Beethoven & his ‘Immortal Beloved’
The secret identity of the composer’s lover that provokes fascination to this day
Ludwig van Beethoven’s passionate love letter is one of the most famous of all time. Originally written in 1812, it was left
15 years until undiscovered the composer’s for Beethoven death in 1827. never referred but addressed to his love by her as name supposedly his ‘Immortal inspired Beloved’, town after seeing her of Teplitz in in the the
Republic. modern-day Czech As a consequence, the woman the identity remains a of mystery to this Beethoven’s letter day. dramatic, is heartfelt and evident from the following excerpt: A number of women have been suggested as the intended recipient, although the most plausible candidates appear to be the aristocratic women Josephine
Brunsvik and Antonie
Brentano. Brunsvik received at least 13 love letters from Beethoven from 1804 to
1807, but their relationship never developed because of disapproving pressure from her family.
As for Brentano, she was close to Beethoven but evidence has shown that she did not visit
Teplitz, making her chances of being the immortal beloved unlikely.
Both women married but Beethoven died a bachelor. “My angel, my all, my own self… Can our love persist otherwise than through sacrifices, than by not demanding everything? Canst thou change it, that thou are not entirely mine, I not entirely thine?”
“The identity of the woman remains a mystery to this day”