Ludwig van Beethoven’s own heartbeat could have inspired the striking rhythms found in some of his most famous works, said researchers.
A cardiologist, a medical historian, and a musicologist analyzed several of Beethoven’s compositions for clues of a heart condition some have speculated he had. Their findings appear in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine.
The rhythms of certain parts of renowned works, researchers said, may in fact reflect the irregular rhythms of Beethoven’s own heart caused by cardiac arrhythmia.
"Beethoven's music may have been both figuratively and physically heartfelt."
, University of Michigan
