The Mystery of Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved: 6 Possible Candidates

For almost 200 years, the identity of Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved has captivated imaginations and occupied the research of musicologists. The film, Immortal Beloved, even explores the theme but gets a lot wrong.

There have been many suggestions as to what woman Beethoven refers to in his famous letter. However, as researchers have narrowed down the possibilities, one name stands out above all the others. All the evidence, mostly circumstantial, points to her.

“My angel, my all, my own self — only a few words today, and that too with pencil (with yours) — only till tomorrow is my lodging definitely fixed,” thus opens the mysterious letter by Beethoven.

The original letter (read a transcript in English here) was written in pencil and addressed to an unknown woman Beethoven was romantically involved with. She is referred to as his “Immortal Beloved.” Yet, there is no mention of the location or year—only two dates—July 6 and July 7. From the paper’s watermark researchers have deduced that it was written in 1712. Experts also agree that Beethoven wrote the letter in Teplitz, Bohemia, today known as Teplice in the Czech Republic. Beethoven was spending time at a spa here to undergo treatment.

Beethoven never posted the letter. Instead, his friend and secretary, Anton Schindler, found it among Beethoven’s personal effects and bank documents in a secret drawer. Further, the letter shows that Beethoven and the intended recipient knew each other romantically in person and through letters. Like a Beethoven composition, the letter goes on a journey of love and longing, separation, and the hope of joining again in the future.

The search for Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved is akin to the mystery surrounding famous art heists — who was the woman who stole Beethoven’s heart? It is also like the case of Jack the Ripper, whose identity is still a mystery. But this mystery is much more romantic! The mystery of the Immortal Beloved’s identity is still unsolved today. Yet, there is strong (circumstantial) evidence pointing to a specific candidate. All the clues point to her, but we might never know who Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved was.

A word of caution, the events portrayed in the famous film Immortal Beloved paint Beethoven’s sister-in-law, Johanna van Beethoven as the Immortal Beloved. Most musicologists (including myself) have rejected this claim. Beethoven was in a long legal battle with Johanna van Beethoven over custody of his nephew after his brother’s death. Beethoven and Johanna also had a fraught relationship that bordered on hate.

Kudos to Gary Oldman for a passionate and moving performance, but a sister-in-law would have been against Beethoven’s code of honor! Beethoven did not pursue married women out of respect for them and their families.

Apart from the film, the letter has also inspired a song cycle for baritone (or mezzo-soprano) accompanied by a piano trio. Canadian composer James K. Wright set excerpts from the famous letter to music in his 2012 composition, Briefe an die unsterbliche Geliebte/Letters to the Immortal Beloved (video above). If you listen carefully, you’ll pick up on the opening notes of Beethoven’s composition Andante Favori, WoO 57 in the performance above. It is said that the opening theme is composed in such a way that it emulates the pronunciation of Josephine—Jo-se-phi-ne—as a chant throughout the composition.

We’ll consider the most likely candidates who could be labeled as the Immortal Beloved.

Disproved Candidates for the Immortal Beloved

As much as we all love a good mystery and solving it, three candidates—Theresa Malfatti, Elisabeth Röckel, and Julie Guicciardi—are not the Immortal Beloved.

Theresa Malfatti (1782-1851)

Theresa Malfatti, his physician’s daughter, once received a marriage proposal from Beethoven but she rejected it. She was one of his students and an accomplished pianist, and he sent several of his compositions to her to practice.

There is no evidence of a woman named “Elise” in Beethoven’s lifetime, so the piece Für Elise (For Elise) WoO 59, might have been dedicated to Therese. The title is attributed to 19th-century scholar Ludwig Nohl who claims to have seen a manuscript bearing the title. Beethoven wrote the piece in April 1810 when he was in love with Therese. She had the original manuscript along with Beethoven’s autograph.

Elisabeth Röckel might also have been the intended recipient of Beethoven’s composition Für Elise as suggested by musicologist Klaus Martin Kopitz (article in German). How and why it came to be Therese Malfatti’s possession is another mystery for another day. Beethoven fell in love with Elisabeth, but she got engaged in April 1810, in Bamberg.

During the final days before Beethoven’s death, she and her husband, Johan Nepomuk Hummel, visited Beethoven several times. They also cut and saved a lock of his hair, which is now at the Beethoven Center at the San Jose State University. The so-called Hiller lock of hair, now relegated to storage, is unfortunately not authentic compared to the other real one on display.

Giulietta (Julie) Guicciardi (1782-1856)

For once, Beethoven almost married one of the many women he fell in love with. She was happy with the idea. But one of her parents, presumably her father, would not bless the union. Again, the class difference between Beethoven and the nobility foiled his plans. Beethoven dedicated his famous “Moonlight Sonata,” Op. 27 No. 2 to Julie Guicciardi.

Pianist and conductor, Daniel Barenboim, believes that the first movement is a farewell letter and funeral march to the unobtainable match between himself and the countess. This view is echoed by others too, like Paul King who has explained the funeral march elements in the first movement, drawn from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and how it relates to the sonata’s first movement.

The Most Likely Immortal Beloved Candidates

Apart from the three candidates we’ve looked at above—all who do not meet the requirements—there are three highly likely candidates. All of them played a part in Beethoven’s life and he fostered deep friendships with them that lasted years.

