Ludwig Rellstab facts for kids
Heinrich Friedrich Ludwig Rellstab (born April 13, 1799 – died November 27, 1860) was a German poet and a music critic. He was born and passed away in Berlin. Rellstab was known for his writing and for sharing his thoughts on music.
Who Was Ludwig Rellstab?
Ludwig Rellstab was a talented writer from Germany. He wrote many poems and also shared his opinions about music. People who write poems are called poets. People who write about music and review it are called music critics. Rellstab lived in Berlin his whole life.
His Music Connections
Rellstab had important connections to famous composers. He wrote the words for the first seven songs in Franz Schubert's collection called Schwanengesang. This is a famous group of songs.
Interestingly, Rellstab had given these words to Beethoven in 1825. Beethoven's helper, Anton Schindler, later gave them to Schubert. This shows how Rellstab's words traveled between great musicians.
Another famous composer, Franz Liszt, also used Rellstab's writings for his own music. This means Rellstab's words inspired more than one musical genius.
The Moonlight Sonata Nickname
Ludwig Rellstab is also famous for something else. He gave Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 its well-known nickname: Moonlight Sonata. This name stuck, and now millions of people know the piece by that beautiful title. It shows how much influence Rellstab had, even beyond his own writing.
