AY Honors/Music/Beethoven

Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. His father and grandfather were both singers at the court of the prince of Cologne. By age eleven and a half he was the assistant organist at the court chapel and by twelve he had published some music.

Beethoven was then shattered to realize that he was loosing his hearing. By 1802 at the age of 32, he had decided to retire, but after a while the will to create music was so strong that Beethoven continued to compose without hearing. He envisioned the musical beauty all the more vividly in his mind since he could not hear it.

His two best know compositions are his Fifth and Ninth Symphonies. The entire fifth symphony is united as a musical idea by the four notes heard at the beginning of the piece. His ninth symphony is known for its ending piece which includes a choir singing “Ode to Joy”.