One of the most respected and performed composers in the world. He wrote in all genres that existed in his time, including opera, ballet, music for dramatic performances, and choral works. The most significant works in his legacy are considered to be instrumental works: piano, violin and cello sonatas, piano and violin concertos, quartets, overtures, symphonies.

Biography

The house where the composer was born

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 in the city of Bonn into the family of a musician. The exact date of birth has not been established; only the date of baptism is known - December 17. His father was a singer in the court chapel, and his grandfather served as bandmaster there. The grandfather of the future composer was from Holland, hence the prefix “van” before Beethoven’s surname. The composer's father was a gifted musician, but a weak man and also a drinker. He wanted to make a second Mozart out of his son and began teaching him how to play the harpsichord and violin. However, he soon cooled down to his studies and entrusted the boy to his friends. One taught Ludwig to play the organ, the other taught him to play the violin and flute.

In 1780, organist and composer Christian Gottlieb Nefe arrived in Bonn. He became Beethoven's real teacher. Nefe immediately realized that the boy had talent. He introduced Ludwig to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and the works of Handel, as well as the music of his older contemporaries: F. E. Bach, Haydn and Mozart. Thanks to Nefa, Beethoven's first work, Variations on a Theme of Dressler's March, was published. Beethoven was twelve years old at that time, and he was already working as an assistant to the court organist.

After the death of the grandfather, the family’s financial situation worsened, the father drank and brought almost no money home. Ludwig had to leave school early, but he wanted to supplement his education: he learned Latin, studied Italian and French, and read a lot. Having already become an adult, the composer admitted in one of his letters:

“There is no work that would be too learned for me; Without pretending in the slightest degree to be learned in the proper sense of the word, I have nevertheless, since childhood, striven to understand the essence of the best and wisest people of each era.”

Among Beethoven's favorite writers are the ancient Greek authors Homer and Plutarch, the English playwright Shakespeare, and the German poets Goethe and Schiller.

At this time, Beethoven began to compose music, but was in no hurry to publish his works. Much of what he wrote in Bonn was subsequently revised by him. From the composer’s youthful works, two children’s sonatas and several songs are known, including “Marmot”.

Already in the first years of his life in Vienna, Beethoven gained fame as a virtuoso pianist. His performance amazed the audience. They compared it to a volcanic eruption, and Beethoven himself to Napoleon.

Beethoven at 30

In the early years, in the person of the composer one could find some resemblance to the young revolutionary general, but his contemporaries had something else in mind: a manner of performance that violated all previous rules. Beethoven boldly contrasted the extreme registers (and at that time they played mostly in the middle), made extensive use of the pedal (and it was also rarely used then), and used massive chord harmonies. In fact, it was he who created piano style far from the exquisitely lacy manner of harpsichordists.

This style can be found in his piano sonatas No. 8 - Pathétique (title given by the composer himself), No. 13 and No. 14, both of which have the author's subtitle: "Sonata quasi una Fantasia" (in the spirit of fantasy). The poet Relshtab subsequently called Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight,” and although this name fits only the first movement and not the finale, it was forever attached to the entire work.

Beethoven also amazed with his appearance. Casually dressed, with a mane of black hair, with sharp, angular movements, he immediately stood out among the graceful ladies and gentlemen.

Beethoven did not hide his feelings. On the contrary, as soon as he noticed the slightest disrespect for himself, he stated it directly, without choosing expressions. One day, while he was playing, one of the guests allowed himself to speak to the lady; Beethoven immediately interrupted the performance: “I won’t play with such pigs!”. And no amount of apology or persuasion helped.

Beethoven's works began to be widely published and enjoyed success. During the first Viennese decade, a lot was written: twenty piano sonatas and three piano concertos, eight violin sonatas, quartets and other chamber works, the oratorio “Christ on the Mount of Olives,” the ballet “The Works of Prometheus,” the First and Second Symphonies.

Teresa Brunswik, Beethoven's faithful friend and student

In 1796, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. He develops tinitis, an inflammation of the inner ear that leads to ringing in the ears. On the advice of doctors, he retires for a long time to the small town of Heiligenstadt. However, peace and quiet do not improve his well-being. Beethoven begins to understand that deafness is incurable. During these tragic days, he writes a letter that will later be called the Heiligenstadt Testament. The composer talks about his experiences, admits that he was close to suicide. “It seemed unthinkable to me to leave the world,” writes Beethoven, “before I had fulfilled everything to which I felt called.”

In Heiligenstadt, the composer begins work on a new Third Symphony, which he will call Heroic.

As a result of Beethoven's deafness, unique historical documents have been preserved: “conversation notebooks”, where Beethoven’s friends wrote down their remarks for him, to which he responded either orally or in a response note.

Later years: 1802-1812

In piano work, the composer's own style is noticeable already in the early sonatas, but in symphonic music maturity came to him later. According to Tchaikovsky, only in the third symphony “for the first time, all the immense, amazing power of Beethoven’s creative genius was revealed.”<

Due to deafness, Beethoven is separated from the world and deprived of sound perception. He becomes gloomy and withdrawn. It was during these years that the composer created his most famous works one after another. During these same years, the composer worked on his only opera, Fidelio. This opera belongs to the genre of “horror and salvation” operas. Success for Fidelio came only in 1814, when the opera was staged first in Vienna, then in Prague, where it was conducted by the famous German composer Weber, and finally in Berlin.

Giulietta Guicciardi, to whom the composer dedicated the Moonlight Sonata

Shortly before his death, the composer handed over the manuscript of Fidelio to his friend and secretary Schindler with the words: “This child of my spirit was born in greater torment than others, and caused me the greatest grief. That’s why it’s dearer to me than anyone else..."

Last years

After 1812, the composer's creative activity declined for a while. However, after three years he begins to work with the same energy. At this time, piano sonatas from the Twenty-eighth to the last, the Thirty-second, two cello sonatas, quartets, and the vocal cycle “To a Distant Beloved” were created. Much time is also devoted to adaptations of folk songs. Along with Scottish, Irish, Welsh, there are also Russians. But the main creations of recent years have been Beethoven's two most monumental works - the Solemn Mass and the Ninth Symphony with choir.

