Beethoven: Die Bonner Jahre

The contributions of this volume look from very different perspectives on the first two decades of the life of the great composer and musician. From his baptism in Bonn in December 1770 to his departure to Vienna in November 1792, which was not supposed to be a final one, numerous facets of his life and socialization in the Electoral Capital and Residence are described. His main focus is on his family of origin, his circle of friends, his companions, sponsors and teachers - the Family of Breuning, the Zehrgarten Circle, Eichhoff, Neefe, Ries, Simrock, Wegeler - the opulent musical life at the court and in the city, and finally the enlightenment circles, such as the Hof, the Electoral Academy or the influential Reading Society . The theme is Beethoven’s first stay in Vienna in 1786/87, the journey of Bonner Hofmusik to Mergentheim in 1791 and the importance of the spa and bathing town of Godesberg for the young musician. A look at the reaction to Beethoven’s death in Bonn is the conclusion of a volume that summarizes previous research results and re-evaluates some things as well as surprising results and reinterpretations.