Ludwig van Beethoven may have gone deaf from lead poisoning caused by a penchant for fish and wine, Harvard scientists suggest. The composer was beset by health issues throughout his life ...

Yet, despite also suffering from tinnitus, he continued to write music – including the Ninth Symphony, in 1824. He was believed to have composed his final masterpiece while completely deaf.

Beethoven's devastating hearing loss scarred all of his adult life, from his late 20s onwards. His deafness deepened the conflict he felt between the inner world of his imagination and the ...