Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 in Bonn, Germany. At a very young age, Beethoven’s father began rigorously and, at times, brutally teaching him music. At the age of 10, Beethoven withdrew from school to study music full time with Christian Gottlob Neffe. In 1784 Beethoven was appointed as Assistant Court Organist, a position he requested in order to help out with his family’s financial situation. In 1792, Beethoven moved to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn, Antonio Salieri, and Johann Albrechsberger; he quickly earned a reputation as a virtuoso pianist with a knack for improvisation. Beethoven began composing some of his early great works in the late 1790s and early 1800s, and around this same time, he began to lose his hearing. Despite his difficulties hearing, Beethoven continued to compose groundbreaking pieces at a rapid pace. He passed away on March 26, 1827 at the age of 56. To this day, Beethoven is recognized as one of the most important and creative composers in history.

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Ludwig van Beethoven is featured in Edition: Guest Editor, Stephan Breuer