Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven The Historical Figure
"Born in 1770, Beethoven was instructed in music by both his father, a singer and instrumentalist, and the court organist C. G. Neefe. He published his first works at the age of 12. In 1802, his hearing problems were diagnosed as incurable and by 1812 his deafness had progressed to the point where he could no longer perform publicly. Perhaps due to this same disorder, he was given to outbursts of anger and frequently insulted others. He had romantic attachments to many women, often aristocractic pupils, including Antoine Brentano - also known as his Immortal Beloved due to a passionate letter written but probably never sent to her. 10,000 are said to have attended his funeral in 1827. " ( Taken from the Read or Die OVA DVD "Archives" )

Beethoven The I-Jin


Beethoven's I-Jin role in the Read or Die OVA is largely behind the scenes. He is primarily a tool of Ikkyu. The composer and player of the Suicide Symphony which will "cleanse" the planet, he is hooked up to a massive organ aboard the I-Jin's rocket base, the reasoning of which is so that he can play it at the perfect broadcast point of the upper stratosphere.