# Did Beethoven perform his own Violin Concerto? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424 "2009-01-01T01:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/1 "2009-01-01T01:00:39Z")
He was a superb Pianist and played his keyboard works in Concert. He was a violinist, as well, but how good he was with this instrument, I have no idea. Anyone know for sure? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/2 "2009-01-01T01:35:16Z")
From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_(Beethoven)): “Beethoven wrote the concerto for his colleague Franz Clement, a leading violinist of the day, who had earlier given him helpful advice on his opera Fidelio. The occasion was a benefit concert for Clement.” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/3 "2009-01-01T01:42:01Z")
I imagine Beethoven’s deafness would have prevented him from playing violin at the necessary level of proficiency. He had been going deaf since 1798, and the concerto was composed in 1806. BTW, I just happen to be listening to it (Heifetz’s recording) right now. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/4 "2009-01-01T03:12:02Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > I imagine Beethoven’s deafness would have prevented him from playing violin at the necessary level of proficiency. He had been going deaf since 1798, and the concerto was composed in 1806. > > BTW, I just happen to be listening to it (Heifetz’s recording) right now. What a pleasant coincidence! And the deafness ties right into nonperformance of the V. Con. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/5 "2009-01-01T03:27:00Z")
[David Oistrakh](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0RgjrBu5uE) 9:20 to the end absolutely blows me away. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/6 "2009-01-01T04:12:27Z")
Yes, I can imagine a deaf pianist, but a deaf string player would, over time, acquire some serious problems, especially intonation. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/7 "2009-01-01T07:06:15Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > I imagine Beethoven’s deafness would have prevented him from playing violin at the necessary level of proficiency. He had been going deaf since 1798, and the concerto was composed in 1806. Beethoven was performing on the piano in concert till 1808. His last performance was as an accompanist on the Archduke Trio in 1814. It’s also reported that he demonstrated to performers how he wanted the violin to be played in some of his late quartets (~1826-7). So, it’s not inconceivable that he would have had a go at Op. 61 in 1806/7. There seems to be this (romantic) misconception that Beethoven went (almost) completely deaf in the early 1800s itself. Recent scholarship suggests that is not the case. He retained significant hearing ability till the middle of 1810s and then unreliable but oscillating levels of hearing till the last couple of years in his life when he did reportedly become completely deaf. And no, this scholarship isn’t sourced from Anton Schindler’s testimony. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/8 "2009-01-01T13:56:43Z")
> [@Cyberhwk](#): > > [David Oistrakh](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0RgjrBu5uE) > > 9:20 to the end absolutely blows me away. :eek: I watched it it just now, and this would seem as good a place as any to ask… Can we create a sound recording and link it to a post at SD? Occasionally, I have a question about a tune, and have entered scale letters (CGE#B, etc.) in the post, trusting that SD big brains would work out the melody and answer the Q. (They always did.) But could I have recorded, using my piano, and a link? Is this acceptable to SD regs? ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/9 "2009-01-01T14:01:59Z")
> [@II\_Gyan\_II](#): > > Beethoven was performing on the piano in concert till 1808. His last performance was as an accompanist on the Archduke Trio in 1814. It’s also reported that he demonstrated to performers how he wanted the violin to be played in some of his late quartets (~1826-7). So, it’s not inconceivable that he would have had a go at Op. 61 in 1806/7. There seems to be this (romantic) misconception that Beethoven went (almost) completely deaf in the early 1800s itself. Recent scholarship suggests that is not the case. He retained significant hearing ability till the middle of 1810s and then unreliable but oscillating levels of hearing till the last couple of years in his life when he did reportedly become completely deaf. And no, this scholarship isn’t sourced from Anton Schindler’s testimony. Thank you for the information, Gyan. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/10 "2009-01-01T16:39:14Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > I watched it it just now, and this would seem as good a place as any to ask… > > Can we create a sound recording and link it to a post at SD? > > Occasionally, I have a question about a tune, and have entered scale letters (CGE#B, etc.) in the post, trusting that SD big brains would work out the melody and answer the Q. (They always did.) > > But could I have recorded, using my piano, and a link? Is this acceptable to SD regs? I can’t see how there could be any objection to this - you own the copyright of your own recordings, and even if it’s an extract of a copyright composition, it would count as fair use. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/11 "2009-01-01T17:38:41Z")
BTW, Beethoven wrote a version of this concerto for piano and orchestra. You can find recordings of this version occasionally. Beethoven was schooled on violin and played viola professionally in his youth, but I doubt if he ever considered himself as an accomplished soloist in these instruments. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-beethoven-perform-his-own-violin-concerto/479424/12 "2009-01-01T17:50:06Z")
> [@K364](#): > > BTW, Beethoven wrote a version of this concerto for piano and orchestra. You can find recordings of this version occasionally. > > Beethoven was schooled on violin and played viola professionally in his youth, but I doubt if he ever considered himself as an accomplished soloist in these instruments. I have it somewhere in my CD collection. However, I must confess I think it is effing atrocious. And I love Beethoven. Honest.