Well I guess Beethoven knew who he was writing to in his letter to the immortal beloved.
For researchers and everyone else this is still a mystery. In the exhibit: Beethoven in Love, from the Beethoven Center at San Jose University, you can educate yourself about all the people that played a significant role in Beethoven’s life. If you come to a conclusion about who was the immortal beloved you can also vote – voting booth and exhibit is open until December 17th, 2016.
But the Center for Beethoven also has the largest collection on Beethoven memorabilia and books outside of Germany. I admit I came for the hair, a lock that has been tested, and is currently undergoing DNA testing, to uncover more mysteries about Beethoven’s life.
Our docent, Adriana was very knowledgeable about Beethoven and everything concerning him. We had a great time and as a special treat she also played on various instruments explaining the particularities about the instruments.
Do you have a favorite composer?
I love Beethoven, particularly his piano concertos! But I am a true sucker for anything late romantic, like Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, or Fauré.
So, did you ever go to the Beethoven Center?
I never even knew it existed (like many things) until I read your blog post!