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Ludwig van Beethoven [n 1] (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era in classical music.
- 17 December 1770
- 26 March 1827 (aged 56), Vienna
- Overview
- The early years
Beethoven is widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived, in no small part because of his ability—unlike any before him—to translate feeling into music. His most famous compositions included Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 (1808), Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op 92 (1813), and Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 (1824).
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
Listen to an excerpt from Symphony No. 5 in C Minor.
Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
Listen to an excerpt from Symphony No. 7 in A Major.
How did Ludwig van Beethoven get his start in music?
Beethoven was the eldest surviving child of Johann and Maria Magdalena van Beethoven. The family was Flemish in origin and can be traced back to Malines. It was Beethoven’s grandfather who had first settled in Bonn when he became a singer in the choir of the archbishop-elector of Cologne; he eventually rose to become Kappellmeister. His son Johann was also a singer in the electoral choir; thus, like most 18th-century musicians, Beethoven was born into the profession. Though at first quite prosperous, the Beethoven family became steadily poorer with the death of his grandfather in 1773 and the decline of his father into alcoholism. By age 11 Beethoven had to leave school; at 18 he was the breadwinner of the family.
Having observed in his eldest son the signs of a talent for the piano, Johann tried to make Ludwig a child prodigy like Mozart but did not succeed. It was not until his adolescence that Beethoven began to attract mild attention.
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When in 1780 Joseph II became sole ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, he appointed his brother Maximilian Francis as adjutant and successor-designate to the archbishop-elector of Cologne. Under Maximilian’s rule, Bonn was transformed from a minor provincial town into a thriving and cultured capital city. A liberal Roman Catholic, he endowed Bonn with a university, limited the power of his own clergy, and opened the city to the full tide of the German literary renaissance associated with Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, and the young Goethe and Schiller. A sign of the times was the nomination as court organist of Christian Gottlob Neefe, a Protestant from Saxony, who became Beethoven’s teacher. Although somewhat limited as a musician, Neefe was nonetheless a man of high ideals and wide culture, a man of letters as well as a composer of songs and light theatrical pieces; and it was to be through Neefe that Beethoven in 1783 would have his first extant composition (Nine Variations on a March by Dressler) published at Mannheim. By June 1782 Beethoven had become Neefe’s assistant as court organist.
In 1783 he was also appointed continuo player to the Bonn opera. By 1787 he had made such progress that Maximilian Francis, archbishop-elector since 1784, was persuaded to send him to Vienna to study with Mozart. The visit was cut short when, after a short time, Beethoven received the news of his mother’s death. According to tradition, Mozart was highly impressed with Beethoven’s powers of improvisation and told some friends that “this young man will make a great name for himself in the world”; no reliable account of Beethoven’s first trip to Vienna survives, however.
Apr 3, 2014 · Learn about the life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of all time. Find out how he overcame deafness, racism and personal struggles to create symphonies, sonatas and other masterpieces. Discover his birthday, family, education, career and legacy.
Jul 5, 2023 · Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer of Classical and Romantic music; he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians to have ever lived. Most famous for his nine symphonies, piano concertos, piano sonatas, and string quartets, Beethoven was a great innovator and very probably the most influential composer in the ...
- Mark Cartwright
- What caused Ludwig van Beethoven's death?Ludwig van Beethoven's death was caused by his heavy drinking and consequent liver disease.
- How did Beethoven play while deaf?Ludwig van Beethoven was able to continue composing and playing despite being deaf since he, like many professional musicians, could hear pitch-per...
- What was Beethoven famous for?Ludwig van Beethoven is famous for being one of the greatest of all composers. His music bridged Classical and Romantic music. He is best known for...
- Was Beethoven completely deaf when he died?Beethoven was completely deaf when he died in 1827. The composer began to lose his hearing from around 1798 and was totally deaf by 1818.
Apr 30, 2021 · Listen to Beethoven works performed by Carnegie Hall artists. Available on Apple Music and Spotify . Beethoven portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820; photo courtesy Beethoven-Haus Bonn. Learn about the composer who bridged the Classical and Romantic eras, as well as the genesis of the all-Beethoven concert.
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Ludwig van Beethoven, (baptized Dec. 17, 1770, Bonn, archbishopric of Cologne—died March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria), German composer. Born to a musical family, he was a precociously gifted pianist and violist. After nine years as a court musician in Bonn, he moved to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn and remained there for the rest of his life.
Biography. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, who is arguably the defining figure in the history of Western music. View more. Lang Lang – Beethoven's 'Für Elise' LIVE | The Global Awards 2019 | Classic FM. Watch on. Beethoven features. Listen to Classic FM’s Beethoven: The Man Revealed podcast with John Suchet.
