Event

The Know The Score series explores a single work in depth. This program, devoted to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, begins with Beethoven's place in the history of music, where he had support to write in an advant guard manner. However, Beethoven began going deaf and this progressed, despite medical attention. The compromise of his ability to hear melodies, perform on the piano, and conduct, and his social isolation led to severe depression. In 1802, he wrote The Heiligenstadt Testement, which is considered a suicide note. In it he recounts the impact of his deafness and states "...such incidents drove me almost to despair; a little more of that and I would have ended my life- It was only my art that held me back. Ah, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt was within me."

After a general introduction to Beethoven's life and importance to classical music, Linda Pessar, M.D., Director of The Center For medical Humanities will talk about the factors that played a role in Beethoven's resiliency. Jeffrey Higgenbotham, PhD., Professor and Chair, Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences will discuss social circumstances, medical treatments and available technologies for deal people during the 19th Century. The program concludes with a BPO performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

Linda Pessar, M.D.
Email: lfp@buffalo.edu