Ludwig van Beethoven - a short biography of the composer. Ludwig van Beethoven: Brief Biography and Eternal Works Message on Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven is the greatest phenomenon in world musical culture, a composer who became a legend during his lifetime. He was so incredibly talented and purposeful that, even having lost his hearing, he continued to create his own, unparalleled, brilliant masterpieces. The outstanding maestro stood on the threshold of Romanticism in Western European music and was the direct founder of a new era that replaced the exhausted Classicism. As a child, learning music harpsichord with its characteristic lacy sound, Beethoven subsequently popularized the piano, creating 5 concertos, 38 sonatas, about 60 pieces and several dozen other works for this musical instrument.

Read a brief biography of Ludwig van Beethoven and many interesting facts about the composer on our page.

Short biography of Beethoven

In the Austrian (and now German) city of Bonn, on December 16, 1770, in the family of the tenor of the court chapel Johann van Beethoven, the third in the family Ludwig was born, after his grandfather (bass, and then court bandmaster) and older brother. The very fact of being born in a family of hereditary singers predetermined the fate of the boy.

Ludwig's first music teacher was his father, who dreamed of making a second Mozart out of his son. A four-year-old kid practiced the harpsichord for 6 hours a day, and if his father ordered, then also at night. So unique abilities, like the one who made a splash with his virtuoso playing Wolfgang Mozart, Ludwig did not show up, but he definitely had an outstanding talent for music.

The Beethoven family was not rich, and after the death of his grandfather, they became completely impoverished. At the age of 14, young Ludwig was forced to leave school and help his father in supporting the family, working as an assistant organist in the court chapel.

Before that, the boy studied at a school where German and arithmetic were in the background after Latin and music. Already in his youth, Beethoven freely read and translated Plutarch and Homer, but multiplication and spelling remained a mystery to him with seven seals.

When Ludwig's mother died in 1787, and his father drank more than before, the responsible and disciplined young man took over the maintenance of his younger brothers. He got a job as a violist in the court orchestra, thanks to which he became acquainted with the diversity of the world of opera.

At the age of 21 - in 1791 - Ludwig van Beethoven moved to Vienna in search of a good teacher, where he spent his whole life. For some time the young man worked with Haydn. But Josef was afraid that he would get into trouble because of a free-thinking and harsh student. And Ludwig, in turn, felt that Haydn was not the person who could teach him anything. Ultimately, Salieri took up Beethoven's training.

The early Viennese period of the young composer's work is biographically closely connected with the names of the Austrian court prince Likhnovsky, the Russian nobleman Razumovsky, the Czech nobleman Lobkowitz: they patronized Beethoven, supported financially, their names appeared on the title pages of the composer's manuscripts. At the same time, Beethoven greatly valued his self-esteem and never allowed his noble patrons to attempt to point out his low origin.

In the 1790s, Beethoven composed mainly chamber and piano music, and in the 1800s he began writing his first symphonies, creating the only oratorio (“Christ on the Mount of Olives”).

When by 1811 the maestro had completely lost his hearing, he rarely left the house. Public piano playing was the main source of income for the virtuoso, and he also constantly gave music lessons to representatives of the aristocracy. With hearing loss, Beethoven fell on hard times. After a failed attempt in 1811 to play his own Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor"), he did not appear in public again until, together with the conductor Michael Umlauf, he led the orchestra during the premiere Symphonies No. 9 in 1824.

But deafness did not prevent the composition of music. Beethoven used a special stick attached at one end to the front of the piano. Clamping the other end of the stick with his teeth, he "felt" the sound made by the instrument due to the vibration transmitted through the stick.

It was in the last decade of the composer's life that the most magnificent works were written, which to this day listeners do not get tired of admiring: String Quartet, op. 131; "Solemn Mass"; "Great Fugue", op. 133 and, of course, the Ninth Symphony.

Interesting facts about Beethoven

• Beethoven was the eldest of 7 children in his family, 4 of whom died in childhood.
• We know from Beethoven's biography that the young maestro made his first public appearance at the age of 7 on March 26, 1778. It is noteworthy that March 26 is also the date of his death.
• When his father was taking little Ludwig for his first performance in Cologne, he pointed out that the boy was only 6 years old (he really wanted to emphasize the uniqueness of his son). The young musician believed what his father said and since then considered himself a year and a half younger than he really was. When his parents handed Beethoven his baptismal certificate, he refused to believe the date indicated there, believing that the document belonged to his older brother, also Ludwig, who died in infancy.
• Beethoven had the good fortune to study music under renowned composers such as Gottlob Nefe, Joseph Haydn, Albrechtsberger and Salieri. He also almost became a student of Mozart, who was delighted with the improvisation presented to his attention, but the death of his mother forced Ludwig to leave classes and urgently leave Vienna.
• When Beethoven was 12, he first published his works. It was a collection of variations for keyboards that ultimately made him famous as one of the most popular pianists in history.

