preview

Essay about Life of Ludwig van Beethoven

Good Essays

Life of Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven, also known as “ The General of Musicians,” was born on December 16, 1770. However, this date is not exact because it is believed that Beethoven’s father lied about his son’s age in order to portray him as an infant prodigy. As a result, Beethoven is convinced he was born on December 16, 1772 at the Rheingasse home, which belonged to the Fischers, who were close friends of the family (Orga 8).

Johann van and Maria Magdalena Beethoven bore five children of which three survived. Ludwig van Beethoven was the first child to survive, probably making him the most cherished especially in his father’s eyes. The other two surviving siblings were Casper and Nikolaus. They were said …show more content…

This great German composer did continue as he begun and published his first work in 1783. It was a variation of Dressler’s March. Following this publication he then accomplished his first significant composition later that year (Kerman 355).

Next, Beethoven’s life took a turn for the worst in 1787. A young man at the mere age of nineteen lost his mother to tuberculosis; this brought him depression, ill health, and a lack of financial resources (Kerman 355). During this time of sorrow he still performed in numerous concerts with his orchestra and made many friends along the way (Kerman 356).

The most influential friend he met was probably Mozart. Beethoven looked up to Mozart and actually went to Munich for a few weeks to ask Mozart to give him a theme for improvisation. Mozart also thought highly of him by exclaiming to his friends, “Keep your eyes on him; someday he will give the world something to talk about” (Orga 33). One of his journeys brought him to Vienna in 1792, where he remained for the rest of his life. His move was based on his new teacher Haydn’s position as Europe’s greatest composer (Orga 42). The month after this move, his father died in Bonn (Kerman 357). As time went on, Beethoven and Haydn’s relationship turned sour, resulting in a replacement teacher. His name was Johann Albrichtaberger. Their teacher-pupil relationship proved successful.

Get Access