Stephan Ley (29 November 1867 – 30 May 1964 in Bonn) was a German music educator, Beethoven researcher and

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

Life

Born in Bonn, Ley attended the Königliches Gymnasium in Bonn (today the and studied Classical

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

, German studies and history at the

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine U ...

. Afterwards he worked as a grammar school teacher in Emmerich and Essen and finally became headmaster of the Städtisches Gymnasium in

Boppard Boppard (), formerly also spelled Boppart, is a town and municipality (since the 1976 inclusion of 9 neighbouring villages, ''Ortsbezirken'') in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, lying in the Rhine Gorge, a UNE ...

, current ).There, he aroused the displeasure of the French occupying forces and was expelled. He then returned to teaching and taught at grammar schools in Wipperfürth, (

Oberbergischer Kreis The Oberbergischer Kreis ( ksh, Boverbärjische Kreiß) is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Ennepe-Ruhr, Märkischer Kreis, Olpe, Altenkirchen, Rhein-Sieg, Rheinisch-Bergischer ...

) and

Linz am Rhein Linz am Rhein (in English ''Linz on the Rhine'') is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the river Rhine near Remagen, approx. 25 km southeast of Bonn and has about ...

. After his retirement in 1932, he returned to his home town. Ley published six highly acclaimed books and a total of 85 essays on

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 classic ...

. For his great services to Beethoven research he was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz first class by the then Federal President

Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss (; 31 January 1884 – 12 December 1963) was a German liberal politician who served as the first president of West Germany from 1949 to 1959. His cordial nature – something of a contrast to the stern character of chancellor K ...

in 1958. Ley's most important legacy is an extensive collection of the surviving pictorial evidence. Today this estate is located at the Beethoven House in Bonn. Ley died at the age of 96 and found his final resting place at the

Alter Friedhof, Bonn Alter Friedhof (Old Cemetery) is a historically significant cemetery in Bonn, Germany, in area, located near the center of the modern city. The cemetery was established in 1715 as a cemetery for soldiers and strangers, outside the city walls of ...

Books

* ''Beethovens Leben in authentischen Bildern und Texten''. Berlin, Bruno Cassirer publishing house 1925 * ''Beethoven als Freund der Familie Wegeler -v. Breuning'', Bonn 1927 * ''Beethoven. Sein Leben in Selbstzeugnissen, Briefen und Berichten''.''Beethoven. Sein Leben in Selbstzeugnissen, Briefen und Berichten''
on WorldCat Berlin, Propyläen-Verlag, 1939; Rastatt, Pabel-Moewig, 1979, * ''Aus Beethovens Erdentagen'', Bonn, Karl Glöckner, 1948, Siegburg 1957 * ''Goethe und Friederike. Versuch einer kritischen Schlußbetrachtung'', Bonn, Röhrscheid, 1947 * ''Beethovens Charakter'', Bonn, Röhrscheid, 1948 * Anton Schindler, ''Biographie von Ludwig van Beethoven'', in abridged form with corrective notes, new ed. by Stephan Ley, Bonn 1949 * ''Wahrheit, Zweifel und Irrtum in der Kunde von Beethovens Leben'', Wiesbaden,

Breitkopf & Härtel Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf. The catalogue currently contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...

, 1955

Essaies

* ''Beethovens spätere Beziehungen zu seiner rheinischen Heimat'', in '' Der Türmer'', Jg. 23 (1920/21), issue 11, * ''Unveröffentlichte Bildnisse aus Beethovens Freundeskreis'', in ''

Westermanns Monatshefte Westermann Verlag (English: "Westermann Publishing") is a German publishing firm, founded in the 19th century in Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick by George Westermann (23 February 1810 in Leipzig; 7 September 1879 in Wiesbaden). Several other ge ...

'', Jg. 150=75 (1931), pp. 511 f. (Bildnisse der Familie von Johann Baptist von Puthon, von Franz von Oppersdorff And Vinzenz Hauschka) * ''Ein Bild von Beethovens Unsterblicher Geliebten?'', in ''

Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and '' Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that b ...

'', Jg. 5 (1933), issue 12,. 766 f. (über eine Porträt-Miniatur aus Beethovens Nachlass) * ''Von Beethovens Ärzten'', in ''Die medizinische Welt'', 1934, Nr. 21, * ''Ein Beethovenflügel'', in ''Atlantis'', Jg. 7 (1935), (Hammerflügel aus dem Besitz von Beethovens Anwalt Johann Kanka) * ''Beethovens Duzfreunde'', in ''Der Türmer'', Jg. 38 (1934/35), p. 371 f. * ''Kleine Beethoveniana'', in ''Neues Beethoven-Jahrbuch'', Jg. 6 (1935/36), * ''An Beethovens letztem Krankenlager'', in ''Die medizinische Welt'', Jg. 1936, Nr. 29/30, * ''Beethovens spätere Beziehungen zu seiner Vaterstadt'', in ''Bonner Geschichtsblätter'', Jg. 1 (1937), * ''Zu Beethovens Geburtstag'', in ''Neues Beethoven-Jahrbuch'', Jg. 7 (1937), * ''Schloß Grätz by

Troppau Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opawa) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Opava. Opava is one of the historical centres of Silesia. It was a historical capital o ...

