Beethoven's Pathalogical Jump-Start

Ludwig Van Beethoven is widely recognized by musicologists as being an incredibly temperamental, bitter, socially awkward slob. Basically, he was the portrait of a creative genius. Beethoven began composing and performing at a very young age and though all of his work was influential, important, and incredibly beautiful; his most significant works were done at the end of his life. In his article, Beethoven and his Nephew, Maynard Solomon argues that it was not Beethoven’s impending death or the loss of his hearing that brought on this intensely creative period in his life, but rather a conflict with his sister-in-law, Johanna, over the custody and care of his nephew, Karl.
Beethoven’s life was that of a tortured artist, a man whose life was tragic from the very start. At the young age of sixteen, Beethoven suffered from both the death of his beloved mother and baby sister. Since his father was an abusive alcoholic, Beethoven was left as the sole caregiver of two younger brothers. Already a budding artist on the brink of stardom, he was forced to leave them in order to travel for his career. This brought him to feel a great amount of guilt that he was forced to carry for the rest of his life. Solomon argues that this painful childhood stunted Beethoven’s creativity for most of his life, and that he subconsciously used Karl to fulfill the duties neglected not only by his father, but also by himself. Unfortunately this subconscious paternal need manifested itself in a deranged manner.
As a musicologist who has also studied psychology, Solomon studies the situation from an artistic and a scientific perspective. Solomon’s three psychological theories on Beethoven’s pathology at this time in his life are: the “rescue fantasy,” the “Family Romance”, and Beethoven’s sexual desire for his sister-in-law. In the theory of the complex, “rescue fantasy,” Solomon claims that Beethoven believed he had an intense need to “rescue” Karl from his mother, based on the historical evidence that Beethoven fought Johanna for custody in court many times, each accusing her of another outrageous offense. Solomon suggests that this need to rescue Karl Beethoven subconsciously attempting to rescue himself and his brothers from his own abusive father. The theory of the “Family Romance” is similar to this in that Beethoven was acting as a father figure, but different as it was based more on Beethoven’s fantasies of nobility than his relationship with his own child. The theory of the “Family Romance” is the idea of a person of noble blood choosing to raise a common child. Finally, the third and most fascinating theory is that of Beethoven’s sexual desire for Johanna. Based on historical rumor and on primary documentation by Johanna herself, Solomon argues Beethoven was using Karl as a means to keep in constant contact with Johanna.
All of these theories are exciting and relevant, as Solomon also describes the music being created before, during, and after this period in Beethoven’s life possibly proving that this conflict could have brought on the famed late period. Altogether Solomon understands each character’s motivation and significance in the plot as well as the historical and musical significance of the events. It is an excellent read for someone interested in music, history, psychology, or scandal.