To the Gods of the Keys:

I play the piano.
Ich spiele die Klavier sehr gern.
I learned a few days after I arrived that in Bonn was Ludvig Von Beethoven's birth house which had been restored into a museum and memorial of his life. The first chance I got, I went to see it.
The house was set to look like it did at Beethoven's birth year, 1770. Since his family was not wealthy, their house was not the biggest marvel. The house wasn't the biggest either but nevertheless, the Beethoven family only rented 3 rooms on the bottom floor. Creeky wooden floors were layed about, the celing low and the walls bare. I learned a lot about the man's musical career and his philosophy, which I examined with intensive curiosity. His dad started pushing Beethoven almost immediately after he was able to push a piano key. Beethoven's dad was pushing him to become 'The Next Mozart', since Mozart had been the first real child prodigy, the fad was spreading across Europe, in the eyes of the parents moreso than the kids. However, with Beethoven there was incredible success. He began performing publicly at the age of seven. Beethoven never had an accurate estimation of his age since his dad lied to him and the Cour Band Organist saying Beethoven was 10 instead of 11 so he could obtain his desired position of Lead Organist.  At the age of 16 his mother died, causing his father to drop Beethoven and his own life copmletely only to retire to alcohol.
His incredibly successful career started booming very early in his life and very soon became his entire life. In a letter he wrote that "I believe music is much more than a few notes, I believe music is related to man's greatest good, justice." He was never a devoutly religious man, yet he carried around an Egyptian saying with him wherever he went, "I am all that is, was and ever shall be. And all of these owe their existance to this one." I could tell in every translated latter from this man that he was the passion he found in his music. He was a becoming work of art and he was aware of it. He loved his work, his ethical background and himself with all the passion that he held. Quite the Roark, minus the disdain of society.
When I found myself stairing at a bust of a beautiful woman, I wondered for the first time if Beethoven was ever in love. He was never married but... I listened to the english translation of the tour and started hearing about how he made best friends with a student of his. He was 30, she was 17. "Oh, Lord..." I thought.. Evidence seems to show that their relationship never got to be more than a student-teacher basis. But when my headphones started playing the most gorgeous sounds I've ever heard to me, and the narration said that Beethoven composed Sonata No. 14, more commonly known as The Moonlight Sonata, I couldn't help but tear up with the satisfaction of knowing that Beethoven had indeed been in love. That song came from nothing but love. I play that song, and it's my favorite at the moment.. the beauty and passion that come from the sounds of those keys is incredible. I stood at that bust for quite some time, soaking up the passion of the moment...
The second touching thing that shook at Beethoven's Haus was a copy of his infamous letter, My Immortal Beloved. I had never read them before..and while I was standing in the midst of Ludwig's favorite piano, in his birth house.. I shivered. I read them through and through, sit down, listened to the music, and mused.