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 ...

German studies German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German ...

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 Emmerich may refer to: Places * Emmerich am Rhein, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany ** Emmerich Rhine Bridge ** Emmerich station * Emmerich, Wisconsin, unincorporated community in the town of Berlin, Wisconsin, United States Other uses * ...

and

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and ...

and finally became headmaster of the Städtisches Gymnasium in Boppard, 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 310px, Map of the city 250px, Town hall Wipperfürth () is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, about 40 km north-east of Cologne, and the oldest town in the Bergischen Land. History The eldest ...

, (

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 The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

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 The Beethoven House (German: ''Beethoven-Haus'') in Bonn, Germany, is a memorial site, museum and cultural institution serving various purposes. Founded in 1889 by the Beethoven-Haus association, it studies the life and work of composer Ludwig van ...

in Bonn. Ley died at the age of 96 and found his final resting place at the Alter Friedhof, Bonn

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 ...

, 1955

Essaies

* ''Beethovens spätere Beziehungen zu seiner rheinischen Heimat'', in ''

Der Türmer ''Der Türmer. Monatsschrift für Gemüt und Geist'' was the name of a national conservative, Protestant cultural journal, which appeared first in Stuttgart and then in Berlin from 1898 to 1943 and was published for a long time by the Baltic G ...

'', Jg. 23 (1920/21), issue 11, * ''Unveröffentlichte Bildnisse aus Beethovens Freundeskreis'', in '' Westermanns Monatshefte'', Jg. 150=75 (1931), pp. 511 f. (Bildnisse der Familie von Johann Baptist von Puthon, von

Franz von Oppersdorff Count Franz von Oppersdorff (1778 - 1818) was a Silesian nobleman and a great lover of music, who commissioned Beethoven's Fourth and Fifth Symphonies. Oppersdorff's family estate was in Oberglogau, Upper Silesia, where he maintained a private ...

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 bes ...

'', 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 of ...

. Beethoven und die fürstliche Familie Lichnowsky'', 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 t ...

'', 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) *''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'', 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 Anna Bellschan von Mildenburg (29 November 1872 – 27 January 1947) was an eminent Wagnerian soprano of Austrian nationality. Known as Anna Bahr-Mildenburg after her 1909 marriage, she had been a protégé of the composer/conductor Gustav Mahl ...

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, w ...

"'', 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 Joseph Lux (1 May 1879 – 13 March 1960) was a French gymnast. On 1 May 1879, Lux was born in Thaon-les-Vosges, France. Career In 1903, Lux took part in the first gymnastics World Championships, where he took gold in the team competition ...

. 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. Histo ...

'', 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