Chapter II: Introduction: vii

CHAPTER I. Fall of the Ecclesiastical-Civil States in
Germany--Character of Their Rulers--The Electors
of Cologne in the Eighteenth Century--Joseph Clemens--Clemens
August--Max Friedrich--Incidents and
Achievements in Their Reigns--The Electoral Courts
and Their Music--Earliest Records of the Beethovens
in the Rhineland--Musical Culture in Bonn at the
Time of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Birth--Operatic
Repertories--Christian Gottlob Neefe--Appearance of
the City 1

CHAPTER II. Beethoven’s Ancestors in Belgium--Louis
van Beethoven, His Grandfather--He Leaves His Paternal
Home--Tenor Singer at Louvain--His Removal to
Bonn--Marriage--Activities as Bass Singer and Chapelmaster
in the Electoral Chapel--Birth and Education
of Johann van Beethoven, Father of the Composer--Domestic
Afflictions--His Marriage--Appearance and
Character of the Composer’s Mother 42

CHAPTER III. Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, the Composer--
Conflict of Dates--The House in Which He
Was Born--Poverty of the Family--An Inebriate
Grandmother and a Dissipated Father--The Composer’s
Scant Schooling--His First Music Teachers--Lessons
on the Pianoforte, Organ and Violin--Neefe
Instructs Him in Composition--A Visit to Holland 53

CHAPTER IV. Beethoven a Pupil of Neefe--Early Employment
of His Talent and Skill--First Efforts at Composition--Assists
Neefe at the Organ in the Orchestra
of the Electoral Court--Is Appointed Assistant Court
Organist--Johann van Beethoven’s Family--Domestic
Tribulations--Youthful Publications 67

CHAPTER V. Elector Max Franz--Appearance and Character
of Maria Theresias’s Youngest Son--His Career
in Church and State--Musical Culture in the Austrian
Imperial Family--The Elector’s Admiration for Mozart
and Mozart’s Characterization of Him--His Court
Music at Bonn 77

CHAPTER VI. Beethoven Again--His Studies Interrupted--A
Period of Artistic Inactivity in Bonn--The Young
Organist Indulges in a Prank--A Visit to Vienna--Mozart
Hears the Youthful Beethoven Play--Sympathetic
Acquaintances--Death of Beethoven’s Mother--Association
with the von Breuning Family--Some
Questions of Chronology Discussed 85

CHAPTER VII. The Family von Breuning--Beethoven
Brought Under Refining Influences--Count Waldstein--Beethoven’s
First Mæcenas--Time of the Count’s
Arrival in Bonn--Beethoven Forced to Become Head
of His Father’s Family 98

CHAPTER VIII. The National Theatre of Elector Max
Franz--Beethoven’s Associates in the Court Orchestra--Anton
Reicha--Andreas and Bernhard Romberg--His
Practical Experience in the Electoral Band--The
Operatic Repertory of Five Years in the Court Theatre 105

CHAPTER IX. The Last Three Years of Beethoven’s Life
in Bonn--Gleanings of Fact and Anecdote--A Visit
from Haydn--Merry Journey up the Rhine--Beethoven’s
Meeting with Abbé Sterkel--He Extemporizes--His
Playing Described by Carl Ludwig Junker--He
Shows a Cantata to Haydn--The Extent of Max
Franz’s Patronage of the Composer--Social and Artistic
Life in Bonn--Madame von Breuning a Guardian
Angel--The Circle of Companions--Friendships with
Young Women--Jeannette d’Honrath--Fräulein Westerhold--Eleonore
von Breuning--Beethoven Leaves Bonn
Forever--The Parting with His Friends--Incidents of
His Journey to Vienna 110

CHAPTER X. Beethoven’s Creative Activity in Bonn--An
Inquiry into the Genesis of Many Compositions--The
Cantatas on the Death of Joseph II and the Elevation
of Leopold II--Vicissitudes of These Compositions--A
Group of Songs--The “Ritterballet” and Other Instrumental
Works--Several Chamber Compositions--The
String Trio, Op. 3, Carried to England--Manuscripts
Taken by Beethoven from Bonn to Vienna 129

CHAPTER XI. Beethoven in Vienna--Care for His Personal
Appearance--Death of His Father--Records of Minor
Receipts and Expenditures--His Studies with Haydn--Clandestine
Lessons in Composition with Johann Schenk--A
Rupture with Haydn--Becomes a Pupil of Albrechtsberger
and Salieri--Characteristics as a Pupil 146

CHAPTER XII. Music in Vienna at the Time of Beethoven’s
Arrival There--Theatre, Church and Concert-Room--Salieri
and the Royal Imperial Opera--Schikaneder’s
Theater auf der Wieden--Composers and Conductors in
the Imperial Capital--Paucity of Public Concerts--A
Music-loving Nobility: The Esterhazys; Kinsky; Lichnowsky;
von Kees; van Swieten--Private Orchestras--Composers:
Haydn, Koželuch, Förster, Eberl, Vanhall--Private
Theatres 163

CHAPTER XIII. Beethoven in Society--Success as a Virtuoso--The
Trios, Op. 1--Tender Memories of Friends
in Bonn--A Letter to Leonore von Breuning--Wegeler
Comes to Vienna--His Reminiscences--A Quarrel and
Petition for Reconciliation--Irksome Social Conventions--Affairs
of the Heart--Variations for Simrock--First
Public Appearance as Pianist and Composer--The
Pianoforte Concertos in C and B-flat--The Trios, Op. 1,
Revised--Sonatas Dedicated to Haydn--Dances for the
Ridotto Room--Plays at Haydn’s Concert 174