The Ninth Symphony was performed in 1824. The audience gave the composer a standing ovation. Beethoven stood with his back to the audience and did not hear anything, then one of the singers took his hand and turned him to face the audience. People waved scarves, hats, and hands, greeting the composer. The ovation lasted so long that the police officials present demanded that it stop. Such greetings were allowed only in relation to the person of the emperor.

In Austria, after the defeat of Napoleon, a police regime was established. The government, frightened by the revolution, persecuted any free thought. Numerous secret agents penetrated all levels of society. In Beethoven's conversation books there are warnings every now and then: "Quiet! Be careful, there's a spy here! And probably after some particularly bold statement from the composer: “You will end up on the scaffold!”

Beethoven's grave in the central cemetery of Vienna, Austria.

However, Beethoven's fame was so great that the government did not dare touch him. Despite his deafness, the composer continues to keep abreast of not only political but also musical news. He read (that is, listens with his inner ear) the scores of Rossini's operas, looks through a collection of Schubert's songs, and gets acquainted with the operas of the German composer Weber "Free Shooter" and "Euryanthe". Arriving in Vienna, Weber visited Beethoven. They had breakfast together, and Beethoven, usually not given to ceremony, looked after his guest. After the death of his younger brother, the composer took care of his son. Beethoven placed his nephew in the best boarding schools and entrusted his student Czerny to study music with him. The composer wanted the boy to become a scientist or artist, but he was not attracted to art, but to cards and billiards. Enmeshed in debt, he attempted suicide. This attempt did not cause much harm: the bullet only slightly scratched the skin on the head. Beethoven was very worried about this. His health deteriorated sharply. The composer develops a serious liver disease.

Beethoven's funeral.

Beethoven at work at home (note the surroundings)

Czerny studied with Beethoven for five years, after which the composer gave him a document in which he noted “the exceptional success of the student and his amazing musical memory.” Cherny's memory was truly amazing: he knew by heart all of his teacher's piano works.

Czerny began his teaching career early and soon became one of the best teachers in Vienna. Among his students was Theodor Leschetizky, who can be called one of the founders of the Russian piano school. From 1858, Leshetitsky lived in St. Petersburg, and from 1862 to 1878 he taught at the newly opened conservatory. Here he studied with A. N. Esipova, later a professor at the same conservatory, V. I. Safonov, professor and director of the Moscow Conservatory, S. M. Maykapar, whose works are known to every student of the music school.

Czerny was an unusually prolific composer, he wrote more than a thousand works in various genres, but his etudes brought him the widest fame. It is difficult to count how many generations of musicians were brought up in these “schools of finger fluency” that are mandatory for every pianist. Czerny's credit also includes editing the sonatas of Giuseppe Scarlatti and Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

In 1822, a father and a boy came to Czerny, who had come from the Hungarian town of Doboryan. The boy had no idea about the correct position or fingering, but the experienced teacher immediately realized that in front of him was not an ordinary, but a gifted, perhaps a genius, child. The boy's name was Franz Liszt. Liszt studied with Czerny for a year and a half. His success was so great that his teacher allowed him to speak in public. Beethoven was present at the concert. He guessed the boy's talent and kissed him. Liszt kept the memory of this kiss all his life. It is Liszt who can be called a true student of Beethoven.

Neither Rhys nor Czerny, but he inherited Beethoven's style of playing. Like Beethoven, Liszt interprets the piano as an orchestra. While touring Europe, he promoted Beethoven's work, performing not only his piano works, but also symphonies that he adapted for the piano. At that time, Beethoven's music, especially symphonic music, was still unknown to a wide audience. In 1839 Liszt arrived in Bonn. They had been planning to erect a monument to the composer here for several years, but progress was slow.

Liszt made up the shortfall with proceeds from his concerts. It was only thanks to efforts that the monument to the composer was erected.

Causes of death

Studies of hair and bone matter allowed archaeopathologists to establish that Beethoven suffered from lead poisoning long before his death. Doses of lead entered his body regularly - presumably either through wine or in the baths he took. This resulted in incurable liver disease, which was confirmed by autopsy.

You know a pregnant woman who already has 8 children. Two of them are blind, three are deaf, one is mentally retarded, and she herself has syphilis. Would you advise her to have an abortion?

If you advised an abortion, you just killed Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beethoven's parents married in 1767. In 1769, their first son, Ludwig Maria, was born, who died 6 days later, which was normal for that time. There is no information on whether he was blind, deaf, mentally retarded, etc. In 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven, composer, was born. In 1774, a third son, Caspar Carl van Beethoven, was born. In 1776, the fourth son, Nikolaus Johann, was born. In 1779, a daughter, Anna Maria Francisca, was born; she died four days later. No information has been preserved on whether she was blind, deaf, mentally retarded, etc. In 1781, his brother, Franz Georg, was born (died two years later). In 1786 his sister, Maria Margarita, was born. She died a year later, when Ludwig was 17 years old. That same year, his mother dies of tuberculosis, which was completely normal at that time.

Works

9 symphonies: No. 1 (-), No. 2 (), No. 3 “Heroic” (-), No. 4 (), No. 5 (-), No. 6 “Pastoral” (), No. 7 (), No. 8 ( ), No. 9 ().
11 symphonic overtures, including Coriolanus, Egmont, Leonora No. 3.
5 concertos for piano and orchestra.
32 piano sonatas, many variations and small pieces for piano.
10 sonatas for violin and piano.
concerto for violin and orchestra, concerto for piano, violin and cello and orchestra (“triple concerto”)
5 sonatas for cello and piano.
16 quartets.
Ballet "Creations of Prometheus".
Opera "Fidelio".
Solemn Mass.
Vocal cycle “To a distant beloved”.
Songs based on poems by various poets, adaptations of folk songs.

Musical fragments

Attention! Music fragments in Ogg Vorbis format

Ode to Joy (small fragment, light file)(info) (file information)
Moonlight Sonata (info) (file information)
Concert 4-1 (info) (file information)

Monuments to Beethoven

Beethoven was born in Bonn, probably on December 16, 1770 (baptized on December 17). In addition to German blood, Flemish blood also flowed in his veins: the composer’s paternal grandfather, also Ludwig, was born in 1712 in Malines (Flanders), served as a choirmaster 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 . He was an intelligent man, a good singer, a professionally trained instrumentalist, he rose to the position of court conductor and enjoyed the respect of those around him. His only son Johann (the other children died in infancy) sang in the same chapel from childhood, but his position was precarious, since he drank heavily and led a disorderly life. Johann married Maria Magdalena Lime, the daughter of a cook. To them were born seven children, of whom three sons survive; Ludwig, the future composer, was the eldest of them.

