What is the main theme of Beethoven's work? Ludwig van Beethoven: biography. Works of Beethoven. last years of life

In order to know about one of the most talented and famous composers late XVIII And early XIX centuries, Ludwig van Beethoven, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the main moments of his life.

Therefore, the article provides summary the most important data from the maestro’s biography.

Ludwig van Beethoven - German composer

Ludwig van Beethoven, a German conductor, musician and composer, is one of the most fundamental figures in musical classicism.

Years of life: 12/1770/16. – 1827.03.26.

The composer's work includes all genres that existed during the period of his activity: works for choirs, music for dramatic performances and opera.

He created brilliant works between the classical and romantic periods, remaining the last representative of the Viennese classical school.

For children, it is important to answer the question - what instrument did Beethoven play? The composer owned several musical instruments, including organ, viola, piano, piano, violin and cello.

Famous pieces of music

For all my creative career Beethoven wrote a huge number musical works, especially well-known on their list are:

• 9 symphonies, only two of them received a title: the 3rd symphony “Eroic” in 1804 and the 6th symphony “Pastoral” in 1808;
• 32 sonatas, of which 16 are for young men, and 60 pieces for piano, of which the most notable are: “Moonlight Sonata”, “Pathétique Sonata” and “Appassionata”;
• 8 symphonic introductions to performances, one of them is No. 3 “Leonora”;
• musical accompaniment of the performances: “King Stephen”, “Egmont” and “Coriolanus”;
• “triple concertos” - concertos for cello, violin and piano;
• 10 pieces for violin and piano and 5 pieces for piano and cello;
• the only opera, in two parts, Fidelio;
• the only ballet from which only the introduction (overture) is performed, “The Creation of Prometheus”;
• "Solemn Mass";
• No. 14 piano sonata “The Seasons”;
• music for 40 poems and musical adaptations of songs of the peoples of Ireland and Scotland.

Brief biography of Beethoven

The information is compiled from the most important moments in the life and work of a musician.

Where he was born

In the German city of Bonn, which is located on the Rhine River, in the winter of 1770, the first-born, Ludwig, was born into the family of Johann van Beethoven and Maria Magdalene Keverich.

Father and mother

Beethoven's father and grandfather, Johann and Ludwig, were musicians and singers.

The grandfather of the future musician, Ludwig the Elder, was a Flemish singer who moved to Bonn, where he was lucky enough to become a musician at the court of the Elector of Cologne himself.

There, in the chapel, Johann, who had a pleasant tenor, got a job as a singer. There Johann meets the daughter of the cook Keverich, Maria Magdalena, with whom he later married.

Childhood

Ludwig’s childhood could not be called joyful, because after him 6 more brothers and sisters were born, and he had to help his mother with the housework.

On top of that, my father drank alcohol very often, which created a completely unhealthy atmosphere in the house.

Johann was a completely unbridled person, allowing himself to be assaulted, and in addition, the family never had enough money due to constant drinking bouts. Even his grandfather could not cope with the violent temper of Ludwig’s father, which may have later become the cause of four children’s deaths.

Alcohol, beatings, poverty and stress affected the mother’s health and childbearing, so everyone died almost in infancy.

Education and upbringing

On days when there was calm, Ludwig loved to listen to his grandfather's musical performance in the chapel, which did not go unnoticed by his father, who began to educate the boy in music.

But Johann’s goals were by no means noble; he was so impatient to quickly make a fortune from a talented child, so the learning process took place in a cruel atmosphere.

On top of that, Johann restricted his son from attending compulsory primary education, which subsequently affected the composer’s literacy. Gaps in education are visible in the surviving records of the musician; there are serious errors in counting and spelling.

The beginning of creativity

Ludwig gives his first concert, under the supervision of his father, in Cologne, but the proceeds turned out to be too small, which greatly disappointed Johann, and he entrusts his son to study with his familiar musicians.

But Mary Magdalene tried to support her son in every possible way, inviting him to transfer the music that appeared in his head to paper.

In 1782, young Ludwig met K. G. Nefe, an organist, composer and esthete, who took patronage of the talent, making him his assistant at court. Nefe teaches Ludwig, instilling a love for music and literary works, philosophical science and foreign languages. The young musician dreams of meeting and working together with Mozart, and this dream was destined to come true.

In 1787, Ludwig van Beethoven made his first trip to Vienna, where he demonstrated improvisations to Mozart, who, stunned by the young man’s performance, predicted his enormous popularity in the future. After this, the maestro agreed to Beethoven’s requests to give several professional lessons.

