Young People's Story of Music

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908. Excerpt: ... XXXVII LUDWIG VON BEETHOVEN 1770-1827 Ludwig Von Beethoven stands as a central figure among the group of composers who form the Golden Age of German music. A glance at his picture shows a massive head, crowned by a tangle of dark hair, a noble forehead, deeply-set piercing eyes, and a firm mouth. The strongly-marked features make a face which, in its passion and intensity, may never be forgotten. It might easily have belonged to a seer of the olden day. His story begins in a familiar way, for it is that of a struggling lad, doing his best, amid an unkindly environment. In later years, as he looked back upon his earlier childhood, the one bright figure that he recalled was that of a dignified old gentleman in a red coat. This was the Dutch grandfather, who as a young man had led a military band in Antwerp, and played on the organ in old St. Jacques. But later he had come to Germany and settled in Bonn, and at the time Ludwig was born, in 1770, he had a fine position in the Electoral Chapel there. Here Ludwig's father had been a tenor singer, but being a good-for-nothing fellow, he had lost his fine place and really did nothing for the support of his family. But the grandfather helped in every way and Ludwig was his pet and namesake. It was a sorry day when he died, and our little composer not yet four years old. The gentle, patient mother did all in her power to help, but the family grew poorer and poorer, and there were many anxious and hungry times in the dreary home at Bonn. The father in his sober moments was naturally perplexed, but one day he had a bright idea.. He had followed with great interest the glowing accounts of Mozart and his little Wolfgang, and he felt quite sure, from what he saw, that his own Ludwig also had genius. Why not turn him ...