CHAPTER XVII. Beethoven’s Character and Personality--His Disposition--Evil Effects of Early Associations and Inadequate Intellectual Training--Sentimental Ideals not Realized in Conduct--Self-sufficiency and Pride--The Homage of Young Disciples--Love of Nature--Relations with Women--Conceptions of Virtue--Literary Tastes--His Letters--The Sketchbooks--His Manner of Compositions--Origin of His Deafness 245 CHAPTER XVIII. Beethoven’s Brothers--His First Concert on His Own Account--Septet and First Symphony Performed--Punto and the Sonata for Horn--The Charlatan Steibelt Confounded--Beethoven’s Homes in Vienna--Madame Grillparzer, the Poet’s Mother--Doležalek-- Hoffmeister--E. A. Förster--The Quartets, Op. 18--Prince Lichnowsky’s Gift of a Quartet of Viols--Publications of 1800 265 CHAPTER XIX. The Year 1801--Compositions offered to Hoffmeister--Concerts for Wounded Soldiers--Vigano and the Ballet “Prometheus”--Interest in the Publication of Bach’s Works and His Indigent Daughter--Stephan von Breuning--Summer Home in Hetzendorf--Composition of “The Mount of Olives”--Compositions and Publications of the Year--The Funeral March in the Sonata, Op. 26--The So-called “Moonlight” Sonata--Inspired by a Poem of Seume’s--Illicit Publication of the String Quintet, Op. 29 281 CHAPTER XX. Important Letters of 1801--Communications to Amenda, Hoffmeister and Wegeler--The Composer’s Ill Health--The Beginning of His Deafness--Early Symptoms Described by Himself--Thoughts of Marriage--Indignation Aroused by the Criticisms of the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung--The “Leipsic Oxen”--Gradual Recognition of Beethoven’s Genius--Anton Reicha--Von Breuning’s Relations with Beethoven--Lessons to Ferdinand Ries and Carl Czerny 297 CHAPTER XXI. Beethoven’s Love-Affairs--Countess Guicciardi--A Conversation with Schindler about Her Marriage--Schindler’s Contradictory Story--Countess Erdödy--Schindler’s Theory Disproved--The Letter to the “Immortal Beloved”--Critical Study of its Date--Countess Guicciardi Not the Woman Addressed--A Conjecture Concerning the Countess Therese von Brunswick--Other Candidates for the Honor of Being the Object of Beethoven’s Supreme Love--Magdalena Willmann--Amalia Sebald--The Arguments of Kalischer, Mariam Tenger and Marie Lipsins (La Mara) Set Forth by the Editor of this Biography--Statements of Relations and Descendants of the Countesses Guicciardi and von Brunswick--The Memoirs of the Countess Therese--Later French Investigations 317