Roll Over Bethoven and Tell Tchiaowsky the News!

Today, December 16th, is Beethoven's 200th birthday despite the fact that he died age 56.   T-chow (his street name) was only 53 when he died.

Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, we were taught in school, were usually referred to as "The Three Bs."  Amazingly enough, nicknames (which are often slurs on the character, size of the person having one)  were popular back in the days of chivalry and courtesy.

Bach cooled it permanently age 65, Brahms was 63.  People didn't live very long back in those days, but because they didn't one of the things that amazes me was family size then.

Beethoven was one of seven.  Only three of his siblings survived.
Tchaikovsky was #8 of eight.
Brahms amazes at being one of only three, until I read that his mother was 17 years older than his father.  Bless her heart anyhow.
Bach was one of eight, but I couldn't find out his birth number or survivors.

Excessively large numbers of children in any given family were nothing then.  Moving over into literature, Dickens had 10 children.  As each was born, Dickens declared him/her to be his favorite.  You can imagine what that was like around ye old dinner table.  

I do feel a little sorry for Beethoven as his birthday came so close to Christmas.  Whatever he got must have been scant.  Perhaps limited to an orange in the toe of his stocking.  Wait!  I take that back - oranges were extremely scarce due to having to be imported and thus very expensive.  Maybe a walnut instead.

                                       Any road, HAPPY 200th BIRTHDAY BEETHOVEN.