Mention of Queen Victoria reminds me of an amusing incident (or accident) that occurred when she attended the unveiling of the original Bonn monument in 1845 or so.
The Queen and her attendants were facing down the Munsterplatz with their backs to what is now the Bonn Post Office. When the statue was unveiled, they were treated to a lovely view of Ludwig's behind.
Everybody had either not known or completely forgotten which way Beethoven was facing!
The Queen and her attendants were facing down the Munsterplatz with their backs to what is now the Bonn Post Office. When the statue was unveiled, they were treated to a lovely view of Ludwig's behind.
Everybody had either not known or completely forgotten which way Beethoven was facing!
I have heard of this before- made me laugh out loud when I first read it, still makes me chuckle. There are two entries online I found about it; describing Ludwig as "a heathen" and a "rude fellow." LOL.
August Wilhelm von Schlegel was also one of the “fathers” of the Beethoven monument and it was he who made the crucial suggestion to set it up on the Münsterplatz square. The unveiling ceremony and Bonn’s first Beethoven Festival in 1845, organised by Franz Liszt, were “a unique event in the history of music”.
The ceremony was not without its awkward moments. Beethoven monument turned its back on the most important guests, King Frederick William IV of Prussia and the British Queen Victoria, who
had taken their places on the balcony of the Fürstenberg Palace, now the main post office. Alexander von Humboldt saved the day by remarking that Beethoven had always been a rude fellow.
http://www.bonn-region.de/english/hi...-festival.html
On 12 July 1845 the monument of Beethoven was to be unveiled. Without much warning English queen Victoria who was visiting Germany and Prussian king Frydery the 4th came to the celebration. The dignified guests with the numerous retinue appeared very suddenly and the organizing committee put them on the balcony of the count Fürstenberg palace.
After listening to the anthem the curtain from the bronze monument fell down, and the Prussian king suddenly started laughing – the Beethoven’s monument turned its back on them.
Alexande Humboldt, the eminent geographer, the member of the organizing committee quickly saw the mistake being made as a result of a hurry and he told all the guests:
- Your Royal Highnesses! It is commonly known that Beethoven was a great composer but he was a bit heathen. And even today, after his death we see one more proof that he fully deserved that opinion.
http://www.beethoven.org.pl/en/encyk...thovennawesolo
That's would be Beethoven's gesture to the nobility !
I also found this amusing, though I am not sure I believe he would write in such a way on shutters....
Beethoven wasn’t a convenient tenant. He never wanted to comply with any regulations. He played at night keeping his neighbours awake. That’s why he was often evicted and he had to move out many times.
There was a funny story connected with on of Beethoven’s flats. That flat was particularly liked by the composer and after moving out he wanted to come back there. Then the landlord agreed to take him back if he bought a new blinds, because the old ones had disappeared. Beethoven agreed.
The curiosity – what happened with the previous żaluzje made him feel uncomfortable. Finally he came to the truth. It turned out that the landlord sold the blinds to some rich Americans for exuberant price as the autographs of a famous musician; Beethoven had a custom to compose standing by the window and to write down some of his thoughts and musical motives on blinds.
When he came to the truth he was greatly amused. He decided to continue putting down some of his thoughts at the blinds. But the words which he wrote down there were so dirty, that they could embarrass even those used to such swearing. In that way the new blinds stayed where they were.
Thought I'd post the hideous creation here. What's that satanic thing behind Beethoven? I just can't understand why it is so gross and look at the people in the background they seem enthusiastic and applauding it.
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