Birth

December 1770 Bonn, Germany

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Death

26th March 1827 Vienna, Austria aged 56

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Musical era

Transitional between Classical and Romantic

 

 

Family

Beethoven was the eldest surviving child of Johann and Maria Magdalena van Beethoven. It was Beethoven’s grandfather who had first settled in Bonn when he became a singer in the choir of the Archbishop of Cologne eventually becoming Kappellmeister. His son Johann was also a singer in the choir so Beethoven was born into the profession.

Important points from his life

In 1787, he went to Vienna to study with Mozart. The visit was cut short when Beethoven received the news of his mother’s death. Mozart was highly impressed with Beethoven’s improvisation skills and told friends that ‘this young man will make a great name for himself in the world.’

In 1790, Haydn was passing through Bonn on his way to London and was shown Beethoven’s score. He was so impressed that he took Beethoven as a pupil when he returned from London. In the autumn of 1792, Beethoven left Bonn, never to return. Some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life when he was deaf.

 

Best known pieces

• Symphony No 5 in C minor

• Symphony No 6  in F major Pastoral

• Symphony No 9 in D minor Choral

• Bagatelle No 25 in A minor Fur Elise

• Violin Concerto in D major

• Piano Sonata No 8 in C minor Pathetique

• Piano Sonata No 14 in C# minor No 2 Moonlight Sonata

 

What has been said

'O ye men who think or say that I am malevolent, stubborn or misanthropic, how greatly do you wrong me. You do not know the cause of my seeming so. From childhood my heart and mind was disposed to the gentle feeling of good will. I was ever eager to accomplish great deeds, but reflect now that for six years I have been in a hopeless case, made worse by ignorant doctors, yearly betrayed in the hope of getting better, finally forced to face the prospect of a permanent malady whose cure will take years or even prove impossible.' Ludwig van Beethoven

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