• Beethoven was one of the first musicians to receive an allowance of 4,000 florins, simply because the nobles did not want him to leave Vienna for France, where he had been invited by the brother of Emperor Napoleon.
• Beethoven wrote 3 love letters to the "Immortal Beloved", whose name remains a mystery to this day. Since he fell in love with many women, biographers find it difficult to single out the only one that the composer could call so unusually.
• In all his life, Beethoven wrote only one opera - " Fidelio”, which is still considered an outstanding example of classical music.

• About 20 thousand people participated in the funeral procession on the third day after the death of their beloved composer - March 29, 1827. Franz Schubert, a great admirer of the composer's work, was among those who carried the coffin. Ironically, he himself died a year later and was buried next to Beethoven.
• Of the later quartets, the Fourteenth, in C minor, op. 131 Beethoven was especially fond of, calling it his most perfect work. When Schubert, lying on his deathbed, was asked about his last wish, he asked him to play a quartet in C minor. It was November 14, 1828, five days before his death.
• In August 1845, a monument to Beethoven was unveiled in Bonn. It was the first monument to the famous composer in Germany, after which about a hundred more were opened around the world.
• They say the Beatles song "Because" ("Because") is based on the melody "Moonlight Sonata" played in reverse order.
• "Ode to Joy" (an excerpt from the famous Ninth Symphony) is the official anthem of the European Union.
• The third largest crater on Mercury is named after the composer.
• One of the elements of the main ring of asteroids, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, is called "1815 Beethoven".

Love in the life of Beethoven

Unfortunately, Beethoven fell in love with women who belonged to a different class than he did. At that time, class affiliation was a serious argument for resolving questions about marriage. He met the young Countess Giulia Guicciardi in 1801 through the Brunswick family, where he gave piano lessons to Josephine Brunswick. However, for the reasons mentioned above, marriage was out of the question.

After the death of her husband Josephine Brunswick in 1804, Ludwig tried his luck with a young widow. He wrote 15 passionate letters to his beloved, she reciprocated, but soon, at the request of her family, she broke off all contact with Beethoven. In the case of marriage with a non-aristocrat, the countess would be deprived of the opportunity to communicate with children and engage in their upbringing.

After Josephine remarried a certain Baron von Stekelberg in 1810, Beethoven unsuccessfully proposed to his close friend Baroness Teresa Malfatti (Josephine Brunswick's sister). Unsuccessfully, because this chosen one was from a higher class than her admirer. Obviously, it is Teresa who is dedicated to bagatelle (a small piece of music).

Beethoven's biography says that, being deaf, the composer compensated for his deficiency with the help of the so-called conversational notebooks. There, during the conversation, friends wrote down their lines for him. The composer has been using conversational notebooks for approximately the last ten years, and before that he was rescued by an auditory tube, which is now kept in the Beethoven Museum in Bonn.

Conversation notebooks have become a precious document from which we learn the content of the composer's discussions, we can get information about his worldview, about the vision of the composer himself, how one or another of his works should be performed. Of the 400 conversational notebooks, 264 were destroyed, and the rest were subject to cuts and editing after the death of the composer by his personal secretary Anton Schindler. Being also the first biographer of the composer, Schindler, firstly, saved his and his reputation, since those sharply negative evaluative expressions against the monarch that Beethoven allowed himself could cause persecution and prohibitions from the authorities. And secondly, more than a secretary wanted to idealize the image of the maestro in the eyes of posterity.

Strokes for a creative portrait

• The city authorities of Bonn in 1790 chose the cantatas of the court violist Beethoven to be performed at the funeral of Franz Joseph II and during the subsequent enthronement of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. After these two imperial cantatas were never performed again and were considered lost until the 1880s. But these works were, in the words of Brahms, "through and through Beethoven" and clearly revealed the tragic style that marked all of Beethoven's works and which distinguished them from the classical traditions in music.
• Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, op. 13, commonly known as , was written in 1798. Beethoven dedicated it to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky. Contrary to the prevailing opinion that the composer himself called the sonata "Pathetic", it was the publisher who, impressed by the tragic sound of the sonata, wrote on the title page "The Great Pathetic Sonata".
• The influence of Mozart and Haydn on the work of Beethoven is undeniable. Thus, his Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments reveals a striking similarity with Mozart's work at the level of form. But Beethoven's melodies, the development of the theme, the use of modulation and texture, the expression of emotions in music - all this takes the composer's work beyond any influences and borrowings.
• Beethoven is rightfully considered the first composer of the Romantic era, his Symphony No. 3 was a radical departure from everything written before.
• The finale of Symphony No. 9 - "Ode to Joy" - is the first attempt in the history of Western European music to introduce the choir into a canonical symphony.

• The Ninth Symphony contains a scherzo in the second movement and an adagio in the third. For a classical symphony, where the tempo had to increase, this was unthinkable.
• Beethoven was apparently the first composer to use brass instruments as a full part of an orchestra. Beethoven was also the first to introduce the piccolo flute and trombone into the symphony. In turn, he included the harp in only one of his works - the ballet "Creations of Prometheus".
• Beethoven was the first who in music tried to reproduce the sounds of a quail, a cuckoo and a nightingale - all within the framework of one symphony - No. 6, "Pastoral". By the way, the abridged version of the Sixth Symphony sounds in the cartoon Disney's "Fantasy" . Imitations of animal sounds were present both in Mozart's brief "Toy Symphony" and in The Four Seasons by Vivaldi , but they have never been in a 40-minute symphony.

