Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770
Beethoven's first music instructer was his father, whom was reported to be a very harsh person. Beethoven's father, Johann, and a friend of his, Tobias Pfeiffer, upon coming home at nights drunk, forced young Beethoven to practice the piano for hours upon hours until morning. In 1778, Beethoven began work on organs and the viola, along with learning the piano. Beethoven's most successful teacher would be Christian Gottlob Neefe.
Ludwig van Beethoven would visit Vienna for the first time in his life in 1787 with high hopes of studying with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, soon after arriving at Vienna, Beethoven would have to venture back home, for his mother was ill and dying with tuberculosis; and it is unknown whether Beethoven has ever met Mozart. Nothing would be able to help his mother, for she died on July 17, 1787, when young Beethoven was only 16 years old. Beethven would become man of the house, for his fathers worsening alcoholism would make him unable to care for them.
Vienna
In 1792, Ludwig Beethoven would move to Vienna, and remain working with Joseph Haydn. He quickly became known as a piano virtuoso by the next year. He did not play for the church, or the nobility, rather, he played several gift pieces and concerts, as well as giving piano lessons. His income gradually declined, and soon was making very little. He resorted to selling composition rights to his work around 1815.
Hearing
Beethoven began to lose his hearing around 1796. He would find it hard to appreciate music, and would soon try to avoid conversations. However, he had several instruments to aid his hearing as he jotted down his music. His hearing was rapidly deteriorating, and over the years he had to start writing in conversation books. Hundreds of these books would be written in, however, biographer Anton Schindler would destroy almost half in an attempt to paint a perfect image for Beethoven.
Death
Beethoven became ill with lead poisoning. It is not known for sure, when or how he first contracted the poisoning, but it would be too late to figure it out, for Beethoven died later on Monday, 26 March, 1827. He was ill for years before that.
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a rough man. Many blamed it on the beatings he recieved from his father. He wasn't perfect like everyone. Upon his deafness, he wrote a letter to brothers, known as the Heiligenstadt Testament. In this letter, he tells that he wishes he could overcome his physical disablilities; he also tells that he has thought upon taking his own life, for at times, it was unbearable for him and his condition.
Though many women would attract Beethoven, he would never find a wife to settle down with. Most of the women he liked were either married, or of a higher class, which made them impossible to get. A love letter written in 1812 would be titled "Immortal Beloved", and nothing else, and there was never any identification of who Beethoven's Immortal Beloved was, however there were many candidates.
His Music
Ludwig van Beethoven wrote many different genres of the music, which included symphonies, concerti, piano sonatas, other sonatas, string quartets and other chamber music. Beethoven is widely known for his famous symphonies, especially the 5th and 9th. He is also known for his piano pieces, Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise.
Facts
| |
|
|
| Beethoven was buried in Vienna's Währinger cemetary, and moved in 1888 to Zentralfriedhof, the largest and most famous cemetary in the city. | This painting was a portrait painting by W.J. Mähler in 1804 | Instruments such as these were used by Beethoven during stages of his deafness, as he tried to listen. |