Aside from Mozart, Chopin and Bach, the name Ludwig van Beethoven is regarded as one of the foremost musical geniuses of the late 1700s. Born in Bonn, Germany to Johann van Beethoven, a singer and instrumentalist, and Maria Keverich, daughter of a chief kitchen overseer, Ludwig was considered a music prodigy as he garnered the attention of the Elector of Cologne at a young age, and subsequently, getting a scholarship to pursue his music. Like other music greats, Ludwig van Beethoven was considered unique in the extent that he created masterpieces, such as the Third Symphony in E flat or the Eroica, the Fidelio and the infamous Moonlight Sonata or the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, despite his deafness. As of today, many historians and experts are still uncertain as to the causes of the composer’s deafness as many factors in the period could have triggered the problem. Some experts believe it was due to the illnesses the composer had acquired while others have noted Ludwig had acquired it through mysterious means while a few attributed it to the consequences of Ludwig’s upbringing and his work ethic in the latter years.
One of the main arguments pertaining to Beethoven’s loss of hearing was the illnesses the composer had been inflicted with since he was young and as he grew older. In one of the analysis done by experts, the deafness could have been associated with the genetically transferred tuberculosis the Beethoven matriarch had passed to her children. It was also even noted that it could have been caused by a venereal disease. In some accounts, Beethoven once admitted that his deafness could have been caused by a terrible typhus. Beethoven also recounted that it could have also been related to the abdominal pain he had since 1798 . Another study has noted that it could have been due to Beethoven’s acquired hearing loss which may either be conductive or sensorineural. The conductive hearing loss is connected with the external or middle ear that produces sound waves and how it transfers it to the nerve receptors in the cochlea, the organ that enables humans to hear. On the other hand, sensorineural hearing loss can be due to a disease in the cochlea or the auditory nerves. Both types of hearing loss could be tested through the use of a tuning fork to compare the conduction heard by the patient. In the case of conductive-type deafness, patients would only hear vibrations. However, if the problem is sensorineural, the person would not be able to hear any vibrations.
In the case of Beethoven, he was noted to be extremely sensitive to vibration. It is speculated that Beethoven had covered his head and ears with a pillow while hiding in the basement due to the cannon fire from the French army attack in 1809 in Vienna. It was also recorded that Beethoven was capable of hearing whenever a sounding board is attached to his piano and to his temple, to augment the vibrations produced by the piano. With this account, experts believe that the problem of Beethoven’s hearing was mostly due to the middle-ear (conductive) sensitivity. Middle ear deafness is normally caused by otosclerosis, a condition that involves the thickening of structures in the small bones of the middle ear, impairing it from allowing the bone to react to sound. Beethoven’s gradual and progressive hearing loss and reports that Beethoven had been hearing extra sounds, such as humming and buzzing are consistent with the symptoms of otosclerosis. While the possibility of otosclerosis is likely to have caused Beethoven’s deafness, there are some other proposals regarding possible conditions that German literature provides researchers. In one suggestion by M. Keynes, Beethoven could have acquired his deafness due to the Paget’s disease, a deformity of the skull that influence’s one’s auditory nerves. It was noted in the autopsy done to the composer that there were signs of thickening in the skull due to possible implications of Paget’s disease. In other speculations, there are also studies that it could have been due to the various diseases Beethoven had acquired throughout the years. In some of the accounts done in Beethoven’s life, it could be viewed that Beethoven had gotten a “serious” illness sometime around 1797 to 1798 before his hearing loss. In one scientist’s study regarding the testimony of Salzburg surgeon Dr. Weisenbach, the surgeon noted that the composer had acquired typhus fever that could have triggered his deafness considering that typhus affects the auditory nerve. The relationship between the typhus attack and the subsequent hearing loss in 1797 and 1798 fits the theory of Weisenbach. There is also another argument that denotes that Beethoven’s inflammatory bowel disease could have triggered his sensorineural deafness as a form of a complication from the disease. There is also the possibility that the composer was lead poisoned sometime in 1797 that could have caused progressive hearing loss .
