Beethoven’s Poverty
The great composer’s gruff, even repulsive manner, during the last years of his life, was partly owing to his deafness and partly to the utter ruin of his finances. He was not a good manager, and had the misfortune to be robbed by those in his employ. He often lacked the necessities of life. Ludwig Spohr, in the early days of his acquaintance with Beethoven asked him once why he had not been to dinner at the inn for some days. Had he been ill?
“No, but my boot was, and as I own only one pair, I had to stay at home.”