Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) was born and raised in Bonn, his most famous tutor was Haydn, although the two rarely saw eye to eye. Beethoven was one of the first composers to break the traditional mould of the composer/patron relationship. He did this partly as a concert pianist and from the commissions he received. Concert performances came to an abrupt end because of his advancing deafness which forced the composer to contemplate suicide, outlined in the famous Heligensdtat document.

What saved him was his music and as his deafness increased so his compositions became ever more radical. Amongst his many achievements, his nine symphonies are the finest ever composed, as are his String Quartets and Piano Sonatas. Beethoven's life was one of immense struggle - to face his own demons, his various physical ailments and the bewilderment of many of his audiences presented with the revolutionary nature of his work.

Key Works: Symphony No. 3 'Eroica', Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral', Symphony No. 7, Symphony No. 9 'Choral', Piano Concerto No. 5 'Emperor', Violin Concerto; String Quartets; Grosse Fuge; Cello Sonatas; Violin Sonata No. 5 'Spring'; Violin Sonata No. 7 'Kreutzer'; Piano Sonata No. 14 'Moonlight', Piano Sonata No. 23 'Appassionato', Piano Sonata No. 29 'Hammerklavier', Piano Sonata No. 32; Missa Solemnis; Fidelio

Key Artists: Daniel Barenboim; Karl Böhm; Alfred Brendel; Herbert von Karajan; Wilhelm Kempff; Carlos Kleiber; Otto Klemperer; Steven Kovacevich; Yeheudi Menuhin; Arthur Schnabel; Wolfgang Schneiderhan etc.

Influenced by: J.S. Bach; Handel; Haydn; Mozart
Influenced: Schubert; Mendelssohn; Berlioz; Schumann; Wagner; Brahms etc.