Discussion Topic Visit and read Beethoven's Heiligenstadt Testament (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Consider the following:

Discussion Topic

Visit and read Beethoven's Heiligenstadt Testament (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Consider the following: "In his Tagebuch, the notebook he kept from 1812 until 1818, Beethoven roamed restlessly over classical literature and the sacred texts of world religions in search of ideas to support his new conviction that he must live life for others. His behaviour at the time was more cantankerous than ever..." (Thompson, Damien. "Beethoven's Suffering Transported His Art Into the Subline." The Australian. N.p., 29 Dec. 2008. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.)

Keeping in mind that this letter was not sent (and was guarded carefully by Beethoven), and that scholars agree that the music Beethoven composed after the date this letter was written were considered some of his best, how does the letter help explain the concept of an artist suffering to further humanity? Does the testament provide insight into the composer's personality?