Beethoven was black?

Africa within ^

[mainestategop]

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Beethoven: Revealing His True Identity

 

 In the 15^th and 16^th century, written history underwent a massive campaign of misinformation and deception. With the European slave trade in full swing, Afrikans were transported to various parts of the world and were stripped of every aspect of their humanity, and in most of western civilization, were no longer considered human. This triggered a wholesale interpretation of history that methodically excluded Afrikans from any respectful mention, other than a legacy of slavery. This can result in being taught, or socialized, from one perspective. In this instance, historical information tends to flow strictly from a European perspective. No judgment of right or wrong is being made here, only that the breadth was very narrow in scope.

In an age where history is seriously being rewritten, new information is coming forth that is shocking intellectual sensitivities. What was once considered written in stone is now melting away with the discovery of facts that heretofore have been hidden or omitted; things so different that they are generally classified as controversial or unusual.

What specifically is being referenced, is the true identity of Ludwig van Beethoven, considered Europe’s greatest classical music composer. Directly, Beethoven was a black man. Specifically, his mother was a Moor, that group of Muslim Africans who conquered parts of Europe--making Spain their capital--for some 800 years.

In order to make such a substantial statement, presentation of verifiable evidence is compulsory. Let's start with what some of Beethoven's contemporaries and biographers say about his appearance. Frau Fisher, a close friend of Beethoven, described him with “blackish-brown complexion.” Frederick Hertz, German anthropologist, used these terms to describe him: “Negroid traits, dark skin, flat, thick nose.”

Emil Ludwig, in his book “Beethoven,” says: “His face reveals no trace of the German. He was so dark that people dubbed him Spagnol [dark-skinned].” Fanny Giannatasio del Rio, in her book “An Unrequited Love: An Episode in the Life of Beethoven,” wrote “His somewhat flat broad nose and rather wide mouth, his small piercing eyes and swarthy [dark] complexion, pockmarked into the bargain, gave him a strong resemblance to a mulatto.” C. Czerny stated, “His beard--he had not shaved for several days--made the lower part of his already brown face still darker.”

 Following are one word descriptions of Beethoven from various writers: Grillparzer, “dark”; Bettina von Armin, “brown”; Schindler, “red and brown”; Rellstab, “brownish”; Gelinek, “short, dark.”

Newsweek, in its Sept. 23, 1991 issue stated, “Afrocentrism ranges over the whole panorama of human history, coloring in the faces: from Australopithecus to the inventors of mathematics to the great Negro composer Beethoven.”

Of course, in the world of scholarship there are those who take an opposite view. In the book The Changing Image of Beethoven by Alessandra Comini, an array of arguments are presented. Donald W. MacArdle, in a 1949 Musical Quarterly article came to the conclusion that there was “no Spanish, no Belgian, no Dutch, no African” in Beethoven's genealogy. Dominque-Rene de Lerma, the great musical bibliologist, came to the same conclusion.

Included in this amazing discussion is a reference made of Beethoven’s teacher, Andre de Hevesy, in his book, Beethoven The Man. “Everyone knows the incident at Kismarton, or Eisenstadt, the residence of Prince Esterhazy, on his birthday. In the middle of the first allegro of Haydn’s symphony, His Highness asked the name of the author. He was brought forward.

“‘What!’ exclaimed the Prince, ‘the music is by the blackamoor (a black Moor). Well, my fine blackamoor, henceforth thou art in my service.’

“‘What is thy name?’

“‘Joseph Haydn.’”

We have all been fed false information for reasons previously mentioned. It is no secret that scholars, writers, critics, advertisers and Hollywood have changed history for their own specific reasons. What is uniquely different in the intellectual landscape, people of color now have an army of sophisticated scholars to combat the continuation and dissemination of false information that has been accepted as standard, as well as the canon in academia.

It is hoped that the revealing of this information will motivate others to critically look at all data flowing in their brains for authenticity. Hollywood is notorious for changing facts. I am not saying to hate Hollywood, but we do have to hold it accountable for disseminating inaccurate depictions, especially when it changes the course of history, by which our children are influenced.

