Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770 in Bonn. (Germany)

Early on, he developed a passion for music, and his father gave him a lot of lessons. Ludwig was very good, his father plans to make a new child prodigy. The child meets great personalities of the music of the time, with whom he works.

It's twelve years that Ludwig published his first musical work. Fourteen years old, he became organist at the Court of the Prince-elector of Cologne. The teenager, little by little, replaced his father at home and feels responsible for his brothers, of whom he is the oldest.

In 1787, five years after the death of his mother, he is sent to Vienna at the expense of the voter and meets Mozart. The same year, he returned to Vienna, still to enrich his musical education. This is where he learned the death of Mozart (that it will be just had time to know).

It is the teaching of Christian Gottlob Neefe, arrived in Bonn in 1779 (when he had so 9 years), which is decisive. He teaches piano, writing. He will be a friend and a protector.

In Vienna, the young musician surprised and seduced by his virtuosity and his improvisations on the piano. In 1794, he gives lots of concerts.

In 1800, Beethoven shock with his first Symphony. It pushes already established musical uses.

1815 is the year where he became completely deaf.

But he does not stop to write wonderful sonatas for piano and equally beautiful symphonies. He wrote the hymn to joy.

Beethoven worked with Mozart and Haydn, two other famous musicians.