The Project Gutenberg eBook, Beethoven, by George Alexander Fischer

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Title: Beethoven

Author: George Alexander Fischer

Release Date: February 22, 2005 [eBook #15141]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEETHOVEN***

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Transcriber's Notes: 1. Corrected spelling of Maelzel's invention in one
place from 'Panharmonican' to 'Panharmonicon'.

2. In the index, corrected 'Krumpholtz' to
'Krumpholz', 'Origen of the dance' to 'Origin of
the dance', and 'Neafe' to 'Neefe'.

BEETHOVEN

A Character Study together with Wagner's Indebtedness to Beethoven

by

GEORGE ALEXANDER FISCHER

Es kann die Spur von meinen Erdentagen
Nicht in Aeonen untergehn.

GOETHE.

New York
Dodd, Mead and Company
The Trow Press, New York

1905

[Illustration: BEETHOVEN]

TO THE MEMORY OF
My father

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
I. Early Promise
II. The Morning of Life
III. The New Path
IV. Heroic Symphony
V. Fidelio
VI. The Eternal Feminine
VII. Victory from Defeat
VIII. Meeting with Goethe
IX. Optimistic Trend
X. At the Zenith of His Fame
XI. Methods of Composition
XII. Sense of Humor
XIII. Missa Solemnis
XIV. Ninth Symphony
XV. Capacity for Friendship
XVI. The Day's Trials
XVII. Last Quartets
XVIII. In the Shadows
XIX. Life's Purport

WAGNER'S INDEBTEDNESS TO BEETHOVEN

INDEX

CHAPTER I

EARLY PROMISE

God acts upon earth only by means of superior chosen men.