"Geduld, so heißt es, sie muß ich nun zur Führerin wählen: ich habe es. Dauernd, hoffe ich, soll mein Entschluß sein, auszuharren, bis es den unerbittlichen Parzen gefällt, den Faden zu brechen. Vielleicht gehts besser, vielleicht nicht: ich bin gefaßt. Schon in meinem 28. Jahre gezwungen, Philosoph zu werden, es ist nicht leicht, für den Künstler schwerer als für irgend jemand. . . . " (Patience it is that I must choose as my guide: I have done so. Permanent, as I hope, will be my resolution to persevere until it pleases the inexorable parcae to cut the thread. Perhaps, it will get better, perhaps not: I am resolved. Already in my 28th year I was forced to become a philosopher: it is not easy, more difficult for the artist than for anyone. . . .)
Beethoven wrote these words in his "Heiligenstadt Will" in October, 1802. According to them and obviously due to his hearing loss, he tried, at least, to "become a philosopher", when he had actually already lived half of his life span--if we consider that he only reached the age of 56 years and that he actually wrote these words in his thirtieth year.
Here, we might wish to ask ourselves what help he had in this attempt. We find an answer to this question in his letter of June, 1801, to his friend Franz Gerhard Wegeler, "Ich habe schon oft den Schöpfer und mein Dasein verflucht; Plutarch hat mich zu der Resignation geführt" (Schmidt, Beethoven=Briefe: 20; "Often, I have cursed the Creator and my existence; Plutarch has taught me resignation.).
For more of this fascinating article:
http://www.raptusassociation.org/niebeetentwt_e.html
Beethoven wrote these words in his "Heiligenstadt Will" in October, 1802. According to them and obviously due to his hearing loss, he tried, at least, to "become a philosopher", when he had actually already lived half of his life span--if we consider that he only reached the age of 56 years and that he actually wrote these words in his thirtieth year.
Here, we might wish to ask ourselves what help he had in this attempt. We find an answer to this question in his letter of June, 1801, to his friend Franz Gerhard Wegeler, "Ich habe schon oft den Schöpfer und mein Dasein verflucht; Plutarch hat mich zu der Resignation geführt" (Schmidt, Beethoven=Briefe: 20; "Often, I have cursed the Creator and my existence; Plutarch has taught me resignation.).
For more of this fascinating article:
http://www.raptusassociation.org/niebeetentwt_e.html