I saw a movie called "Copying Beethoven" about the life of the great composer. The movie portrayed Beethoven as follows:

Of coure he was deaf but he heard music in his head, as we all do, but much more vividly. Now when I have a tune playing in my head it's something I've heard before. Beethoven heard new music which he developed into his compostition. In effect he didn't consciously compose his music, he simply wrote down what was playing in his head.

My favorite line from the movie is when Beethoven says "God whispers into some men's ears, He SHOUTS into mine. That's why I'm deaf."

Okay, my question is whether this movie version of Beethoven historically accurate. Did Beethoven's music simply come to him so he only had to write it down? The movie implies that Beethoven's deafness was responsible for his great music since it allowed him to "hear" what a person with normal hearing would not. Thus we'd probably not have heard of Beethoven if he'd not been deaf. Is this true?

As well disposed as I am to any film about Beethoven, I didn't much care for COPYING BEETHOVEN.

Ed Harris was just wrong as Beethoven, not only not looking remotely like the maestro but totally misinterpreting his personality and character. One scene I actually found offensive and absurd: when Beethoven deliberately exposes his buttocks at his young female copyist. Beethoven, a product of genteel German/Austrian society, would NEVER have done such a thing!

As for the music "just coming to him," we know that isn't true. His sketchbooks show how hard he worked and what a struggle most of his compositions were.

Whether his deafness was responsible for his immortal greatness is an interesting question. By the time it came upon him he already possessed magnificent skills and talents as both musician and composer. While I tend to think his deafness did serve to focus his mind on composition and to profoundly and personally understand the extremes of joy and sorrow, what sublime works might he have composed if his life had been long, healthy and happy?

A much better Beethoven film is BEETHOVEN: EROICA, with Ian Hart giving a wonderful depiction of the young genius at the first performance of his 3rd Symphony. You can get it from Netflix.com

Thank you Jon. Sometimes I wish movie makers wouldn't turn real people into fiction characters.

The "mooning" scene didn't work for me either. My understanding is that Beethoven did not call it Moonlight Sonata.

I'll keep an eye out for Beethoven: Erotica.

Interesting though that might be to you, it's actually Beethoven: Eroica (as in the 3rd symphony)

HAHAHA

Freudian slip. Eroica then. Maybe I'll like it anyway.