The Truth About Beethoven's Mysterious Muse

Therese Malfatti sits at the piano. Photo: Alamy

This is one of the most famous and also one of the most intriguing mysteries of classical music. Ludwig van Beethoven's enchanting Für Elise has been played by generations of piano children, but musicologists have yet to discover the true identity of Elise.

Now, a leading Beethoven expert has concluded that there never was a muse Elise to inspire the piece - or at least no Elise that Beethoven knew.

In his forthcoming book Why Beethoven, Norman Lebrecht presents evidence that the title of the Bagatelle No. 25 in C minor, Für Elise (For Elise), is a misreading of the dedication on the now-lost 1810 manuscript.

He suggests that Babette Bredl, a retired teacher in Munich who came into possession of the 1865 manuscript, was absentmindedly thinking of her niece Elise as she read the dedication scrawled on the manuscript to Ludwig Nohl.

Neither Bredl nor her niece had ever met Beethoven, who had died decades earlier in 1827.

Why Beethoven will be released on February 2. Photo: Oneworld Publications

Nohl, a respected scholar, visited Bredl to examine some manuscripts in her possession. Upon seeing the paper, he excitedly recognized Beethoven's handwriting and played the previously unknown piece on Bredl's piano. With her permission, Nohl copied the score and included it in the Beethoven volume published in 1867.

As the music became more popular, Elise's identity began to pique the curiosity of many. In his book, Lebrecht writes of the song's appeal and the mystery of Elise: "There is hardly a space on Earth where it has not penetrated—from airport lounges to phone ringtones. Yet even in an age where all information is accessible online, proving Elise's true identity can still be daunting."

Scholars scrutinized Beethoven's notebooks from the period in which he wrote the piece, looking for any mention of Elise. Lebrecht found two candidates that appeared in or before 1810, but both were ruled out. Including a singer who called herself Betty or Maria Eva rather than Elise.

Beethoven was one of the greatest composers of all time but was unlucky in love. He loved many women. However, none of them worked out, including Therese Malfatti, an Austrian musician, Beethoven's close friend and famous "muse".

Many people believe that Therese was the inspiration for Beethoven to write Für Elise, but there is no evidence for this.

According to Zing