Ludwig van Beethoven

A pianist and composer from Germany, Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven is still regarded as one of the most revered musicians in Western music history; his compositions are among the most often performed in the classical music repertoire and mark the change from the Classical to the Romantic periods.

In Bonn, Beethoven was born. From an early age, his musical talent was apparent. At first, his father, Johann van Beethoven, educated him sternly and rigorously. After receiving instruction from composer and conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe, Beethoven went on to publish his first piece, a collection of keyboard variations, in 1783. He was able to escape a problematic home situation thanks to Helene von Breuning's family, whose kids he adored, got along with, and taught piano to.

Traditionally, his career has been broken down into early, middle, and late phases. Most people believe his formative years, when he developed his skill, to have lasted until 1802. His middle phase, which spans from 1802 to around 1812, is frequently referred to as heroic and demonstrated a distinct departure from the styles of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He started to become more and more deaf over this period. He expanded his musical form and expressive advances in his final phase, which spanned 1812 to 1827.