Ludwig van Beethoven: music that is brave and strong

From Bonn to Vienna

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, and was baptised in December 1770. His father was a court singer who hoped he would become a famous child performer, like Mozart. Beethoven moved to Vienna as a young man and became well known as a pianist and a composer.

Losing his hearing

When he was in his late twenties, Beethoven began to notice that his hearing was getting worse. Over the years it became harder and harder to hear. By the end of his life he was almost completely deaf.

He still wrote music, because he could imagine the sounds in his mind. In his later years, friends wrote their side of a conversation in small notebooks for him to read. He died in Vienna in 1827.

Some famous pieces

Beethoven's music often builds from tiny ideas into something huge.

Symphony No. 5

It starts with four famous notes: three short and one long.

Für Elise

A short, gentle piano piece loved by many students.

Symphony No. 9

His last symphony, first performed in 1824, ends with a chorus singing the "Ode to Joy".

Moonlight Sonata

A piano sonata whose slow, quiet first part is famous. The nickname was added after he died.

A bridge between two eras

Beethoven began by writing in the clear, balanced Classical style. As he went on, his music became bigger and more personal. Because of this, he is often described as standing between the Classical and the Romantic eras.