Does a book that covers LvB year by year exist?

[Lindegard]

Hello, Colleagues, I am looking for a book or Web site that covers everything that happened in Beethoven's life, by category, year by year. So, chapters would be the years (1800, 1801, etc.), and within these chapters would be sub-categories broken down by date and month, such as (when applicable to a year): Works Composed, Works Published, Residences, Romances (real and imagined), Pupils (some overlap with Romances here!), Sketchbooks, Tagebuch, Letters From, Letters To, Ephemera, Portraits, Travels, Friends Arrive/Leave, Pianos, etc. This would be much more than a Chronology.

I know there are many events for which scholars do not agree on the year (such as the arrival of Ferdinand Ries in Vienna). Such entries could be parenthesized in both chapters, or some other method of dealing with uncertainties could be developed.

Writing my novel about LvB, I would have found such a resource extremely helpful. I am seriously considering attempting to put something like this together (like over the next 10 years!) if it does not already exist. Thanks for any information or general feedback! Lindegard

[thesunlover]

I want to have a book like this too.

[Michael]

Thayer's monumental life has a chapter devoted to each year and it details the compositions and publications of each year. I don't know how updated a modern-day edition would be - I bought mine in 1971 and there has been a huge amount of ongoing Beethoven scholarship since then.

Edited by Barry Cooper, "The Beethoven Compendium" is not a biography as such but it's an invaluable addition to any library. It's divided into many of the categories that you mention and I have always found it useful as a reference book. It is quite detailed.

This review is taken from the amazon link below:

"Undoubtedly thousands of books have been written about Beethoven, but what sets this one apart from the others is its well-organized and exhaustive structure. Perhaps the best way to highlight this for the prospective buyer is to list the actual sections contained in this book.
1. Calendar of Beethoven's life, works and related events
2. Beethoven's family tree
3. Who's who of Beethoven's contemporaries
4. Historical background
5. Musical background
6. Beethoven as an individual
7. Beethoven's beliefs and opinions.
Following section 7 are several more sections dedicated solely to his music. As you can see, this book offers several aspects that many others neglect to include. This structure also affords one the opportunity to go directly to an area of interest without having to wade through myriad pages. Also included are eight pages of paintings, sculptures and sketches of the maestro. This book is equally at home in the bathroom, on the coffee table, or in the study. It is an invaluable source of information for anyone desiring to learn more about this amazing genius."


http://www.amazon.com/The-Beethoven-.../dp/0500278717



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[Lindegard]

Thanks, Michael! Yes, in my case, the B Compendium is never far from my elbow. :-) It's a terrific resource, but it still takes a bit of doing to track down EVERYthing that happened in a given month. Also some things are not there. Is there anything in Cooper about Beethoven supposedly being born with a caul (sort of a placental membrane over his head)? Soloman refers to this in "Beethoven." Also, it's probably time for a new edition of the Compendium. Re: the aforementioned Ries arrival date, doesn't recent scholarship suggest he came to Vienna in '03 rather than '01? At any rate, LvB is certainly an obsessing, rewarding study in every possible sense! :-) Lindegard

[Michael]

Barry Cooper's biography of Beethoven (not to be confused with the compendium) is as painstakingly accurate as can be, and everything in it is backed up by documentary evidence as far as possible.

There is no mention of the composer having been born with a caul. In the preface, Cooper states that “surprisingly little is known for certain about Beethoven. Much is based on the accumulation of a weight of data that merely renders certain conclusions almost inescapable, others fairly probable, and others highly speculative or dubious, though not impossible.”

To take one example, Cooper points out that the account of Beethoven’s famous meeting with Mozart in Vienna is based purely on hearsay.

I would imagine that the story of the caul is another legend - but here is a case where the novelist (as opposed to the biographer) can make his own decisions.

[Peter]

To take one example, Cooper points out that the account of Beethoven’s famous meeting with Mozart in Vienna is based purely on hearsay.

