New Post
Search
Help[Opinions] Re: Ludovic
in reply to a message by -=A=-
Caspar Ludwig for me. I love both combinations and you can't go wrong with either one. But you've put me in a Beethoven mood right now. (Wasn't his elder brother's name Caspar, now that I think of it?)
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
Caspar van Beethoven was his younger brother, born 1774.
1
OT Question
It's been bugging me now for quite a while: do you know why he's refered to as Beethoven and not van Beethoven? Is Beethoven the name of the place he's from or something? Nobody's had an answer for me!
It's been bugging me now for quite a while: do you know why he's refered to as Beethoven and not van Beethoven? Is Beethoven the name of the place he's from or something? Nobody's had an answer for me!
1
I saw a Biography Channel show on him.
According to it, Beethoven added the "von" himself to sound more aristocratic. It came out of a court case in which he was trying to gain custody of his nephew from the boy's widowed mother. (Casper was his father, by the way.)
The case was disastrous on many levels because public opinion was against him breaking up the mother-son bond. And when it came out that he was putting on airs of aristocracy with the articifial "von" it was just another thing to knock his reputation. (Beethoven had been a supporter of increased democracy and publicly supported Napoleon when he first came to power in France. The "von" looked hypocritical.)
I left off the "von" just because that's how I normally hear people talk about him. But I remember the Biography Channel show and just thought I'd pass it along. The show wasn't all negative aspects of him. It's worth seeing / renting.
According to it, Beethoven added the "von" himself to sound more aristocratic. It came out of a court case in which he was trying to gain custody of his nephew from the boy's widowed mother. (Casper was his father, by the way.)
The case was disastrous on many levels because public opinion was against him breaking up the mother-son bond. And when it came out that he was putting on airs of aristocracy with the articifial "von" it was just another thing to knock his reputation. (Beethoven had been a supporter of increased democracy and publicly supported Napoleon when he first came to power in France. The "von" looked hypocritical.)
I left off the "von" just because that's how I normally hear people talk about him. But I remember the Biography Channel show and just thought I'd pass it along. The show wasn't all negative aspects of him. It's worth seeing / renting.
1
Could you please site references?
I am fairly certain the van (not von) was inherited from his ascendants. The only thing I know to be true is that he did use it in aristocratic circles, but was later humiliated by people becoming aware that there was not a titled person in his family.
Talent far eclipses any silly title though.
I am fairly certain the van (not von) was inherited from his ascendants. The only thing I know to be true is that he did use it in aristocratic circles, but was later humiliated by people becoming aware that there was not a titled person in his family.
Talent far eclipses any silly title though.
1