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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[mainestategop]

Okkie dokie! Don't know what to make of this... Maybe he was of black descent, or maybe this is all done by some black history revisionist making every famous person in the world out to be black. Came across it awhile back thought it would be worth sharing

ANY THOUGHTS?

[cripplecreek]

Just LOL

[Grizzled Bear]

Winston Smith! Those photos do not exist! Send them down the memory hole and report to the Ministry of Love!

[LibFreeOrDie]

“Roll Over Beethoven” by Chuck Berry

Im gonna write a little letter,
Gonna mail it to my local dj.
Its a rockin rhythm record
I want my jockey to play.
Roll over beethoven, I gotta hear it again today.

You know, my temperatures risin
And the jukebox blows a fuse.
My hearts beatin rhythm
And my soul keeps on singin the blues.
Roll over beethoven and tell tschaikowsky the news.

I got the rockin pneumonia,
I need a shot of rhythm and blues.
I think Im rollin arthiritis
Sittin down by the rhythm review.
Roll over beethoven rockin in two by two.

Well, if you feel you like it
Go get your lover, then reel and rock it.
Roll it over and move on up just
A trifle further and reel and rock it,
Roll it over,
Roll over beethoven rockin in two by two.

Well, early in the mornin Im a-givin you a warnin
Dont you step on my blue suede shoes.
Hey diddle diddle, I am playin my fiddle,
Aint got nothin to lose.
Roll over beethoven and tell tschaikowsky the news.

You know she wiggles like a glow worm,
Dance like a spinnin top.
She got a crazy partner,
Oughta see em reel and rock.
Long as she got a dime the music will never stop.

Roll over beethoven,
Roll over beethoven,
Roll over beethoven,
Roll over beethoven,
Roll over beethoven and dig these rhythm and blues.

[max americana]

Just freakin great. Now Spike Lee will make a movie about this..

[muawiyah]

Beethoven liked black ladies maybe?

All irelevant. The guy posited the thrust of the story he was telling us as occuring in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The shipment of black African slaves to the New World didn't really get going until the 17th century.

The intro indicates the writer wasn't clear about when he meant, and that pretty much establishes he's soft on the what part too.

[r9etb]

Gasp! That means Orson Wells was black, too!

[fso301]

Doesn't look like a Moor to me.

[RegulatorCountry]

If he weren’t so reknowned, no one would care, including those who go back through history, attempting to claim this or that personage for their particular group. The “Abraham Lincoln was gay” crowd springs to mind.

It doesn’t change his music, one way or the other.

[mainestategop]

A friend of mine who is a cartoonist learned about this on the Jews against Obama forum. He's writing a cartoon about it. Apparently Malcolm X made mention of this in one of his speeches.

and he told me they had recordings in Vienna Austria in the turn of the century And that There were ten symphonies instead of 9! This being his tenth!

Don't know. Guess I just rolled my eyes and thought good grief!

[yarddog]

First of all, Moors were not Black despite Shakespeare calling them that. They were mostly Celtic and typically blue eyed but they were dark from living in North Africa. They did not live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

There has been a lot of confusion about Moors even in ancient times. They are more like the Berbers and to a lesser degree, the Phoenicians of ancient Carthage. It might even be possible that a few were mixed with sub-Saharan Africans but that number would probably have been minuscule.

[mainestategop]

Uh... what was that meant that word in the asterix? If I may ask?

[OneWingedShark]

It’s a form of snickering, sort of a short snicker-snort.

[Lizavetta]

In the 15th and 16th century, written history underwent a massive campaign of misinformation and deception.

Similar to what's going on in the 20th and 21st century. Any achievement was from the blacks, and if it wasn't, it was stolen from the blacks.

The afrocentrist activists have become ludicrous.

[Daffynition]

[Dick Bachert]

TOTAL BRAVO SIERRA.

I’ve read two major biographers of my favorite composer and NOWHERE was he described as other than white and of Flemish ancestry.

OTOH, even if he were half black, so what? He’s STILL a genius and changed the music world forever.

Genius — just like stupidity and ignorance — comes in ALL hues.

[ClearCase_guy]

Yo, yo, yo! I’m gonna lay me down some “fur Elise” — fo’ shizzle!

[doc1019]

(An exasperated) Please, emanates from my keyboard after reading this. And more of this garbage will be brought to the for over the next four years. ;-)

[mainestategop]

Okay its just it sounded like the N-word in there being that this is a topic about black history or I should say maybe even revisionist history.