Ludwig van Beethoven

Lets review..

Birth and childhood

Born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. Father and Grandfather were musicians. Father was Ludwigs first music teacher. Ludwig had to practice many nights when his father came home drunk. Ludwig showed an interest in composing when he was a child.

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

Return to Vienna
When Beethoven was 22, he moved to Austria and never returned to Germany. He learned from Haydn, another great composer, ...and played for Mozart before that respected composer died. Beethoven loved to visit the country, where he composed a lot of music. We still love his music, 175 years later!

Losing his hearing

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

Medical methods back then...

Doctors poured warm milk and crushed nuts in Beethovens ears, telling him that this would help restore his hearing! Doctors rubbed Beethovens arms with an ointment until they blistered, then punctured and drained the blisterstelling 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.and he wasnt bothered with other noises around him.
He wrote some of his best music during this time.

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

Some of his Works

32 Piano Sonatas
Moonlight Sonata Sonata Pathetique

Fur Elise Fidelio (his only opera) 9 Symphonies

Choral Symphony #9 (Ode to Joy) Beethovens Fifth #5 Pastorale ..#6

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

Ludwig van Beethoven

1770-1827 German composer, who spent his adult life in Austria Wrote during the Classical Era. Chose a new and different way of composing.