Classical Composer Ludwig van Beethoven Was Full of Heavy Metal

ZME Science via MSN ^ | 25 May 2025 | Tibu Pulu

[Publius]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a prodigious composer, credited with 722 works that pushed the boundaries of music and ushered in the Romantic era. Yet, his personal life was marred by several health challenges. Beethoven continued working despite deafness (and what a curse that must have felt like for a composer of his caliber), gastrointestinal troubles, and jaundice.

A year ago, scientists sequenced Beethoven’s genome from his hair. They found genetic risk factors for liver disease but nothing conclusive about his other ailments. Now, new research suggests lead toxicity might explain the composer’s suffering.

[Publius]

No, it's not about Beethoven's link to Ozzy Osbourne. When he was almost totally deaf, and near the end of his life, he produced the Late String Quartets, which mystified many of his contemporaries. Ignaz Schuppanzig, first violinist of the quartet that premiered all of Beethoven's quartets, wrote in Beethoven's conversation book that the quartet was having difficulty understanding these latest quartets.

Beethoven pulled himself up to his full foot-foot-six and said, "Oh, I didn't write these quartets for you! I wrote them for a later generation!" Then he calmed down and said, "Don't worry about it. They'll figure it out eventually."

He was right. Music had to go through the whole Wagner experience and World War I before the Late Quartets made sense. The 33-1/3 RPM long playing record helped.

Quartet in E-flat, Op. 127

Quartet in B-flat, Op. 130

Quartet in C# minor, Op. 131 (The wildest and craziest of his quartets.)

Quartet in A minor, Op. 132

Quartet in F, Op. 135

Among the greatest artifacts of Western Civilization.

[fwdude]

I remember recently listening to one of Beethoven’s later piano sonatas. It sounded just like Scott Joplin rag. The guy was a time traveler.

[tired&retired]

Ludwig van Beethoven was a Heavy Metal composer? Who knew!

[Hyman Roth]

Cue Bill and Ted

[lefty-lie-spy]

Well, duh!
I got into classical music because of what I learned when I first got into heavy metal around the age of nine. I was fortunate to have friends through my school years that realized we all got into something special and awesome. All of the ones I still keep in touch with have the same feeling too.
Metal
My favorite metalhead classical works are Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Stravinsky (and others I can’t recall at the moment). I haven’t listened to my favorite metalhead composers in quite some time, come to think of it; I’ll have to revisit and remember some of my favorites.

Thanks for this cool post.

[dadfly]

bookmark.

[waterhill]

Metal: making classical cool again?

According to the goog, the harmonic minor scale is the only one in common with both styles of music.

Used to listen to metal when doing math homework.

[JBW1949]

I am 76 years old and this is the first time I ever saw his name as Ludwig VAN Beethoven...I had always seen or heard Ludwig VON Beethoven....

[AnAmericanMother]

It is “Van”. That is Flemish and place (geographic)- derived.. “Von” is German and is used as an indication of nobility.

[JBW1949]

Beethoven was German.....

[fishtank]

Von Halen??

Haha!!

[Publius]

You’re talking about the final movement of the Op. 111 Sonata in C Minor. Beethoven invented jazz 100 years before it became current.

[JBW1949]

LOL...I’ve always heard VAN Halen...Never VON Halen....

[Publius]

"Von" meant you were a member of the nobility in the German and Austrian world. "Van" meant you were a member of the nobility in the Dutch world.

The two worlds didn't translate. Beethoven tried to litigate the matter of the custody of his nephew in the Austrian court of the nobility, but when the judges discovered that Van and Von weren't the same thing, the case was moved to the court of the commoners.

He was always Van because his family entered the German-speaking world from the Netherlands.

[Publius]

Beethoven was born in Bonn, a city in the Rhineland, and his first language was probably French.

[JBW1949]

Well, I’ve never been much into classical music myself (I’m from Tennessee...More into country music)...It seems I just always heard his name pronounced “von”...

[JBW1949]

Well, I’ve never been much into classical music myself (I’m from Tennessee...More into country music)...It seems I just always heard his name pronounced “von”...

[Publius]

Classical music ping.

[left that other site]

Thanks. (((LOVE Beethoven!!!)))

[higgmeister]

I am 76 years old and this is the first time I ever saw his name as Ludwig VAN Beethoven...I had always seen or heard Ludwig VON Beethoven....

I'm only 72 but I'm with you.   It was always Ludwig Von Beethoven but after I did a couple of searches I found out why they're pushing the geographic particle, "Van".   We always knew Baron von Richthofen was of nobility which the nobiliary particle, "von", signified.   But the liberal leftists of the world cannot have that, because Van Beethoven means, “from the beetroot yard."