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Beethoven Poisoned by Lead More than any other composer, Ludwig van Beethoven embodied the stereotype of a tortured genius who produced sublime music despite—or perhaps because of—intense physical and mental anguish. Now, state-of-the-art testing has unveiled the truth behind much of Beethoven’s torment. In October, 2001, scientists announced that a lock of hair snipped from the great composer after his death in 1827 revealed a concentration of lead 100 times greater than the levels commonly found in Americans today. "We are absolutely certain that Beethoven suffered from acute lead poisoning," says Dr. William Walsh, director of the Beethoven Research Project. "We believe he experienced a severe toxic exposure to lead sometime between the ages of 18 and 22, when he began exhibiting the symptoms of lead poisoning that plagued him thereafter and may have contributed to his death." Walsh, an internationally renowned expert in hair analysis, also directs the Health Research Institute in Naperville, Illinois. In reviewing his lab’s last 6,200 cases, Walsh found only 11 individuals who had as much lead in their bodies as Beethoven did. "They all exhibited depression, abdominal pain, irritability, and personality changes—the same symptoms as Beethoven," he says. Walsh’s expertise was tapped five years ago by the lock’s owners, retired real estate developer Ira Brilliant and urological surgeon Che Guevara. They bought the lock (which consists of 582 strands of three- to six-inch brown and gray hair) at a Sotheby’s auction in 1994 for $7,300. The tale of the hair’s whereabouts between leaving Beethoven’s head and arriving on the auction block is a fascinating one and has been recounted in Russell Martin’s new book Beethoven’s Hair (Bantam Doubleday Dell, $24.95). Clipped by famed musician Ferdinand Hiller, the lock somehow ended up with Danish physician Kay Fremming, known for trying to save Jews in Nazi-occupied Denmark. Martin’s book also discusses the methodology and findings of chemist Dr. Walter McCrone of Chicago, who, early in the research process, identified elevated lead levels by using a technique that destroyed tested hairs. Walsh then searched for two years to find a non-destructive method before turning to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago. Physicists there performed advanced photon source analysis that quantified the lead levels without damaging the hair. Since Beethoven’s Hair was published the day before Walsh announced the latest findings, author Martin was unable to include them. In all, Walsh has had five different laboratories perform specialized tests, including photomicrography, which showed that no metals entered the hair after Beethoven’s death. The Argonne process that was used to reveal the lead also tested for levels of 42 other elements, none of which were elevated, including mercury. This finding further debunks the now-discredited theory that the composer suffered from venereal disease. Other findings: Beethoven did not have lice and did not take any opiates, despite his agonizing deathbed pain. Walsh, himself an amateur pianist, has probably achieved maximum international exposure for the project: coverage on the BBC, 60 Minutes, and dozens of newspaper and radio stations worldwide (not to mention a Jay Leno joke). Work continues, however. The lock of hair retains some follicles, which indicates the presence of DNA. That, coupled with the fact that some of Beethoven’s skull bones have been located, means that one persistent mystery may be solved: What caused the composer’s deafness? (Walsh says it is unlikely that the lead poisoning was the culprit, pointing instead to an illness such as Paget’s disease, which is characterized by an abnormal bone growth like that found during Beethoven’s autopsy.) Other questions: How and when was Beethoven exposed to such vast quantities of lead? Professor William Meredith, director of the Ira Brilliant Beethoven Center at San Jose State University, has posited that the exposure came from routine water ingestion or the use of lead cups. He hopes that future testing will include a comparison with the lead levels in a lock of hair known to date to 1822, as well as any others whose dates can be authenticated. One remaining question can never be answered. "Perhaps the biggest mystery is how anyone could have produced such incredible music while suffering as long and painfully as he did," says Meredith. "Beethoven could have gotten pain relief but chose not to for the sake of his music, which is an amazing testament to his physical and intellectual strength." —Darcy Lewis Shoring Up String Teaching The American String Teachers Association with National School Orchestra Association (ASTA with NSOA) received a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help address the worsening problem of a dwindling supply of string teachers. The $424,202 grant, to be spread over three years, will fund the National String Project Consortium. This will attract string players to the teaching profession by awarding work assistantships to undergraduate music-education majors. Each school in the National Project will receive a generous stipend of $10,000 per year to be matched by the institution (the total project budget is $818,702). The initial schools taking part in the program will be the Brooklyn College (CUNY), Lawrence University, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, SUNY at Potsdam, and the Universities of Arizona, Kentucky, Memphis, Nebraska, North Texas, and Wyoming. ASTA with NSOA invites other learning institutions to apply to receive String Project funding by calling (800) 777-5412, e-mailing ASTA@Mozart.sc.edu, or visiting www.astaweb.com. Music in Public Education The battle to maintain the music-education programs in U.S. public schools has been raging for years. As class sizes