The most crucial argument regarding Beethoven’s deafness and the relationship of his physical illnesses at the onset period of the disability is the syphilitic origin of the problem. Beethoven’s charts alone from his medical appointments and the studies done by experts in the autopsy report for the composers showcased that the composer had several physical complications that could have been caused by syphilis. The composer had severe gastrointestinal distress or colics, terrible headaches, infected fingernails that had to be removed the removal of an abscess in the jaw, a rheumatic attack with lung inflammation in 1815, recurring rheumatism, jaundice, esophagus and nose bleeding, and finally, a painful eye injury that had been recurring. There had also been records of cardiac arrhythmias and facial spasms. In one point, there had also been cases of hypochondria, and there are still other illnesses that the composer had been reported to have. It could be argued that one of the characteristics of the middle period of syphilis is the inflammation of the iris and the membranes that are located in the eyelids. Aside from this, syphilis could also be present if the patient hears a ringing, buzzing or rushing sound that Beethoven had noted in some of his letters. The postmortem findings of Beethoven’s remains had also noted that there is a chronic localized meningeal reaction that could be noted as the syphilitic meningovasculitis. It was also syphilis which was attributed by attendants to cause most of Beethoven’s medical conditions and mishaps .
Some have noted that that Ludwig must have gotten his deafness due to his work ethic and its subsequent mysterious connection. According to a statement written by Romain Rolland in 1930, Beethoven’s deafness could be synonymous to the composer’s extraordinary concentration, auditory seeking and grasping skills. According to Rolland’s interview with Dr. Marage, who did a post-mortem study of Beethoven’s records, Beethoven’s deafness could either be ‘due to congestion of blood in the inner ear and the auditory centers, caused by overstrain of the organ through excessive concentration, and in the pitiless inevitability of thought.’ In this end, Rolland had even noted that Beethoven had sacrificed his hearing to become closer to God as compared to others, enabling him to become more inclined to spread God’s masterpieces through his compositions to the rest of mankind. Rolland had also perceived the deafness of the composer somewhat akin to the Eroica’s scene wherein the demon the Eroica called forth from within him and said “Forward”. Rolland noted that the deafness was something to bring out Beethoven’s genius or the demon within him. Maynard Solomon, in his end, had even noted the Testament with Beethoven’s deafness as it is a guise for Beethoven to rise from his old guise and start a new life, similar to the resurrection. Solomon notes that Beethoven recreated himself in a newer form, which is more heroic in extent and self-sufficient. Like what Rolland noted, Solomon also agreed that the deafness had fostered more creative stances for the composer, freeing Beethoven from the restraints given by the distractions the material world presents . It has even been noted that Beethoven’s music was similar to the expression normally attributed to the World Spirit. The music produced by Beethoven was so similar to Georg Hegel’s very own conception of the World Spirit theory, which was also iconic in its own means as Hegel emphasized that the Weltgeist or the World Spirit selects a great hero or an icon that would perform a role in creating history .
While it is unknown as of today as to what exactly had caused the deafness of the otherwise iconic German composer, it is visible in his works that he did not let his deafness become a hindrance to his work. One may indeed say that deafness could have been caused by Beethoven’s overall physical condition since birth and throughout his career. This could be possible, given the complications diseases and acquired illnesses could bring to a person as proven by the medical research at the present time. Others would even note that Beethoven’s deafness was a mysterious miracle of sorts as Beethoven, despite the handicap, still managed to create pieces that would have required accurate tone and arrangement. It would also make sense that Beethoven utilized his deafness to become in touch with his inner passion and inspiration, enabling him to call forth musical compositions that breathe new life to its listeners. Nonetheless, Beethoven remains an icon and inspiration for both handicapped and normal people due to his unwavering talent and music despite the onset of his deafness.
Works Cited
Adorno, Theodor, Rolf Tiedemann and Edmund Jephcott. Beethoven: The Philosophy of Music. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2002. Print.
Hayden, Deborah. Pox: Genius, Madness, and the Mystery of Syphilis. New York: Basic Books, 2003. Print.
Jones, Timothy. Beethoven: The 'Moonlight' and other Sonatas, Op. 27 and Op. 31. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.
Lang, Harry and Bonnie Meath-Lang. Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences: A Biographical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Company, 1995. Print.
Martin, Mai. Francois. Diagnosing Genius: The Life and Death of Beethoven. Quebec: McGill-Queen's Press, 2007. Print.
