Ludwig van Beethoven Birth and childhood z Born

Ludwig van Beethoven

Birth and childhood z. Born in Bonn, Germany -December 16 th, 1770. z. Father and Grandfather were musicians. z. Father was Ludwig’s first music teacher. z. Ludwig had to practice many nights when his father came home drunk. z. Ludwig showed an interest in composing when he was a child.

Young adulthood z Beethoven went to Vienna, Austria to learn more about composing when he was 17. z He had to return home when his mother died, and help raise his brothers.

Return to Vienna z. When Beethoven was 22, he moved to Austria and never returned to Germany. z. He learned from Haydn, another great composer, . . . and played for Mozart before that respected composer died. z. Beethoven loved to visit the country, where he composed a lot of music

Losing his hearing z Beethoven began hearing buzzing in his ears. z At first he tried to hide his loss of hearing from his friends. z He continued to write music when he was deaf. z Beethoven tried many hearing devices, but none of them worked. z He could watch people’s lips to understand what they were saying, or have them write in a notebook.

Medical methods back then. . . z. Doctors poured warm milk and crushed nuts in Beethoven’s ears, telling him that this would help restore his hearing! z. Doctors rubbed Beethoven’s arms with an ointment until they blistered, then punctured and drained the blisters…telling him that this would help restore his hearing!

His Later Years He still composed when he was deaf…. . how could he do this?

He could hear the music inside his head very well…. and he wasn’t bothered with other noises around him. He wrote some of his best music during this time, from musical ideas he had written years before.

His temperament z Beethoven was not z He criticized other easy to be around. musicians when they He had a temper, didn’t perform his and he was very pieces the way he demanding. wanted them to z He would get lost in sound. his own thoughts z His whole life was and would get very ‘stormy’ …there impatient with others were many sad and when they didn’t do discouraging times. what he thought they should do.

Some of his Works z 32 Piano Sonatas y Moonlight Sonata y Sonata Pathetique z. Fur Elise z. Fidelio (his only opera) z 9 Symphonies y Choral Symphony …#9 (Ode to Joy) y Beethoven’s Fifth …#5 y Pastorale …. . #6

Beethoven’s death z. Beethoven died in Vienna, Austria - March 26 th, 1827. z. It was storming when he died. (There was thundering during a snow storm!) z. Beethoven raised his fist toward the storm and fell back on his bed, dying. z 50, 000 lined the streets at his funeral to pay tribute to this great man.

Ludwig van Beethoven z 1770 -1827 z German composer, who spent his adult life in Austria z Wrote during the Classical Era (1750 – 1820). z Chose a ‘new and different’ way of composing.