Why Did Beethoven Go Deaf?
Reports differ on what age Beethoven was when he began to lose his hearing. Classic FM writes that he was 26, while PBS says he was 28. Whatever the case, it can be agreed that no one is exactly sure what caused his deafness. Some believe it was typhus, syphilis, lupus, or even Paget’s disease, a chronic bone disorder (per MedlinePlus). Likewise, Interlude states that Beethoven himself blamed a bad fall, in which his face slammed into the floor, as the beginning of his deafness. Not long after that, he began to suffer from a constant ringing in his ears.
According to Interlude, Beethoven’s left ear was the first to be affected by hearing loss. From there, the condition only worsened. He could apparently still hear certain sounds until he reached his 40s. By the time Beethoven was 44 or 45, he was completely deaf. The California Symphony reports that his hearing loss plunged him into a deep depression. He stopped performing and appearing in public. Instead, Beethoven became a recluse. He did, however, continue to compose music.
The California Symphony points out that the themes of his pieces changed as they came to reflect his life without sound. Per Classic FM, Beethoven was able to compose by feeling vibrations and by using lower notes (such as in the case of Moonlight Sonata). Moreover, he was so extensively trained that he could imagine the piece in his mind without having to hear it. On March 26, 1827, Ludwig Van Beethoven died in Vienna at the young age of 56 (via Biography).