Beethoven was a close friend of the Brentano family, and Antonie Brentano has been put forward as one match for the Immortal Beloved. However, again, she was a married woman, and her husband, Franz Brentano, was Beethoven’s financial advisor too. It is said that she was sickly and Beethoven would often play on a piano outside her chamber door to lift her spirits.

Antonie was in Prague during the time the letter was written, but there was no evidence to support the claim. Beethoven dedicated the Diabelli Variations, Op. 120  to her. It is likely that he also composed the song cycle An die fern Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved), Op. 98 about her. Antonie’s daughter, Maximiliane, was the dedicatee for the Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109. Keep in mind that this is one of Beethoven’s three last piano sonatas composed when he was completely deaf.

Bettina Brentano (Von Aarnim) (1785-1759)

Bettina Brentano, Franz Brentano’s half-sister, is a likely candidate, however, Beethoven only sent her one letter during his lifetime. Bettina certainly captivated the imagination and was a luminous figure during the Romantic Period. Miss Brentano was a creative genius who wrote moving songs and sang beautifully, was a philanthropist and social justice warrior for the underprivileged, and her talents stretched from illustration to sculpture.

She had a brief friendship with Johann von Goethe (also a friend of Beethoven’s) and rubbed shoulders with Franz Schubert, Karl Marx, and the Brothers Grimm. Although she dismissed Beethoven’s advances and proposal, she was happy to be Beethoven’s muse. Her marriage was a loving one and seven children were born from it.

Josephine never heeded the advice of her sister, Therese, in matters concerning Ludwig von Beethoven. A relationship with a commoner was unheard of in the 19th century. Should Josephine have pursued a relationship with Beethoven after her husband Count Joseph von Deym died in 1804, she would have lost the custodianship of her four children. After she became widowed, her friendship with Beethoven deepened, but she could not bear the thought of losing her children. Their relationship thus stayed in the orbit of friendship and nothing more. In the same year, Beethoven composed An die Hoffnung (to Hope), Op. 94 for Josephine.

She married a second time in 1810, and again it was an unhappy marriage. This time it was to the Estonian Baron Christoph von Stackelberg and the marriage only lasted three years. Josephine and the baron had three children. Some speculate that her daughter Minona (Anonym, meaning Anonymous in German) was fathered by Beethoven — more on this later. The baron forcibly took her children away from her the third time they were separated.

Josephine had an eighth child with a mathematics teacher known as Andrian (formally known as Karl Eduard von Andrehan-Werburg). He also took custody of Josephine’s child. Considering the collective trauma inflicted upon her by Stackelberg, the death of her first husband, losing custody of all her children, and her poor health she died in 1821.

We could speculate that the last two piano sonatas, Op. 110 (Sonata No. 31 in A-flat) and Op 111 (No. 32 in C Minor) are a kind of requiem to the memory of Josephine — they were composed in the year of her death. Bits of the work Andante Favori in F major, WoO 57 composed between 1803 and 1804 can also be heard in these two final sonatas.

Almost all the evidence we have points to Josephine von Brunsvick. Musicologist dr. Rita Steblin offers evidence as to why Josephine von Brunsvick is the most likely Immortal Beloved. Below is a quick rundown of her arguments and evidence:

• Beethoven refers to a location, “K,” in his letter — historians believe this was likely Karlsbad, today known as Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. Josephine was also in this town around the time the letter was written.
• The so-called “A vs ST” debate. Researchers have searched for a woman whose name begins with an A but found none. Rita Steblin points out that it might be a copyist error. Beethoven’s handwriting does leave one stumped at times and perhaps the copyist mistook the “St” for an “A.” When you read it as “St” it is short for Stackelberg (just as “K” stands for Karlsbad) — Josephine’s husband whom Beethoven describes as leading to everything being ruined, i.e. their relationship and her failing health. The A and S/St insert below is taken from Max Unger’s research which helped researchers decipher Beethoven’s handwriting.

• Beethoven never kept an appointment on July 3, 1812, with Varnhagen von Ense in Prague and apologized in a letter. He did, however, meet with the Immortal Beloved that day because she was also in town… The letter was written three days later on July 6 and mentions the trip between Prague and Teplitz. Nine months after Beethoven and Josephine met and the letter was written, Mynona was born.
• There are various instances where Beethoven’s choice of words and writing style matches previous letters he wrote to Josephine making her the most likely candidate.

Considering the above, it is most likely that Josephine von Brunsvick is the Immortal Beloved. For a deeper dive into the evidence, Daniel Adam Maltz and Dr. Rita Steblin’s conversation at ClassicalCake offers a fascinating discussion. Dr. Steblin has also documented her findings in the musicological journal, Österreichische Musikzeitschrift (in German).

Are We Entirely Sure About the Immortal Beloved?

Yes and no. All the evidence points to Josephine von Brunsvick. Beethoven’s writing style and choice of words in other letters show the same passion towards Josephine. Even without concrete proof in the form of a diary entry or a letter confirming a name, we can safely guess that it is indeed Josephine. Until more evidence is presented that either refutes or establishes her identity as the Immortal Beloved, we have to settle on her. Dr. Rita Steblin presents a strong case and her fresh approach to an old problem certainly moved research about the Immortal Beloved forward. For now, we have to settle on Josephine.