Beethoven grew up in poverty. The father drank away his meager salary; he taught his son to play the violin and piano in the hope that he would become a child prodigy, a new Mozart, and provide for his family. Over time, the father's salary was increased in anticipation of the future of his gifted and hardworking son. Despite all this, the boy was not confident in his use of the violin, and on the piano (as well as on the violin) he liked to improvise more than to improve his playing technique.

Beethoven's general education was as unsystematic as his musical education. In the latter, however, practice played a big role: he played the viola in the court orchestra and performed as a performer on keyboard instruments, including the organ, which he managed to quickly master. K. G. Nefe, Bonn court organist from 1782, became Beethoven's first real teacher (among other things, he went through with him the entire Well-Tempered Clavier of J. S. Bach). Beethoven's responsibilities as a court musician expanded significantly when Archduke Maximilian Franz became Elector of Cologne and began to show concern for the musical life of Bonn, where his residence was located. In 1787, Beethoven managed to visit Vienna for the first time - at that time the musical capital of Europe. According to stories, Mozart, having listened to the young man’s play, highly appreciated his improvisations and predicted a great future for him. But soon Beethoven had to return home - his mother was dying. He remained the sole breadwinner of a family consisting of a dissolute father and two younger brothers.

The young man's talent, his greed for musical impressions, his ardent and receptive nature attracted the attention of some enlightened Bonn families, and his brilliant piano improvisations provided him with free entry into any musical gatherings. The Breuning family did especially a lot for him, taking custody of the clumsy but original young musician. Dr. F. G. Wegeler became his lifelong friend, and Count F. E. G. Waldstein, his enthusiastic admirer, managed to convince the Archduke to send Beethoven to study in Vienna.

Vein. 1792–1802. In Vienna, where Beethoven came for the second time in 1792 and where he remained until the end of his days, he quickly found titled friends and patrons of the arts.

People who met the young Beethoven described the twenty-year-old composer as a stocky young man with a penchant for panache, sometimes brash, but good-natured and sweet in his relationships with his friends. Realizing the inadequacy of his education, he went to Joseph Haydn, a recognized Viennese authority in the field of instrumental music (Mozart had died a year earlier) and for some time brought him counterpoint exercises for testing. Haydn, however, soon lost interest in the obstinate student, and Beethoven, secretly from him, began to take lessons from I. Schenck and then from the more thorough I. G. Albrechtsberger. In addition, wanting to improve his vocal writing, he visited the famous opera composer Antonio Salieri for several years. Soon he joined a circle that united titled amateurs and professional musicians. Prince Karl Lichnowsky introduced the young provincial into the circle of his friends.

The question of how much the environment and the spirit of the time influence creativity is ambiguous. Beethoven read the works of F. G. Klopstock, one of the predecessors of the Sturm und Drang movement. He knew Goethe and deeply revered the thinker and poet. The political and social life of Europe at that time was alarming: when Beethoven arrived in Vienna in 1792, the city was agitated by news of the revolution in France. Beethoven enthusiastically accepted revolutionary slogans and praised freedom in his music. The volcanic, explosive nature of his work is undoubtedly the embodiment of the spirit of the time, but only in the sense that the character of the creator was to some extent shaped by this time. The bold violation of generally accepted norms, the powerful self-affirmation, the thunderous atmosphere of Beethoven's music - all this would have been unthinkable in Mozart's era.

Best of the day

However, Beethoven's early works largely follow the canons of the 18th century: this applies to trios (strings and piano), violin, piano and cello sonatas. The piano was then Beethoven’s closest instrument; in his piano works he expressed his most intimate feelings with utmost sincerity, and the slow movements of some sonatas (for example, Largo e mesto from sonata op. 10, no. 3) were already imbued with romantic longing. Pathetic Sonata op. 13 is also an obvious anticipation of Beethoven's later experiments. In other cases, his innovation has the character of a sudden invasion, and the first listeners perceived it as obvious arbitrariness. Six string quartets op. published in 1801. 18 can be considered the greatest achievement of this period; Beethoven was clearly in no hurry to publish, realizing what high examples of quartet writing were left by Mozart and Haydn. Beethoven's first orchestral experience was associated with two concertos for piano and orchestra (No. 1, C major and No. 2, B-flat major), created in 1801: he, apparently, was not sure about them either, being well acquainted with the greats Mozart's achievements in this genre. Among the best-known (and least provocative) early works is the septet op. 20 (1802). The next opus, the First Symphony (published at the end of 1801) is Beethoven's first purely orchestral work.

Approaching deafness.

We can only guess to what extent Beethoven's deafness influenced his work. The disease developed gradually. Already in 1798, he complained of tinnitus; it was difficult for him to distinguish high tones and understand a conversation conducted in a whisper. Horrified by the prospect of becoming an object of pity - a deaf composer, he told his close friend Karl Amenda about his illness, as well as doctors, who advised him to protect his hearing as much as possible. He continued to move in the circle of his Viennese friends, took part in musical evenings, and composed a lot. He managed to hide his deafness so well that until 1812 even people who often met him did not suspect how serious his illness was. The fact that during a conversation he often answered inappropriately was attributed to a bad mood or absent-mindedness.

In the summer of 1802, Beethoven retired to the quiet suburb of Vienna - Heiligenstadt. A stunning document appeared there - the “Heiligenstadt Testament”, the painful confession of a musician tormented by illness. The will is addressed to Beethoven's brothers (with instructions to read and execute after his death); in it he talks about his mental suffering: it is painful when “a person standing next to me hears a flute playing from afar, inaudible to me; or when someone hears a shepherd singing, but I cannot distinguish a sound.” But then, in a letter to Dr. Wegeler, he exclaims: “I will take fate by the throat!”, and the music that he continues to write confirms this decision: in the same summer the bright Second Symphony, op. 36, magnificent piano sonatas op. 31 and three violin sonatas, op. thirty.