CHAPTER XIV. The Years 1796 and 1797--Success
Achieved in the Austrian Capital--A Visit to Prague--The
Scena: “Ah, perfido!”--Sojourn in Berlin--King
Frederick William II--Prince Louis Ferdinand--Violoncello
Sonatas--Relations with Himmel--Plays for the
Singakademie--Fasch and Zelter--War-Songs--The
Rombergs--A Forgotten Riding-Horse--Compositions
and Publications of the Period--Matthisson and His
“Adelaide”--Quintet for Strings, Op. 4--Pieces for
Wind-instruments--The “Jena” Symphony--Dances 190

CHAPTER XV. General Bernadotte--The Fiction about
His Connection with the “Sinfonia eroica”--Rival
Pianists--Joseph Wölffl--Tomaschek Describes Beethoven’s
Playing--Dragonetti--J. B. Cramer--Beethoven’s
Demeanor in Society--Compositions of 1798 and 1799--The
Trios, Op. 9--Pianoforte Concertos in C and B-flat--An
Unfinished Rondo for Pianoforte and Orchestra--Several
Pianoforte Sonatas--“Sonate pathétique”--Trio
for Pianoforte, Clarinet and Violoncello--Origin
of the First Symphony--Protest Against an Arrangement
of it as a Quintet 212

CHAPTER XVI. Beethoven’s Social Life in Vienna--Vogl--
Kiesewetter--Zmeskall--Amenda--Count Lichnowsky--
Eppinger--Krumpholz--Schuppanzigh and His Quartet--Johann
Nepomuk Hummel--Friendships with Women--Magdalene Willmann--
Christine Gerhardi--Dedications to Pupils--Countess
Keglevics--Countess Henriette Lichnowsky--Countess Giulietta
Guicciardi--Countess Thun--Princess Liechtenstein--Baroness
Braun 229

CHAPTER XVII. Beethoven’s Character and Personality--His
Disposition--Evil Effects of Early Associations and
Inadequate Intellectual Training--Sentimental Ideals
not Realized in Conduct--Self-sufficiency and Pride--The
Homage of Young Disciples--Love of Nature--Relations
with Women--Conceptions of Virtue--Literary
Tastes--His Letters--The Sketchbooks--His Manner
of Compositions--Origin of His Deafness 245

CHAPTER XVIII. Beethoven’s Brothers--His First Concert
on His Own Account--Septet and First Symphony
Performed--Punto and the Sonata for Horn--The
Charlatan Steibelt Confounded--Beethoven’s Homes in
Vienna--Madame Grillparzer, the Poet’s Mother--Doležalek--
Hoffmeister--E. A. Förster--The Quartets, Op. 18--Prince
Lichnowsky’s Gift of a Quartet of Viols--Publications
of 1800 265

CHAPTER XIX. The Year 1801--Compositions offered to
Hoffmeister--Concerts for Wounded Soldiers--Vigano
and the Ballet “Prometheus”--Interest in the Publication
of Bach’s Works and His Indigent Daughter--Stephan
von Breuning--Summer Home in Hetzendorf--Composition
of “The Mount of Olives”--Compositions
and Publications of the Year--The Funeral March in the
Sonata, Op. 26--The So-called “Moonlight” Sonata--Inspired
by a Poem of Seume’s--Illicit Publication of
the String Quintet, Op. 29 281

CHAPTER XX. Important Letters of 1801--Communications
to Amenda, Hoffmeister and Wegeler--The Composer’s
Ill Health--The Beginning of His Deafness--Early
Symptoms Described by Himself--Thoughts of
Marriage--Indignation Aroused by the Criticisms of
the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung--The “Leipsic
Oxen”--Gradual Recognition of Beethoven’s Genius--Anton
Reicha--Von Breuning’s Relations with Beethoven--Lessons
to Ferdinand Ries and Carl Czerny 297

CHAPTER XXI. Beethoven’s Love-Affairs--Countess Guicciardi--A
Conversation with Schindler about Her
Marriage--Schindler’s Contradictory Story--Countess
Erdödy--Schindler’s Theory Disproved--The Letter
to the “Immortal Beloved”--Critical Study of its Date--Countess
Guicciardi Not the Woman Addressed--A
Conjecture Concerning the Countess Therese von
Brunswick--Other Candidates for the Honor of Being
the Object of Beethoven’s Supreme Love--Magdalena
Willmann--Amalia Sebald--The Arguments of Kalischer,
Mariam Tenger and Marie Lipsins (La Mara) Set
Forth by the Editor of this Biography--Statements of
Relations and Descendants of the Countesses Guicciardi
and von Brunswick--The Memoirs of the Countess Therese--Later
French Investigations 317

CHAPTER XXII. The Year 1802--The Village of Heiligenstadt--
Beethoven’s Views on Transcriptions--His Despondency--The
“Heiligenstadt Will”--Confession of
His Deafness--The Second Symphony--Return to
Vienna--Marches for the Pianoforte, Four Hands--A
Defence of Brothers Johann and Karl Kaspar--Their
Characters--Karl’s Management of Beethoven’s Business
Affairs--The Bagatelles, Op. 33--The Songs, Op.
52--Compositions and Publications of 1802--Three
Sonatas for Pianoforte and Violin--The Sonatas for
Pianoforte, Op. 31--An Alteration by Nägeli--Finale of
the Sonata in D minor--Beethoven on the Character of
His Variations 348