On today’s date in 1845, the sleepy little German town of Bonn played host to 5000 visitors. These ranged from curious natives and opportunistic pickpockets to famous composers, performers, and music lovers from many countries, including British monarch Queen Victoria and King Wilhelm the IV of Prussia.
The occasion? The unveiling of a bronze statue of great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who had been born in Bonn 75 years earlier. A festival of Beethoven’s music was in progress, and German composer Ludwig Spohr conducted Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis at the Bonn Cathedral before the unveiling of the statue.
For almost a decade, Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt had been tirelessly fundraising for this event and was the largest contributor the Beethoven statue fund.
Alas, the local planning committee was totally unprepared for the huge crowd that descended on Bonn, and woefully incompetent in managing just about every aspect of the occasion. How incompetent? Well, consider this: as their majesties Queen Victoria and King Wilhelm the IV of Prussia looked on, with great fanfare the shroud fell from Beethoven’s statue — only to reveal the statue’s back facing the vast assembled crowd.
Oops.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Congratulations Minuet; Berlin Philharmonic; Herbert von Karajan, conductor; DG 453 713