grow, teacher-to-student ratios decline, and schools lose more and more funding, music programs are one of the first things eliminated in budget cuts. This past September, the New England Conservatory (NEC) hosted a national conference on music and education in the hopes of defining problems and discussing answers. Organized by Larry Scripp, director of the NEC’s Research Center, the forum explored research tying music education to increased learning and skill retention. Six presentations were given on music education in the schools, such as the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s program with Massachusetts public schools. Not just theoretically focused, the Research Center has established, researched, and developed Learning through Music programs with selected public school systems. The programs work to promote academic achievement, social development, and musical excellence through learning music in public schools. For more information on this conference and the NEC Research Center, visit www.newenglandconservatory.edu or call (617) 585-1363. Awards On October 23, 2000, at Lincoln Center, bassist Edgar Meyer and clarinetist David Shifrin were declared winners of the 2000 Avery Fisher Prize. Meyer performed Saraste’s Zigeunerweisen with mandolinist Mike Marshall, and the world premiere of Impromptu, a piece written for Meyer, with Shifrin. Meyer and Shifrin each received an award of $50,000. Axel Strauss was presented with the first-prize for his performance at the Naumburg International Violin Competition on November 8, 2000. The German violinist, born in Lubeck in 1974, began his studies at the early age of four and went on to study under Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School. His award-winning program included the Ciaccona from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D Minor, Enescu’s Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25, and Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, String Quartet, and Piano in D Major. The Seventh Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition was held August 19–26, 2000, at the Erin Arts Center in the Port of Erin, Isle of Man. First prize was not awarded, but second was won by 25-year-old Agathe Blondel of France and 21-year-old Adrei Oussov of Russia. Third went to Arie Schachter, 25, an Iraeli residing in U.S., and fourth was given to 20-year-old Rebecca Jones of England. Alexandre Bouzlov, a 26-year-old Russian cellist, was one of the joint first-prize winners of the Seventh Young Concert Artists European Auditions held in Leipzig, Germany, on September 17, 2000. Bouzlov shared the prize with Romanian tenor Marius Brenciu. Cosponsored by the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, with support from the Open Society Institute, the auditions included 120 artists from 24 countries. The first-prize winners were awarded DM #1,500 in cash ($635) as well as solo performances in Leipzig, at the Gohliser Schlösschen, and at the Usedom Festival in Germany. Pierre Boulez received the American Symphony Orchestra League’s 2000 Gold Baton at the League’s 55th National Conference on June 6 (the prize, awarded annually, honors exceptional service to music). Boulez, considered a seminal figure in 20th-century music, celebrates his 75th year. "Since his American debut 35 years ago, Pierre Boulez has had a powerful influence on our field," said League President Charles S. Olton. "He has inspired us all to reach for the highest standards, through performances of breathtaking clarity and virtuosity, his insatiable appetite for new and challenging repertoire, and his constant innovation in bringing the public closer to our art. It is a privilege to extend this honor to him at the dawn of a new century." Changing Positions The La Jolla Chamber Music Society announced in October that Taiwanese-American violinist Cho-Liang Lin has been appointed artistic director of SummerFest La Jolla, replacing cellist David Finckel. "We are delighted that Cho-Liang Lin has decided to accept our invitation to serve as our new SummerFest artistic director," reported a joint statement from Neale Perl, Executive Director and Kathryn Martin. "He is already a favorite of La Jolla audiences from his numerous appearances here; he understands and shares in the community’s vision of SummerFest, and is the perfect choice to ensure the continued growth and success of the festival." Israeli-born Pinchas Steinberg has been chosen to succeed Fabio Luisi as chief conductor and artistic director of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. He will begin his duties as artistic director on January 1, 2001, to prepare to take on the chief conductorship in the 2002–03 season. Steinberg was chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1989 to 1996. Hans Graf has been appointed by the Houston Symphony to replace Christoph Eschenbach as music director. Eschenbach began his 11-year tenure at the Houston Symphony in 1988, and is credited by many with greatly influencing the Orchestra’s high performance standard. Andre Emelianoff has been appointed to teach at the Juilliard School after teaching cello in Juilliard’s Pre-College division for the past ten years. Emelianoff is principal cellist with the New York Chamber Symphony and performs with the Da Capo Chamber Players. During the summer, he teaches at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival and the Salzburg Festival. ASTA with NSOA presented its new 2000–02 National Executive Board in August. Appointments included Robert Jesselson, cello professor at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, who was elected president, and David Littrell, professor of music at Kansas State University who is now president-elect. Carol Smith, elected secretary, hails from Sam Houston State University Symphony Orchestra, where she was conductor and director of orchestral studies.
