Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven - German composer, pianist (years of his life 1770 - 1827).
Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, the exact date of his birth is not known.

Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven - young years.
Ludwig van Beethoven became a composer not by chance - his father Johann van Beethoven and grandfather Ludwig were directly related to music. His father was a singer, he sang in the court chapel, and at first his grandfather also sang in the court chapel, and then was a bandmaster. Ludwig's mother, Mary Magdalene, was from the common people and had nothing to do with music - she worked as an ordinary cook. Ludwig Beethovin's father, Johann, dreamed that his son would be the second Mozart and from early childhood taught his son to play the harpsichord and violin. At the age of eight, Ludwig van Beethoven made his first public appearance. It was in Cologne. But the father saw that nothing much came of introducing the child to music, and then Johann van Beethoven instructed his colleagues to study music with his son, some of them taught Ludwig to play the organ, some the violin. When Ludwig was eight years old, the composer and organist, Christian Gottlieb Nefe, arrived in Bonn, and he recognized the musical talent of little Ludwig Beethoven. Thanks to studying music with Nefe, the first work of the future famous composer was published - a variation on the theme of Dressler's march. Beethoven was only twelve years old then. But at this time, Ludwig Beethoven was already working as an assistant to the court organist.
Like many great people, Beethoven, due to the difficult financial situation, was forced to leave school. It happened after the death of my grandfather. But, nevertheless, the biography of Beethoven remains as a biography of a highly educated person. He knew Latin and several foreign languages, including Italian and French. Beethoven devoted much of his time to reading books. His favorite authors were - Homer, Rogues, Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare. At this time, the future composer began to compose music, but many of his works remained unpublished, and after many years he himself revised them. One of Beethoven's earliest works is the groundhog sonata. Once Ludwig van Beethoven visited Vienna, when he was sixteen years old, Mozart, after listening to him, struck those around him with the following phrase: “He will make everyone talk about himself!”. Beethoven, due to family reasons (his mother became seriously ill and subsequently died, and he was forced to take care of his brothers) could not take lessons from Mozart and returned to Bonn. At the age of 17, Beethoven joined the orchestra as a violist. He especially liked the operas of Mozart and Gluck.
In 1789, Beethoven decided to listen to lectures at the university. At this time, a revolution began in France, and Ludwig Beethoven writes music to the verses of one of the university professors, praising the revolution. At this time, the famous composer Haydn noticed Beethoven, and Ludwig van Beethoven decided to take lessons from him, and in 1792 Beethoven went to Vienna. Lessons with Haydn quickly disappointed Beethoven. Yes, and Haydn cooled off to Beethoven, Music and spiritual mood of Beethoven was not understood by Haydn: too gloomy, too bold reasoning and views for those times. Then Beethoven's biography developed as follows: Haydn was forced to leave for England, and J. B. Schenk, J. G. Albrechtsberger, A. Salieri began to study with Beethoven. Ludwig van Beethoven became one of the most fashionable pianists in Vienna, a real virtuoso in his field. His debut as a pianist took place in 1795. By 1802, Beethoven was known as the creator of 20 piano sonatas, including "Pathétique" (1798), "Moonlight" (No. 2 of two "fantasy sonatas" in 1801), six 6 string quartets, eight sonatas for violin and piano, many chamber and ensemble compositions.
But in the late 1790s, Ludwig Beethoven began to progress a terrible disease for a musician - deafness. At this time, Beethoven was overcome by pessimism, and he even sent his brothers a document known in his biography as the Heiligenstadt Testament. But, being a collected and strong person, Beethoven overcame the crisis in his soul and continued his work.

Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven - mature years.
Beethoven's creative biography from 1803 to 1812 is known as the new middle period of the composer's professional heyday. This period is marked by heroic notes in Beethoven's music. For example, the author's subtitle of the Third Symphony - "Heroic" (1803), the piano sonata "Appassionata" (1805), the cycle of 32 variations in C minor for piano in 1806, Symphony No. Five (1808) with its famous "motif of fate ”, the opera Fidelio, the overture Coriolanus (1807), in 1810 - Egmont. Also filled with heroism, dynamism, tempo are Symphony No. 4 (1806), Symphonies No. 6 "Pastoral", No. 7 and No. 8, Concertos for Piano and Orchestra No. 4, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra and many other musical works. In the mid-1800s, Beethoven achieved universal respect and recognition. Due to hearing problems, in 1808 Beethoven gave his last concert. By 1814, Beethoven had become completely deaf.
In 1813-1814, Beethoven suffered apathy, which, of course, affected his work, he composed very little. In 1815, Beethoven took over the care of the son of his deceased brother. The nephew also had a complex character.
Since 1815, a new stage began in the composer's biography, or as it is also called, the late period of creativity. During this period, eleven works of the great composer were published, among them: sonatas for piano and cello, piano Variations on a waltz by Diabelli, Ninth Symphony, Solemn Mass, string quartets.
Beethoven's work of the late period is distinguished by contrasts, his music of those times called for extreme actions, emotional experience and lyricism.
Ludwig van Beethoven died on March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria. About twenty thousand people came to say goodbye to the famous composer

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© Biography of the composer Beethoven. Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Biography of the great Austrian Beethoven.

Name: Ludwig van Beethoven

Age: 56 years old

Place of Birth: Bonn, Germany

A place of death: Vienna, Austria

Activity: composer, violinist, pianist, conductor

Family status: not married

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Biography

The most unusual composer who learned to play the violin and piano, who managed to conduct an entire orchestra, being completely deaf.

Childhood, family

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in German Bonn in a harsh winter. The fate of both grandfather and father was connected with music, so the entire biography of the successor of the Beethoven family was obviously determined. The older men from the family of the famous composer had excellent vocal abilities, which they used in their work. Men found use for their talent in the chapel at court. Ludwig's father often came home drunk, drinking half of what he earned. And the rest of the money was not enough to provide for the family.

In the boy's so-called children's room, there was no furniture, except for an iron bed and an old harpsichord. And the room itself was located in the attic of the house. The father also went there to beat his son, although a good part of the beatings always went to the mother. Maria Beethoven loved Ludwig dearly, he was not the only child in the family, seven were born, but only three survived. Mother did her best to make their childhood happy.

Music

Father Johann immediately noticed that the child had an excellent ear for music and had certain abilities. Amadeus Mozart became a measure for the envious head of the family. He planned to make a genius out of his son. Every day the boy studied violin and piano. The father needed to know which musical instrument nature, having endowed his son with talent, gave preference to. Ludwig had a wide choice: organ, harpsichord, viola, violin and flute. Punishments followed every mistake in music making. The teachers that Johann hired were incompetent.

Mother in the life of a composer

The father longed for easy money at the expense of a gifted child. In the chapel, his salary was raised, but all efforts were in vain, since all the money was spent on alcohol. Ludwig gave his first concert at the age of 6. Cologne listeners liked his playing, but little money was gained from the concert.

Mother, unlike father, was wiser and more far-sighted. Her son began to compose melodies, which he and his mother outlined. The boy was absorbed in music, sometimes outside intervention was required to bring him out of an immersed state. The composer's biography stubbornly led the young Beethoven along the paved path.

Comprehensive development of Beethoven

In the newly appointed director of the chapel, Louis found a teacher. Christian Gottlobu noticed the boy's giftedness and began to teach him everything that he himself knew. Music alone is not enough to write good music, it is necessary to draw feelings and emotions from literature, from ancient languages ​​with their melodiousness, and philosophy. Ludwig read Goethe and Shakespeare, listens to Bach, Handel, Mozart.

Mozart

Nevertheless, Ludwig Beethoven came to Vienna and met the great genius of music. Wolfgang listened to the young man's improvisations. Mozart predicted Louis worldwide fame. The composer promised to give some lessons. Suddenly, his mother fell ill, and Ludwig hurriedly left the one whom he had been striving for all his youth.

