Birth in Bonn, Germany
First Public Performance
First Published Work
Composition of Major Works
Public Debut in Vienna
First 6-string Quartets Composition
Last Public Appearance as a Soloist
Completion of 3 Major Works
Last Public Concert
Death at age 56
Ludvig van Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770 in Bonn. There is no official record of his birth, but it is generally believed to be December 16. His parents, Johann and Maria van Beethoven had 7 children, though only 2 besides Ludvig survived: Kaspar Anton Karl and Nikolaus Johann. His birthplace is now preserved as the Beethoven-Haus Museum.
His first music teacher being his father, Beethoven began playing at a young age. His father enforced an intense regime on him, often reducing him to tears. He had several other instructors, including Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer (a family friend), Franz Rovantini (a relative), and court concertmaster Franz Anton Ries. With these instructors he learned keyboard, violin, and viola. His father advertised his son as a prodigy on the posters accompanying his first public performance in March 1778, claiming he was 6 (though he was really 7).
Around 1780, Beethoven began studies with his most important music teacher, Christian Gottlob Neefe. In 1783, he published his first work, a set of keyboard variations WoO* 63. In the same year, he published his first 3 piano sonatas, WoO 47.
*WoO - Works without opus number.
Between 1798 and 1800 Beethoven composed his first 6-string quartets (op. 18), which were commissioned by Prince Lobkowitz and published in 1801. In 1799 he also completed his popular Septet (Op. 20). His first symphony premiered in 1800, at which point he was regarded as one of the most important young composers of his generation following Haydn and Mozart. His characterization of emotion and use of modulation and texture helped further set him apart. Beethoven also named 1798 as the point at which he began to lose his hearing, attributing it to a fit caused by a quarrel with a singer.
Between March 29 and March 31 of 1795, Beethoven made his public debut in Vienna. He played piano concertos of both his own creation and of Mozart’s. At this time, he had two of his own piano concertos available for performance, one in B-flat major and one in C major.
Between 1790 and 1792, Beethoven composed several works, though none were published at the time. He also received his first commissions from the Literary Society in Bonn: two Emperor Cantatas which were not performed in his lifetime and became lost until the 1880s. They were then described as being “Beethoven through and through,” showcasing his distinct musical style.
Over the next few years, Beethoven struggled to come to terms with his hearing loss, even moving to the small Austrian town of Heiligenstadt at his doctor’s advice. Letters at this time showed his despair, but he remained determined to live for and through his art. In April and May of 1814, he made his last public appearances as a soloist, being now mostly deaf.
In 1823, Beethoven completed 3 notable works: Missa solemnis, his Ninth Symphony, and the Diabelli Variations. He excited the interest of many publishers eager to buy these manuscripts, one of whom was Louis XVIII of France.
On May 7, 1824 in Berlin, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, along with sections of the Missa solemnis was performed. He stood by the conductor during the performance but could not even hear the applause until he turned to see it. A second concert was held on May 24 but was poorly attended and did not earn him much money. This was his last public concert.
On March 26, 1827, after a 3-month long illness, Beethoven died at the age of 56. His illness was attributed to liver damage, most likely caused by heavy alcohol consumption. His funeral was held on March 29, 1827 and was attended by 10,000 people. To this day, he remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western Music.
Regrettably, Ludvig Van Beethoven is no longer touring, as he has been dead for nearly 200 years. However, his work continues to be performed and loved around the world. Listen to some of his masterpieces using the links below.
Symphony No. 9
Orchestra
Moonlight Sonata
Piano
String Quartet No. 1
Violin
Source: All information has been compiled and paraphrased from Wikipedia.