Antonie Brentano

Antonie Brentano ( born May 28, 1780 in Vienna, † May 12, 1869 in Frankfurt am Main; born Antonia Josepha Johanna Noble Birkenstock, named Toni ) was one of the main female characters in the life of Ludwig van Beethoven. A number of musicologists considers it to be the legendary " Immortal Beloved " at the Ludwig van Beethoven in the summer of 1812 his famous three-part love letter was addressed.

Life

Antonie was the daughter of Austrian diplomats, officials and art collector Johann Melchior Edler von Birkenstock (1738-1809) and his wife Josefa of hay ( * 1755 in Fulnek / Bohemia, † May 18, 1788 in Vienna). She had three siblings, of which the latter two died early:

• Hugo Gottfried Konrad Birkenstock (* December 15, 1778 in Vienna, † April 10, 1825 in Ybbs an der Donau), Imperial Lieutenant in the Infantry Weydenfeld
• Caroline Victoria Birkenstock (* and † 1782 in Frankfurt)
• Johann Eduard Valentin Birkenstock (* and † 1784 in Frankfurt)

The father was the imperial court counselor and confidant of the Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Joseph II of reform, he was by his marriage in-law of Joseph of sun rock, known as the dedicatee of Beethoven's Piano Sonata in D major, Op 28 (1802 ). Both wives were sisters of the famous reform bishop of Hradec Králové January Leopold Ritter von Hay ( 1735-1794 ). Birkenstock and his family lived from 1782 some time in Frankfurt am Main, where his wife gave birth to their two children Caroline and John to the world. Maybe he learned even then the Brentano family know. In Vienna, he built himself a no longer existing palatial villa with 40 rooms in the suburbs highway, alley Erdberg No. 98 ( current situation Erdbergstraße 19 ), which he endowed with an extensive and valuable library and a rich art collection. As an eight year old Antonie lost her mother by an epidemic and was then sent for seven years in the Ursuline convent school of Pressburg. The father then sought for his daughter after a so-called good game and found it in the person of the wealthy Frankfurt merchant Franz Brentano, the half-brother of the siblings Clemens Brentano and Bettina von Arnim. When arranging the marriage to the late lamented Sophie Brentano, who lived in Vienna at that time, have played an important role. The marriage of the 18 -year-old Antonie Brentano with the 33 -year-old was held on July 23, 1798 in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. A few days later the couple moved to Frankfurt. Antonie gave birth to six children:

• Mathilde ( born July 3, 1799 in Frankfurt am Main, † April 5, 1800 ibid )
• Georg Melchior Franz ( born January 13, 1801 in Frankfurt am Main, † March 1, 1853 ibid ), on January 5, 1835 Marriage with Lilla Piper ( 1813-1868 ), a sister of the Cologne industrialist Emil Piper
• Maximiliane Euphrosine Cunegonde ( born November 8, 1802 in Frankfurt am Main, † September 1, 1861 Fountain / Switzerland ), on December 30, 1825 Marriage with Landolin Friedrich Karl Freiherr von Blittersdorf ( 1792-1861 )
• Josefa Ludovica ( born June 29, 1804 in Frankfurt am Main, † February 2nd, 1875 ibid ), on May 28, 1823 marriage to Theodor Anton Brentano Tozza ( 1809-1895 )
• Franziska Elisabeth called, Fanny ( born June 26, 1806 Frankfurt am Main, † October 16, 1837 ibid )
• Karl Joseph ( born March 8, 1813 in Frankfurt am Main, † May 18, 1850 ibid )

In August 1809 Antonie came back to Vienna in order to care for her ailing father, who died on 30 October of the same year. After his death she remained for three years in her hometown, where her husband, she visited only rarely. Antonie was entrusted as the sole heir, so to catalog her father's extensive library ( 7,012 books and music ) and its art collection (551 paintings, 261 drawings and thousands of engravings, miniatures, bronze statues, sculptures, etc. ) and sell it. Part of the values ​​they spent in advance to Frankfurt, another acquired Duke Albert of Saxe -Teschen for today's Albertina in Vienna. Only in 1832 the sold Antonie the now empty villa to a pharmacist named Joseph Gerold and his wife Wilhelmine Noble Petz. The Lost Palace is still called in the city's history Birkenstock or Brentanohaus. The most valuable picture from her collection of paintings was The Lamentation of Christ by the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck from 1627, the Antonie in 1852 bequeathed the Frankfurt Cathedral.

In her nearly ninety years Antonie Brentano survived many friends and relatives, including her husband and five of her six children. When she learned of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven, she began to write the names of their deceased friends in a list that included several pages at the end of her own life. The first entry was: " Beethoven, March 26, 1827 ."

Beethoven's " Immortal Beloved "?

