The Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair

Russell Martin, author of Beethoven's Hair, and his wife, Lydia Nibley, tell the story of how a lock of Ludwig von Beethoven's hair, clipped from the composer's head on his deathbed in Germany in 1827, ended up in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943 and was later sold at auction in London in 1994. Learn about this incredible journey through history and the mysteries revealed about Beethoven's deafness and death. Correspondence, research, and forensics further inform this fascinating story.

©2009 Russell Martin and Lydia Nibley (P)2012 Recorded Books

Very informable

Good for people who want to know more about the life of Beethoven and how he died.

A fascinating voyage of a lock of Beethoven’s hair

It was wonderful to listen to an audible summary of Russell Martin’s extensive research on Beethoven’s life and the voyage of a lock of his hair that was snipped shortly after Beethoven’s death. The audiobook is based on Russell Martin’s book, Beethoven’s Hair, which was a fascinating account of how this lock of hair survived for over a century, and was eventually able to determine the reason for Beethoven’s struggles with health and hearing. After a loved one’s death, it was common practice in Beethoven’s time to take a lock of a hair and put it in a locket, which is what a young admiring music student, Ferdinand Hiller, did shortly after Beethoven’s death. The locket was given to generations of Hiller’s descendants, only to disappear after a descendant was taken out of his Danish hiding place by the Nazis. Hiller’s descendant had given the locket of hair to a Danish man for safekeeping. When the locket with Beethoven’s hair came up for auction due to the current owner’s need for finances, it was amazing that good, caring people bought it. These people were able to analyze some of the hair and fulfill Beethoven’s wish to understand the cause of his physical suffering and increasing deafness. The rest of the hair was sealed back in the locket and was donated to a museum.

The title

I loved it! I never even knew a lock of his hair existed and I was super excited to learn more about one of my favorite composers.