The mother died, leaving the children and the drunkard of the father. Ludwig was forced to turn to the prince for help. The family began to receive benefits. The young man managed to obtain permission to attend music meetings. The future composer gave private lessons. One of these families helped Beethoven. Their daughter was a student of a talented musician.

Vein

It was hard for him to communicate with the Austrian luminaries of science. Handel could not find a common language with Ludwig. he enjoyed working with the young Beethoven and even introduced him to titled musicians and noble persons.

Ludwig writes music for Schiller's work, which was heard and appreciated only after 39 years. At the age of 25, the fame of the most fashionable pianist came to the musician. After three years, tinnitus begins to develop. For ten years, no one knew that he had this disease. Beethoven's deafness was attributed to the absent-mindedness of the composer.

The most fruitful moment of creativity

The fear of becoming deaf finally developed the composer's incredible capacity for work and the rise of creativity. The second symphony, "Pastoral Symphony", was written. During this period, Beethoven began to visit nature more often, leaving for distant places. In this solitude with nature, real masterpieces of music were born. The theater management offered the composer to write music for Goethe's drama. Music was created, and at the same time there were rehearsals of the performance, which were attended by the maestro.

Ludwig Van Beethoven - biography of personal life

Ludwig never accepted to know, which means that he could not marry a girl from high society. The young man passionately fell in love with a young countess, who did not share his feelings and soon married a man of her circle. The composer's Moonlight Sonata became a hymn to all unspoken and unrequited feelings.

Beethoven's next love for the widow of Count Deim also ended in failure, in a fit of feelings he proposes to a third girl - and again a refusal. The composer was disappointed and decides not to offer his hand and heart to anyone for the rest of his life. Ludwig decides to take on the upbringing of the child of the deceased brother. The child inherited from his mother an addiction to alcohol, which causes a lot of trouble for his own uncle.

Beethoven's last years

Hearing begins to disappear completely, but Beethoven does not lose hope of hearing and composing music. He recognizes sound by vibration.

Beethoven was born presumably on December 16 (only the date of his baptism is precisely known - December 17) 1770 in the city of Bonn in a musical family. From childhood, they began to teach him to play the organ, harpsichord, violin, flute.

For the first time, the composer Christian Gottlob Nefe became seriously involved with Ludwig.

Already at the age of 12, Beethoven's biography was replenished with the first work of a musical orientation - an assistant organist at court. Beethoven studied several languages, tried to compose music.

The beginning of the creative path

After his mother's death in 1787, he took over the financial responsibilities of the family. Ludwig Beethoven began to play in the orchestra, listen to university lectures. Having accidentally encountered Haydn in Bonn, Beethoven decides to take lessons from him. For this, he moves to Vienna. Already at this stage, after listening to one of Beethoven's improvisations, the great Mozart said: "He will make everyone talk about himself!" After some attempts, Haydn sends Beethoven to study with Albrechtsberger. Then Antonio Salieri became Beethoven's teacher and mentor.

The heyday of a musical career

Haydn briefly noted that Beethoven's music was dark and strange. However, in those years, virtuoso piano playing brought Ludwig first glory. Beethoven's works differ from classical harpsichord playing. In the same place, in Vienna, well-known compositions were written in the future: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Pathétic Sonata.

Rude, proud in public, the composer was very open, friendly towards friends. Beethoven's work of the following years is filled with new works: the First, Second Symphonies, "The Creation of Prometheus", "Christ on the Mount of Olives". However, Beethoven's later life and work were complicated by the development of an ear disease - tinitis.

The composer retires to the city of Heiligenstadt. There he works on the Third - Heroic Symphony. Complete deafness separates Ludwig from the outside world. However, even this event cannot make him stop composing. According to critics, Beethoven's Third Symphony fully reveals his greatest talent. Opera "Fidelio" is staged in Vienna, Prague, Berlin.

Last years

In the years 1802-1812, Beethoven wrote sonatas with a special desire and zeal. Then a whole series of works for piano, cello, the famous Ninth Symphony, Solemn Mass were created.

Note that the biography of Ludwig Beethoven of those years was filled with fame, popularity and recognition. Even the authorities, despite his frank thoughts, did not dare to touch the musician. However, strong feelings for his nephew, whom Beethoven took under guardianship, quickly aged the composer. And on March 26, 1827, Beethoven died of liver disease.

Many works by Ludwig van Beethoven have become classics not only for adults, but also for children.

About a hundred monuments around the world have been erected to the great composer

The message about Beethoven, summarized in this article, will tell you about the great German composer, conductor and pianist, a representative of Viennese classicism.

Report on Beethoven

Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 (this is an estimated date, since it is only known for sure that he was baptized on December 17) in a musical family in the town of Bonn. From an early age, parents instilled in their son a love of music, giving him to learn to play the harpsichord, flute, organ, and violin.

At the age of 12, he was already working as an assistant organist at court. The young man knew several foreign languages ​​and even tried to write music. In addition to music, Beethoven was fond of reading books, he especially liked the ancient Greek authors Plutarch and Homer, as well as Friedrich Schiller, Shakespeare and Goethe.

After Beethoven's mother died in 1787, he began to provide for his family on his own. Ludwig got a job playing in the orchestra, and also went to university lectures. Acquainted with Haydn, he began to take private lessons from him. To this end, the future musician moves to Vienna. Once, the great composer Mozart heard his improvisations, and predicted a brilliant career and fame for him. Haydn, having given Ludwig several lessons, sends him to study with another mentor, Albrechtsberger. After some time, his teacher changed again: this time it was Antonio Salieri.

The beginning of a musical career

Ludwig Beethoven's first mentor noted that his music was too strange and dark. That is why he sent his student to another teacher. But this style of musical works brought Beethoven his first fame as a composer. Against the background of other performers of classical music, they favorably differed. While in Vienna, the composer wrote his famous works - "Pathétique Sonata" and "Moonlight Sonata". Then there were other brilliant works: "First Symphony", "Second Symphony", "Christ on the Mount of Olives", "Creation of Prometheus".

The further work and life of Ludwig Beethoven were overshadowed by sad events. The composer developed a disease of the auricle, as a result of which he lost his hearing. The composer decides to retire to Heiligenstadt, where he works on the Third Symphony. Absolute deafness separated him from the outside world. But he didn't stop making music. Beethoven's opera Fidelio was a success in Berlin, Vienna and Prague.

The period of 1802-1812 was especially fruitful: the composer created a series of works for cello, piano, the Ninth Symphony and the Solemn Mass. Fame, popularity and recognition came to him.

• He was the third person in the family to bear the name Ludwig van Beethoven. The first carrier was the composer's grandfather, a famous Bonn musician, and the second was his 6-year-old older brother.
• Beethoven left school at the age of 11 without learning division and multiplication.
• He was very fond of coffee, brewing 64 grains each time, no more and no less.
• His character was not simple: grumpy and friendly, gloomy and good-natured. Some remember him as a person with an excellent sense of humor, others as a person who is not pleasant in communication.
• He created the famous "Ninth Symphony" when he had already completely lost his hearing.

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In a family with Flemish roots. The composer's paternal grandfather was born in Flanders, served as a chorister in Ghent and Louvain, and in 1733 moved to Bonn, where he became a court musician in the chapel of the Elector-Archbishop of Cologne. His only son Johann, like his father, served in the chapel as a vocalist (tenor) and worked part-time giving violin and clavier lessons.

In 1767 he married Mary Magdalene Keverich, daughter of a court chef in Koblenz (residence of the Archbishop of Trier). Ludwig, the future composer, was the eldest of their three sons.

His musical talent showed up early. Beethoven's first music teacher was his father, and the musicians of the chapel also studied with him.

On March 26, 1778, the father organized the first public performance of his son.

Since 1781, the composer and organist Christian Gottlob Nefe led the young talent. Beethoven soon became concertmaster of the court theater and assistant organist of the chapel.

