Beethoven wasn't deaf

I don't know how much that would change things. Ludwig Van Beethoven was deaf only in his late life, which made him suffer. Nevertheless, he still wrote magnificient music scores.

I don't know how Beethoven not being deaf would have altered his career: he might have written a few more pieces of music and some others might he already wrote OTL might be slightly altered. On Beethoven himself, I think that he became depressed when he learned he was deaf: that would probably give him a happier life if he wasn't.
 
Although Beethoven was not completely deaf until toward the end of his creative life, he began to lose his hearing much earlier. This could well have had an impact on his attitude toward life and as a result, the emotional focus of his music. Also, although he could still compose music after losing his hearing, he could no longer play concertos and the like, which required him to be able to hear what the rest of the orchestra was doing. That was a major source of income for all composers in this period. This might further darken his attitude.

Since some of Beethoven's best and most powerful music is also his most anguished or angry, maybe he might actually have NOT been as great a composer if he never lost his hearing. How about that?

But none of this would change the world.
 
zoomar said:
Since some of Beethoven's best and most powerful music is also his most anguished or angry, maybe he might actually have NOT been as great a composer if he never lost his hearing. How about that?

In my eyes he still could. You mention his most anguished or angry pieces are some of his best musics: as it applies to his seventh symphony, I won't deny it. But Beethoven's talents did not stop at that.

Take the ninth symphony for example. It's the Ode of Joy, which is still a quite impressive pieces, one of the most known pieces of Beethoven and one of the best liked. Then, there is also a personnal favorite of mine: Piano Concerto N°5, also called "Emperor's Concerto". These two music pieces are more "cheerful" and they count as very good to me.

If Beethoven is able to produce other pieces of such caliber, he could very well become as great a composer as he was OTL.

zoomar said:
But none of this would change the world.

Well... Yeah, butterflies wouldn't be major in politics & the likes. On the other hand, it could have an effect in regards to music.
 
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