Beethoven and his ailments

Have you ever wondered how composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who became deaf in later life, was nevertheless able to continue creating some of the most enduring masterpieces in musical history? In this talk, speaker Dr Alan Silman shares the tragic paradox of Beethoven’s life: how chronic illness and profound deafness fuelled his creative evolution, transforming physical agony into triumphant musical masterpieces. He will peel back the layers of 19th-century medicine to explore how Beethoven’s ailments shaped the man behind the music.

Alan Silman is a medical professor and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. He has written over 700 scientific papers and a number of textbooks. He was for several years the medical director of the UK charity, Arthritis Research UK, and was its public voice. Recently, he has combined his knowledge of medicine with his passions for history and the arts to develop a series of talks entitled Famous People and their Illnesses, which he regularly gives at U3A groups and other audiences. He was recently accredited as an Arts Society Lecturer. 

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