New Releases Discover Articles My Profile Staff Picks Year in Review Advanced Search SIGN UP / LOG IN

Search

Ludwig van Beethoven

Among the greatest of composers, Beethoven took the style and forms of the Classical era to their utmost as a
vehicle for personal expression.

Read Full Biography

STREAM OR BUY:

Musical Period Classical, Romantic

Follow Artist + Born December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany

Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria

Biography
Genre Classical

Compositions
Styles Symphony, Keyboard, Chamber Music, Choral, Concerto, Orchestral, Vocal
Music
Credits

Also Known As Louis van Beethoven

Related Artists

Moods & Themes

Articles

Escucha Ludwig van Beethov…

en Apple Music

Related Artists All Related Artists

Franz Schubert Wolfgang Franz Joseph Johannes Hector Berlioz Richard Wagner Antonio Salieri
Amadeus Mozart Haydn Brahms

Biography

Ludwig van Beethoven Biography by Rovi Staff

The events of Beethoven's life are the stuff of Romantic legend, evoking images of the
solitary creator shaking his fist at Fate and finally overcoming it through a supreme effort of
creative will. His compositions, which frequently pushed the boundaries of tradition and
startled audiences with their originality and power, are considered by many to be the
foundation of 19th century musical principles.

Born in the small German city of Bonn on or around December 16, 1770, he received his early
training from his father and other local musicians. As a teenager, he earned some money as
an assistant to his teacher, Christian Gottlob Neefe, then was granted half of his father's
salary as court musician from the Electorate of Cologne in order to care for his two younger
brothers as his father gave in to alcoholism. Beethoven played viola in various orchestras,
becoming friends with other players such as Antoine Reicha, Nikolaus Simrock, and Franz
Ries, and began taking on composition commissions. As a member of the court chapel
orchestra, he was able to travel some and meet members of the nobility, one of whom,
Count Ferdinand Waldstein, would become a great friend and patron to him. Beethoven
moved to Vienna in 1792 to study with Haydn; despite the prickliness of their relationship,
Haydn's concise humor helped form Beethoven's style. His subsequent teachers in
composition were Johann Georg Albrechtsberger and Antonio Salieri. In 1794, he began his
career in earnest as a pianist and composer, taking advantage whenever he could of the
patronage of others. Around 1800, Beethoven began to notice his gradually encroaching
deafness. His growing despondency only intensified his antisocial tendencies. However, the
Symphony No. 3, "Eroica," of 1803 began a sustained period of groundbreaking creative
triumph. In later years, Beethoven was plagued by personal difficulties, including a series of
failed romances and a nasty custody battle over a nephew, Karl. Yet after a long period of
comparative compositional inactivity lasting from about 1811 to 1817, his creative imagination
triumphed once again over his troubles. Beethoven's late works, especially the last five of his
16 string quartets and the last four of his 32 piano sonatas, have an ecstatic quality in which
many have found a mystical significance. Beethoven died in Vienna on March 26, 1827.

Beethoven's epochal career is often divided into early, middle, and late periods, represented,
respectively, by works based on Classic-period models, by revolutionary pieces that
expanded the vocabulary of music, and by compositions written in a unique, highly personal
musical language incorporating elements of contrapuntal and variation writing while
approaching large-scale forms with complete freedom. Though certainly subject to debate,
these divisions point to the immense depth and multifariousness of Beethoven's creative
personality. Beethoven profoundly transformed every genre he touched, and the music of
the 19th century seems to grow from his compositions as if from a chrysalis. A formidable
pianist, he moved the piano sonata from the drawing room to the concert hall with such
ambitious and virtuosic middle-period works as the "Waldstein" (No. 21) and "Appassionata"
(No. 23) sonatas. His song cycle An die ferne Geliebte of 1816 set the pattern for similar
cycles by all the Romantic song composers, from Schubert to Wolf. The Romantic tradition
of descriptive or "program" music began with Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony No. 6. Even
in the second half of the 19th century, Beethoven still directly inspired both conservatives
(such as Brahms, who, like Beethoven, fundamentally stayed within the confines of Classical
form) and radicals (such as Wagner, who viewed the Ninth Symphony as a harbinger of his
own vision of a total art work, integrating vocal and instrumental music with the other arts).
In many ways revolutionary, Beethoven's music remains universally appealing because of its
characteristic humanism and dramatic power.
 Quiz

23, which Latin pop band announced their comeback tour

ears?

powered by
powered by
I agree
Insticator uses cookies. By clicking “I agree”, you consent to our use of cookies and agree
to our Terms and Conditions, Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
powered by Skip

Compositions

Credits

Related

Moods and Themes

Related Articles

Submit Corrections
OUR PROPERTIES ABOUT YOUR ALLMUSIC ACCOUNT FOLLOW US

AllMusic What is AllMusic? My Profile Facebook

AllMovie Copyright Policy Account Settings Twitter
SideReel Privacy Policy Tumblr
Terms of Service REMOVE ADS Pinterest
SITE OVERVIEW Advertise Subscribe to AllMusic RSS

New Releases
Discover QUESTIONS AND CONTACT

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEW RELEASES NEWSLETTER

Articles FAQ
Recommendations Feedback name@domain.com SIGN UP

©2024 ALLMUSIC, NETAKTION LLC - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED