Ludwig van Beethoven
by Baaba-Aly Ba
Beethoven's Life
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer,probably one of the most famous composer in the history of music. He was born on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. His father, Johann van Beethoven was an alcoholic but also a musician. At the age of 7 and a half, he made his first appearance in Cologne. Beethoven's music lived between the Classical and Romantic Era. As a teenager, he was able to play for Mozart, another prodigy during that time.
Map, Music, and Deafness
Beethoven didn't move a lot, he would rather work in his home. He lived in Germany all his life. Although he did compose and conducted many orchestras, in the last decade of his life started losing his hearing until it completely stopped. Beethoven was very emotional about it. He composed 9 symphonies, the most famous ones, Symphony Number 5 and Symphony Number 9. Eroica, another famous one, was played during many funerals, even presidents'!
Beethoven, Symphony 9, 4th movement (complete) Ode to Joy, Presto, Philharmonia Baroque
List of other known music
They're many famous songs that Beethoven composed like...
- Für Elise
- 5th Symphony
- Violin Concerto in D Major
- Pastoral Symphony
- Ode To Joy
- Moonlight Sonata
Fun Facts
- His third Symphony, "Eroica," was originally titled Bonaparte, a tribute to Napoleon.
- He loved a woman named Fanny, but never married. He spoke of her in a letter saying, "I found only one whom I shall doubtless never possess."
- At a very early age, he received violin and piano lessons from his father. Although his musical genius was compared to that of Mozart's, his education never exceeded elementary level.
- He wrote 9 symphonies, all of which were composed between 1799 and 1824.
Citations
BEETHOVEN Ludwig van Ludwig.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 14 Oct 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/search/113_904942/1/113_904942/cite
http://quest.eb.com/search/113_904942/1/113_904942/cite
Map of Germany. Illustration. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 14 Oct 2015.
http://quest.eb.com/search/309_736106/1/309_736106/cite