Beethoven

The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the rank of history's greatest composers was paralleled by and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy and despair.

Beethoven's family was of the Flemish origin. His mother, Maria Magdalena, died after a long illness when Beethoven was only 17. He was not the only child in this family though. He had 2 brothers and 1 sister, both to which were disorganized and unruly. His family was always in constant need of funds.

Beethoven showed his extraordinary musical talent at an early age. His father hoped he could induce his child's development and make him more like Mozart, and possibly bring in some money for the family which was desperately in need.

As a child, Beethoven never was too interested in music even though he had the talents. Both his father and grandfather were experienced musicians and wanted him to be one also. At the age of four, Beethoven's father began to teach him the violin and piano, but wasn't successful in doing so because of his addiction to alcohol. His training was soon taken

over by his father's friend, Pfeiffer, but also, because of alcoholism, his lessons were just as irregular as before. Later, his grandfather's friend taught him until he resigned in 1781 and Beethoven's tuition was taken over by Van der Eeden's successor, Christian Neefe. This man was not only a good teacher, but also a friend.

Beethoven's first composition was published in 1783. Then, in 1784 he attained his first independent position of a court organist and violinist, and in 1787 he was sent to Vienna to study. Here, he had the opportunity to play for Mozart who liked the work of Beethoven and told his friends "Watch that young man."

Beethoven studied with a man by the name of Joseph Haydn, but it didn't work for very long because they couldn't get along. He began to study with other teachers and soon became very popular in Vienna. Some were pleased with his performances, but others were embarrassed by his arrogance and bad manners.

In the late 1790's, Beethoven discovered an increasing buzzing and humming in his ears and it sent him into panic, searching for a cure. In 1802, he wrote a letter to his brother describing his anguish. He asked his brother to read the letter at the funeral. His suffering had a brief respite when he soon fell in love with a young countess, and dedicated a song to her called "Moonlight Sonata". Even after this, she did not marry Beethoven.

By October 1802, he had