Blue Hill, Maine, U. S. A. July, 1914. _Postscript_ The breaking out, in August, 1914, of the war between Austria and Servia which eventually involved nearly all the civilized nations of the world, led the publishers, who had originally undertaken to print this Work as brought to a conclusion by the American Editor, indefinitely to postpone its publication. In the spring of 1920 the Beethoven Association, composed of musicians of high rank, who had given a remarkably successful series of concerts of Beethoven’s chamber-music in New York in the season 1919-20, at the suggestion of O. G. Sonneck and Harold Bauer resolved to devote the proceeds of the concerts to promoting the publication of Thayer’s biography. To this act of artistic philanthropy the appearance of the work is due. H. E. K. Blue Hill, Maine, U. S. A. September, 1920. [Illustration: ALEXANDER WHEELOCK THAYER January 1888] Contents of Volume I PAGE INTRODUCTION vii CHAPTER I. Fall of the Ecclesiastical-Civil States in Germany--Character of Their Rulers--The Electors of Cologne in the Eighteenth Century--Joseph Clemens--Clemens August--Max Friedrich--Incidents and Achievements in Their Reigns--The Electoral Courts and Their Music--Earliest Records of the Beethovens in the Rhineland--Musical Culture in Bonn at the Time of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Birth--Operatic Repertories--Christian Gottlob Neefe--Appearance of the City 1 CHAPTER II. Beethoven’s Ancestors in Belgium--Louis van Beethoven, His Grandfather--He Leaves His Paternal Home--Tenor Singer at Louvain--His Removal to Bonn--Marriage--Activities as Bass Singer and Chapelmaster in the Electoral Chapel--Birth and Education of Johann van Beethoven, Father of the Composer--Domestic Afflictions--His Marriage--Appearance and Character of the Composer’s Mother 42 CHAPTER III. Birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, the Composer-- Conflict of Dates--The House in Which He Was Born--Poverty of the Family--An Inebriate Grandmother and a Dissipated Father--The Composer’s Scant Schooling--His First Music Teachers--Lessons on the Pianoforte, Organ and Violin--Neefe Instructs Him in Composition--A Visit to Holland 53 CHAPTER IV. Beethoven a Pupil of Neefe--Early Employment of His Talent and Skill--First Efforts at Composition--Assists Neefe at the Organ in the Orchestra of the Electoral Court--Is Appointed Assistant Court Organist--Johann van Beethoven’s Family--Domestic Tribulations--Youthful Publications 67