Since this was the sole purpose of Beethoven's trip, I find it unlikely a meeting didn't take place during the few weeks Beethoven was in Vienna, so I'd put this in the 'probable' category.

[Michael]

Since this was the sole purpose of Beethoven's trip, I find it unlikely a meeting didn't take place during the few weeks Beethoven was in Vienna, so I'd put this in the 'probable' category.

I agree, Peter, especially as Beethoven in later life was able to describe Mozart's style of piano playing.

But I was referring to the account of the meeting which sounds a little too good to be true, especially Mozart saying: "This young man will make a great noise in the world" - and all that sort of thing.

It could easily have occurred as described -Haydn was quick to spot the genius in Beethoven, so why not Mozart - but nobody knows for sure.

[Lindegard]

Hi, Michael, yes, I got the 'caul theory' from Solomon, who 'inferred' it from LvB's comment that he was "born with an obbligato accompaniment." Well, it's useful in my work of fiction, but you're right, there's no scholarly evidence to support it as fact. Lindegard

[Lindegard]

Mozart, LvB

I don't have the reference handy, but I was converted to the idea that LvB DID meet and play for Mozart based on a later conversation book note by Karl the Nephew. Karl asks, "So, did you meet Mozart?" We don't have B's reply, possibly spoken. Then Karl writes, "And what was he like?" To me, that implies that B gave him an affirmative answer.

It's unlikely that Karl would have written that follow-up question if B had said, "No, but I saw him across a room as I was leaving town." It's only a skinny thread of shaky evidence, but it's close enough. :-) Lindegard (I have to start taking notes when I read interesting tidbits like that in respectable sources!)

[Michael]

Oh, yes, it's almost certain that he did meet Mozart, but what Mozart is supposed to have said sounds like legend.
There is another reference to Mozart somewhere in the conversation books, or maybe in a letter, to the effect that Beethoven described Mozart's style of piano playing as being "choppy" - which sounds like the result of direct observation.

John Suchet describes the meeting in his "fictional biography" of Beethoven in a rather strange scene that has Mozart behaving in a weird fashion. Suchet admits that many scenes in his three volume "life" are purely imaginary but he states that "nothing is included that could NOT have happened."




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[Lindegard]

Found a supplementary resource that includes LvB addresses, very helpful for those of us who need to imagine places along with activities:

http://www.ringnebula.com/Beet/B_1804.htm

(This URL is for 1804, which I was searching, but the author includes all the years). Very nice tribute and useful tool by an LvB enthusiast to use in conjunction with scholarly sources.

Lindegard

[Junggai]

Since this was the sole purpose of Beethoven's trip, I find it unlikely a meeting didn't take place during the few weeks Beethoven was in Vienna, so I'd put this in the 'probable' category.

Actually, this is an interesting point. Are you aware of Dieter Haberl's recent article about Beethoven's first Vienna trip? While working on the so-called "Regensburg Diarium," which is an exhaustive ledger of who came and went from that city, Haberl was able to establish that Beethoven left Bonn much earlier than previously believed. The new chronology means that B was in Vienna for over ten weeks.

Source: Beethovens erste Reise nach Wien: Die Datierung seiner Schülerreise zu W. A. Mozart, in: Neues musikwissenschaftliches Jahrbuch, hrsg. v. Marianne Danckwardt und Johannes Hoyer, Augsburg: Wißner Verlag, 14. Jg. (2006), S. 215–255.

[Quijote]

Hello Junggai,
I read recently new research (forum member Michael will confirm this) about the chronology of Beethoven's early trip to Vienna. I'll try to dig it out and find the relevant info. Unless Michael beats me to it (which I hope he does).

[AeolianHarp]

How exciting you are writing a novel about Beethoven! Here in Britain we have a former newsreader and now classical music radio presenter John Suchet- he is mad about Beethoven and has been studying him for years and written loads of books.He wants to know all there is about Ludwig! Here is his website:

http://www.johnsuchet.co.uk/

He might have the information you seek.
Let us know how you get on- i'd buy your novel!