Second period. "New way".

According to the “three-period” classification proposed in 1852 by one of the first researchers of Beethoven’s work, W. von Lenz, the second period approximately covers 1802–1815.

The final break with the past was more a realization, a continuation of the trends of the earlier period, than a conscious “declaration of independence”: Beethoven was not a theoretical reformer, like Gluck before him and Wagner after him. The first decisive breakthrough towards what Beethoven himself called the “new path” occurred in the Third Symphony (Eroica), work on which dates back to 1803–1804. Its duration is three times longer than any other symphony written previously. The first movement is music of extraordinary power, the second is a stunning outpouring of sorrow, the third is a witty, whimsical scherzo, and the finale - variations on a jubilant, festive theme - is far superior in its power to the traditional rondo finales composed by Beethoven's predecessors. It is often argued (and not without reason) that Beethoven initially dedicated the Eroica to Napoleon, but upon learning that he had proclaimed himself emperor, he canceled the dedication. “Now he will trample on the rights of man and satisfy only his own ambition,” these are, according to stories, Beethoven’s words when he tore up the title page of the score with the dedication. In the end, the Heroic was dedicated to one of the patrons - Prince Lobkowitz.

Works of the second period.

During these years, brilliant creations came out of his pen one after another. The composer's main works, listed in the order of their appearance, form an incredible stream of brilliant music; this imaginary sound world replaces for its creator the world of real sounds that is leaving him. It was a victorious self-affirmation, a reflection of the hard work of thought, evidence of the rich inner life of a musician.

We can name only the most important works of the second period: violin sonata in A major, op. 47 (Kreutzerova, 1802–1803); Third Symphony, op. 55 (Heroic, 1802–1805); oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, op. 85 (1803); piano sonatas: Waldstein, op. 53; F major, op. 54, Appassionata, op. 57 (1803–1815); Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 (1805–1806); Beethoven's only opera is Fidelio, op. 72 (1805, second edition 1806); three “Russian” quartets, op. 59 (dedicated to Count Razumovsky; 1805–1806); Fourth Symphony in B flat major, op. 60 (1806); violin concerto, op. 61 (1806); Overture to Collin's tragedy Coriolanus, op. 62 (1807); Mass in C major, op. 86 (1807); Fifth Symphony in C minor, op. 67 (1804–1808); Sixth Symphony, op. 68 (Pastoral, 1807–1808); cello sonata in A major, op. 69 (1807); two piano trios, op. 70 (1808); Piano Concerto No. 5, op. 73 (Emperor, 1809); quartet, op. 74 (Harp, 1809); piano sonata, op. 81a (Farewell, 1809–1910); three songs on poems by Goethe, op. 83 (1810); music for Goethe's tragedy Egmont, op. 84 (1809); Quartet in F minor, op. 95 (1810); Eighth Symphony in F major, op. 93 (1811–1812); piano trio in B-flat major, op. 97 (Archduke, 1818).

The second period includes Beethoven's highest achievements in the genres of violin and piano concertos, violin and cello sonatas, and operas; The genre of piano sonata is represented by such masterpieces as the Appassionata and Waldstein. But even musicians were not always able to perceive the novelty of these compositions. They say that one of his colleagues once asked Beethoven whether he really considered one of the quartets dedicated to the Russian envoy in Vienna, Count Razumovsky, to be music. “Yes,” the composer answered, “but not for you, but for the future.”

The source of inspiration for a number of compositions were the romantic feelings that Beethoven felt for some of his high-society students. This probably refers to the two sonatas “quasi una Fantasia”, Op. 27 (published in 1802). The second of them (later named “Lunar”) is dedicated to Countess Juliet Guicciardi. Beethoven even thought about proposing to her, but realized in time that a deaf musician was not a suitable match for a flirtatious social beauty. Other ladies he knew rejected him; one of them called him a “freak” and “half crazy.” The situation was different with the Brunswick family, in which Beethoven gave music lessons to his two older sisters - Teresa (“Tesi”) and Josephine (“Pepi”). It has long been discarded that the addressee of the message to the “Immortal Beloved” found in Beethoven’s papers after his death was Teresa, but modern researchers do not rule out that this addressee was Josephine. In any case, the idyllic Fourth Symphony owes its conception to Beethoven's stay at the Brunswick Hungarian estate in the summer of 1806.

The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth (Pastoral) symphonies were composed in 1804–1808. The fifth, probably the most famous symphony in the world, opens with a brief motif about which Beethoven said: “Thus fate knocks at the door.” The Seventh and Eighth Symphonies were completed in 1812.

In 1804, Beethoven willingly accepted the commission to compose an opera, since in Vienna success on the opera stage meant fame and money. The plot in brief was as follows: a brave, enterprising woman, dressed in men's clothing, saves her beloved husband, imprisoned by a cruel tyrant, and exposes the latter before the people. To avoid confusion with a pre-existing opera based on this plot - Leonore Gaveau, Beethoven's work was called Fidelio, after the name taken by the heroine in disguise. Of course, Beethoven had no experience composing for the theater. The climaxes of the melodrama are marked by excellent music, but in other sections the lack of dramatic flair prevents the composer from rising above the operatic routine (although he strived very hard to do so: there are fragments in Fidelio that were reworked up to eighteen times). Nevertheless, the opera gradually won over listeners (during the composer’s lifetime there were three productions of it in different editions - in 1805, 1806 and 1814). It can be argued that the composer did not put so much effort into any other composition.

Beethoven, as already mentioned, deeply revered the works of Goethe, composed several songs based on his texts, music for his tragedy Egmont, but met Goethe only in the summer of 1812, when they ended up together at a resort in Teplitz. The refined manners of the great poet and the harsh behavior of the composer did not contribute to their rapprochement. “His talent amazed me extremely, but, unfortunately, he has an indomitable temper, and the world seems to him a hateful creation,” says Goethe in one of his letters.

Friendship with Archduke Rudolf.

