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Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven when composing the Missa Solemnis (Joseph Karl Stieler (1820))

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers of the Western European music tradition. His work crowned the classical period as well as initiated the romantic era in music. In 1783 Beethoven's first published work, a set of keyboard variations appeared. It became increasingly clear that to reach artistic maturity, he would have to leave provincial Bonn for a major musical center. Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers of the Western European music tradition. His work crowned the classical period as well as initiated the romantic era in music.

In 1783 Beethoven's first published work, a set of keyboard variations appeared. It became increasingly clear that to reach artistic maturity, he would have to leave provincial Bonn for a major musical center. In 1787 he traveled to Vienna, apparently to seek out Mozart as a teacher, but he was forced to return to Germany due to his mother's illness. In 1790, composer Joseph Haydn passed through Bonn and Beethoven was probably introduced to him as a potential pupil. In 1792 Beethoven went to Vienna to study with Haydn although Beethoven turned to others of lesser talent in Vienna for help with counterpoint.

Beethoven rapidly proceeded to make his mark as a brilliant keyboard performer and improviser and as a gifted young composer. In 1795 his first mature published works appeared: the three Piano Trios, Op. 1 – and his career was officially launched. Beethoven's work could be divided into three distinct periods. The first period include the First (1800) and Second (1802) Symphonies ; the first three piano concertos (1795-1800); the first group of string quartets (1800); and a number of piano sonatas, among them the Pathétique (1798) and the Moonlight Sonata (1801). The compositions of the first period are dominated by the tradition of Haydn and Mozart.

Beginning about 1802, Beethoven's work took on new dimensions. The premiere of the Third Symphony, known as the Eroica (1803-4) was a landmark in cultural history. It signaled a break with the past and the birth of a new era – to celebrate human freedom and nobility.

The works of Beethoven's middle period include the Piano Concertos No. 4 (1806) and No. 5 (Emperor Concerto, 1809). His only opera, Fidelio , was produced first in 1805 and in its final form in 1814. He wrote four overtures for the opera, three of them known as the Leonore Overture .

Beethoven's final period dates from 1816 and includes the demanding, nearly symphonic Hammerklavier Sonata (1818), and the monumental Ninth Symphony (1817-23). The last five string quartets and the Grosse Fuge (also for quartet) were composed in his last years.

Beethoven suffered from deafness during his early years in Vienna. Public performance eventually became impossible although his creative work was not restricted.

Beethoven died in Vienna after a long illness in 1827 at the age of 57.

Video and Audio

IT'S NSO INSPIRING! Beethoven's Violin Concerto (Mar. 28-30) Uncredited

IT'S NSO INSPIRING! Beethoven's Violin Concerto (Mar. 28-30)

IT'S NSO INSPIRING! Beethoven's Violin Concerto (Mar. 28-30)

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IT'S NSO INSPIRING! Beethoven's Grosse Fuge (Jan. 24-26) Uncredited

IT'S NSO INSPIRING! Beethoven's Grosse Fuge (Jan. 24-26)

IT'S NSO INSPIRING! Beethoven's Grosse Fuge (Jan. 24-26)

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Beethoven Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68,

Understanding the Music: Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony

Understanding the Music: Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony

National Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl discusses Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral."

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Additional Resources

The Music of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna An Interactive Exploration of the History & Culture of Central Europe

Compositions

- Egmont Overture

- Grosse Fuge

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Upcoming Events

Washington Performing Arts Society: Markus Groh, piano 6/1/2013 2:00 PM
Fortas Chamber Music Concert: Emerson String Quartet 10/2/2013 7:30 PM
The Grammy-winning Emerson String Quartet returns with a program featuring the hauntingly tragic Mendelssohn F minor String Quartet, Britten's great last String Quartet, honoring his 100th birthday, and Beethoven's Third Razumovsky Quartet.
The Kennedy Center Chamber Players play Paganini, Grieg, Leisner & Beethoven 2/9/2014 2:00 PM
Musicians of the NSO perform Paganini's Terzetto Concertante in D major for Viola, Cello, and Guitar, Grieg's Violin Sonata No.3 in C minor, Leisner's Dances in the Madhouse for Violin and Guitar, and Beethoven's Piano Trio in E-flat major.
National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Christian Tetzlaff, violin, plays Widmann 2/27/2014 - 3/1/2014
Christian Tetzlaff's "sheer, explosive virtuosity" (The New York Times) comes to the fore in Widmann's Violin Concerto. Beethoven's First and Second Symphonies frame the program, completing the NSO's recent Beethoven cycle.
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Fortas Chamber Music Concert: Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio 2/27/2014 7:30 PM
The Kennedy Center's chamber ensemble-in-residence, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, makes its annual appearance with the DC premiere of André Previn's Trio No. 2, composed just last year, framed by works from Beethoven and Mendelssohn.
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