Beethoven and his “Immortal Beloved”

By Anna Schwartz

The love lives of many classical composers were a whirlwind of disastrous “situationships” and illegitimate affairs. Beethoven was no exception to this; he was an emotional, passionate man, and throughout his life he dedicated many of his compositions to various women who had a substantial impact on him. However, only to one did he declare his complete, undying love and loyalty. This was expressed in a three-part love letter, written in July of an unknown year before his death. In the letter is the following famous line: “Already in bed my thoughts go out to you, my immortal beloved.” Powerful, seductive words from the sensitive composer.

The catch?  We have no idea who his “immortal beloved” was.

The letter, in all its passion, leaves no indication of who this lover might have been; however, historians have pieced together bits of information from the lines over the centuries. Today, Beethoven’s ghost recipient has been narrowed down to a handful of affluent women across Europe.  Here are three of the most likely possibilities:

Josephine Brunsvick-Deym-Stackelberg was a Hungarian noblewoman of aristocratic birth. Beethoven was the family’s private piano instructor, and he taught Josephine and all of her sisters as they grew up. Josephine’s sister, Therese, had a series of memoirs that describe Joesphine’s travels across Europe in the summer of 1812. She and Beethoven had a meetup in Prague that same summer, and Beethoven noted in his letter that he thought his lover would be travelling on to Karlsbad – the same place, in fact, that Josephine did travel on to after their rendezvous in Prague.

 An Irish lover? A theory coined by Andreas Boldt speculates on whether Beethoven’s true love might be an educated Irish woman by the name of Helena Graves. Helena frequented a spa based outside of Karlsbad, and on her way there in the summer of 1818, she stopped to visit Beethoven. Several months later, she found out she was with child and was shunned by her husband, who immediately knew the child was not his. Whether the child is Beethoven’s is up for speculation, but it would certainly fit with the timeline.

 Though the debate is fierce and vibrant, perhaps who scholars agree is the most likely recipient of this letter was Antoine Bretano. According to a group of scholars established in the 1980s, Antoine is the best fit with the relative dates and locations Beethoven named in his letter. She is also said to have described Beethoven as “even greater as a man than as an artist.” One of her four children was more than likely fathered by the maestro, and it is also known that Antoine was extremely unhappy in her aristocratic marriage.

It is easy enough to make a case for any one of these women; however, thanks to Ludwig van Beethoven’s passion for love and his undying commitment to several women throughout his life, it may never be known in full certainty who his letter was destined for. Nonetheless, it is terribly romantic to think that his fiery, dramatic music was inspired by one so dear that he called her, without hesitation, his “immortal beloved.”

Anna Schwartz (she/her) is a multidisciplinary writer, educator, and conductor. She has written and spoken about the benefits of music and being a part of music-making throughout Manitoba and Northern Ontario.