Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827) Maya Pollack
Early Life
Ludwig van Beethoven had a very miserable and difficult childhood. He was born on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He was one 7 children, however only 3 of them survived to adulthood. His parents, Maria and Johann were very different in the way they treated Ludwig. His mother was a gentle women and his father was demanding and hard-drinking. At a young age, he recognized musical sounds and absorbed lots of music, which would later on help him as a composer.
Map of Austria
In 1787, when Beethoven was seventeen, he traveled to Vienna, Austria. He loved the culture and the way of life in Vienna, so he decided he would live there. A few weeks after Beethoven moved to Vienna, he found out that his mother, Maria, was sick, so he returned home to Bonn. Later on, his father became too sick because of his alcoholism, so Beethoven had to take control of his family. Then, in 1792, his father became very ill and died.
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 | Gustavo Dudamel [HD]
Symphony No. 5
Throughout Beethoven's life, he overcame and worked through hard challenges. At the age of 10, Beethoven was said to have dyslexia, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his dreams. In 1798, when Beethoven was 28, he began to lose his hearing and became deaf for the last decade of his life. This hard challenge didn't stop him from leading rehearsals and playing the piano. He was said to have "heard" music by feeling vibration. This piece, Symphony No. 5 was one of his most famous pieces.
Known Music
- Symphonies No. 1- No. 9
- Piano Concertos
- String Quartets
- 32 Piano Sonatas
- Razumovsky Quartets
- Cello Sontatas
- Vocal Music
- Theatre Music
Beethoven's Legacy
Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the greatest composers of the classical time period. His music was so famous and will not be forgotten. He was bound to become a composer at a very young age. He overcame a very hard challenge when he lost his hearing. He went on and this challenge didn't stop him. Even though he had a very bad temper, he still composed and made many friends. He was a revolutionary composer that will always be a legacy.
Citations
- Adagio. "Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 | Gustavo Dudamel [HD]."
youtube.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2016.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnBrabqdP4>.
- Austria, Map / Brion 1766. Fine Art. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 23
May 2016.
<http://quest.eb.com/search/109_153514/1/109_153514/
cite>
- BEETHOVEN Ludwig aged 28.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web.
23 May 2016.
<http://quest.eb.com/search/113_906215/1/113_906215/
cite>
- Ludwig van Beethoven. Biography.com Editors. The Biography.com website. A&E
Television Networks Accessed: September 22, 2015.
- "Ludwig Van Beethoven." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2016): 1.
Middle Search Plus. Web. 24 May 2016.
- "Ludwig van Beethoven". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica
Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 24 May.
2016
<http://www.britannica.com/biography/Ludwig-van-Beethoven/Works>.