Beethoven | Artist

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist born 1770 in Bonn. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era in classical music. His career has conventionally been divided into early, middle, and late periods. His early period, during which he forged his craft, is typically considered to have lasted until 1802. From 1802 to around 1812, his middle period showed an individual development from the styles of Joseph Haydn and Mozart, and is sometimes characterised as heroic. During this time, he began to grow increasingly deaf. In his late period, from 1812 to 1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and expression. Beethoven left Bonn for Vienna in November 1792 amid rumours of war spilling out of France. Shortly after departing, Beethoven learned that his father had died. Over the next few years, he responded to the widespread feeling that he was a successor to the recently deceased Mozart by studying Mozart's work and writing works with a distinctly Mozartian flavour. The composer lived in Vienna for the remainder of his life. The compositions of Beethoven consist of 722 works written over forty-five years, from his earliest work in 1782 (variations for piano) when he was only eleven years old, until his last work just before his death in Vienna in 1827. Beethoven composed works in all the main genres of classical music, including symphonies, concertos, string quartets, piano sonatas and opera. His compositions range from solo works to those requiring a large orchestra and chorus. He is most remembered for his Nine Symphonies, Piano & Violin Concertos, Piano Sonatas, and String Quartets. A "must have" list of the composer's works would include: Symphony No.3 - ‘Eroica’ (1804), Symphony No.5 (1808), Symphony No.7 (1813), Symphony No.9 - 'Choral' (1824), Piano Concerto No.5 - 'Emperor' (1811), Violin Concerto (1806), Piano Sonata No.30 (1820), Violin Sonata No.9 - 'Kreutzer' (1803), String Quartet No.14 (1825), and the opera 'Fidelio' (1805). Despite romantic relationships via correspondence and courtly flirtations with several women, Beethoven never married. In 1810 at the age of 40 he proposed to the 19 year old Therese Malfatti, but the proposal was rejected. Beethoven wrote for her the piano bagatelle Für Elise. Beethoven passed away on the 26th of March 1827 aged 56. His funeral procession in Vienna on 29 March 1827 was attended by an estimated 10,000 people. Fellow composer Franz Schubert was among the torchbearers.

Artist Website: wikipedia/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

Featured Albums: Beethoven

Related Artists: Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn