Guide Note

Ludwig van Beethoven was a celebrated German-born composer and pianist who played an important role in the transition of Western classical music from the Classical to the Romantic period. Along with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Beethoven is considered to be one of the greatest composers in history.

Fast Facts

Born: December 17, 1770
Died: March 26, 1827
Origin: Bonn, Germany
Lived in Vienna, Austria for most of his adult life
Began to lose his hearing in 1796

Life

Beethoven was born in Bonn and his talents were recognized from an early age. While in his late teens, he traveled to Vienna in the hopes of studying under Mozart, but it is unclear if he ever even succeeded in meeting him. In his twenties, he lived in Vienna and began to suffer from a gradual but severe form of hearing loss which, by the time he had reached his forties, made him almost completely deaf.

Works

Beethoven's series of nine symphonies comprise his most epic and highly praised arrangements, although even his simpler, shorter pieces, such as Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise have become instantly recognizable classics. His Third Symphony, titled "Eroica", Beethoven originally intended to be titled "Bonaparte" as a tribute to the French leader. The Fifth Symphony has perhaps the most recognizable beginning of any tune in music history and the Ninth Symphony, also called "Ode to Joy", is considered by many to be the finest piece of music ever written.

Categories

Entertainment | Music | Classical

View Note History

Ludwig van Beethoven

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Ludwig van Beethoven
Classical Music Archives: Beethoven
Official Site: The Beethoven Museum
Audio: Moonlight Sonata
Video: Ode to Joy - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3
ChoralWiki: Beethoven Sheet Music
News: Pathologist: Doctor Killed Beethoven (August 28, 2007)

Beethoven Recordings

Midi Files: The Unheard Beethoven
Encylcopedia Depot: Beethoven Recordings
Beethoven-Haus: Digital Archives
Musopen.com: Beethoven MP3s

Beethoven Sheet Music and Scores

The Sheet Music Archive: Beethoven
ChoralWiki: Beethoven Sheet Music
International Music Score Library Project: Beethoven
Project Gutenberg: Beethoven
Werner Icking Music Archive: Beethoven

List of Beethoven Compositions

Classical Net: Basic Repertoire List: Beethoven
Wikipedia: List of Compositions by Beethoven
Answers.com: List of Compositions by Beethoven

Beethoven Images

Google Images: Ludwig van Beethoven
Live Search Images: Beethoven
Flickr Clusters: Beethoven
The Magnificent Master: Beethoven Images

Beethoven Videos

YouTube & Google Video Search: Beethoven
YouTube: Karajan - Beethoven Symphony No. 9: Part 1
YouTube: Egmont Overture - Vienna Philharmonic
YouTube: Dudley Moore Beethoven Sonata Parody
YouTube: "Ode to Joy" - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3

Beethoven Profiles and Fan Sites

Essentials of Music: Beethoven
The Immortal: Beethoven
Raptus Association: Ludwig van Beethoven
Mad About Beethoven

Beethoven News

Google News Search: Beethoven
Topix.net: Beethoven News
The New York Times: Settling Old Scores by Beethoven (January 20, 2008)
- "'The notation of music has changed since 1800, and we have to stop and think about what Beethoven means when he writes a slur, a grace note, a staccato,' he said. 'A lot of this is already in the academic books, but it hasn’t necessarily followed through to performance, partly because most pianists are not period specialists, and they’ve developed their own ways of playing core repertory like this over many years, but also because you don’t find the information in the printed music itself.'"
Argonne: Researchers Confirm Lead As Cause Of Beethoven's Illness (2005)
CNET News: Beethoven's Rarest Works Re-Created Online (2005)
NewScientist.com: Humanoid Robot Conducts Beethoven Symphony (2004)

Beethoven Biographies, Articles, and Blogs

Biography: Beethoven's Life
Rocky Mountain News: 6 Things You Should Know About Ludwig van Beethoven
Dallas News CD Review: Beethoven's 'Piano Sonatas'
NPR Performance Today: Beethoven Symphonies

Beethoven Merchandise

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