Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770.12.16. ~ 1827. 3.26.)
An Austrian and German composer. He is considered one of the greatest composers in human history, along with Bach and Mozart.
He is a prominent figure in music history, praised as the 'Musical Saint' (樂聖) and recognized as a great musician. This shows his enduring influence and reputation to this day.
Furthermore, he overcame deafness, which is like a death sentence for a musician, and created a great legacy. Therefore, he is famous as a symbol of indomitable will and human triumph, and his music reflects this struggle and reversal of fortune. He was also a giant who alleviated the inferiority complex of the German people at the time and the pride of Viennese audiences. On the other hand, due to his notoriously demanding and fiery personality, he is also known as the epitome of a 'quirky genius'.
He is often recognized as one of the representative composers of Classical music along with Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, simply categorizing these three masters as Classical composers is an oversimplification, as each stands tall on a unique peak within the realm of music. Haydn established various musical forms, including the sonata form, symphony, string quartet, and concerto, which are still widely used today, and confirmed their artistic potential. Following Haydn, Mozart built upon Haydn's musical forms, adding his own creative musical style to further develop various areas of music such as sonatas, symphonies, concertos, and chamber music, leading to the golden age of Classical music. Notably, he pioneered opera as a true dramatic musical form where story and music are closely intertwined. Beethoven explored the potential for the forms established by his predecessors, Haydn and Mozart, to evolve into deeper and more expansive works. He continuously sought new experiments in the development of pieces, harmony, and instrumentation, thus completing the Classical form and paving the way for the birth of new musical movements like Romanticism, for which he is considered a midwife of sorts.
Countless musicians, including Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, and Bruckner, who considered themselves his followers or successors, were influenced by Mozart and Beethoven. In fact, one could say that all musicians after Beethoven are his descendants. Now that Western music history has been roughly organized and the curriculum for music education established, there is no one who has studied Western music for a certain period, whether majoring in it, pursuing it as a hobby, or receiving it as mandatory education, who has not encountered the works of Mozart and Beethoven.
○ I have never thought about the word 'fate.' No matter what happens, one must never succumb to fate.
○ Music is the language of the soul.
○ It is not important to play a wrong note, but it is inexcusable to play without passion.
○ The best way not to think about one's misfortune is to immerse oneself in work.
○ Music is like clay. Within it, soul and life are created.
○ The reason I compose is to express my passion within my heart outwards. Music must burn and erupt from the human spirit.
○ Success is building a solid foundation with the bricks that others throw at you.
○ An artist who has gained fame suffers because of it.
○ Music is a higher revelation than any wisdom, any philosophy. He who understands the meaning of my music will be freed from all the misery into which others fall.
○ Music sheds light on an immature mind.
○ I endure and think. All misfortune, I don't know what it is, accompanies something good.
○ Misfortune is a strange thing. When misfortune is spoken, it becomes even greater. Only by correctly understanding its cause and the scope of its influence can one overcome misfortune.
○ Only when one thoroughly experiences and overcomes suffering does one reach joy.
○ Music is a mediator between the spiritual world and the real world.
○ I never composed for social fame. I only listened to my heart and tried to capture it. This is the true reason I compose.
○ Hatred returns to the hater himself.
○ In your 20s, it is the age when everything in your life is decided. Never leave any regrets.
○ Only learning and art elevate man to divinity.
○ It is very rare that anything good comes from listening to the advice of others.
○ Not being swayed by hardship and criticism is truly the hallmark of an outstanding individual worthy of praise.
○ I have never omitted a friend who could not be better on the breakfast table. Nothing can be better than coffee. My coffee beans teach me over 60 good ideas.
○ No matter what happens, one must not yield to fate.
○ My art must be dedicated to the happiness of the poor.
○ Always value only the motive of action and do not think about the resulting consequences. Do not be the kind of person who considers the expectation of reward as the result of an action.
○ The greatest person attains joy through suffering.
○ Fate gave man the courage to endure.
○ Even if a bee stings a little, it cannot stop a wild horse that is galloping.
○ Truth exists for the wise, and beauty exists for those who are easily moved. Truth and beauty are contained in each other and complement each other.
○ Not being swayed by blame and criticism. This is truly the hallmark of an outstanding individual worthy of praise.
○ True art stems from devotion.
○ The essential characteristic that distinguishes a truly human being from other humans is the ability to withstand difficult adversity.
○ The characteristic of a great human being is to persistently endure and persevere even in unfortunate and painful circumstances.
○ Music fills our lives with wonder.
○ Do good as much as possible and love freedom above all else, and even if I were under a throne, I would never betray the truth.
○ Do not confide your secrets to even your closest friend. Are you asking for loyalty from a friend when you have not yet been loyal to him?
○ Nobility is what makes a king. Even when I was poor, I lived as a king.
○ Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
○ Music is the most powerful way for us to express our emotions.
○ I have never written a piece for anyone. I compose according to the call of God who created this world.
○ The greatest artists suffer the greatest pain.
○ I want my music to live on in people's hearts even after I die.
○ Music is the only language that can unite the world.
○ Music is an intangible door to a higher world of knowledge that humans cannot understand.
○ Love returns to the lover himself. Tragically, so does hatred.
○ The one thing that all great men in history have in common is that they endure and persevere with tenacity, even when faced with difficult circumstances.
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