Feeling the Music

Voice 1:
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Adam Navis.

Voice 2:
And I’m Robin Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1:
Do you recognize this song? It is called ‘Ode to Joy’. It is performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Westminster Choir. It is one of the most famous pieces of music in the world. It has a feeling of happiness and joy. But amazingly, the man who wrote it was not able to hear the music. The man was Ludwig van Beethoven.

Voice 2:
Today’s Spotlight is on Ludwig van Beethoven. Many people consider him the greatest writer of classical music ever. Even people who do not listen to classical music will recognize many of his works. But one thing makes him different than most other musical writers. He continued to write music even after he lost his ability to hear.

Voice 1:
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770 in Bonn, Germany. His father was a musician for the royal court. He believed that his son had amazing musical skills. And he began teaching his son to play the piano, a large musical instrument. But Beethoven’s father was not the best teacher. He was a very difficult man. He drank too much alcohol. Often, when he drank alcohol, he would wake his son from sleep. He would force Beethoven to play the piano. For many people, this experience would have made them hate the piano. But Beethoven was very skilled at playing the piano. Even in these conditions Beethoven learned to love the piano.

Voice 2:
At the age of seven, Beethoven had his first real teacher. He began to perform in public. Beethoven learned the music of the writers Mozart and Bach. After a few years of study, he published his first piece of music. It was called ‘Nine Variations for Piano in C Minor.’ Beethoven was only ten years old.

Voice 1:
Beethoven continued to study and perform for many years. When he was twenty-two years old, his father died. After this he moved to the city of Vienna. At the time, all the best musicians went to Vienna. This was where musicians demonstrated their skills. They proved their abilities. And Beethoven had no trouble proving himself.

Voice 2:
Beethoven changed the musical style. He did this by writing with strong musical conflict. He played with power and energy. In Vienna, it was popular for two piano players to compete in front of people. They were judged on their creativity and intensity. Beethoven almost always won.

Voice 1:
Here is an example of his style. This is his Symphony Number Five. It is played by the Philharmonic Orchestra.

Voice 2:
In the year 1800 Beethoven introduced his first symphony. Musicians perform this music with many instruments together in an orchestra. Beethoven became the most popular musician of his time. He no longer had to struggle for money. But Beethoven did have one big problem. He was losing his ability to hear.

Voice 1:
What is a musician who cannot hear? How would he know if he was playing well? How could he write music if he could not hear it? For Beethoven, music was his life. This condition was very difficult for him. In a letter to his brothers, he wrote:

Voice 3:
“For six years, I have had a condition that cannot be cured. It was made worse by bad doctors. I hoped, year after year for improvement. But I finally knew that a cure may take years or even be impossible. I am not able to say to people: speak louder, shout, for I cannot hear.