Since the composer's music is distinguished by a generally gloomy style, films that use his works as soundtracks contain mostly infernal motifs.

So many documentaries and feature films have been shot based on Beethoven's biography that we decided to mention only the most famous of them.

• The Life of Beethoven (German: Das Leben des Beethoven) (1927), silent film, Spanish. Fritz Kortner, Austria.
• Beethoven's Great Love (French: Un grand amour de Beethoven) (1937), Spanish. Harry Bor, France.
• Heroica (German: Eroica) (1949), Spanish. Ewald Balser, Austria. The film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 1949.
• Ludwig van Beethoven (German: Ludwig van Beethoven) (1954), East Germany. Documentary film by Max Jaap tells about the life of Beethoven. Original documents, letters and photographs are complemented by the sound of the composer's most striking works.
• Napoleon (Napoleon) (1955), Spanish. Eric von Stroheim.
• In 1962, Walt Disney released a speculative television version of the film about Beethoven, The Magnificent Rebel, Spanish. Karlheinz Böhm.
• Ludwig van (German: Ludwig van) (1969), film by Mauricio Kagel, Spanish. Carl Walter Diss.
• Beethoven - Days in a Life (English: Beethoven - Days in a Life) (1976), Spanish. Donatas Banionis and Stefan Lizewski.
• Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) David Clifford.
• Beethoven Lives Upstairs (English: Beethoven Lives Upstairs) (1992), Spanish. Neil Munro, Czech Republic.
• Immortal Beloved (1994), Spanish. Gary Oldman.
• Rewriting Beethoven (2006), Spanish. Ed Harris.
• Maestro (2011), Spanish. Robert Guy Bathurst.
• Ludwig (2016), Spanish. Padrig Vion.

Beethoven's work covers many musical genres and uses a variety of combinations of musical instruments. For the symphony orchestra, he wrote 9 symphonies and more than a dozen other works. Beethoven composed 7 instrumental concertos. He wrote one opera (" Fidelio”) and one ballet (“Creations of Prometheus”). Beethoven's piano music is rich and varied in terms of form: these are sonatas, miniatures and other compositions.

Peru of Beethoven also owns a significant number of works of ensemble music. In addition to 16 string quartets, he wrote 5 string quintets, 7 piano trios, 5 string trios and over a dozen works for various combinations of wind instruments.

Beethoven, according to Anton Schindler, used his own tempo-rhythm and, being considered by most musicologists as the last Viennese classic, managed to break many canons of the classical style in music.

Video: watch a film about Beethoven

As a composer, it consists in the fact that he raised to the highest degree the ability to express instrumental music while conveying spiritual moods and greatly expanded its forms. Based on the works of Haydn and Mozart in the first period of his work, Beethoven then began to give the instruments their characteristic expressiveness, so much so that they, both independently (especially the piano) and in the orchestra, gained the ability to express the highest ideas and the deepest moods of the human soul. . The difference between Beethoven and Haydn and Mozart, who also brought the language of instruments to a high level of development, lies in the fact that he modified the forms of instrumental music received from them, and added a deep inner content to the impeccable beauty of the form. Under his hands the minuet expands into a meaningful scherzo; the finale, which in most cases was a lively, cheerful and unpretentious part of his predecessors, becomes for him the culminating point in the development of the whole work and often surpasses the first part in the breadth and grandeur of its concept. In contrast to the balance of voices that give Mozart's music the character of dispassionate objectivity, Beethoven often gives precedence to the first voice, which gives his compositions a subjective shade that makes it possible to connect all parts of the composition with a unity of mood and idea. What he in some works, such as, for example, in the Heroic or Pastoral symphonies, marked with appropriate inscriptions, is observed in most of his instrumental compositions: the spiritual moods expressed poetically in them are in close relationship with each other, and therefore these works fully deserve the name of poems.

Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven. Artist J. K. Stieler, 1820

The number of Beethoven's compositions, not counting works without an opus designation, is 138. These include 9 symphonies (the last with a finale for choir and orchestra on Schiller's ode to Joy), 7 concertos, 1 septet, 2 sextets, 3 quintets, 16 strings quartets, 36 piano sonatas, 16 piano sonatas with other instruments, 8 piano trios, 1 opera, 2 cantatas, 1 oratorio, 2 grand masses, several overtures, music for Egmont, Ruins of Athens, etc., and numerous works for the piano and for one- and many-voice singing.

Ludwig van Beethoven. The best works

By their nature, these writings clearly outline three periods with a preparatory period ending in 1795. The first period embraces the years from 1795 to 1803 (until the 29th work). In the compositions of this time, the influence of Haydn and Mozart is still clearly visible, but (especially in the piano works, both in the form of a concerto, and in the sonata and variations), a desire for independence is already noticeable - and not only from the technical side. The second period begins in 1803 and ends in 1816 (up to the 58th work). Here is a brilliant composer in the full and rich flowering of a mature artistic individuality. The works of this period, opening up a whole world of the richest life sensations, at the same time can serve as an example of a wonderful and complete harmony between content and form. The third period includes compositions with a grandiose content, in which, due to Beethoven's renunciation due to complete deafness from the outside world, thoughts become even deeper, become more exciting, often more direct than before, but the unity of thought and form in them turns out to be less perfect and often sacrificed to the subjectivity of mood.