Beethoven's friendship with Rudolf, the Austrian Archduke and half-brother of the Emperor, is one of the most interesting historical stories. Around 1804, the Archduke, then 16 years old, began taking piano lessons from the composer. Despite the huge difference in social status, teacher and student felt sincere affection for each other. Appearing for lessons at the Archduke's palace, Beethoven had to pass by countless lackeys, call his student “Your Highness” and fight his amateurish attitude towards music. And he did all this with amazing patience, although he never hesitated to cancel lessons if he was busy composing. Commissioned by the Archduke, such works as the piano sonata Farewell, the Triple Concerto, the last and most grandiose Fifth Piano Concerto, and the Solemn Mass (Missa solemnis) were created. It was originally intended for the ceremony of the Archduke's elevation to the rank of Archbishop of Olmut, but was not completed on time. The Archduke, Prince Kinsky and Prince Lobkowitz established a kind of scholarship for the composer who had brought glory to Vienna, but received no support from the city authorities, and the Archduke turned out to be the most reliable of the three patrons. During the Congress of Vienna in 1814, Beethoven derived considerable material benefit from communicating with the aristocracy and kindly listened to compliments - he managed to at least partially hide the contempt for the court “brilliance” that he always felt.

Last years. The composer's financial situation improved noticeably. Publishers hunted for his scores and ordered works such as large piano variations on a theme of Diabelli's waltz (1823). His caring friends, especially A. Schindler, who was deeply devoted to Beethoven, observing the musician’s chaotic and deprived lifestyle and hearing his complaints that he had been “robbed” (Beethoven became unreasonably suspicious and was ready to blame almost everyone around him for the worst ), could not understand where he was putting the money. They didn’t know that the composer was putting them off, but he wasn’t doing it for himself. When his brother Kaspar died in 1815, the composer became one of the guardians of his ten-year-old nephew Karl. Beethoven's love for the boy and his desire to ensure his future came into conflict with the distrust that the composer felt towards Karl's mother; as a result, he only constantly quarreled with both, and this situation colored the last period of his life with a tragic light. During the years when Beethoven sought full guardianship, he composed little.

Beethoven's deafness became almost complete. By 1819, he had to completely switch to communicating with his interlocutors using a slate board or paper and pencil (the so-called Beethoven conversation notebooks have been preserved). Completely immersed in such works as the majestic Solemn Mass in D major (1818) or the Ninth Symphony, he behaved strangely, causing alarm to strangers: he “sang, howled, stamped his feet, and generally seemed to be engaged in a mortal struggle with invisible enemy" (Schindler). The brilliant last quartets, the last five piano sonatas - grandiose in scale, unusual in form and style - seemed to many contemporaries to be the works of a madman. And yet, Viennese listeners recognized the nobility and greatness of Beethoven's music; they felt that they were dealing with a genius. In 1824, during the performance of the Ninth Symphony with its choral finale to the text of Schiller's Ode to Joy (An die Freude), Beethoven stood next to the conductor. The hall was captivated by the powerful climax at the end of the symphony, the audience went wild, but Beethoven did not turn around. One of the singers had to take him by the sleeve and turn him to face the audience so that the composer bowed.

The fate of other later works was more complicated. Many years passed after Beethoven's death, and only then did the most receptive musicians begin to perform his last quartets (including the Grand Fugue, Op. 33) and the last piano sonatas, revealing to people these highest, most beautiful achievements of Beethoven. Sometimes Beethoven's late style is characterized as contemplative, abstract, in some cases neglecting the laws of euphony; in fact, this music is an endless source of powerful and intelligent spiritual energy.

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

Beethoven's contribution to world culture.

Beethoven continued the general line of development of the symphony, sonata, and quartet genres outlined by his predecessors. However, his interpretation of known forms and genres was distinguished by great freedom; we can say that Beethoven expanded their boundaries in time and space. He did not expand the composition of the symphony orchestra that had developed by his time, but his scores require, firstly, a larger number of performers in each part, and secondly, the performing skill of each orchestra member, incredible in his era; in addition, Beethoven was very sensitive to the individual expressiveness of each instrumental timbre. The piano in his works is not a close relative of the elegant harpsichord: the entire extended range of the instrument, all its dynamic capabilities, are used.

In the areas of melody, harmony, and rhythm, Beethoven often resorts to the technique of sudden change and contrast. One form of contrast is the contrast between decisive themes with a clear rhythm and more lyrical, smoothly flowing sections. Sharp dissonances and unexpected modulations into distant keys are also an important feature of Beethoven's harmony. He expanded the range of tempos used in music and often resorted to dramatic, impulsive changes in dynamics. Sometimes the contrast appears as a manifestation of Beethoven's characteristically somewhat crude humor - this happens in his frantic scherzos, which in his symphonies and quartets often replace a more sedate minuet.

Unlike his predecessor Mozart, Beethoven had difficulty composing. Beethoven's notebooks show how gradually, step by step, a grandiose composition emerges from uncertain sketches, marked by a convincing logic of construction and rare beauty. Just one example: in the original sketch of the famous “fate motif” that opens the Fifth Symphony, it was assigned to the flute, which means that the theme had a completely different figurative meaning. Powerful artistic intelligence allows the composer to turn a disadvantage into an advantage: Beethoven contrasts Mozart’s spontaneity and instinctive sense of perfection with unsurpassed musical and dramatic logic. It is she who is the main source of Beethoven's greatness, his incomparable ability to organize contrasting elements into a monolithic whole. Beethoven erases traditional caesuras between sections of form, avoids symmetry, merges parts of the cycle, and develops extended constructions from thematic and rhythmic motifs, which at first glance do not contain anything interesting. In other words, Beethoven creates musical space with the power of his mind, his own will. He anticipated and created those artistic movements that became decisive for the musical art of the 19th century. And today his works are among the greatest, most revered creations of the human genius. Smertnik Cool guy. His musical and dramatic (that's right!) works, especially the first and second parts of the Ninth Symphony, have no equal in the entire world of art in terms of depth, beauty and purity of content.

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2 13.11.2007 01:00:01

they wrote the rules will do

Beethove is with us!
Reward 14.05.2010 08:01:08

Nature has placed a barrier between her and humanity: morality. A person who is always aware of his social level challenges fate with his creativity and higher powers are looking closely at his rebellion. However, they are also preparing talent for such a protest. They form him to the extent required to accomplish the main work of his life, in the case of Beethoven - his music, for imagining humanity without his symphonies is the same as deleting Columbus, trampling on the fire given by Prometheus, or returning humanity from space. Yes, if Beethoven had not existed before space, we would have had to throw up our hands at the launches: something is missing, something is slowing down, somewhere we “messed up”... But everything is in order, friends! Beethoven is with us. With humanity forever this rebel, this loner, who sacrificed a successful cozy bedroom, a comfortable family nest, and contrary to respectable burgher morality, it is he who lends his shoulder to any breakthrough of humanity into the future, he, this breakthrough, is unthinkable without Beethoven.

