Beauty and Heroism

It is an essential human truth that difficulties make heroes.

We all have difficulties to overcome. It means we can all be heroic.

Ludwig van Beethoven is one of humanity's greatest musicians. He is responsible for some of the most beautiful music ever heard and his works are recognised the world over.

But here's the thing: Beethoven composed his most beautiful works while he was deaf.

At age 26, when he was in his prime, deafness encroached. His ears developed tinnitus, a constant ringing sound inside the head. Soon, he became as deaf as a post.

Some have thought that Beethoven's deafness was caused by the beatings he received from his alcoholic father. We will never know. Either way, he had many things to overcome.

Despair

When the deafness set in, Beethoven had largely been a performer — a virtuoso pianist - not a composer. He was forced to give it up.

As total deafness took over, Beethoven plunged into despair. He contemplated suicide. His mood darkened. He became short-tempered and emotional.

And yet — and this is the amazing part — his descent into deafness coincided with the increasing brilliance of his compositions. Spectacularly, his best works were those produced in the period when he could hear nothing. The deafer he became, the more genius he produced.

His work began to be characterised by the themes of struggle and heroism. His music soared and he entered a period of unprecedented innovation. Quite simply, he changed music forever.

Shortly before his death, Beethoven tried to conduct his world famous Ninth Symphony at the KŠrntnertor Theatre in Vienna. When the symphony ended one of the soloists in the orchestra had to point him to the audience who had risen to their feet in thunderous applause. He could only see their hands clapping. Tears filled his eyes.

The finale to this symphony is a remarkable choral piece.

It is one of history's more remarkable ironies that a man who suffered such severe depression and darkness could create Ode to Joy, his own finale and signature work.

There is always the opportunity to put some good into the world. But putting good into the world when faced with some difficulty is just that much more beautiful and powerful.

We all face difficulties of many kinds. With Beethoven, the greater his difficulty, the more beautiful his output.

I often think that we are all like Beethoven. We may not have his skill or talent, but we can respond to our personal difficulties with a response of good, and encourage those who bravely confront their own difficulties by producing beauty in their own way.

It is an essential human truth that difficulties make heroes. A beautiful symphony of our own making awaits.