In order to know about one of the most talented and famous composers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Ludwig van Beethoven, it is enough to get acquainted with his life highlights.

Therefore, the article provides a summary of the most important data from the biography of the maestro.

Ludwig van Beethoven - German composer

Ludwig van Beethoven, a German conductor, musician and composer, is one of the most fundamental figures in musical classicism.

Years of life: 12/1770. - 1827.03.26.

The composer's work includes all the genres that existed during the period of his activity: compositions for the choir, music for dramatic performances and opera.

He created brilliant works in between the classical and romantic periods, remaining the last representative of the Viennese classical school.

For children, it is important to answer the question - what instrument did Beethoven play? The composer owned several musical instruments, among which were the organ, viola, piano, piano, violin and cello.

Famous musical works

Throughout his creative career, Beethoven wrote a huge number of musical works, especially famous in their list are:

• 9 symphonies, only two of them acquired a title: 3rd symphony "Heroic" of 1804 and 6th symphony "Pastoral" of 1808;
• 32 sonatas, 16 of them for young men, and 60 pieces for piano, of which the Moonlight Sonata, Pathetique Sonata and Appassionata stand out;
• 8 symphonic introductions to performances, one of them No. 3 "Leonora";
• musical accompaniment of performances: "King Stefan", "Egmont" and "Coriolanus";
• "triple concertos" - concertos for cello, violin and piano;
• 10 pieces for violin and piano and 5 pieces for piano and cello;
• the only opera, in two parts, Fidelio;
• the only ballet, from which only the introduction (overture), "The Creation of Prometheus" is performed;
• "Solemn Mass";
• No. 14 Piano Sonata "The Seasons";
• music for 40 poems and musical revision of the songs of the peoples of Ireland and Scotland.

Short biography of Beethoven

The information is compiled from the most important moments in the life and work of the musician.

Where he was born

In the German city of Bonn, which is located on the Rhine River, in the winter of 1770, the first-born, Ludwig, was born in the family of Johann van Beethoven and Mary Magdalene Keverich.

Father and mother

Beethoven's father and grandfather, Johann and Ludwig, were musicians and singers.

The grandfather of the future musician, Ludwig Sr., was a Flemish singer who moved to Bonn, where he was lucky enough to become a musician at the court of the Elector of Cologne himself.

There, in the chapel, Johann, who had a pleasant tenor, got a job as a chorister. There, Johann meets the daughter of the cook Keverich, Mary Magdalene, with whom he later married.

Childhood

Ludwig's childhood could not be called joyful, because after him 6 more brothers and sisters were born, and he had to help his mother with the housework.

On top of that, my father used to drink alcohol very often, which served as a completely unhealthy atmosphere in the house.

Johann was a completely unbridled man, allowing himself to be beaten, in addition, the family never had enough money due to constant binges. Even the grandfather could not cope with the violent temper of Ludwig's father, which may have caused four children's deaths in the future.

Alcohol, beatings, poverty and stress affected the health of the mother and the bearing of children, so everyone died almost in infancy.

Education and upbringing

In the days when calm came, Ludwig liked to listen to the musical performance of his grandfather in the chapel, which did not go unnoticed by his father, who took up the boy's musical education.

But Johann's goals were by no means noble, he was so impatient to soon get rich on a talented child, so the learning process took place in a cruel atmosphere.

On top of that, Johann limited his son to attending compulsory primary education, which subsequently affected the composer's literacy. Gaps in education are visible in the surviving records of the musician, there are serious errors in counting and spelling.

The beginning of creativity

Ludwig gives his first concert, under the control of his father, in Cologne, but the proceeds turned out to be too small, which greatly disappointed Johann, and he sends his son to study with his familiar musicians.

But Mary Magdalene tried to support her son in every possible way, offering him to transfer the music that arises in his head to paper.

In 1782, young Ludwig met K. G. Nefe, an organist, composer and aesthete, who takes patronage over the talent, making him his assistant at court. Nefe teaches Ludwig, instilling a love for music and literature, philosophy and foreign languages. The young musician dreams of meeting and working with Mozart, and this dream was destined to come true.

In 1787, Ludwig van Beethoven made his first trip to Vienna, where he demonstrated improvisations to Mozart, who, stunned by the performance of the young man, predicted his great popularity in the future. After that, the maestro agreed to Beethoven's requests to give some professional lessons.

But fate decreed otherwise. Ludwig's mother became seriously ill, and therefore had to urgently return home. Mary Magdalene dies and Ludwig has to take care of his two younger brothers. For his children, Johann was a bad father, he was only interested in a reckless, alcohol-soaked life, and the young musician had no choice but to turn to the elector for help, asking for monthly financial assistance. This period of life was very difficult, suddenly complicated by diseases of typhus and smallpox.

