EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). This is a very interesting article, presenting the case that: a) Beethoven’s values aligned with the goals of Greek revolutionaries, b) His work expressed the same spirit of liberation and national awakening and c) Therefore, in a metaphorical sense, he could be seen as part of the same ideological movement as the Filiki Etaireia. The Greek struggle for independence was part of a wider European wave of nationalism, anti-imperial movements and intellectuals and artists across Europe (including Beethoven) contributed to this climate, directly or indirectly. The article is making a cultural and philosophical argument, not a historical claim: Beethoven may not havee been literally in the Filiki Etaireia, but his music and ideals embodied the same revolutionary spirit that inspired it.
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Beethoven, A Member of the “Society of Friends”
source – estianews.gr (follow the link for the original Greek text in “Estia”)
A universal genius. A composer and a revolutionary, he was guided by the ideal of the Beautiful and the Good. An independent and creative spirit, he quickly distanced himself from the establishment of his time.
By Ioanna G. Karangioglou
A generous and magnanimous man, he despised coarse and greedy courtiers. He used to say that the poverty of one’s inner world is very easily revealed. He believed that the laws and phenomena of the universe are connected to the human soul—that the aesthetics of the external world are intertwined with those of the inner one.
In the first four years of his life, his gift had already become evident. The studious Ludwig van Beethoven grew up in a musical environment. He read extensively, almost voraciously. At just 11 years old, he composed his first work and dedicated it to Prince Maximilian Friedrich. Due to the death of his grandfather and his father’s alcoholism, he left school to help support his family financially.
Spring of 1787. In Vienna, another great musical genius was at his peak. When Beethoven met Amadeus Mozart, he was only 17 years old. The incomparable composer, clearly impressed, publicly said of the young virtuoso: “Gentlemen, pay attention! Soon the whole world will be talking about this young man!”
Two years later, Beethoven returned to Vienna to study under Mozart. However, his mother’s death within just two months abruptly interrupted his studies and led him back to Bonn, where he would live for the next five years. There, he met Haydn, who was also impressed by his exceptional abilities.
Alongside music, Beethoven cultivated his literary education. He studied mainly Goethe and Schiller. Before permanently leaving his birthplace, he had gained a reputation as a piano virtuoso with a particular talent for improvisation. The student of Mozart would surpass his master.
By the end of 1795, Beethoven already had a rich body of compositions and many students. Having completed his first European tour, he began setting poetry to music.
At that time, Rigas (Velestinlis) was living in Vienna and working for the Revolution, composing maps of Greece, Moldavia, and Wallachia, a military handbook, and more.
It was an era dominated by emotion. Beethoven moved audiences to moments of profound feeling through his music, while Rigas stirred them with his revolutionary, nation-awakening words. Both were tireless, shaped, and inspired within a highly adverse environment.
In 1801, Beethoven composed music for the theater. “The Creatures of Prometheus” and “Christ on the Mount of Olives” had tremendous success. The proceeds from performances, along with those from his first two symphonies and his third piano quartet, were devoted to the Cause.
In 1804, Beethoven completed his Third Symphony. He initially intended to dedicate it to Napoleon, whom he admired as a hero. But when he learned that Napoleon had declared himself emperor, he became enraged, erased the dedication, and tore the title page. He was deeply democratic and liberal. He did not concern himself with whether his works were popular or understood by the masses. He famously said: “I do not write for the masses. I write for Man.”
At a time when servility dominated courts and clergy, Beethoven chose to remain free. He was the first composer to demand a salary with the sole obligation to compose as and when his inspiration and conscience dictated. His art embraced the Greek spirit—structured, harmonious, grounded in emotion and expression.
In 1812, Beethoven wrote to Joseph Varena, representative of a philanthropic society:
“From my childhood, my efforts have been directed solely toward helping unjustly treated and suffering humanity through art… I enclose an oratorio, an overture, and a fantasy for piano and chorus. If the Society has a deposit fund, please consider these works as my small contribution to the oppressed and use them for charitable concerts.”
The personality of this great initiate was marked by his heroic struggle with deafness. During the rise and long dominance of Metternich, Beethoven became more solitary and creative than ever. His greatest works were born in the final decade of his life, by which time he had completely lost his hearing.
In 1814, the Congress of Vienna began. Among the Russian delegation were Tsar Alexander, Count Stackelberg, Count Nesselrode, and Prince Razumovsky—patron of the arts and friend of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, as well as Count Ioannis Kapodistrias. Beethoven had dedicated works to him, including string quartets and symphonies.
Kapodistrias, together with Roxandra Sturdza, implemented a plan by founding in Vienna the Society of the Friends of the Muses, closely linked to the Filiki Etaireia. Its goal was to enlighten European public opinion and unite Greeks everywhere in the sacred cause of freedom from Ottoman rule.
Pro-Ottoman powers tried to suppress the Greek issue, but Kapodistrias strengthened philhellenism across Europe. He chose only the best individuals for the Cause.
Also present was Frederick North, a great philhellene who considered himself Greek, spoke the language, and contributed significantly to Greek education and independence efforts.
Meanwhile, Beethoven’s student Ferdinand Ries became a member of the Society and director of the London Philharmonic. He collaborated with Lord Byron, setting his poetry to music. Beethoven himself also became a member of the Society and began arranging national folk melodies. At that time, he composed “The Ruins of Athens.”
These influences inspired Beethoven to compose his Ninth Symphony, including the “Ode to Joy” based on Schiller’s poetry.
Until the end of his life, despite his failing health, Beethoven continued giving concerts—even in Saint Petersburg—contributing to the struggle.
March 26, 1826. On the day Beethoven passed into eternity, the skies opened. After days in a coma, a violent storm struck Vienna. The great man raised his head and lifted his hand with grandeur. Amid thunder and lightning, like another Prometheus, Beethoven vanished into the light—leaving behind an immeasurable legacy of light and freedom.
“Joy, divine spark…”
His funeral took place on March 29. Thirty thousand people accompanied the procession. Eight conductors carried the coffin, including Hummel and Czerny, while Schubert held a torch. Though no family member wept over his grave, all humanity did.
Dear reader,
History is the tireless guardian of truth. Greece is undeniably the conduit of humanity. Many philhellenes devoted their lives and work to freedom, praising the immortal Greek soul.
From the preparation of the struggle and for decades after, giants of art, science, politics, and society—men, women, and children from across the world—stood bravely and selflessly beside the Greeks.
Whoever wishes to partake in freedom should look to free Greeks and philhellenes—to those who created something meaningful. For if we allow the continuous erosion of values, we may forget their deeper, transcendent dimensions forever.
It is time for Hellenism to be refreshed with immortality.
FWIW, Aleksandr Pushkin, Russia’s greatest poet, was a member of the Filiki Haeteria.