Two very important documents were discovered in Beethoven's desk shortly after his death in March 1827. These were the Heiligenstadt Testament and a love letter. The Heiligenstadt Testament was written in 1802 and reflects the turmoil that Beethoven went through during the onset of his deafness. The so-called "Immortal Beloved" letters represent an uncontrolled outburst of passionate feelings, to a person unknown. Ever since their discovery, the identity of the "Immortal Beloved" has been the cause for huge speculation. Crucially, the year, place of composition and the name of the intended recipent were all missing from the letters though fortunately the date was written on the letters by Beethoven.
To most Beethoven scholars, the identity of the woman Beethoven loved desperately but could not possess�the woman he called "my angel, my all, my very self" in letters found after his death in 1827�is no mystery of history. She was Antonie Brentano, graceful Viennese wife of a Frankfurt businessman and mother of five. Beethoven met her in Vienna around 1810 and spent considerable time with her.
That has been the consensus since the late 1970s when music historian Maynard Solomon handily eliminated all other possible candidates, including frequently mentioned Josephine of Brunsvick in his definitive biography, Beethoven. (Beethoven's sister-in law, Johanna, put forth as "Immortal Beloved" in the movie of the same name, was never a serious candidate.) Solomon's widely accepted argument makes it clear that only Brentano could have been in the right place at the right time in 1812.
However, word is now that the woman who for more than a year derailed Beethoven's composing and sent researchers in search of clues for nearly 150 more years may be a mystery after all. Soon a group of Czech and American music scholars will publish an essay claiming that a woman heretofore unmentioned is the true Beloved. (I will be sure to update this page when we know more)
It is not clear whether the new revelations will lead to a better understanding of the relationship. There is no proof Beethoven was sexually involved with his Beloved�or anyone else for that matter. Yet she was the object of his deep desire to be married. Without her, Beethoven gave up hope for such a life. When he died of liver failure in 1827, the only trace of the Immortal Beloved was the three-part love letter he left behind, signed "Ever thine, Ever mine, Ever ours."
**An 'Immortal Beloved' is a woman who is loved desperately but who cannot be possessed.
