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Today we're going to learn about the famous composer, Ludwig van Beethoven.
Ludwig van Beethoven was a classical pianist and composer in the late eighteenth and early
nineteenth centuries, and remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all
time.
Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in December of 1770.
He was the second of seven children, but only Beethoven himself and two of his younger brothers
lived for longer than a year.
His father Johann and grandfather Ludwig were both musicians, and when young Ludwig showed
early musical talent, his father hoped that his son would become a famous child musician
like Mozart had been.
Beginning at age five, his father had him taught to play the keyboard as well as the
violin and the viola.
The lessons were hard, and sometimes young Beethoven was pulled from his bed in the night
to practice until he cried.
He had his first public performance in March of 1778 at age seven, but his childhood performances
did not make him famous.
Young Beethoven struggled with math and spelling, and so at the age of ten, he left school to
study music full time with a new teacher, Christian Gottlob Neefe, the Court Organist.
Neefe taught Beethoven to play the organ, and helped him to create his first compositions
which were published in 1783, when Beethoven was only 12 years old.
In 1787, Beethoven went to Vienna, hoping to meet Mozart, but soon after he arrived
he got word that his mother was sick and he returned home after less than two weeks.
She died soon afterwards and Beethoven began taking care of his two younger brothers.
In 1792 he returned to Vienna; Mozart had died the year before, and so instead Beethoven
studied with Joseph Hayden.
Beethoven gained many patrons in Vienna, who supported him and his work, and he began to
compose and publish more music.
Just as he was beginning to find success as a composer, Beethoven suffered a personal
tragedy: he started to go deaf.
He continued to compose music, but eventually his hearing loss became so severe that he
could no longer perform.
Even when he could no longer hear at all, Beethoven continued to create some of his
best work, including his Ninth Symphony, believed by many to be one of the greatest pieces in
the history of Western music.
The premiere of the Ninth Symphony in 1824 was the first time Beethoven had been on stage
in 12 years, but instead of performing, he helped conduct the orchestra.
The orchestra's regular conductor warned the musicians that because Beethoven could not
hear, they should ignore his directions and just keep playing.
Because of this, the orchestra finished the piece before Beethoven finished conducting.
The audience cheered and applauded, but Beethoven could not hear them.
One of the performers went over to him and turned him around, so that he could see the
people stand up and throw their hats in the air, or wave their arms and their handkerchiefs
so that he could see how much they liked his music.
The last few years of his life, Beethoven was often sick, and he died on March 27, 1827,
at the age of 56.
Although he fell in love with several different women throughout his life, Beethoven never
married or had children.
He was short, not very handsome, and had a bad temper, once trying to break a chair over
his friend's head.
Despite this, he had many close friends and was well-respected by the public.
More than 20,000 people attended his funeral.
Today, Beethoven is regarded as one of the best composers of all time, and his music
is known by people all over the world.
You probably recognize some of his music, even if you didn't know that it was by Beethoven.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven, and listening
to some of his beautiful music.
Goodbye till next time!