Beethoven learned Antonie Brentano end of May 1810 to know through her ​​sister Bettina von Arnim. They developed a deep friendship developed, in her diary speaks Antonie of a " elective affinity ". On March 11, 1811, Bettina wrote that Beethoven had become her " one of the dearest people " and visit them " almost daily ". The same letter shows that she had not seen her husband six months. The following year she was inspired by Beethoven the original manuscript of his song to the beloved ( WoO 140) give, which he composed in December 1811 and the Bavarian singer Regina Lang had written to the root directory. They noted it: " the 2n March 1812 heritage then me by the author ." This applies to some scientists as an important indication that Antonie was actually Beethoven's beloved now.

The hypothesis that Antonie Brentano could have been Beethoven's " Immortal Beloved " was first raised in 1955 by Jean and Brigitte Massin, of course, only to discard them immediately: " The conjecture that it might have been Antonie Brentano, is also alluring and absurd. " 1972 Maynard Solomon grabbed the hypothesis again, Antonie Brentano was the addressee of the famous letter to the" Immortal beloved ", the Beethoven on 6/7 July 1812 aimed at Teplitz in one unknown, which at this time in " K. " was. As has already demonstrated the Beethoven scholar Max Unger, is thus meant Carlsbad. From the letter still shows that Beethoven had recently, on the evening of July 3rd surprisingly made ​​the enigmatic woman in Prague. Solomon was able to prove that Antonie actually on July 3 - Coming from Vienna - arrived in Prague, where they in the Jesuitengasse No. 147 (now Karlova ulice 44) descent in the Red House Hotel to travel on to Carlsbad next morning. Solomons considerations built on earlier work by George Marek and Harry Goldschmidt. His hypothesis for the identification of unknowns was subsequently taken over by numerous Beethoven researchers and could be supported by another source finds. Mentioned are the works of Klaus Martin Kopitz (2001) and Yayoi Aoki (2008).

The end of July, Beethoven traveled from Teplitz to Brentano to Carlsbad, where he worked in the same Pension Zum Auge Gottes (later Grand Hotel Pupp ) moved into a room. He then traveled with them to Franzensbad, where he and the Brentano also lived in the same hotel. After that, they seem to have separated forever. In November Antonie returned with her ​​family back to Frankfurt. Both joined in the following years, an intensive correspondence. 1819 Antonie began for the education of Beethoven's nephew at the famous theologian and pedagogue Johann Michael Sailer, with the Brentano were close friends. On behalf of Antonie Brentano was 1820, the famous Beethoven portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler. Immortal, she was in a sense as dedicatee of several major works of the composer.

As an argument against Solomon's thesis is put forward, among other things, that Beethoven was a friend in later years, with Antonia's husband, who left him often provide financial support. Some authors also believe that Beethoven was an outspoken opponent of marital infidelity and refer to the apology letter that Beethoven wrote on March 6, 1807 Paul Bigot de Morogues after he had his wife, the pianist Marie Bigot, invited along for a tour. It states that it was " one of my first Grundsäze, never to stand in another than friendship Lichen relation with the wife of another ." This confession Beethoven research has so far never been able to falsify.

The English author Susan Lund considers the begotten in May / June 1812 Karl Joseph Brentano was Beethoven's son. He was born on March 8, 1813 in Frankfurt am Main and was suffering from severe physical and mental disabilities, the consequences of which he already died on 18 May 1850. His grave is located in the Brentano family tomb ( tomb 48) at Frankfurt 's main cemetery, the other members of the Brentano family found their final resting place.

The letter to the " Immortal Beloved " was found after Beethoven's death in a secret compartment, was thus either never sent or returned to him by the recipient. As more candidates for the " Immortal Beloved " was over the now more than a hundred years of scientific controversy, inter alia, The following women are discussed: the Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, Therese Brunsvik whose younger sister Josephine Brunsvik and Dorothea von Ertmann. After the elimination process, the Harry Goldschmidt 1977 undertook, is only Josephine Brunsvik remained of these candidates except Antonie Brentano.

Dedications for Antonie Brentano, Beethoven

Already in October 1811 listed Beethoven on a printed copy of his Goethe -Lieder, Op 83: "In my excellent friend of Ms Toni Brentano Gebohrene noble Birkenstock by the author. " A similar inscription is found in the same month on a copy of the piano score of the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, Op 85 Later the composer dedicated his girlfriend two of his most important works: the English publication of the last Piano Sonata in C minor, Op 111 (1822 ) and the Diabelli Variations, Op 120 (1823 ). In addition, he wrote for her daughter Maximiliane the Piano Trio in B flat major WoO 39 (1812 ), and devoted this the Piano Sonata in E major, Op 109 (1821 ). Originally wanted to devote all last three piano sonatas (Op. 109, 110 and 111) Antonie Brentano Beethoven. He has appropriated no work your spouse.