At my age, I could not be more interested in how people in the past have spent their last years in their lives than ever. Especially the musicians and/or composers whom I love. I believe that time in their lives is always the fruits or the results to how not only they but we ourselves have lived. No, I am not a fatalism believer but am still firmly believe that our lives could be wonderful, depending on what attitude and way of life we are in that period of our lives, however miserable they may look like to others. It is the last and most important chance to enhance or enrich our lives in the end chapter.
A couple of informations regarding Beethoven's last days have been published by a group in Facebook and in a medical journal, respectively. They let us know how he has lived in the end of his life and what pathograpical meaning these events might have had especially to his last works.
The group named "Ludwig Van Beethoven" in Facebook announced it was the anniversary of Beethoven's passing in the end of last month. It told that Beethoven had asked his doctor to publish on his death and its cause after he passed away. The sketch of him at deathbed mentioned in the announcement is not sharerable here but showed his peceful countenance. In his desk, there was the famous Heiligenstadt Testament found after his death. He has fought against the hearing issue for nearly 3 decades as the Testament told while composing the historically renowned and memorable works.
The announcement describes how he and his room looked like as follows;
"196 years ago today, on the afternoon of March 26, 1827, Ludwig van Beethoven died. The pencil drawings of Beethoven on his deathbed come from the sketchbook of the Austrian painter Josef Teltscher. He made them in March 1827 in Ludwig van Beethoven's sickroom. "The ailing Beethoven lay, as when well, in the room with two windows (in the room entered before going into his study). The bed stood next to the wall which separated the large room from the study, opposite the door, with its head next to the back wall, so that Beethoven's face was towards the two windows, his left side towards the middle of the chamber, thus commanding a view of the room.", recalled Beethoven's friend Gerhard von Breuning in 1874."
This description and his sketch makes me feel as if I was attending there at his death. The paper mentioned below said he had had a lot of wine at lunch almost every day for the last years. It sure has aggravated his illness, I believe, even if I am not sure he should be diagnosed as an alcoholic. As with most alcoholics, however, he must have had physical as well as mental hardship especially as for the problem of his nephew at that time.
There was a research paper regarding the genomic analysis of his hair published lately.
He has had a genetic predisposition for liver dysfunction. Together with massive intake of alcohol, the hepatitis B virus infection seemed to have caused liver cirrhosis, which could lead him to death. It has denied lead poisoning which was previously insisted as a death cause. At least, for the last several months, he must have had symptoms of cirrhosis.
Liver cirrhosis is a chronically progressive illness not curable. I don't know exactly when it has started with him. But pathographically, it must have influenced on his composition of the latest works. In his declining health and the problems surrounding him, he must felt he would be free from the world soon. The great last 3 piano sonatas and the latest quartets beginning from OP127 through OP136 all are treasure in not only the history of music but also of human culture. While he realized his death in the near future, he might not be feeling even more freedom from the world than ever. I have been listening to the last 3 piano sonatas played by a respectable pianist, Horszowsky, recently. I am even more convinced that Beethoven has reached to a mind state free from any meaningless constraints in the world. The usual structure of piano sonata or the sonata form itself has been abandoned. He played in the world of freedom and transparency in music with those works.
Talking of the Heiligenstadt Testament, I have recalled of John AC4CA, with whom I often told and heard of the music which we recently listened to. I won't do that often. For it could force the others to listen to my favorites. It could be an aggressive peddling. John was an exception whom I could freely converse about such favorites. One time, when he was in a difficult situation with his wife's and his own health, I told him I had recently listened to Archduke trio by Beethoven. It was a music of affirmative and positive attitude in life, I believed. I also mentioned about that Heiligenstadt Testanment. Without much words for a response to me, he seemed he would listen to it and also try to find the testament by himself. I was pleased to know my story had not ended as a high pressure selling. He has been helped by music for sure. When he told me his neuroendocrine tumor won't be responsive to the current treatment and he should discuss for the future choice of treatment with the doctors in MD Anderson, he also told me he had been practising the famous Nocturn of farewell by Chopin. I was deeply moved imagining him playing piano alone at his home. I sure miss such a chance to talk to him. But I know, like Beethoven in his last days, he has become free from anxiety and physical pain for now. I must even congratulate him for that. I only hope his wife jackie has been doing well at the facility. I still miss John.
Archduke piano trio B flat major OP97, by Casals, Vegh and Horszowsky.
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