Profession: Composer
Biography: Beethoven is widely regarded as the most important musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western music, and as one of the greatest classical composers to ever live.
First taught by his father from the age of 5, who sought to popularise his son as a child prodigy following Mozarts success, Beethoven did not attract attention until his adolescence.
His hearing began to deteriorate from his late twenties, and he experienced the last decade of his life in almost complete silence. After giving up public conducting and performing in 1811, he nevertheless continued to compose and produced some of the greatest masterpieces in his career.
Born: December 16, 1770
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany
Star Sign: Sagittarius
Died: March 26, 1827 (aged 56)
Cause of Death: Liver disease
Articles and Photos
Historical Events
- 1792-12-12 In Vienna, Ludwig van Beethoven (22) receives 1st lesson in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn (60)
- 1795-03-29 Ludwig van Beethoven (24) has his debut performance as a pianist at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria
- 1800-04-02 1st performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's 1st Symphony in C
- 1803-04-05 1st performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's 2nd Symphony in D, conducted by the composer, in Vienna
- 1803-05-24 Ludwig van Beethoven and black violinist George Bridgewater perform a concert together at the Augarten, Vienna
- 1805-04-07 Premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Eroica" (Symphony No. 3), at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, conducted by the composer; contemporary reviews were mixed
- 1805-11-20 Ludwig van Beethoven's "Fidelio", his only opera, premieres at Vienna's Theater an der Wien
- 1807-03-05 1st performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's 4th Symphony in B
- 1808-12-22 Beethoven's Symphonies No. 5 and No. 6, Choral Fantasy and Piano Concerto No. 4 (featuring the composer as soloist) premiere at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Austria
- 1810-04-27 Ludwig van Beethoven composes his famous piano piece "Für Elise"
- 1813-12-08 Ludwig van Beethoven's 7th Symphony in A, premieres in Vienna with Beethoven conducting
- 1814-02-27 Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F major premieres in Vienna
- 1823-10-05 Carl Maria von Weber visits Ludwig van Beethoven
- 1824-04-07 1st performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" in St. Petersburg, Russia
- 1824-05-07 Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th (Choral) Symphony, often regarded as his greatest work, premieres at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna, Austria
- 1826-03-21 Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 13" in B flat major (Op 130) premieres in Vienna
- 1827-03-29 20,000 people attend Ludwig von Beethoven's burial in Vienna, Austria
- 1912-11-07 The Deutsche Opernhaus (now Deutsche Oper Berlin) opens in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg, with a production of Beethoven's Fidelio
- 1934-09-17 RCA Victor releases 1st 33 1/3 rpm recording - Beethoven's Fifth Symphony performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Leopold Stokowski at the Philadelphia Academy of Music
- 1941-07-19 BBC World Service begins playing V(ictory) ("...-" in Morse code) (opening of Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th symphony)
- 1989-12-25 Leonard Bernstein conducts Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in East Berlin's Schauspielhaus to celebrate fall of the Berlin Wall. Broadcast worldwide to audience of 100 million.
- 2023-03-22 New DNA analysis of composer Ludwig van Beethoven's hair reveals he probably died of cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis B, but doesn't explain his deafness
Biographies and Sources
- Beethoven's Ninth still captivates, two centuries after its premiere - WRTI
- Genomic analyses of hair from Ludwig van Beethoven - Current Biology
- The Black Violinist Who Inspired Beethoven - The New York Times
Elizabeth Maconchy
Frank Loesser
Walter Piston
Benjamin Britten
Cab Calloway
Johannes Brahms