In 1782, Beethoven wrote his first work, Variations for Clavier on a March by composer Ernst Dresler.

In 1787 Beethoven visited Vienna and took several lessons from the composer Wolfgang Mozart. But he soon learned that his mother was seriously ill and returned to Bonn. After the death of his mother, Ludwig remained the sole breadwinner of the family.

The young man's giftedness attracted the attention of some enlightened Bonn families, and his brilliant piano improvisations provided him with free entry to any musical gatherings. The von Breining family, which took custody of the musician, did a lot for him.

In 1789, Beethoven was a volunteer in the philosophy department of the University of Bonn.

In 1792, the composer moved to Vienna, where he lived almost without a break until the end of his life. His initial goal when moving was to improve his composition under the guidance of the composer Joseph Haydn, but these studies did not last long. Beethoven quickly gained fame and recognition - first as the best pianist and improviser in Vienna, and later as a composer.

In the prime of his creative powers, Beethoven showed tremendous capacity for work. In 1801-1812, he wrote such outstanding works as the Sonata in C sharp minor ("Moonlight", 1801), the Second Symphony (1802), the Kreutzer Sonata (1803), the "Heroic" (Third) Symphony, the sonatas "Aurora" and "Appassionata" (1804), the opera "Fidelio" (1805), the Fourth Symphony (1806).

In 1808, Beethoven completed one of the most popular symphonic works - the Fifth Symphony and at the same time the "Pastoral" (Sixth) Symphony, in 1810 - the music for Johann Goethe's tragedy "Egmont", in 1812 - the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies.

From the age of 27, Beethoven suffered from progressive deafness. A serious illness for the musician limited his communication with people, made it difficult for pianistic performances, which Beethoven eventually had to stop. Since 1819, he had to completely switch to communicating with his interlocutors using a slate board or paper and pencil.

In his later compositions, Beethoven often turned to the fugue form. The last five piano sonatas (Nos. 28-32) and the last five quartets (Nos. 12-16) are distinguished by a particularly complex and refined musical language, requiring the greatest skill from the performers.

Beethoven's late work was controversial for a long time. Of his contemporaries, only a few were able to understand and appreciate his last writings. One of these people was his Russian admirer, Prince Nikolai Golitsyn, who commissioned and dedicated quartets Nos. 12, 13, and 15. The Overture Consecration of the House (1822) is also dedicated to him.

In 1823, Beethoven completed the Solemn Mass, which he considered his greatest work. This mass, designed more for a concert than for a cult performance, has become one of the milestone phenomena in the German oratorio tradition.

With the assistance of Golitsyn, the Solemn Mass was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg.

In May 1824, Beethoven's last benefit concert took place in Vienna, in which, in addition to parts from the mass, his final, Ninth Symphony was performed with the final chorus to the words of "Ode to Joy" by the poet Friedrich Schiller. The idea of ​​overcoming suffering and the triumph of light is consistently carried through the whole work.

The composer created nine symphonies, 11 overtures, five piano concertos, a violin concerto, two masses, one opera. Beethoven's chamber music includes 32 piano sonatas (not including six youthful sonatas written in Bonn) and 10 sonatas for violin and piano, 16 string quartets, seven piano trios, as well as many other ensembles - string trios, septet for mixed composition. His vocal heritage consists of songs, over 70 choirs, canons.

On March 26, 1827, Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna from pneumonia, complicated by jaundice and dropsy.

The composer is buried in the Vienna Central Cemetery.

The traditions of Beethoven were taken up and continued by composers Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich. As their teacher, Beethoven was also honored by the composers of the Novovensk school - Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Anton Webern.

Since 1889, a museum has been open in Bonn in the house where the composer was born.

In Vienna, three museum houses are dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven, and two monuments have been erected.

The Beethoven Museum is also open at Brunsvik Castle in Hungary. At one time, the composer was friendly with the Brunsvik family, often came to Hungary and stayed at their house. He was alternately in love with two of his students from the Brunswick family - Juliet and Teresa, but none of the hobbies ended in marriage.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources