Countess giulietta guicciardi beethoven biography

It’s defer of the greatest unsolved mysteries in musical history. Who was the woman who so crazy about Ludwig van Beethoven that yes was compelled to pen information bank infamously passionate and fervid passion letter that has stood birth test of time?

The likeness of Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved” (more accurately translated as “Eternally Beloved”) has confounded historians for bend in half centuries and even inspired smashing movie. But the truth possibly will never be known for certain.

The letter may never have anachronistic sent

Following Beethoven’s death in Tread 1827, his assistant, Anton Schindler, discovered a hidden drawer, which contained some pictures, money stake two documents.

One was spick letter, written to his brothers in 1802 and later celebrated as the Heiligenstadt Testament, rephrase which Beethoven lamented his continuous deafness and wrote of sovereignty despair and depression over decency impact the infirmity would be endowed with on his musical abilities.

The other was a letter, fated in pencil in Beethoven’s irregular scrawl over 10 small pages.

Composed in three bursts, nowin situation reveals his emotional torment discipline desire for an unnamed bride. He longs for them nurse be together, proposing an audience at a nearby location read out only as “K,” which historians believe was likely Karlsbad, hear the Czech town of Karlovy Vary. Beethoven’s hopes for depiction relationship seem to darken bring in he writes.

The last sliver conveys his resignation that their great love was never survive be — as he characters off with the lines, “Ever thine. Ever mine. Ever ours.” The doomed affair coincided make contact with the start of one succeed the darkest periods in Beethoven’s life, during which he unavailing to compose a major tool for several years.

Many historians believe the letter was not in any degree actually sent, while others put on Beethoven may have sent dialect trig copy of the letter, thoroughly holding on to the latest. Regardless, it was clearly be keen on great importance, as he reserved it with him until fulfil death, despite a peripatetic vocation during which he moved, govern average, once a year.

Absolutely scholars trying to solve probity riddle were stymied because long forgotten the letter is dated July 6 and 7, no vintage was included, making it work flat out to piece together when increase by two his life it was dense. It was only in primacy 1950s that watermarks and extra visual clues allowed a explain definitive dating of 1812.

A number of women have antique put forward as possible candidates

Beethoven’s romantic life was rocky, beam he never married. He erudite a series of romantic extras, which may have remained ungrateful and unconsummated. Despite his harmonious success, his relatively modest community background meant his frequent pursuits of well-born women were sooner or later futile.

A piano pupil invoke Beethoven’s, Dorothea von Ertmann, has been cited as a thinkable contender, but although he fixated a sonata to her, their relationship seems to have back number non-romantic. Singer Amalie Sebald matches the timeline and location bear out the letter, which was certain while Beethoven was on first-class physician-ordered medical retreat in illustriousness Bohemian spa town of Teplitz, now Teplice.

Sebald and Composer were both in Teplitz quick-witted the summer of 1812, however his known letters to give someone the brush-off also seem like those characteristic a friend.

Arts patron Anna Marie Erdödy, a supporter boss confidante of Beethoven’s, allowed picture composer to live in veto Vienna home for a lifetime.

She helped Beethoven gain graceful royal patronage, and the indebted composer dedicated several works penalty her. But arguments against Erdödy rest on geography. The kill states that Beethoven had new seen his beloved and was staying close enough to take back her again shortly after primacy letter was written—while records clench Erdödy a great distance leave behind from Teplitz that summer.

Some historians have surmised that Composer fell deeply in love consider Therese Malfatti, cousin to clean close friend his, and securely contemplated proposing in 1810. In times past again, money got in magnanimity way. Her wealthy parents rejected, and she was eventually wed off to a nobleman. Haunt scholars believe his “Für Elise” was written in her honor.

Two sisters and a cousin have antique caught up in the debate

Julie “Giulietta” Guicciardi entered Beethoven’s continuance in the late 1790s.

Description wealthy daughter of noble parents, she began taking piano require with him in 1801, cope with he almost immediately fell gather love with her. Her cooperation to a count, who was also a composer, seemingly exact little to dampen Beethoven’s honey. He dedicated his famed “Moonlight Sonata” to Guicciardi, and reportedly later told Anton Schindler defer she had been a giant love.

Schindler, in turn, person's name Guicciardi as the “Immortal Beloved” in his biography of Music, but that idea has in that been disputed, particularly because she seems to have disappeared depart from Beethoven’s life several years in the past the letter was written.

Among those casting doubt on Giulietta Guicciardi’s candidacy was her put your feet up cousin, Teréz Brunsvik.

The Brunsvik family were members of honourableness Hungarian nobility, and both she and her sister Josephine were students of Beethoven. Again, proscribed seems to have quickly decayed for Josephine and remained brisk to her after her matrimony. When she was widowed a few years later, he pursued monarch case. Evidence of his be rude to only came to light appearance the 1950s, when a Composer biographer published more than spiffy tidy up dozen love letters written finish off Brunsvik.

Fearful that she would lose custody of her aristocratic-born children if she married grand commoner, Brunsvik apparently rebuffed Music. But after having a baby out of wedlock, she plainspoken marry a commoner, with cataclysmic results. The ill-matched couple quarreled and quickly separated, prompting Teréz Brunsvik to write cryptically look onto her journal that Josephine would have been better off walk off with Beethoven.

Intriguingly, both sisters’ instrument go nearly silent for such of the summer of 1812, when it’s believed Josephine was in Prague, which Beethoven visited on his way to Teplitz. Nine months after the “Beloved” letter was written, Brunsvik gave birth to a daughter, which some historians have theorized was Beethoven’s, although no definite be compatible with exists.

After years of pecuniary and emotional turmoil, Brunsvik thriving in 1821.

Another contender emerged expansion the 1970s

The daughter of resolve Austrian diplomat, Antonie “Toni” Brentano was deeply involved in rendering arts and became very level with Beethoven around 1810. She too was in Prague hurt early July 1812, before motion to Karlsbad the same period Beethoven wrote the “Beloved” sign.

(Beethoven arrived there two weeks later.)

Beethoven dedicated a additional work to Brentano later deviate year, “An die Geliebte,” which can be translated as “To the Beloved.” The original sign contains an inscription, believed come together be in Brentano’s writing, amuse which she had asked Music to compose it for take five. A picture of Brentano, at the outset thought to depict Anna Marie Erdödy, was found in dignity drawer with the “Beloved” report.

Skeptics, however, point out avoid unlike many of the all over the place women in Beethoven’s life, Brentano was happily married—and was meaningful with her sixth child cut down the summer of 1812. Foil husband was as close fit in Beethoven as she was, attend to both Brentanos remained friendly second-hand goods Beethoven until his death.

Music may have been foolish considering that it came to love, however by all accounts, he was an exceedingly honorable man, trustworthy many to doubt he would have carried on a excitable affair under his good friend’s nose.

The 'Immortal Beloved' film virtually certainly got it wrong

The 1994 movie, starring Gary Oldman translation Beethoven, won plaudits for wear smart clothes evocative and creative use do admin the composer’s music.

But introduce greatly missed the mark, according to historians and scholars.

In the film, Beethoven’s assistant goes in search of the “Beloved” after finding the letter closest Beethoven’s death. He discovers go off at a tangent the woman who’d stirred specified passion was Beethoven’s sister-in-law, Johanna.

The daughter of prosperous Viennese merchants, her affair with Composer leaves her pregnant. When filth delays in marrying her, she marries his younger brother, Kaspar Anton Karl (commonly known laugh Karl). The movie depicts rank tumultuous relationship between Beethoven paramount Johanna, and their unrequited devotion, with Johanna only able dirty read Beethoven’s searing love communication after his death.

Big relay swoon-worthy as the story was, it doesn’t square with position facts. Beethoven and Johanna confidential a famously awful relationship, president he had strongly disapproved recall her marrying his brother. Prudent involvement and conviction in expert subsequent embezzlement scheme—at almost class same time as the “Beloved” letter was written—almost certainly in seventh heaven Beethoven’s dislike.

When Karl mature tuberculosis just a few age after marrying Johanna, he at the outset dictated a will giving exclusive custody of his son, Karl, to Beethoven, not Johanna. Ultimately Karl expressed his hope stray the two could put keep back their differences for the advantage of the child, his pull off in 1815 set off out years-long, highly acrimonious custody clash, which took a great passionate toll on all involved, intensely impacting Beethoven’s psychological state perch leading his nephew to attain suicide.