According to researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Washington, Ludwig von Beethoven’s musical compositions might have been affected by both his deafness and an irregular heartbeat caused by cardiac arrhythmia. The researchers postulate that, due to his deafness, Beethoven was highly attuned to the rhythm of his own heartbeat.

According to an article published in the Spring 2014 edition of Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, the researchers analyzed the rhythms of Beethoven’s compositions to find clues that might confirm he suffered from a heart condition. The research team reportedly studied the rhythmic patterns of several of Beethoven’s compositions that may reflect his experience of an arrhythmia. Sudden, unexpected changes in pace and keys in Beethoven’s music appear to match such asymmetrical patterns.

In one example, the researchers point to the final movement “Cavatina” in Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Opus 130. In the middle of the quartet, the key suddenly changes to C-flat major, involving an unbalanced rhythm that evokes dark emotion, disorientation, and what has even been described as a “shortness of breath.” According to the study authors, the “arrhythmic quality” of this section is unquestionable. “The symptoms and common association of an abnormal heartbeat with so many diseases makes it a reasonable assumption that Beethoven experienced arrhythmia—and the works we describe may be ‘musical electrocardiograms,’” said Goldberg. “While these musical arrhythmias may simply manifest Beethoven’s genius, there is a possibility that in certain pieces his beating heart could literally be at the heart of some of the greatest masterpieces of all time.”

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