Beethoven Historys Favorite Music Man Beethovens Early Life
Beethoven History’s Favorite Music Man
Beethoven’s Early Life • Beethoven was born in December of 1770 to Johann Van Beethoven and Maria Magdalena Keverich. Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. Beethoven’s father Johann was his first music teacher. His father exerted Ludwig to extreme practices and pressure. Johann was far from loving towards his son Ludwig. Johann was a heavy drinker would beat Beethoven as a child as his way of encouraging him to improve in his musical journey. Ludwig’s negative relationship with his father would go on to influence many of his works. There was you could say local competition in Germany with the also famous Wolfgang Mozart. Johann wanted Ludwig to be better. Beethoven had his first performance at 7 years old. His father claimed he was only 6 to make things seem even more impressive. After this it was clear at even 7 years old Beethoven was a musical prodigy.
Beethoven’s Career In Vienna • In 1787 Beethoven and his father traveled to Vienna to pursue musical greatness and also to study the works of Wolfgang Mozart. At this time Beethoven’s mother became ill and passed away. This caused Johann to fall in to alcoholism and to neglect his children. Ludwig was basically left to raise himself and his siblings from this point on. Beethoven began performing for nobility in Vienna and had great success. He dedicated some piano compositions to Prince Lichnowsky and was compensated financially that he could live off that same money for a years time.
Career in Vienna Continued • When he was 27 he wrote a piano sonata titled Pathetique. This composition was one that was dedicated to prince Lichnowsky and was what really started to give Beethoven notoriety in the musical world. In 1798 Beethoven had a loss of hearing due to a seizure like spell from being interrupted during a musical production. Beethoven became so angry that he was interrupted that he fell to the floor and when he got up he had suffered partial hearing loss which he would never recover. Obviously as a famous composer it is pretty important to be able to hear what you are writing, but this wasn’t nearly enough to hinder the success of Beethoven. In the years 1800 to 1802 proceeded to write his second symphony and an oratorio of Christ and The Mount of Olives.
Heiligenstadt Testament • Letter written to Beethoven’s brothers depicting his suicidal tendencies rooted in his deafness and the quality of life it was giving him.
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 • Beethoven’s 5 th symphony is arguably his most famous work. It is the first to come up in a Google search meaning that it is searched more than the others. The symphony was written between the years 1804 and 1808 and at this time Beethoven’s deafness was only becoming worse. The symphony was performed first in Vienna in 1808 and was said to be one of the most iconic pieces of all time. The symphony has four movements. The first is allegro con brio, second is andante con moto, third is scherzo-allegro, and last is allegro. The music was designed for a piccolo, two flutes, two bassoons, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, strings, two oboes, and two clarinets.
Death of Ludwig Van Beethoven March, 27, 1827 • Beethoven in short died from the effects of liver failure. His liver had shriveled in to almost nothing due mostly to alcohol consumption. It is almost certain that his father’s example and his deafness attributed to alcohol abuse and in the end cost him his life. Beethoven will forever be known as one of the best composers to ever live. His name will always be associated with Mozart, Haydn, Bach and the many others. The beautiful thing about music and being involved in music is that in a way Beethoven lives vicariously through his music. In Universities throughout the world his works are assessed and practiced daily. Ludwig Van Beethoven was able to leave an everlasting mark upon the earth. To even the musically oblivious like myself his name is known and that is indicative of his musical greatness.
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