Who was that Mysterious Eliza to Whom Ludwig van Beethoven Devoted his Famous "Fur Elise"? (With Musical Fragment)
When I was a child I visited a music school. I started it too early, at 5 years old, and I hated it. The education took 5 years. And after 3 years my mum was already fed up with it and me too. But I have one feature of my character which often made life more difficult than necessary. If I had started something I needed to finish it even if I didn't need it anymore. Anyway, I finished music school many many years ago and I hardly remember how to play anything from what I learnt but I will never forget one immortal thing. It is "Fur Elise" by Beethoven.
Just listen to this amazing music. This melody gives me goosebumps. It really is fantastic.
It is interesting that we know the melody but we have no idea what secret lies behind the thing familiar to us since our childhood.
The music expert, Ludwig Nohl, who studied the biography of Beethoven found a piece of paper with notes and interesting signature on it after the death of a composer. The notes were signed: "Devoted to Eliza by L. v. Beethoven". Who was that mysterious Eliza? What role did she play in the life of this genius? In 1867 Nohl published the melody in the variant we know nowadays but the piece of paper with discovered notes disappeared.
In 1923 another expert Max Unger suggested that Nohl interpreted the handwriting of Beethoven wrong and "To Eliza" was devoted to a pianist also his student Therese Malfatti who brilliantly played his compositions. The confirmation of it could also be the fact that she kept the notes for a long time. Another confirmation that it could be true was that the composer was her suitor and even was going to get married. The historians say the love was mutual. But Beethoven was refused as her rich father found her a different husband.
Another version says the music "To Eliza" was devoted to a German soprano Elizabeth Rockel, the younger sister of Beethoven's friend, tenor Joseph Rockel. Friends called her Eliza and when she moved from Vienna to Bamberg, Ludwig could have made her a farewell gift. But then it is not clear how the notes ended up withTherese during Elizabeth's life.
There is even a version that the composition was devoted to Elizaveta Alexeevna, the wife of Alexander I, the Russian Emperor.
All these versions were disputed by a Canadian expert who after a study came to the conclusion that the composition was devoted to the 13 year old Elizabeth Barensfeld the student of Terese Malfatti. They called her Eliza and she had a unique vocal talent. To please his love Therese, Beethoven devoted the composition to her student.
We don't know what version is right, but the experts are leaning to the last version. Of course, it is very interesting who was that lucky woman but the main thing is that this composition survived till our days.
And men, train your handwriting if you are going to devote something to your beloved one - don't confuse people . And nowadays it even could cause a fight between all women for the right to be mentioned in the name of such great music.
Sources:
http://www.xliby.ru/istorija/velikie_tainy_civilizacii_100_istorii_o_zagadkah_civilizacii/p45.php
http://www.myshared.ru/slide/329803/
Yours, @aksinya.
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