people think of. Undoubtedly he grew more eccentric as his deafness progressed and as his hopes for a wife faded.

[AeolianHarp]

I agree with Peter. He was known to have had a bath every morning and often washed more than once a day. I think the resports of the mess in his piano room were a result of his creative bursts and not wanting to stop to tidy up.

[Michael]

Beethoven certainly didn't have a loss of self-respect - you only have to listen to his music and read his correspondence to realise that. However, he was extremely absent-minded, especially when composing. That occupation usually took up about ninety per cent. of his time (except when his nephew was involved). His friends looked out for him and, when it was necessary, left out new clean clothes for him and he hardly ever noticed.

(By the way, welcome to the forum, Aeolian.)

[Megan]

Also I believe he had a cook and cleaner, I guess she would be too petrified to touch his music sheets and papers he was working on, even if they were strewn everywhere, I guess he had his own system of knowing exactly where things were.

[Albert Gans]

Beethoven and tidiness

Another element that plays into this is the fact that Beethoven regularly was ill in his life time. This didn't help either, I sure know it doens't help me !

At times, his character seems to indicate that he was very formal and 'could play the game', but at the same time, he also was quite rebellious. I think that this trait probably also manifested itself in the 'eccentric' way he used to dress occasionally.

Neither of these elements I consider to be flaws, by the way. But no doubt, there were times he just didn't care.

[AeolianHarp]

Beethoven certainly didn't have a loss of self-respect - you only have to listen to his music and read his correspondence to realise that. However, he was extremely absent-minded, especially when composing. That occupation usually took up about ninety per cent. of his time (except when his nephew was involved). His friends looked out for him and, when it was necessary, left out new clean clothes for him and he hardly ever noticed.

(By the way, welcome to the forum, Aeolian.)

Thanks for the welcome Michael! I agree, Beethoven had a lot of self respect for himself ( think about how he refused to bow to the aristocracy and his letter about there being many princes and only one of himself lol...) and of course his wonderful music.

I think he was a wonderful, fascinating man!

[AeolianHarp]

Also I believe he had a cook and cleaner, I guess she would be too petrified to touch his music sheets and papers he was working on, even if they were strewn everywhere, I guess he had his own system of knowing exactly where things were.

I read that one maid used one of his music manuscripts to light the fire- the insolent girl!

[Harvey]

Whatever his home, or personal appearance may have been, he was a genius. I liken him to the musical version of Albert Einstein. I may be wrong, but that is the impression I get.

[AeolianHarp]

Whatever his home, or personal appearance may have been, he was a genius. I liken him to the musical version of Albert Einstein. I may be wrong, but that is the impression I get.

A good likeness!

[Megan]

Whatever his home, or personal appearance may have been, he was a genius. I liken him to the musical version of Albert Einstein. I may be wrong, but that is the impression I get.

Ah, but Ludwig wasn't so good at Maths.

Welcome to the forum by the way.


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[AeolianHarp]

Ah, but Ludwig wasn't so good at Maths.

Welcome to the forum by the way.


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He must have had some skill with numbers to write such perfectly timed music!

[Harvey]

Certainly mathematics and music are divinely interwoven.