Tag: art

Saturnalia – December 17

The Roman poet Catullus described Saturnalia as “the best of times” — he didn’t even have to offer a caveat, like the Christmas-obsessed Charles Dickens did in his novel Great Expectations. Saturnalia was just straight-up awesome.

Immortal Beloved Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, who is arguably the defining figure in the history of Western music. Born in December 1770, he was baptized on the 17th. As baptisms customarily took place the day following birth consensus is that the world’s greatest composer was born December 16, 1770. The earliest recorded piece that Beethoven composed is a set of nine piano variations, composed in 1782.