DAILY DOSE OF BEETHOVEN (September 7, 2020)

Today, we present a rare work by Beethoven's grandfather, Lodewijk van Beethoven (1712–1773). Do you hear, in his playful transformation of a Gregorian chant, his grandson's spirit?

Although his grandfather died shortly after his third birthday, Beethoven spoke of him more fondly than he ever did of his father. Sometimes, the moral spirit bypassses parents, and is passed down directly to the grandchild. The only thing Beethoven ever requested to be shipped to him in Vienna from Bonn, was the portrait of his grandfather, which hung on his wall for the rest of his life.

Lodewijk embodied a rich musical tradition. He was born in Malines, Flanders. The Flemish area, like Italy, was a 15th-16th century Renaissance Center. For music, it was the epi-center. This area produced all of the world's great composers during the Renaissance, including those who moved to Italy. The Cathedral schools of Antwerp, Bruges, Cambrai, Liege, Mons, and Ghent - all had magnificent choruses, which educated all of the great Renaissance composers. Ludowijk sang bass at the great cathedral of Liege, which had launched such great choruses centuries earlier. Both the great Flemish painters, and the great composers worked out of the same centers, such as Ghent and Bruges.

His move to Bonn may have been an aspect of building it up as a cultural center. By the time young Beethoven was born, his grandfather was Kapellmeister, and headed musical affairs in Bonn.

Happy Labor Day!