Ludwig van Beethoven: the Deaf and Heard
Sense of Hearing: a Medical, Musical and Historical Journey through Time
16 and 17 October 2020
A symposium presented by the Beethoven Jubiläums Gesellschaft in cooperation with the University Hospital of Bonn (UKB) and the Freiburg Institute for Musicians' Medicine (FIM) in the lecture hall of the Biomedical Center (BMZ), Building 13, University Hospital of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn.
Once they premiere, Beethoven's works are immediately etched into our cultural minds and memories. The fact that Beethoven started to lose his hearing halfway through his life and composed some of his most important works, including the Ninth Symphony and the Missa Solemnis, when practically deaf, is almost as well-known as his music. The “Ludwig van Beethoven: the Deaf and Heard” symposium therefore takes both aspects, Beethoven’s music and his condition, as the starting point for a historical and hermeneutical review of the phenomenon Beethoven from a musicians’ medicine perspective. It thereby places an important focus on his hearing and the effects of his deafness on his psychosocial situation and other illnesses. In addition, the political and cosmopolitan effects of the composer and his oeuvre, as well as aspects of his vocal compositions, are presented in relation to his medical history. The findings of this diverse and interdisciplinary symposium can be download in German or English free of charge. The symposium will also be streamed live via ZOOM.
Patron
Dr. Nike Wagner
Organizer:
Beethoven Jubiläums Gesellschaft in cooperation with the University Hospital of Bonn (UKB) (Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. mult Wolfgang Holzgreve)
Academic Coordination:
Freiburg Institute for Musicians' Medicine (FIM) (Prof. Bernhard Richter / Prof. Claudia Spahn)
