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| Beethoven� one of the greatest musical masterminds ever to live. Without a doubt he has influenced music more than anyone who ever lived, past or present. But what lead him to become a musical hero? Why was he so eccentric? And does his music really meet the set standards we have all heard? Ludwig Van Beethoven was born in 1770 to a couple named Maria (Mother) and Johann (Father) Beethoven. He lived in a town called Bonn, Germany. His father was a singer and instrumentalist who worked for the Elector of Cologne in Bonn, and his Mother stayed at home to do the average woman�s chores, like almost all women did back in the 18th century. Although this may sound like a very ordinary family, it was quite the opposite. Ludwig�s father was very distant to Beethoven during his childhood. When he arrived home from his work, he would usually go out to the local tavern with his friends. He was what you considered an alcoholic. He was very stern, and was almost never in a pleasant mood. This lead to a very unhappy childhood. One person that Beethoven was very close to was his grandfather. They would often go on walks thought fields and the wilderness. His musical imagination was beginning to be created when he heard the wonderful chirpings and sounds of nature. He wanted to compose music one day that would be as beautiful as natures music. At the age of four, Ludwig began to find a lot of interest in music. He soon began to study the clavier. His father very graciously offered to give him lessons, which was very unlike his normal personality. But what Beethoven�s father really wanted was to turn this young boy into a child prot�g�, so he would support the family and bring in money instead of himself! Beethoven�s father often came home from the tavern late at night very drunk, and would throw young Ludwig out of his bed and force him to practice clavier. In fact, It was not uncommon for this cruel man to force the boy to practice into the early hours of the morning. If Ludwig feel asleep during his studies, Johann would forcefully wake him up and tell him to continue his work. However, this determined boy still loved his music. At the age of about 10 Ludwig met a man named Tobias, a great musician who lived in Frankfurt, then began to teach the young boy. Tobias had much greater skill than Johann, but Ludwig soon learned all he could from Tobias. Ludwig�s next teacher was Christian Gottlob Neefe, another very skilled musician. However, Ludwig once again rivaled his own teacher�s skills eventually, and then set off for Vienna, in search for the great composer Mozart. Mozart was very impressed by Ludwig�s talent. When Mozart spoke to his friends about Beethoven he said �Keep your eyes on Ludwig. One day, he will give the world something to speak about!�. Beethoven began to study with great composers such as Mozart and Haydn, but felt that the rules of composition were very constricting. He wanted to compose music in a much freer style. But Beethoven�s studies ended short- he received letter that his mother was very ill; she was going to die. Beethoven rushed back to Bonn, and shortly after his mother died. This brought great sorrow upon Beethoven. He felt that his mother was the only one who really loved him. This brought him into a time of deep sorrow, which affected the music he was composing greatly. Beethoven practiced at a cathedral everyday, but now his practices were not very productive. One day when he was walking to the cathedral he passed a garden, which he stopped in to sit and mourn his mother�s death. A woman named Frau von Breuning saw him and asked him why he was gloomy. When he told her what happened, she told him that her husband had passed away like his mother, and invited him for dinner at her house. When he was at her house he played music for her and her children, which for the first time in a while brought him joy and inspiration. This new delight brought Beethoven�s musical composing skills to new heights. He composed several sonatas and other works of music, each piece of music as unique as the last. However one day, Beethoven received some devastating news; he was going deaf. Eventually Beethoven lost his hearing completely, but he still didn�t stop composing. In fact, he wrote his 9th Symphony (arguably his best) completely deaf. He even conducted its first performance. At the end of the performance he smiled and said �I write not for you, but for those who shall come after.� Three years later, on March 26th, 1827, Beethoven died of pneumonia. However, his music still lives today; he gave the world a gift that will last forever. |
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| Ludwig Van Beethoven |