Ludwig Van Beethoven

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Ludwig Van Beethoven
The Immortal
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Ludwig Van Beethoven

• Dates December 1770 - March 1827
• Style Classic and Romantic
• Country Germany-Austria
• Instrument Piano
• Listening 5th Symphony, Fur Elise

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Family Life

• Born in Bonn, Germany
• Baptized December 17, 1770
• Had two younger brothers
• Father was an alcoholic
• Thought of his mother as his best friend

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Early Teaching

• First teacher was his father Johann, who was a
  Court singer in Bonn.
• Began learning piano at age 4 from his father

• Father wanted to make him a child prodigy like
  Mozart
• First important teacher was Christian Neefe an
  important musician who encouraged Beethoven's
  talent

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Early Career

• First public performance was March 26, 1778 at
  age 8.
• First published work was at age 12 Nine
  Variations in C minor for piano.
• In 1784 went to work for Prince Maximillan Franz,
  Elector of Cologne. He was 14.

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Training

• First gained attention for his piano playing
• 1787 was sent to Vienna to study music with
  Wolfgang Mozart
• Returned in 1792 and studied with Franz Joseph
  Haydn. Mozart died in 1791

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Deafness

• 1802 realized that the hearing loss he had
  noticed for some time was incurable and sure to
  worsen
• Wrote the famous Heiligenstadt Testament
  reflecting his sadness over losing his hearing
• His piano-playing career had finished in 1808 (a
  charity appearance in 1814 was a disaster because
  of his deafness).

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Final Performance

• Died Vienna, 26 March 1827
• His death occurred 49 years to the day after his
  first public performance at age 8 in 1778.
• 10,000 are said to have attended the Funeral.

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His Legacy

• Beethovens music began the Romantic Style period
• He became a public figure, as no composer had
  done before.