Edson Tadeu Ortolan wrote:

>Another question to increase the discussion: wasn't Beethoven an
>african-dutch descendent?

I attended a lecture once, long ago, given by the popular classical
music program host Karl Haas, who said that the "Van" in Beethoven's name
signified, in the part of Germany he came from, the middle or merchant
class, as opposed to the aristocratic "Von".

"John Cambre" <[log in to unmask]>