. Beethoven und die fürstliche Familie

Lichnowsky The House of Lichnowsky or House of Lichnovský is the name of an influential Czech aristocratic family of Silesian and Moravian origin, documented since the 14th century. History The noble family first appeared in the Duchy of Pless (Pszczyna) ...

'', in ''Atlantis'', Jg. 9 (1937), issue 1, * ''Beethoven und

Joseph Franz von Lobkowitz Joseph Franz Maximilian, 7th Prince of Lobkowitz (also spelled ''Lobkowicz'') (8 December 1772 – 16 December 1816

'', in ''Atlantis'', Jg. 9 (1937), issue 12, * ''Grundsätzliches zur Beethoven-Ikonographie'', in ''Neues Beethoven-Jahrbuch'', Jg. 8 (1938), * ''Ein unbekanntes Beethovenbild'', in ''Die neue Saat'', Jg. 1 (1938), issue 10, (Beethoven-Bildnis einer unbekannten Wiener Malerin von 1820 im Vergleich mit dem Bildnis von Carl Jäger von 1870) * ''Beethoven als Hausfreund in einer Wiener Familie'', in ''Velhagen & Klasings Monatshefte'', Jg. 54 (1939/40), pp. 319 f. * ''Beethoven und die gräfliche Familie Brunsvik'', in ''Atlantis'', Jg. 12 (1940), issue 3, * ''Urkundliches über Beethovens Beerdigung und erste Grabstätte'', in ''Neues Beethoven-Jahrbuch'', Jg. 10 (1942), * ''Anna Catharina Bethoffen'', in ''Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 112 (1951), pp. 304 f. * ''Beethovens Widmungen'', in ''Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 113 (1952), * ''Zur Beethovenschen Familiengeschichte'', in ''Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 113 (1952), (kritische Betrachtung einiger Anekdoten) * '' Karl Holz'', in ''Musica'', Jg. 7 (1953), * ''Beethovens Begegnung mit

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

'', in ''Neff-Almanach'', Vienna 1954, * ''An Beethovens Sterbebett'', in ''Musica'', Jg. 9 (1955), (Schilderung von Beethovens Tod durch seinen Bruder Johann im Vergleich mit der von

Anselm Hüttenbrenner Anselm Hüttenbrenner (13 October 1794 – 5 June 1868) was an Austrian composer. He was on friendly terms with both Ludwig van Beethovenhe was one of only two people present at his deathand Franz Schubert, his recollections of whom constitute a ...

) *''Die Beethoven-Silhouette. Über die Diskussion zur Datierung des Beethoven-Bildes von Neesen'', in ''Musica'', Jg. 9 (1956), * ''Historische Streiflichter. Philipp Hauschka'', in ''Musica'', Jg. 12 (1958), * ''

Marie Bigot Marie Kiéné Bigot de Morogues (3 March 1786 – 16 September 1820) was a French pianist and composer. She is best known for her sonatas and études. Career Marie Kiéné was born in Colmar in Alsace. After marrying M. Bigot, she moved to Vienn ...

'', in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 119 (1958), pp. 510 f. * ''Eine Freundin Beethovens'', in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 119 (1958), (über Elisabeth von Kissow, spätere Bernhard, mit Porträt) * ''Aus Beethovens Notizkalender'', in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 120 (1959), * '' Anna Bahr-Mildenburg über "

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, wi ...

"'', in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 120 (1959), * ''Beethovens "Brieftaube"'', in ''Musica'', Jg. 13 (1959), (about Nannette Streicher, whom Beethoven once called "little carrier pigeon" when she was young) * ''Die Ikonographie in der Beethovenforschung'', in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 121 (1960), * '' Joseph Lux. Aus Beethovens Bonner Zeit'', in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 121 (1960), * ''Beethoven in Ungarn'', in ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik'', Jg. 126 (1965), * ''Empfänger(innen) der Widmungen in alphabetischer Reihenfolge'', in ''

Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 'Die'' (; en, " heNew Journal of Music") is a music magazine, co-founded in Leipzig by Robert Schumann, his teacher and future father-in law Friedrich Wieck, and his close friend Ludwig Schuncke. Its first issue appeared on 3 April 1834. His ...

'', Jg. 126 (1965),

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ley, Stephan Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany German musicologists Beethoven scholars 1867 births 1964 deaths Writers from Bonn

Life

Books

Essaies

References

Further reading

External links