Ludwig's sleepless talent further enabled him to secure access to any musical gatherings and respect from wealthy families in his hometown. This allowed him to visit Vienna again in 1792, where the young man took lessons from famous composers: Haydn, Albrechtsberger, Schenk and Salieri. Using acquaintances and knowledge, Beethoven becomes a member of the circle of virtuoso musicians and titled persons.

True, to the pampered inhabitants of Vienna, the composer's music seemed very incomprehensible and monstrous, which greatly discouraged and annoyed him. Then, without thinking twice, Ludwig goes to Berlin, where, as it seemed to him, he hoped to meet understanding.

There was also disappointment. Beethoven did not find what he was looking for. Spoiled morals, hypocrisy, covered with piety, irritated, and, despite the improvisations accepted by the court of Frederick II and the offer to stay in Berlin, the musician returns to his beloved Vienna. From there, the musician did not voluntarily leave for several years, devoting himself entirely to his notes, creating three compositions a day.

Beethoven was an open revolutionary who was not afraid to express his views to everyone and everywhere. Even his appearance screamed it, with its naughty whirlwinds out of fashion, not changing to please anyone. The internal and external state existed harmoniously.

This harmony of rebellion was skillfully captured on the canvas in 1920 by the familiar artist Stieler.

This portrait of Beethoven is considered the most popular of all lifetime images.

At the age of 26, a real misfortune crept up to Beethoven - hearing loss. Even earlier, he had to complain about frequent annoying noises and ringing in the ears, which indicated a developing disease - tinnitus.

The doctors' advice on maintaining peace and silence did not improve the condition at all, and the composer, in a moment of despair, wrote a will. But the shown strength of character, characteristic of the composer, did not allow him to lay hands on himself. Realizing the impending deafness, the maestro decided not to waste time and work on his Third Symphony - "Heroic".

heyday

Since 1812, Beethoven has been creating his best monumental works for cello and his favorite piano, composing Symphony No. 9, "The Solemn Mass" and the cycle for vocalists "To a Distant Beloved", processing songs of the peoples of Scotland, Russia, Ireland.

In 1824 there was the first performance of the 9th symphony in public, which arranged a storm of applause for the maestro, waving handkerchiefs and hats as a sign of greeting. This was allowed only when meeting with imperial persons, so the gendarmes were not slow to stop such liberties.

last years of life

In the winter of 1826, the maestro was struck by pneumonia, in addition to dropsy and jaundice. The struggle with the disease continued for about three months, but this time it turned out to be weaker, and in the early morning Beethoven died.

He was only 56 years old. An autopsy showed that the maestro by that time had developed cirrhosis of the liver and pancreatitis.

The funeral procession of many thousands saw off their beloved unique composer in complete silence. At the burial site, a pyramidal monument was erected with the image of a lyre, the sun and the name of a genius on it.

There are several interesting facts about Beethoven:

1. Due to hearing loss, the composer comes up with a way to hear the sound: he clamps one end of a thin flat stick in his teeth, and leans the other against the edge of the instrument and feels the note through the resulting vibration.
2. When the disease took possession of his hearing, the deaf musician created a “conversational notebook” to communicate with people, through which people communicated with him. Since the musician was not an admirer of ruling persons, he spoke in every possible way about them with unflattering, and sometimes terrible words. This was dangerous, because at that time royal spies were scurrying around, and Beethoven's friends constantly warned him in a notebook about their presence. But the maestro's irony and intemperance did not allow him to remain silent, to which the answer was written in his notebook - "The scaffold is crying for you!" Some of these notebooks were destroyed.
3. A forensic pathologist and expert from Vienna, Reuter, conducted an analysis of Beethoven's hair in 2007, which showed that the cause of death of the maestro was lead poisoning, due to improper treatment.
4. Unlike his contemporary, the composer Rossini, who covered himself with a blanket to compose, Beethoven stimulated his brain by pouring ice-cold water over his head.

Outstanding Musician Achievement

Ludwig van Beethoven played a prominent role in the development of the musical genres of his predecessors. He allowed as much freedom as possible into the performance of quartets, symphonies and sonatas, creating a sense of space and time.

The composer introduced each instrument with his works in such a way that the performer simply needed to master it thoroughly.

So the harpsichord was pushed aside, which made the piano the main instrument, which, with its extended range, extinguishes its modest elegance, and requires professional dedication.

The composer also introduced an innovation into the melody - an unexpected impulsive and contrasting performance, with a change in tempo and rhythms, which was sometimes difficult to accept for contemporaries.

Beethoven became a musical revolutionary, overshadowing his former traditional direction with his creations, creating a new direction in the art of music.

Ludwig van Beethoven is a famous deaf composer who created 650 pieces of music that are recognized as world heritage of classics. The life of a talented musician is marked by a constant struggle with difficulties and hardships.

Childhood and youth

In the winter of 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in a poor quarter of Bonn. The baptism of the baby took place on December 17th. The boy's grandfather and father are distinguished by their singing talent, so they work in the court chapel. Childhood years of the baby can hardly be called happy, because a constantly drunk father and a beggarly existence do not contribute to the development of talent.

