Ever Ours

Immortal Beloved letter by Ludwig van Beethoven, 6–7 July 1812

In July 1812, in the quiet hours between performances and travel, Beethoven wrote a letter to a woman he called only his Immortal Beloved. The letter was found among his personal papers after his death and has remained one of the great mysteries of music and love.

The letter is written in three parts: morning, afternoon, and evening, as if thinking of her returned with each passing hour. What makes it so enduring is its private declaration of unwavering love, revealing Beethoven’s deep emotional and spiritual bond with a woman he could not be with, yet could never let go of.

Historians have speculated on her identity for centuries. Antonie Brentano, Josephine Brunsvik, and others have all been named. But Beethoven never told the world who she was, and so the mystery lives on.

My angel, my all, my very self.

Only a few words today, written with pencil.

Why this deep sorrow, where necessity speaks?

Can our love endure without sacrifices, without longing, without demanding everything from us?

You are my life. My all.

Oh continue to love me, never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.

Ever thine.

Ever mine.

Ever ours.