Beethoven lives in me
Aziz 12.12.2016 12:47:39

Good article, thanks. I was looking for whether Beethoven had children and found this article. Just today I wrote the thought that if people were not so obsessed with sex and reproduction, they could approach the greatness of the geniuses of mankind, of which Beethoven is a shining example.
When I lose heart and life is ready to crush me, when they try to intimidate me with death, I always remember the sounds of his 9th Symphony, heard in my youth, and I understand that the one who went through and survived the 9th Symphony with Beethoven to the end is invincible and undaunted. 9 Symphony is my personal nuclear weapon, a nuclear button that turns me into Beethoven's Superman... His Spirit comes to life and lives in me in the beat of moments and my weak body and mind are not a burden for him at all. The feeling is as if an engine from a BelAZ, or even a jet aircraft, was installed on a passenger car)) This is a unique experience. But I still can’t listen to Beethoven’s music for a long time. It quite hardens your heart and you start to climb the wall, quarrel with everyone... In this regard, Tchaikovsky has a more harmonious influence on the Spirit and Mind. In Tchaikovsky's music there is not only a fierce struggle, but also a lot that touches the heart, melts it and makes it cry for no apparent reason. Because Tchaikovsky awakened your soul and showed you himself... And Beethoven's symphonies are well suited for some titanic efforts and achievements. Or to pull yourself out of a complete swamp, like Baron Munchausen by the scruff of the neck... Tchaikovsky gives Reason, thanks to which you can go not ahead, but wisely, which relieves you of titanic overstrain.
However, not everyone thinks so. Some people told me that Tchaikovsky’s music, compared to Beethoven’s, is full of water...) I don’t think so. You won't miss a single note. In general, these 2 composers are my teachers in life. Whoever listened to and lived Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony, considers himself to have lived a whole life and his soul has become wiser for this life...

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist (his years of life were 1770 – 1827).
Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, the exact date of his birth is unknown.

Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven - early years.
It was no coincidence that Ludwig van Beethoven became a composer - his father Johann Van Beethoven and grandfather Ludwig were directly related to music. My father was a singer, he sang in the court chapel, and my grandfather first also sang in the court chapel, and then was a bandmaster. Ludwig's mother, Mary Magdalene, was from the common people and had no interest in 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 special 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 to play the violin. When Ludwig was eight years old, the composer and organist Christian Gottlieb Nefe came to Bonn, who recognized little Ludwig Beethoven's musical talent. Thanks to studying music with Nefe, the first work of the future famous composer was published - variations on a theme of Dressler's march. Beethoven had just turned twelve years old. But at this time, Ludwig Beethoven was already working as an assistant to the court organist.
Like many great people, Beethoven, due to his difficult financial situation, was forced to leave school. This happened after the death of my grandfather. But, nevertheless, Beethoven’s biography remains as a biography of a highly educated person. He knew Latin and several foreign languages, including Italian and French. Beethoven devoted a lot of time to reading books. His favorite authors were Homer, Plutach, Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare. At this time, the future composer began to compose music, but many of his works remained unpublished, and after many years they were revised by him. One of Beethoven's early works is the "Marmot" sonata. Once Ludwig van Beethoven visited Vienna, then he was sixteen years old, Mozart, after listening to him, amazed those around him with the following phrase: “He will make everyone talk about himself!” Beethoven, due to family circumstances (his mother became seriously ill and subsequently died, and he was forced to take care of his brothers), was unable to 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, the revolution began in France, and Ludwig Beethoven wrote music based on poems by one of the university professors praising the revolution. At this time, Beethoven was noticed by the famous composer Haydn, and Ludwig van Beethoven decided to take lessons from him, and in 1792 Beethoven headed to Vienna. Lessons with Haydn quickly disappointed Beethoven. And Haydn lost interest in Beethoven. Beethoven’s music and spiritual mood were 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 I. B. Schenk, I. G. Albrechtsberger, A. Salieri began to study with Beethoven. Ludwig van Beethoven became one of the most fashionable pianists in Vienna, a true virtuoso of his craft. His debut as a pianist took place in 1795. By 1802, Beethoven was known as the creator of 20 piano sonatas, including "Pathetique" (1798), "Moonlight" (No. 2 of two "fantasy sonatas" 1801), six 6 string quartets, eight violin sonatas and piano, many chamber ensemble works.
But at the end of the 1790s, Ludwig Beethoven began to develop a terrible illness 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 man, 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 flourishing. This period is marked by heroic notes in Beethoven's music. For example, the author’s subtitle of the Third Symphony is “Eroica” (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, Piano Concertos No. 4, Violin Concerto and many other musical works. In the mid-1800s, Beethoven achieved universal respect and recognition. Due to hearing problems, Beethoven gave his last concert in 1808. By 1814, Beethoven became completely deaf.
In 1813-1814, Beethoven suffered from apathy, which, of course, affected his work; he composed very little. In 1815, Beethoven took upon himself the care of the son of his deceased brother. The nephew also had a complex character.
Since 1815, a new stage in the composer’s biography began, or, as it is also called, the late period of creativity. During this period, eleven works by the great composer were published, among them: sonatas for piano and cello, piano Variations on the Diabelli Waltz, the Ninth Symphony, the Solemn Mass, and string quartets.
Beethoven's late period work is distinguished by contrasts; his music of those times called for extreme action, 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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Beethoven's music is known to all classical lovers. His name is considered iconic for those who dream of becoming a real musician. How did one of the most popular composers live and work?

Beethoven: childhood and youth of a little genius

The exact date of birth of Ludwig van Beethoven is not known for certain. The year of his birth is 1770. The day of baptism is December 17th. Ludwig was born in the German city of Bonn.

Beethoven's family had a direct connection to music. The boy's father was a famous tenor. And his mother Maria Magdalene Keverich was the daughter of a chef.

