Ludwig van Beethoven
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Biography
Beethoven in 1820 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most famous composers of all time. His musical style was in between the Classical period and the Romantic. Beethoven was a virtuoso (really good) pianist. He composed a lot of piano music, and of course he performed his own music. His 32 piano sonatas are specially famous. You may have heard about the Moonlight sonata, the Appassionata, or the Pathétique. When Beethoven wasn't yet quite 30 years old, his hearing began to grow worse. Eventually he became totally deaf and could not hear a thing! However, because he knew how music sounded like, he was able to "hear" the music in his mind even when he didn't hear it physically. So, he was able to continue to compose music until his death, but he could not perform as well as before. The last time he performed in public was in 1811, when he tried (but failed) to perform his own Piano Concerto No. 5 (the "Emperor"). Beethoven composed nine symphonies, the most famous being the fifth symphony. He also composed one opera called Fidelio, string quartets, concertos for solo instruments, string trios, and more. Beethoven in 1803 Beethoven never married, although he tried to propose marriage to some women. It appears that several women turned him down because of him being a "common" person, and not of nobility. He also had some interesting personality traits. For example, he stopped performing at the piano if the audience chatted amongst themselves, or gave him less than their full attention. Archduke Rudolph said that the usual rules of court etiquette did not apply to Beethoven. Stomach problems and increasing deafness also made him irritable. |