November 17-19, 2000
We covet dead celebrities' possessions: Elvis' jumpsuits, Lennon's glasses -- one day maybe, Britney Spears' tummy-baring tops. In Beethoven's Hair: An Extraordinary Historical Odyssey and a Musical Mystery (Broadway Books, $24.95), author Russell Martin explores our obsession with understanding the source of greatness (and why we crave celebrity items).
Scientists who tested a lock of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair hint that the composer's deafness, poor health and eventual death in 1827 were likely due to lead poisoning.
Martin tells us more:
Should we create another Beethoven from his DNA?
He is a towering figure, and for a tiny bit of his physical self to survive is way cool. {But} it is my suspicion we will collectively decide not to do that. If genius is readily replicable, then it loses some of its power, its magic.
Whose hair might we snip today for future generations?
How do you anoint someone with the label of genius amid the millions of artists to whom we have access these days? Individuals are much less likely to tower over their contemporaries in ways they once did.
Are you a longtime Beethoven fan?
My interest in classical music has grown.
Oh, so you're a product of rock 'n roll?
I'm a fan of Van Morrison, the Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell. .... {Yet} Beethoven's string quartets are extraordinary.
On the Net: Center for Beethoven Studies: http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/beethoven/