Ludwig Van Beethoven

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Ludwig Van Beethoven was a German composer of the classical period. He lived between 1770-1827. He was a contempary of mozart and is also considered as one of the greatest composers of all time. Born in Bonn, Germany, he moved to Vienna, Austria, in his early twenties, and settled there, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist.

Beethoven's family were a powerful influence on him, helping to create both the tension as well as the passion that underlie his greatest works. Beethoven's style is an important bridge between Classicism and the new Romantic style. His music, particularly from his middle and late periods, has an emotional intensity and drama that cannot be found in middle Classical works by Haydn and Mozart.

Beethoven's greatest outpouring of compositions occurred, ironically, when he began experiencing deafness. From 1798, Beethoven was aware of a continual humming in his ear that gradually grew stronger until he went practically deaf. It was during this time that he won custody of his nephew Karl, who later attempted suicide through frustration caused by his 'eccentric' guardian. Beethoven was determined not to be ruined by his deafness, and by 1812 he had completed symphonies 2, 3 'Eroica', 4, 5, 6 'Pastoral', 7 and 8, Piano Concertos 4 and 5 'Emperor', the Violin Concerto, piano sonatas, the three Rasumovsky String Quartets, the opera Fidelio, and many other works. During the next 12 years, Beethoven composed the Hammerklavier Sonata, the last three piano sonatas, the Diabelli Variations, the Missa Solemnis, and the celebrated Ninth Symphony, ending with the famous Ode to Joy.