Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. Beethoven's family was Flemish. He lived in a large family, having two brothers and one sister. At the age of 17, Beethoven's mother, Maria died from a long lasting illness. His family was very poor, in a constant need of money.
During childhood, Beethoven did not wish to study music, even though his talent in it was recognized. Beethoven's father and grandfather were both talented musicians and had wanted him to be a musician like they were. His father tried to teach him, but he could not because of his Alcohol abuse. His tutor, after several failed attempts to find a good one, would be Christian Neefe, Van der Eden's successor.
Beethoven would learn how to play the violin, organ, and piano at an early age. When he was 14, he received a professional appointment for being skilled enough on the organ. After his mother died, his family life would worsen, until he would finally have to move out.
In 1790 Beethoven left home to travel to Vienna to study the art of composition. He would first study with Haydn, but would end up leaving to study with other composers because he didn't like Haydn's teaching technique. The first time he would perform in public would be when he was 25 years old.
Beethoven played and left impressions on many people in Vienna, one of those people was Mozart. After Mozart heard him play, he ran into a room and told all of his friends “Watch that fellow - one day he will really make a name for himself.”
Beethoven's music was unique in many ways. It was long and very expressive. It was also very different because his pieces had several different feelings within it. His very different style would appeal to all those after him, and he would be seen as a leader in this new genre of contemporary orchestral music. He would have many works, and his major ones would include: 9 symphonies, 7 concertos (5 for piano), 17 string quartets, 32 piano sonatas, 10 sonatas for violin and piano, 5 sonatas for cello and piano, an opera, 2 masses, several overtures, and a lot of sets of piano variations.
Beethoven would slowly fall after he reached the peak of his career as he realized he was becoming deaf. He would cut back from social life and had become depressed. He would communicate with his group of friends through a notebook. The depression would make it hard for him to compose and conduct his works. His mind started produce scary music that his colleagues would dread. In 1820 Beethoven would become deaf. He would die, seven years later, out of unbearable emotional pain and intolerable depression.
Beethoven's music still lives with the world today. Some of his more famous pieces include: Piano Sonata No. 8 and No. 14, Sonata No. 15 in D Major, and the Diabelli Variations.
