is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by

Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...

as a biographical adaptation of the early life of the composer

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

. The manga focuses on Beethoven's struggles and passions as a youth, including the deterioration of his hearing, his relationship with his abusive, alcoholic father, and his self-expression through music. The manga began in June 1987 with intentions to encompass the entire artistic path of Beethoven until his maturity, but was interrupted by Tezuka's death in 1989. After Tezuka's death, the manga was left unfinished and published only in Japanese until a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

campaign funded its translation into English.

Plot

The story begins in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

with the birth of Franz Kreuzstein, a young man who avows to hate anyone named "Ludwig" since the screech of a peacock of the same name caused the death of his mother. In 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven is born in

Bonn, Germany The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...

. Young Beethoven is relentlessly pushed by his father to practice the piano in order to secure a rich aristocrat to serve as the family's benefactor. Six-year-old Beethoven receives renown while his father spirals into alcoholism. While in Bonn, young Ludwig and Franz Kreuzstein cross paths, resulting in Franz flying into a rage and striking Ludwig in the ear, causing the boy's deafness. Undaunted, Ludwig strives to continue excelling in his musical studies, leading him to a short tutelage under an older

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

before returning home. Ludwig presses on in honing his talents regardless of the many setbacks around him, including his father's alcoholism, a fling with a beautiful aristocratic lady, and the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

. After securing a mentorship under famous composer

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

, Ludwig strives on toward musical greatness.

Production

With the success of the ten-year project ''

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

'', Tezuka became inspired to write an epic biographical work based on Beethoven. After the

Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs The is an executive department of the Government of Japan, and is responsible for the country's foreign policy and international relations. The ministry was established by the second term of the third article of the National Government Organi ...

sent him to a conference in

Nancy, France Nancy ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Nanzisch'' is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the northeastern Departments of France, French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It was the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, which was Lorraine and Barrois, an ...

, Tezuka took the opportunity to visit other parts of Europe. During his trip, he visited

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and went to many memorial sites dedicated to Beethoven, including his old room where Tezuka touched the composer's own piano.

References

External links

* {{Ludwig van Beethoven Biographical comics Comics based on real people Osamu Tezuka manga Gekiga Gekiga by Osamu Tezuka