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There are a number of people commenting about how Beethoven could hear music in his head, being deaf, and thus compose entire symphonies. But at that time the
by lostemptations5 2y ago
There are a number of people commenting about how Beethoven could hear music in his head, being deaf, and thus compose entire symphonies.
But at that time the musical instruments of the day were incredibly "standardized".
Basically it was all orchestral instruments such as violins, percuasion, and all the usual fair -- and by the time Beethoven went deaf he was intimately familiar with these such that he could IMAGINE it all in his head.
Even if you went deaf tomorrow, in 20 years time you would still be able to imagine a violin -- it is a very distinctive instrument.
So I think this feat -- while wonderful-- is pretty explainable.
- flappyeagle 2y agoI don’t think they’re astonished by his ability to imagine instruments. They are more remarking that he is considered the gold standard of music composition and he couldn’t hear what he was writing. Most artists still need the feedback loop of do something, evaluate it, iterate.
- lostemptations5 2y agoOk fair enough. Put that way it makes sense.