The ambitious Johann Beethoven, being a strict father, wanted to make Ludwig a great composer. He dreamed that his son would become the second Mozart. He made considerable efforts to achieve the goal.

At first, he himself taught the boy to play various instruments. Then he handed over the child’s training to his colleagues. Since childhood, Ludwig mastered two complex instruments: the organ and the violin.

When young Beethoven was just 10 years old, organist Christian Nefe arrived in his city. It was he who became the boy’s true mentor, as he saw in him enormous abilities for music.

Beethoven was taught classical music based on the works of Bach and Mozart. At the age of 12, the talented child began his career as an assistant organist. When a tragedy occurred in the family and Ludwig’s grandfather died, the finances of the venerable family were greatly reduced. Despite the fact that young Beethoven never completed his studies at school, he managed to master Latin, Italian and French. All his life Beethoven read a lot, was curious, intelligent and erudite. He easily understood any scientific treatises.

The youthful works of the future composer were subsequently reworked by him. The Marmot sonata has survived to this day unchanged.

In 1787, Mozart himself gave the boy an audition. Beethoven's great contemporary was pleased with his playing. He highly appreciated the young man's improvisation.

Ludwig wanted to study with Mozart himself, but fate decreed otherwise. Beethoven's mother died this year. He had to return to his hometown to take care of his brothers. In order to earn money, he got a job in a local orchestra as a violist.

In 1789, Ludwig again began attending classes at the university. The revolution that broke out in the French state inspired him to create the “Song of a Free Man.”

In the autumn of 1792, another of Beethoven’s idols, the composer Haydn, was passing through Beethoven’s native Bonn. Then the young man decides to follow him to Vienna to continue his music studies.

Beethoven's mature years

The collaboration between Haydn and Beethoven in Vienna can hardly be called fruitful. The accomplished mentor considered his student’s creations beautiful, but too gloomy. Haydn later left for England. Then Ludwig van Beethoven himself found a new teacher. It turned out to be Antonio Salieri.

Beethoven's virtuoso playing created the piano style of playing, where extreme registers, loud chords, and the use of pedals on the instrument became the norm.

This style of playing is fully reflected in the composer’s popular “Moonlight Sonata”. In addition to innovation in music, Beethoven's lifestyle and character traits also deserved considerable attention. The composer practically did not pay attention to his clothes and appearance. If anyone in the audience dared to talk during his performance, Beethoven refused to play and went home.

Ludwig van Beethoven could be harsh with friends and relatives, but he never refused them the necessary help to their loved ones. During the first decade that the young composer worked in Vienna, he managed to write 20 sonatas for classical piano, 3 full-length piano concertos, many sonatas for other instruments, one oratorio on a religious theme, as well as a full-length ballet.

The tragedy of Beethoven and his later years

The fateful year of 1796 for Beethoven becomes the most difficult in his life. The famous composer begins to experience hearing loss. Doctors diagnose him with chronic inflammation of the inner ear canal.

Ludwig van Beethoven suffered greatly from his illness. In addition to the pain, he was haunted by ringing in his ears. On the advice of doctors, he goes to live in the small and quiet town of Heiligenstadt. But the situation with his illness is not changing for the better.

Over the years, Beethoven increasingly despised the power of emperors and princes. He believed that equal rights for people was the ideal good. For this reason, Beethoven decided against dedicating one of his works to Napoleon, calling the Third Symphony simply “Eroic”.

During the period of hearing loss, the composer withdraws into himself, but continues to work. He writes the opera Fidelio. Then he creates a cycle of musical works called “To a Distant Beloved.”

Progressive deafness did not become an obstacle to Beethoven's sincere interest in what was happening in the world. After the defeat and exile of Napoleon, a strict police regime was introduced in the Austrian lands, but Beethoven, as before, continued to criticize the government. Perhaps he guessed that they would not dare touch him and throw him in prison, because his fame had become truly grandiose.

Little is known about the personal life of Ludwig van Beethoven. There were rumors that he wanted to marry one of his students, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. For some time, the girl reciprocated the composer’s feelings, but then she preferred someone else. His next student, Teresa Brunswik, was Beethoven's devoted friend until his death, but the true context of their relationship is shrouded in mystery and is not known for certain.

When the composer's younger brother died, he took custody of his son. Beethoven tried to instill in the young man a love of art and science, but the guy was a gambler and a reveler. Once he lost, he tried to commit suicide. This upset Beethoven very much. Due to nervousness, he developed liver disease.

In 1827, the great composer died. The funeral procession included more than 20 thousand people. The famous musician was only 57 years old when he passed away and was buried in a Vienna cemetery.

Ludwig van Beethoven comes from a musical family. As a child, the future composer was introduced to playing musical instruments such as organ, harpsichord, violin, and flute.

Composer Christian Gottlob Nefe is Beethoven's first teacher. At the age of 12, Beethoven became an assistant organist at court. In addition to studying music, Ludwig studied languages, read such authors as Homer, Plutarch, Shakespeare, while simultaneously trying to compose music.

Beethoven loses his mother early and takes on all the family's expenses.

After moving to Vienna, Beethoven took music lessons from composers such as Haydn, Albrechtsberger, Salieri. Haydn notes the gloomy manner of performance of the future genius of music, but despite this virtuoso.

The composer's famous works appeared in Vienna: Moonlight Sonata and Pathétique Sonata,

Beethoven loses his hearing due to middle ear disease and settles in the city of Heiligenstadt. The peak of the composer's popularity is coming. The painful illness only helps Beethoven work with even greater enthusiasm on his compositions.

Ludwig van Beethoven died of liver disease in 1827. Over 20 thousand fans of the composer’s work came to the composer’s funeral.

Ludwig van Beethoven. Detailed biography

Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770 in Bonn. The boy was destined to be born into a musical family. His father was a tenor, and his grandfather was a choir director. Johann Beethoven had high hopes for his son and wanted to develop outstanding musical abilities in him. The methods of education were very cruel, and Ludwig had to study all night long. Despite the fact that in a short time Johann failed to turn his son into a second Mozart, the gifted boy was noticed by composer Christian Nefe, who made a great contribution to both his musical and personal development. Due to his difficult financial situation, Beethoven began working very early. At the age of 13 he was accepted as an assistant organist and later became concertmaster at the National Theater Bonn.