Ludwig bitterly recalls his own room, located in the attic, where there was an old harpsichord and an iron bed. Johann (dad) often drank himself unconscious and beat his wife, taking out the evil. From time to time, the son was also beaten. Mother Maria dearly loved the only surviving child, sang songs to the baby and brightened up gray, joyless everyday life as best she could.

Ludwig showed musical abilities at an early age, which Johann immediately noticed. Envying fame and talent, whose name is already thundering in Europe, he decided to raise a similar genius from his own child. Now the baby's life is filled with exhausting piano and violin lessons.

The father, finding out the boy's giftedness, made him practice simultaneously on 5 instruments - organ, harpsichord, viola, violin, flute. Young Louis spent hours poring over music-making. The slightest mistakes were punished by flogging and beatings. Johann invited teachers to his son, whose lessons are mostly mediocre and unsystematic.

The man sought to quickly train Ludwig in concert activity in the hope of fees. Johann even asked for an increase in salary at work, promising to arrange a gifted son in the archbishop's chapel. But the family did not heal better, as the money was spent on alcohol. At the age of six, Louis, urged on by his father, gives a concert in Cologne. But the fee received was tiny.

Thanks to maternal support, the young genius began to improvise and outline his own works. Nature generously endowed the child with talent, but development was difficult and painful. Ludwig was so deeply immersed in the melodies that were created in the mind that he could not get out of this state on his own.

In 1782, Christian Gottlob was appointed director of the court chapel, who became Louis's teacher. The man saw glimpses of talent in the youth and took up his education. Realizing that musical skills do not give full development, Ludwig instills a love for literature, philosophy and ancient languages. , become idols of the young genius. Beethoven eagerly studies the works of Handel, dreaming of working with Mozart.

The musical capital of Europe, Vienna, the young man first visited in 1787, where he met Wolfgang Amadeus. The famous composer, having heard Ludwig's improvisations, was delighted. Mozart said to the astonished audience:

“Don't take your eyes off this boy. One day the world will talk about him."

Beethoven agreed with the maestro on several lessons, which had to be interrupted due to his mother's illness.

Returning to Bonn and burying his mother, the young man plunged into despair. This painful moment in the biography had a negative impact on the musician's work. The young man is forced to look after two younger brothers and endure the drunken antics of his father. The young man turned to the prince for financial help, who assigned the family an allowance of 200 thalers. The ridicule of the neighbors and the bullying of the children greatly hurt Ludwig, who said that he would get out of poverty and earn money by his own labor.

The talented young man found patrons in Bonn who provided free access to music meetings and salons. The Breuning family took custody of Louis, who taught music to their daughter Lorchen. The girl married Dr. Wegeler. Until the end of his life, the teacher maintained friendly relations with this couple.

Music

In 1792, Beethoven went to Vienna, where he quickly found patrons. To improve his skills in instrumental music, he turned to, to whom he brought his own works for verification. Relations between the musicians immediately did not work out, as Haydn was annoyed by the obstinate student. Then the young man takes lessons from Schenk and Albrechtsberger. Vocal writing improves with Antonio Salieri, who introduced the young man to the circle of professional musicians and titled persons.

A year later, Ludwig van Beethoven creates music for the "Ode to Joy", written by Schiller in 1785 for the Masonic Lodge. Throughout his life, the maestro modifies the anthem, striving for the triumphant sound of the composition. The public heard the symphony, which caused a furious delight, only in May 1824.

Beethoven soon became a fashionable pianist in Vienna. In 1795, the debut of a young musician in the salon took place. Having played three piano trios and three sonatas of his own composition, he charmed his contemporaries. Those present noted the stormy temperament, the richness of the imagination and the depth of Louis' feelings. Three years later, the man is overtaken by a terrible disease - tinnitus, which develops slowly but surely.

Beethoven hid the malaise for 10 years. Those around him did not even suspect that the pianist was beginning to become deaf, and misleading reservations and answers were attributed to absent-mindedness and inattention. In 1802 he writes the Heiligenstadt Testament, addressed to the brothers. In the work, Louis describes his own mental suffering and excitement for the future. The man orders this confession to be read only after death.

In a letter to Dr. Wegeler there is a line: "I will not give up and take fate by the throat!". Vitality and expression of genius were expressed in the enchanting "Second Symphony" and three violin sonatas. Realizing that he will soon go completely deaf, he eagerly sets to work. This period is considered the heyday of creativity of the brilliant pianist.

The "Pastoral Symphony" of 1808 consists of five parts and occupies a separate place in the life of the master. The man loved to relax in remote villages, communicated with nature and pondered new masterpieces. The fourth movement of the symphony is called Thunderstorm. Storm”, where the master conveys the revelry of the raging elements, using the piano, trombones and piccolo flute.

In 1809, Ludwig received a proposal from the management of the city theater to write a musical accompaniment to the drama Egmont by Goethe. As a sign of respect for the writer's work, the pianist refused a monetary reward. The man wrote music in parallel with theatrical rehearsals. Actress Antonia Adamberger joked about the composer, confessing to him that he had no singing talent. In response to a puzzled look, she skillfully performed an aria. Beethoven did not appreciate the humor and said sternly:

“I see that you can still perform overtures, I’ll go and write these songs.”

