Honoring: Maestro Ludwig van Beethoven's Passing on March 26, 1927

In deference and respect to her ancestor, 241 years later, this mysterious lady (5^th generation ancestor of the Maestro) is beginning to share even more of “The Sonata Diaries.”

Because he was working on a number of compositions in his last years, specific to the Sonatas, she wants to share some from his diary on Op.111.

Again, she is doing all this now, in an effort to imagine Beethoven’s music as appropriate to all we face and live with now in the 21^st Century.

She did reveal, in a very short interview on March 24^th of this year, that she has fantasized how Beethoven may fair in modern recording studios, with modern audiences; and just how this music would be received in a world today that seems more interested in the fundamental dynamics of tunes than the complexity of conflicting ideas stirring in the depths of the human condition.

Beethoven states in the diary, “I was going through much physical turmoil, but this was not unusual, as I was beleaguered with melodies and notes. Op.111 (my serious musings with this work) began in 1819; however in the summer of 1820, I was most consumed in it. I cannot say why, but at this time I was hearing  (reviewing my works from the diaries of 1801) a theme from an earlier Sonata that was coming back to haunt me.  There was something in this theme beckoning me to stretch it and work it in another manner.

I cannot say how it happened, but I was compelled to introduce (in the 1st movement: Maestoso—Allegro con brio ed appassionato) a set of variations on a 16 bar theme, but then something came over me to experiment (which worked) with small notes, divide the bar in 36 resp. 27 parts. I know it would be difficult for other pianist’s to play, yet perhaps they will just have to learn to boogie—woogie.

I so know this Sonata will be out of the ordinary, yet it says so much from my experiences when I was out-of-my mind --- pushing the limits of the breadth and scope of this instrument as well as even bending some ears! 

It (this Op.111) is also a statement that paints a picture of the nightmarish realm of the underworld (the world of dreams) when sometimes a benevolent “creature” can appear to offer grace. In retrospect, it is also a piece that deals with my challenges of living with human and mortal flaws.

I am sorry that it is only two movements. I had so many demands on my table and Schindler helped me all he could. I did “plan“ on three movements, yet when I play it now, each movement sort of functions as an opposite.  The two together are providing a balance of opposites--perhaps in the future, this “balance” will be an underlying message that will come across when listening to my Op. 111.”

WHAT IF...

WHAT IF…Beethoven had boy-girl twins unbeknownst to himself? Even his nephew Karl supposedly did not know about this. But Karl had five children and one his children Ludwig,who once lived in Munich,after coming to the United states and working as a foreman-inspector,is reported to have told Ludwig's son, Karl Julius Maria about his ancestor, the Maestro,as having children of his own.

Here, for now, in South Carolina, lives a lady, some believe is an ancestor to one of these twins.(Oddly enough her grandfather worked as a foreman-inspector in the US after WW1).  This lady claims to have "The Sonata Diaries.”  She is now ready to share them.  

Here is what the diary says about Op. 2, no. 1:

“January 2,1795, I was sitting at a table in the downtown,near where I live now at Mokler Bastie 8, in Vienna. I was drinking some strong coffee and gazed outside the window when I saw a Robin and heard it singing on a low tree branch--I then heard the melody for Op.2 no.1" 

"August 19th, 1795, I was waiting in eager anticipation for Haydn to return from his second trip to England--his expected arrival August 20. I decided to look again at how the theme developed in the first movement for Op.2 and saw/heard it needed some further corrections before I would perform it for Prince Lichnowsky, two Fridays from now where I would also be dedicating it to Haydn along with my six Minuets." 

(This lady has remained hidden because as she says: "The music speaks for itself… its timeless quality and…"  She did add at this point that she was born in 1956 and is the 5th generation and direct ancestor to Herr Frederick-one of Beethoven's twin children. "Herr Fredrick, she explained more, was the brother of this set of boy/girl twins. Yes, he was one twins of the Composers' "illegitimate" twin children. Of course they did not carry the name of their father, Ludwig Van Beethoven, for the mother, a local lady, worked through a nearby brothel, knew to keep this a secrete).

For more about Beethoven in the 2ist Century visit www.beethovenshomage.com 

(Dear Reader's this story is for entertainment purposes only. This is the case for the ensuing blogs on "The Sonata Diaries"--they are an admixture of fact and fiction--all written in an effort to promote more listening to Beethoven and Classical music)