BEETHOVEN'S NEPHEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13146, 7 April 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

BEETHOVEN'S NEPHEW.

Iris frequently affirmed that Beethoven was killed by' the / misdemeanours of, the nephew In mioied. The statement is far from being. true, though it seems indubitable that for eleven years these two were Use torture of each other's life. M. Chanta.voine, in La, Revue, recently told the whole history, and by the help of the notebooks in which people wrote down their answers when in conversation with. the - great musician, aroused almost as much sympathy, for the. boy as the mail. Beethoven was left the child's guardian by a brother married to a woman of whom it is impossible to say anything except that she was extremely bad. Slip-Hiiid nut only no moral Sense, hut was full of deceit and meannesses. For years after the buy had paused into the care of his uncle '■ she 'tried surreptitiously to poison the former's mind against, the latter. As Karl grew up Beethoven's ideal of conduct chafed the boy, "I", v. as of a very av-iage disposition. Beethoven desired him to bcecnm- '"either a scientist or a musi.'inn," but he had not the temperament id oil lie;', and hi- one personal desire was to become a soldier. 'Ibis his uncle would not bear of, and in consequence the boy, not in tune with his occupations, did no good at his work and ai good deal of mischief 'in his; leisure hours. They were always having scenes, in which Karl, however, seems generally to have shown genuine re"iet for his peccadilloes. Some lines be wrote in one of the notebooks aftei having been drunk in a cafe have something sincere and bovish in their apology. Beethoven adored 'him, but the two were chronically upon each other's nerves. The character of a boy was outside Beethoven's grasp, and lie made no allowances. Karl wax intelligent enough, and hi-; answers in the notebooks suggest that He on bis side was also fond of his uncle as well as extremely proud of him. But he was the son of his mother as ■well- as bis father, and Beethoven a high standard of conduct simply drove him to the other extremity in sheet desperation. July ol 1826 Karl tried 'to commit suicide. lie was taken to a hospital, and in answer to Scblemmer; one of Beethoven's great friends, replied that lie bad done so bec,au«e lie bad always been unhappy, mind was superficial :.' and : soon healed. Matters were patched up between the two, am; dmin„ A Beethoven's, last illness ; Karl lor a time nursed .- him both carefully and affectionately. ■ But Beethoven bad now given wav'as'to an uimv career for the boy, ami with- the help of friends,,kail became a cadet in' some infantry regiment. . He was ™ work when: Beethoven, heartsick udWning for him. died: but after h« uncles death Karl proved a good soldiei.