From 1813 to 1815 he writes fewer works, as he finally loses his hearing. A brilliant mind finds a way out. Louis uses a thin wooden stick to "hear" the music. He clamps one end of the plate with his teeth, and leans the other against the front panel of the instrument. And thanks to the transmitted vibration, he feels the sound of the instrument.

The compositions of this life period are filled with tragedy, depth and philosophical meaning. The works of the greatest musician become classics for contemporaries and posterity.

Personal life

The story of the personal life of a gifted pianist is extremely tragic. Ludwig was considered a commoner in the circle of the aristocratic elite, therefore he did not have the right to claim noble maidens. In 1801 he fell in love with the young Countess Julie Guicciardi. The feelings of the young people were not mutual, since the girl also met Count von Gallenberg at the same time, whom she married two years after they met. The composer expressed the love torment and bitterness of losing his beloved in the Moonlight Sonata, which became the anthem of unrequited love.

From 1804 to 1810, Beethoven was passionately in love with Josephine Brunswick, the widow of Count Joseph Deim. The woman enthusiastically responds to the courtship and letters of her ardent lover. But the romance ended at the insistence of Josephine's relatives, who are sure that the commoner will not become a worthy candidate for a wife. After a painful breakup, a man on principle proposes to Teresa Malfatti. Receives a refusal and writes a masterpiece sonata "To Elise".

The emotional disturbances experienced so upset the impressionable Beethoven that he decided to spend the rest of his life in splendid isolation. In 1815, after the death of his brother, he was embroiled in a lawsuit related to the guardianship of his nephew. The child's mother is characterized by a reputation as a walking woman, so the court satisfied the requirements of the musician. It soon became clear that Karl (nephew) inherited his mother's bad habits.

The uncle brings up the boy in severity, tries to instill a love for music and eradicate alcohol and gambling addiction. Having no children of his own, a man is not experienced in teaching and does not stand on ceremony with a spoiled youth. Another scandal leads the guy to a suicide attempt, which turned out to be unsuccessful. Ludwig sends Karl to the army.

Death

In 1826, Louis caught a cold and contracted pneumonia. Stomach pains joined the pulmonary disease. The doctor incorrectly calculated the dosage of the medicine, so the ailment progressed daily. 6 months man bedridden. At this time, Beethoven was visited by friends trying to alleviate the suffering of a dying man.

The talented composer died at the age of 57 - March 26, 1827. On this day, a thunderstorm raged outside the windows, and the moment of death was marked by a terrible thunderclap. At autopsy, it turned out that the master's liver had decomposed and the auditory and adjacent nerves were damaged. On the last journey, Beethoven is escorted by 20,000 townspeople, he heads the funeral procession. The musician was buried at the Waring cemetery of the Church of the Holy Trinity.

• At the age of 12 he published a collection of variations for keyboard instruments.
• He was considered the first musician to receive a cash allowance from the city council.
• Wrote 3 love letters to the "Immortal Beloved", found only after death.
• Beethoven wrote the only opera called Fidelio. There are no more similar works in the master's biography.
• The greatest delusion of contemporaries is that Ludwig wrote the following works: “Music of Angels” and “Melody of Rain Tears”. These compositions were created by other pianists.
• He valued friendship and helped those in need.
• Could simultaneously work on 5 works.
• In 1809, when he bombarded the city, he was worried that he would lose his hearing from the explosions of shells. Therefore, he hid in the basement of the house and covered his ears with pillows.
• In 1845, the first monument dedicated to the composer was opened in Beaune.
• The Beatles song "Because" is based on "Moonlight Sonata" played in reverse order.
• The anthem of the European Union is "Ode to Joy".
• Died from lead poisoning due to medical error.
• Modern psychiatrists believe that he suffered from bipolar disorder.
• Beethoven's photographs are printed on German postage stamps.

Musical works

Symphonies

• First C-dur op. 21 (1800)
• Second D-dur op. 36 (1802)
• Third Es-dur "Heroic" op. 56 (1804)
• Fourth B-dur op. 60 (1806)
• Fifth c-moll op. 67 (1805-1808)
• Sixth F-dur "Pastoral" op. 68 (1808)
• Seventh A-dur op. 92 (1812)
• Eighth F-dur op. 93 (1812)
• Ninth d-moll op. 125 (with choir, 1822-1824)

Overtures

• "Prometheus" from op. 43 (1800)
• "Coriolanus" op. 62 (1806)
• "Leonora" No. 1 op. 138 (1805)
• "Leonora" No. 2 op. 72 (1805)
• "Leonora" No. 3 op. 72a (1806)
• "Fidelio" op. 726 (1814)
• "Egmont" from op. 84 (1810)
• "The ruins of Athens" from op. 113 (1811)
• "King Stephen" from op. 117 (1811)
• "Birthday" op. 115 (18(4)
• "Consecration of the House" cf. 124 (1822)

Over 40 dances and marches for symphony and brass bands

Beethoven's music is known to all lovers of the classics. His name is considered iconic for those who dream of becoming a real musician. How did one of the most popular composers live and work?