Graphic credits:

1.) Louis Letronne, Beethoven, 1814, pencil drawing.

2.) Blasius Hofel, Beethoven, 1814, monochrome facsimile of engraving after a pencil drawing by Louis Letronne.

3.) Engraving by Blasius Hofel, Beethoven, 1814, color facsimile of engraving after a pencil drawing by Louis Letronne. This engraving was regarded in Beethoven's circle as particularly lifelike. Beethoven himself thought highly of it, and gave several copies to his friends.

©2003Kwaku Person-Lynn

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[Doctor Raoul]

Explains a few things...

[Doctor Raoul]

Gasp! That means Orson Wells was black, too!

Ever notice his Martians were DARK green?

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Freepers rule!

I learn more from Freep than anywhere else..what a bunch of brilliant ones!

[arthurus]

When they dug him up in 1986 to restore his grave they opened the casket and found him with an eraser and his final unfinished symphony. He had been decomposing.

[Pharmboy]

Death Mask of Ludwig van Beethoven (1827)

I have been reading Beethoven biographies since I was in high school, and remember hearing about him "being black" perhaps 20 years ago. Nonsense.

A few generations before his birth, Dec 16th, 1770 in Bonn, Germany, his Flemish ancestors came from Belgium. He did not have much German blood, and certainly no Austrian. This whole flap reminds me of the German joke:

"Name the two greatest 20th Century achievements of the Austrian."
Answer: "To have convinced the world that Beethoven was Austrian and Hitler was German."

Click here for Beethoven's genealogy.

[Tijeras_Slim]

He got his skin lightened after Symphony # 10, also called the “Thriller” symphony.

[bannie]

It just keeps increasing!

[PistolPaknMama]

That is a legitimate word. Sort of like when LOL isn't enough you use ROFL. It is the ROFL of "snicker".

Too much sensitivity! :-)

[Sawdring]

Jimmy Hendrix and that guy who did all those things with peanuts were actually white. But whites aren't claiming Oprah and only half of Obama.

[Borges]

Classical Music PING

[OneWingedShark]

>That is a legitimate word. Sort of like when LOL isn’t enough you use ROFL.
>It is the ROFL of “snicker”.
>
>Too much sensitivity! :-)

Indeed, or too much ignorance from a limited vocabulary... and you know what’s REALLY disheartening? My vocabulary is much smaller now than 6 or 7 years ago. (Thanks Army! [/sarc]) ;)

[bigheadfred]

Since Beethoven was Black

and his hairstyle resembles that of another famous person

We can only conclude one thing!!!

*SNIGGER*

[tomkat]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Didn’t you get the memo? We’ll all be at least half black by the end of the next four years, no matter our current race or ethnic make-up. ;)

[bigheadfred]

Didn’t you get the memo?

Told my boss that while he was at the paint store to choose an appropriate stain so we could beat the crowds...

[EggsAckley]

Heheheheh. Now THAT’S funny!!

[Emperor Palpatine]

This brings to mind a classic "SNL" skit from their first season or so. John Belushi played Beethoven sitting at a piano playing the "Moonlight" sonata in an 18th Century Viennese drawing room......



Then after Gilda Radner as one of the Contessas asks him to "liven things up - this is boring!", Belushi puts on some dark shades and starts rocking back and forth doing a killer impression of Ray Charles' "Hey, What Did I Say?" - complete with the female trio behind him, hehehe.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Actually, “Beethoven’s Tenth” is also known as “Brahms’ First”

[Emperor Palpatine]

Maybe White people should claim Scott Joplin....after all, although his rags are heavily syncopated, they follow the same form as both Sousa's marches and Chopin's scherzos. Besides, that massively strided bass is a form of basso ostinato, not unlike Scarlatti.

Plus he wrote an opera with music as exquisite and a plot as implausible as Verdi's "Il Trovatore"

[Emperor Palpatine]

No, that was Schoenberg with his Sprechstimme".....or Meredith Willson with the "Trouble In River City" number from "The Music Man"