A turning point in Ludwig's biography was his trip to Vienna in 1787, where he was able to meet Mozart. “One day the whole world will talk about him!” was the summary of the great composer after listening to Beethoven’s improvisations. The young man dreamed of continuing his studies with his idol, but due to his mother’s serious illness he was forced to return to Bonn. Since then, he had to take custody of his younger brothers, and the issue of lack of money became even more acute. During this period, Ludwig found support in the Breuning family of aristocrats. His circle of acquaintances expands, the young man finds himself in a university environment. He actively works on large-form musical works, such as sonatas and cantatas, and also writes songs for amateur performance, including “Groundhog”, “Free Man”, “Sacrifice Song”.

In 1792, Beethoven moved to live in Vienna. There he takes lessons from J. Gaidan, and later moves on to A. Salieri. Then he became known as a virtuoso pianist. Many influential people appeared among Ludwig's fans, but the composer was remembered by his contemporaries as a proud and independent person. He said: “I owe what I am to myself.” During the “Viennese” period 1792 - 1802. Beethoven wrote 3 concertos and several dozen sonatas for piano, works for violin and cello, the oratorio “Christ on the Mount of Olives” and the overture to the ballet “The Works of Prometheus”. At the same time, Sonata No. 8 or “Pathetique” was created, as well as Sonata No. 14, better known as “Moonlight”. The first part of the work, which Beethoven dedicated to his beloved, who took music lessons from him, received the name “Moonlight Sonata” from the critic L. Relshtab after the composer’s death.

Beethoven greeted the beginning of the 19th century with symphonies. In 1800 he completed work on the First Symphony, and in 1802 the Second was written. Then comes the most difficult period in the composer’s life. Signs of developing deafness intensify and lead Ludwig into a state of deepest mental crisis. In 1802, Beethoven wrote the “Heiligenstadt Testament”, in which he addressed people and shared his experiences. Despite everything, the composer once again managed to find a way out of a difficult situation, learned to create with his serious illness, although he emphasized that he was very close to suicide.

Period 1802-1812 - the heyday of Beethoven's career. Victory over oneself and the events of the French Revolution are reflected in the Third Symphony, called “Eroic”, Symphony No. 5, and “Appassionata”. The Fourth and “Pastoral” symphonies are filled with light and harmony. For the Congress of Vienna, the composer wrote the cantatas “The Battle of Vittoria” and “A Happy Moment”, which brought him stunning success.

Beethoven was an innovator and a seeker. In 1814, his first and only opera “Fidelio” was first published, and a year later he created the first vocal cycle called “To a Distant Beloved”. Meanwhile, fate continues to challenge him. After the death of his brother, Ludwig takes his nephew to be raised by him. The young man turned out to be a gambler and even attempted suicide. Worries about his nephew seriously undermined Ludwig's health.

Meanwhile, the composer's deafness increased. For everyday communication, Ludwig started “conversation notebooks,” and to create music, he had to capture the vibration of the instrument using a wooden stick: Beethoven held one tip in his teeth and applied the other to the instrument. Fate tested the genius and took away from him the most precious thing - the opportunity to create. But Beethoven again overcomes circumstances and opens a new stage in his work, which became an epilogue. In the period from 1817 to 1826, the composer wrote fugues, 5 sonatas and the same number of quartets. In 1823, Beethoven completed work on the “Solemn Mass,” which he treated with special trepidation. Symphony No. 9, performed in 1824, caused real delight among listeners. The audience greeted the composer standing, but the maestro could only see the applause when one of the singers turned him towards the stage.

In 1826, Ludwig van Beethoven fell ill with pneumonia. The condition was complicated by stomach pain and other concomitant diseases, which he was never able to overcome. Beethoven died in Vienna on March 26, 1827. It is believed that the composer's death was caused by poisoning with a drug containing lead. More than 20 thousand people came to say goodbye to the genius.

Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his most famous works during the most difficult periods of his life. Scientists have found that the rhythm of a composer's work is his heart rate. A great genius gave his heart and life to music so that it could penetrate our hearts.

Option 3

There is probably not a single person in the world who has not heard the name of the greatest composer of all time, the last of the representatives of the “Viennese classical school,” Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beethoven is one of the most talented figures in the history of music. He wrote music in all genres, including opera and choral works. Beethoven's symphonies are still popular today: many musicians record cover versions in various styles. It is necessary to get acquainted with the biography of the composer.

Childhood.

It is not known exactly when Ludwig was born. Rather, it happened on December 16, 1770, since it is known for sure that his christening fell on December 17 of the same year. Ludwig's father wanted to make his son a talented musician. Little Beethovin's first serious teacher was Christian Gottlob Nef, who immediately saw musical talent in the boy and began introducing him to the works of Mozart, Bach and Handel. At the age of 12, Beethoven wrote his first work, variations on a theme of Dressler's March.

As a seventeen-year-old boy, Ludwig first visited Vienna, where Mozart listened to the improvisation and appreciated it. At the same age, Beethoven lost his mother and she died. Ludwig had to take the leadership of the family and responsibility for his younger brothers.

Career blossoming.

In 1789, Beethoven decides to go to Vienna and study with Haydn. Soon, thanks to Ludwig's works, the composer received his first fame. He writes the Lunar and Pathetic Sonatas, and then the First and Second Symphonies and The Creation of Prometheus. Unfortunately, the great composer is overcome by an ear disease. But even with complete deafness, Beethoven continued to compose.

Last years.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Beethoven wrote with particular enthusiasm. In 1802-1812 the Ninth Symphony and the Solemn Mass were created. In those years, Beethoven enjoyed popularity and universal recognition, but due to the guardianship of his nephew, which the composer took upon himself, he immediately grew old. In the spring of 1827, Ludwig died of liver disease.

Despite the fact that the composer lived relatively short, he is recognized as the greatest musician of all time. The memory of him is alive now and will always live.

Chernyshevsky Nikolai Gavrilovich

Chernyshevsky Nikolai Gavrilovich is a famous Russian writer and journalist. He was born in 1828 in Saratov. Since his father was a priest, Nikolai began his studies at a theological seminary.