The Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair

At the time of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, it was a common practice to take a lock of hair from the deceased as a remembrance, a sacred remnant of the person who meant so much when alive. One such lock of Beethoven's hair survived through the years and eventually became the joint property of two men who, in 1995, opened the sealed frame that encased the hair and began the process of unlocking the mysteries of Beethoven's life, death, and possibly his genius. Follow the trail of Beethoven's hair as it was passed on from the boy who cut it to his son and down through the years, as it was safeguarded from Nazi Germany and eventually sold at auction in 1994. Through careful forensic testing, the hairs in the lock revealed the causes of Beethoven's deafness and his many illnesses. This fascinating story is not only a study of the secrets that forensics can reveal, but a moving history of many people's devotion to Beethoven's music. Husband and wife team Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley follow the success of Martin's adult book, Beethoven's Hair, with this retelling for younger readers.

"...an incredibly readable and absorbing selection that demonstrates the multidimensional nature of true scholarship." --School Library Journal "...absorbing..." --The Horn Book Magazine

Autorentext

Russell Martin is the author of more than a dozen books, including Picasso’s War (Dutton) and Beethoven’s Hair (Broadway), a national bestseller for adults and Washington Post Book of the Year. He lives in Los Angeles, California. Lydia Nibley is a writer and producer of books, films, and television projects. She’s also the creator of ZiNj, an award-winning children’s science magazine and television series. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Zusammenfassung
At the time of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, it was a common practice to take a lock of hair from the deceased as a remembrance, a sacred remnant of the person who meant so much when alive. One such lock of Beethoven’s hair survived through the years and eventually became the joint property of two men who, in 1995, opened the sealed frame that encased the hair and began the process of unlocking the mysteries of Beethoven’s life, death, and possibly his genius.

Follow the trail of Beethoven’s hair as it was passed on from the boy who cut it to his son and down through the years, as it was safeguarded from Nazi Germany and eventually sold at auction in 1994. Through careful forensic testing, the hairs in the lock revealed the causes of Beethoven’s deafness and his many illnesses. This fascinating story is not only a study of the secrets that forensics can reveal, but a moving history of many people’s devotion to Beethoven’s music.

Husband and wife team Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley follow the success of Martin’s adult book, Beethoven’s Hair, with this retelling for younger readers.

Leseprobe
Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair spread wildly out from his head and blew in all directions as he took his daily stroll through the city of Vienna. He had a habit of clasping his hands behind his back, his head thrusting forward, and he talked in an odd, lumbering way. His expression was often foreboding, and his eyes appeared small but bright. His complexion was dark and his face had been pockmarked by smallpox when he was a boy. Although his mind was full of music, he could not hear the noise of the great city in which he trod. The deafness that years before had begun to rob him of subtle sounds by now had reduced his world to silence, and he could hear only the music he imagined. Yet Ludwig van Beethoven, this strange figure who sometimes was mistaken for a tramp because his clothes were dirty and his appearance so disheveled, was actually the most celebrated composer in the world.

Inhalt

1. Beethoven: A Lock of Hair
2. The Detective Work Begins
3. Beethoven: A Young & Extraordinary Talent
4. The Better Medicine
5. Beethoven: This Wretched Life
6. The Boy Who Cut Beethoven’s Hair
7. Passed from Father to Son
8. Fleeing the Nazis
9. Hope for Escape
10. Hair for Sale
11. Beethoven: Ode to Joy
12. Two Americans with a Dream
13. From Denmark to Arizona
14. Beethoven: The Disgrace
15. Science Solves Old Mysteries
16. The Unknowable Secrets of History
17. Remaining Mysteries & Important Answers
18. Beethoven: The Comedy Is Finished
    Afterword
    Notes from the Authors
    Photo Credits
    Index