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Was Beethoven deaf at the premiere of his Ninth Symphony?
Did Beethoven have a deaf ear?
What is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony?
Why was Beethoven a deaf Symphony?
Portrait of Beethoven in 1824, the year his Ninth Symphony was premiered. He was almost completely deaf by the time of its composition. Caroline Unger, who sang the contralto part at the first performance and is credited with turning Beethoven to face the applauding audience
By the time we get to 1824–26, “the years of the late string quartets and of complete deafness”—and of the completion of the 9th—the high notes have returned, due in part, Smilde says, to “the balance between an auditory feedback and the inner ear.” Beethoven’s reliance on his “inner ear” made his music “much and much richer.” How?
Beethoven began losing his hearing in his mid-20s, after already building a reputation as a musician and composer. The cause of his deafness remains a mystery, though modern analysis of his DNA revealed health issues including large amounts of lead in his system.
Feb 4, 2020 · “Not only was Beethoven not completely deaf at the premiere of his Ninth Symphony in May 1824, he could hear, although increasingly faintly, for at least two years afterwards, probably...
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By the time he wrote his Ninth Symphony — the one over an hour-long with full orchestra, chorus, and soloists — he had been profoundly deaf for nearly a decade. Wouldn’t that “internal ear”...
May 2, 2024 · But, when Beethoven conducted its premiere, he was famously unaware of the rapturous response his ninth symphony received. It took one of the musicians to alert him to the cheering audience – and that was only at the end of the second movement. Read more: So if Beethoven was completely deaf, how did he compose?
Although it was not until about 1819 that his deafness became total, making necessary the use of those conversation books in which friends wrote down their questions while he replied orally, his playing degenerated as he became able to hear less and less.
