Für Elise

The meaning of Beethoven’s piece Für Elise has been under scrutiny since it was first composed in 1867. It is said that Beethoven wrote this piece for his friend and student, Therese and not in fact for a woman named Elise. Beethoven proposed to Therese but she turned him down and went on to marry an Austrian nobleman.

The name Elise could also reference, German soprano singer Elisabeth Röckel (1793–1883), later the wife of Johann Nepomuk Hummel. “Elise”, as she was called by a parish priest, had been a friend of Beethoven’s since 1808.

The inspiration behind this piece is still unknown to this day and many theories circulate around who was Beethoven’s muse.