Competitions and Conferences The 13th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference is scheduled for February 15–18, 2001, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Workshops include an introduction to the folk-music business, marketing folk-related nonprofit organizations, and folk-festival planning and management. For a detailed brochure, write to 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, #501, Washington, DC 20036; telephone (202) 835-3655; e-mail fa@folk.org; or visit www.folk.org. The 2001 Primrose Memorial Scholarship Competition is to be held in March 2001 at Elmhurst College in Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Violists under age 28 as of April 1, 2001, are invited to submit a tape or CD by January 15. First prize is $2,000 plus a featured appearance at the 2002 International Viola Congress. For more details, go to www.viola.com or contact Lucina Horner at Primrosecomp@hotmail.com The Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition of Belgium will be held April 27–May 26, 2001. The competition is open to violinists of all nationalities, ages 17–27, who have completed their training and are ready to begin an international career. Applications are due January 15. Prizes range from 50,000–500,000 Belgian francs, and the first-prize winner will be awarded the use of a Stradivari violin (the "Huggins") for four years. For further information, write to 20 rue aux Lanes, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; telephone (32) 2 513 0099; e-mail info@concours-reine-elisabeth.be; or go to www.concours-reine-elisabeth.be. Unconventional Anniversaries The Philadelphia Orchestra has become the first symphony orchestra to be represented in the vastness of space. Last October the Orchestra joined forces with NASA, when the space shuttle Discovery was launched to the Orchestra’s accompaniment. In a joint celebration of NASA’s 100th shuttle launch and the Orchestra’s 100th birthday, the Philadelphians played the opening of Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra (commonly recognized as the theme music for 2001: A Space Odyssey). The orchestra was filmed in advance and the recording sent into space, accompanied by music director Wolfgang Sawallish’s baton. The Orchestra further commemorated its birthday with a gala event on November 16, 2000. The concert was broadcast internationally and was conducted by Sawallisch. Pianist André Watts, violinist Sarah Chang, and baritone Thomas Hampson were also on hand to celebrate the occasion. A lavish preconcert buffet was also held in the ballroom of the Park Hyatt in Philadelphia. One of the oldest young people's symphonies in the world, the Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra of California, celebrated its 63rd anniversary with a special concert orchestra of more than 1,600 musicians, led by founding conductor Dr. Ernst Katz, in a gala performance in Los Angeles on June 7, 2000. The 136-member orchestra was first founded in 1937 during the darkest times of the Great Depression. "People had no hope back then," says Katz. "I was the only one who believed this orchestra would last more than a month, but I said it would because I made a commitment to give youth a chance to be heard." The orchestra adopted Katz’ motivating words as their
motto, and 63 years later "Give Youth a Chance to be Heard" continues
to drive the organization himself. Katz continues to inspire thousands
of young musicians—from a variety of social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds—never
missing a rehearsal or performance. His devotion to the orchestra's
youth and audience has remained steadfast and unbreakable through World
War II, fires, earthquakes, and riots. "The Jr. Philharmonic is noncommercial
and is not a business," Says Katz. "Music transcends everything.
It builds hope where hope doesn't exist. It's absolutely miraculous
what music has done for my young people." News, from the U.S. or abroad, is always welcome. Please mail to Heather K. Scott, Market Report, Strings, PO Box 767, San Anselmo, CA 94979; fax to (415) 485-0831; or e-mail to Heather@stringletter.com.
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