Beethoven: childhood and youth of a little genius

The exact birth date of Ludwig van Beethoven is not known for certain. The year of his birth is 1770. December 17 is called the day of baptism. Ludwig was born in the German city of Bonn.

The Beethoven family was directly related to music. The boy's father was a famous tenor. And his mother, Maria Magdalene Keverich, was the daughter of a chef.

The ambitious Johann Beethoven, being a strict father, wanted to make a great composer out of Ludwig. He dreamed that his son would become the second Mozart. He put in a lot of effort to achieve his goal.

At first, he himself taught the boy to play various instruments. Then he passed the training of the child to his colleagues. From childhood, Ludwig mastered two complex instruments: the organ and the violin.

When the young Beethoven was only 10 years old, the organist Christian Nefe arrived in his city. It was he who became the true mentors of the boy, as he saw in him a great ability for music.

Beethoven was taught classical music based on the works of Bach and Mozart. At the age of 12, the talented child began his career as an assistant organist. When a tragedy occurred in the family, and Ludwig's grandfather died, the finances of the venerable family were greatly reduced. Despite the fact that the young Beethoven never completed his studies at school, he managed to master Latin, Italian and French. Throughout his life, Beethoven read a lot, was curious, intelligent and erudite. He easily understood any scholarly treatises.

The youthful works of the future composer were later revised by him. The sonata "Marmot" has reached our days unchanged.

In 1787, Mozart himself gave the boy an audition. The great contemporary of Beethoven was pleased with his playing. He highly appreciated the improvisation of the young man.

Ludwig wanted to learn from Mozart himself, but fate decreed otherwise. Beethoven's mother died that year. He had to return to his hometown to take care of his brothers. In order to earn money, he got a job in a local orchestra as a violist.

In 1789, Ludwig again begins to attend classes at the university. The revolution that broke out in the French state inspires him to create the Song of a Free Man.

In the autumn of 1792, another idol of Beethoven, composer Haydn, happened to be passing through Bonn, his hometown of Beethoven. Then the young man decides to follow him to Vienna to continue his music studies.

Beethoven's mature years

The collaboration between Haydn and Beethoven in Vienna can hardly be called fruitful. An accomplished mentor considered the creations of his student beautiful, but too gloomy. Haydn later left for England. Then Ludwig van Beethoven found himself a new teacher. It turned out to be Antonio Salieri.

Thanks to Beethoven's virtuoso playing, a piano style of playing was created, where extreme registers, loud chords and the use of a pedal on the instrument became the norm.

This style of playing is fully reflected in the composer's popular Moonlight Sonata. In addition to innovation in music, Beethoven's lifestyle and character traits also deserved considerable attention. The composer practically did not look after his clothes and appearance. If in the hall during his performance someone dared to talk, Beethoven refused to play and went home.

With friends and relatives, Ludwig van Beethoven could be harsh, but he never refused them the necessary assistance to relatives. During the first decade that the young composer worked in Vienna, he managed to write 20 sonatas for classical piano, 3 full-fledged piano concertos, many sonatas for other instruments, one oratorio on a religious theme, as well as a full-fledged ballet.

The tragedy of Beethoven and his later years

The fateful year 1796 for Beethoven becomes the most difficult in life. The famous composer begins to lose his hearing. Doctors diagnose him with chronic inflammation of the inner ear canal.

Ludwig van Beethoven suffered greatly from his illness. In addition to pain, he was haunted by ringing in his ears. On the advice of doctors, he goes to live in the small and quiet town of Heiligenstadt. But the situation with his illness is not changing for the better.

Over the years, Beethoven increasingly despised the power of emperors and princes. He believed that equal human rights were the ideal good. For this reason, Beethoven decided not to dedicate one of his works to Napoleon, calling the Third Symphony simply "Heroic".

During the period of hearing loss, the composer withdraws into himself, but continues to work. He writes the opera Fidelio. Then he creates a cycle of musical works called "To a Distant Beloved".

Progressive deafness did not become an obstacle to Beethoven's sincere interest in what is happening in the world. After the defeat and exile of Napoleon, a strict police regime was introduced in the Austrian lands, but Beethoven, as before, continued to criticize the government. Perhaps he guessed that they would not dare to touch him and throw him in jail, because his fame had become really grandiose.

Little is known about Ludwig van Beethoven's personal life. It was rumored that he wanted to marry one of his students, Countess Juliette Guicciardi. For some time, the girl reciprocated the composer, but then she preferred another. His next student Teresa Brunswick was a devoted friend of Beethoven until her death, but the true context of their relationship is shrouded in mystery and is not known for certain.

When the composer's younger brother died, he took custody of his son. Beethoven tried to instill in the young man a love of art and science, but the guy was a gambler and a reveler. Once losing, he tried to commit suicide. This upset Beethoven greatly. On nervous grounds, he developed liver disease.

In 1827 the great composer died. The funeral procession included over 20,000 people. The famous musician was only 57 years old when he passed away and was buried in the Vienna cemetery.