Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827) By Dylan Chiu
Beethoven had a terrible childhood. His mother, Maria was a kind caring person but his father Johann was a demanding drunk. When his father noticed that Ludwig had an affinity for music he took advantage of it and made it a source of income. When he was 17 he met Mozart in Vienna and was told that "You will make a big noise in the world." Slowly however Beethoven began to lose his hearing and at 28 it was completely gone. After this Ludwig became completely engrossed in his music and had a huge temper. To combat this he cut of the legs of his piano so he could feel the vibrations through the floor. Even with this disability Ludwig went on to compose 9 symphonies all of which are still appreciated today.
Beethoven died in Vienna in 1827. This is a map of Vienna in 1802 so it is accurate to what Ludwig would have seen. Also this map is well drawn and has a detailed legend
Beethoven: Symphony No 3 in E flat major, 'Eroica' - BBC Proms 2012 (Daniel Barenboim)
Ludwig's third symphony "Eroica" translates to heroic in English because this was originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte but when Ludwig realized what Napoleon was really doing he removed he dedication. And instead he dedicated it to a fallen hero to show he still respected Napolean's past self. However he did not change the Music because in his mind the music was perfect while the person was not. Eroica is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes. 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 horns, a timpani, and strings.
While he may have composed as much as Mozart Beethoven wrote a lot of music. Some of which are Fur Elise, symphonies 1-9, Fidelio, and many Concertos.
While he was never married or seen with a women Ludwig wrote pieces which are said to be dedicated to women such as Fur Elise which translates to for Elise. He also had a nephew who tried to commit suicide because of his terrible parents. He gave up composing music for 4 years to fight a custody battle which eventually let him adopt his nephew. He was had many friends even with his temper such as Antonio Salieri and Franz Joseph Haydn. When he died he was on his bed and the thunder struck. He stuck his fist in the air and said "I will hear in Heaven".
Citations
Beethoven, Ludwig Van 1770-1827. Fine Art. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 9 Dec 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/search/107_3350056/1/107_3350056/cite
http://quest.eb.com/search/107_3350056/1/107_3350056/cite
Vienna / Map / 1802. Fine Art. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 10 Dec 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/search/109_124640/1/109_124640/cite
"Beethoven: Symphony No 3 in E Flat Major, 'Eroica' - BBC Proms 2012 (Daniel Barenboim)." YouTube. YouTube, 4 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InxT4S6wQf4>.