How beethoven composed his escape from depression

| Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), German pianist and composer.

by Miriam Gradel

Ludwig van Beethoven turned his bipolar disorder into sweet music. Music that saved his life.

On March 23, it will be 191 years since Ludwig van Beethoven passed away. But, it could have happened much earlier. Mania and depression recurred throughout his life, and indeed, his music. But according to Francois Mai, physician and author of Diagnosing Genius: The life and death of Beethoven, musical composition became the master’s therapy.

“Through his genius he was able to overcome his demons and become one of the greatest composers ever,” says Mai.

To have a listen yourself, we recommend Beethoven’s String Quartet No 6 Opus 18 (also called "the melancholy”).

| The Alban Berg Quartet playing The Melancholy was born out of Beethoven's city, Vienna in 1970

Also have a listen to the deeply personal Piano solo piece Appassionata, with its throbbing change of tempo.

| Claudio Arrau, here playing Appassionata, was a pupil of Martin Krause, who was a student of Franz Liszt - who met Beethoven in person. Liszt would go on to transcribe all of Beethoven's symphonies into what is still one of the most complex pieces of music ever created.

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