(Over the course of the next few weeks, the Lincoln Parish Journal is republishing some of its most memorable stories from the past year … some of our readers’ favorites).
By Kyle Roberts
BONN, Germany — You’ll be hard pressed to find a piano player who hasn’t heard of Ludwig von Beethoven.
And if you happen to be around Köln, Germany, then you’re only a 45-minute train ride away from this legend’s homestead — now a museum in his honor.
Turns out, we found ourselves in that exact spot this past June, and I, being a piano player, as is my older daughter Alice, absolutely jumped at the chance to go while we were serving on a mission trip this summer. It was a beautiful ride through the German countryside to Bonn, home to over 330,000 people with boutique shops and al fresco restaurants — and a town square fully leaning into being Beethoven’s home.
For the non-musical reader, it’s almost a rite of passage for a fledgling pianist is to learn the first movement of one of his most famous pieces: “Für Elise.” The opening is a mixture of somber, hope, and ease — perfect for the young piano player. You’ve heard the opening part, whether you know it or not. I played “Für Elise” growing up, and Alice is not far behind. Beethoven is often the jumping point into learning concert-style piano. He’s the equivalent of a basketball player wanted to see the childhood home of Michael Jordan, the greatest ever.
This is all on my mind as we are walking through the bricked streets of Bonn. I’m about to walk into the home of a piano legend.
When you arrive, the house is three stories high with a reflecting garden and courtyard in the middle, and every room has relics from centuries ago — old claviers, harpsicords, stringed instruments, paintings, letters, and sheet music. In his own hand writing. It gives you a glimpse into the mind of a true musical genius.
And my favorite part was learning more about who he was as a person. Oftentimes, we hear about artists and musicians and make the assumption they were tortured or destitute. Not ol’ Ludwig. He was the most famous human being in Europe in the early 1800s outside of royalty.
Today, we have Swifties. Yesteryear, they had Beeties.
And his health problems were not overexagerrated. He’s known for being an incredible composer and conductor while being completely deaf in his 40s — likely from a slow and painful lead poisoning that began in his 20s (not uncommon in Europe during that period).
Even in that, the dude was “Shark-Tank” business savvy. A large portion of his wealth came from playing publishers and concert venues against each other, waiting for the dust to settle and go with the highest bidder. He had no shortage of riches, fame and money.
Musically, he lives on into today, as do Mozart, Bach and Chopin, among others. Which is why it was so great to experience this with my daughter, who, too, will begin playing Beethoven soon. It made the venture that much more excited.
Because the trip wasn’t just für me — it was für Alice, too.