But fate decreed otherwise. Ludwig's mother became seriously ill, and therefore had to urgently return home. Mary Magdalene dies, and Ludwig has to take full care of his two younger brothers. For his children, Johann was bad father, he was only interested in a reckless, alcohol-soaked life, and the young musician had no choice but to turn to the Elector for help, asking for monthly financial assistance. This period of life was very difficult, suddenly complicated by typhus and smallpox.

Ludwig's unsleeping talent later allowed him to gain access to any musical gatherings and respect from wealthy families in his hometown. This allowed him to visit Vienna again in 1792, where the young man took lessons from famous composers: Haydn, Albrechtsberger, Schenck and Salieri. Using his acquaintances and knowledge, Beethoven became part of the circle of virtuoso musicians and titled persons.

True, to the pampered residents of Vienna, the composer’s music seemed very incomprehensible and monstrous, which greatly discouraged and irritated them. Then, without thinking twice, Ludwig goes to Berlin, where, as it seemed to him, he hoped to meet understanding.

Disappointment awaited there as well. Beethoven did not find what he was looking for. Corrupted morals and hypocrisy disguised as piety irritated him, and despite the improvisations accepted by the court of Frederick II and the offer to stay in Berlin, the musician returned to his beloved Vienna. The musician did not leave there voluntarily for several years, devoting himself entirely to his notes, creating three compositions a day.

Beethoven was an open revolutionary who was not afraid to express his views to everyone and everywhere. Even his appearance screamed about it, with its unruly curls, out of fashion, not changing to please anyone. Internal and external condition existed harmoniously.

This harmony of rebellion was skillfully captured on canvas in 1920 by the familiar artist Stieler.

This portrait of Beethoven is considered the most popular of all lifetime images.

At the age of 26, a real problem crept up on Beethoven - hearing loss. He had previously complained of frequent irritating noises and ringing in the ears, which indicated a developing disease - tinnitus.

Doctors' advice on maintaining peace and quiet did not improve the condition at all, and the composer, in a moment of despair, wrote a will. But the demonstrated strength of character characteristic of the composer did not allow him to kill himself. Realizing his impending deafness, the maestro decided not to waste time and work on his Third Symphony - “Eroic”.

Heyday

Since 1812, Beethoven has been creating his best monumental works for cello and his beloved piano, composing Symphony No. 9, “Solemn Mass” and the cycle for vocalists “To a Distant Beloved,” and processing songs of the peoples of Scotland, Russia, and Ireland.

In 1824, the 9th Symphony was first performed in public, with the maestro receiving thunderous applause, waving scarves and hats in greeting. This was allowed only when meeting with imperial persons, so the gendarmes were not slow to stop such freedom.

last years of life

In the winter of 1826, the maestro was struck by pneumonia, in addition to dropsy and jaundice. The fight against the disease continued for about three months, but this time it turned out to be weaker, and early in the morning Beethoven died.

He was only 56 years old. An autopsy showed that the maestro had by that time developed cirrhosis of the liver and pancreatitis.

The funeral procession of thousands saw off their beloved unique composer in complete silence. At the burial site, a pyramidal monument was erected with the image of a lyre, the sun and the name of the genius on it.

There are several interesting facts about Beethoven:

1. Due to hearing loss, the composer comes up with a way to hear the sound: he holds one end of a thin flat stick in his teeth, and leans the other against the edge of the instrument and feels the note through the vibration that appears.
2. When the disease took hold of his hearing, the deaf musician created a “conversation notebook” through which people communicated with him. Since the musician was not an admirer of people in power, he spoke about them in every possible way with unflattering and sometimes terrible words. This was dangerous, since at that time the royal spies were scurrying everywhere, and Beethoven’s friends constantly warned him in notebooks about their presence. But the maestro’s irony and lack of restraint did not allow him to remain silent, to which the answer was written to him in the notebook - “The scaffold is crying for you!” Some of these notebooks were destroyed.
3. Vienna-based forensic pathologist and expert Reuters conducted an analysis of Beethoven's hair in 2007, which showed that the cause of the maestro's death was lead poisoning due to improper treatment.
4. Unlike his contemporary, the composer Rossini, who covered himself with a blanket to compose, Beethoven stimulated his brain by pouring ice water over his head.

Outstanding Achievement by a Musician

Ludwig van Beethoven played an outstanding role in the development of the musical genres of his predecessors. He allowed as much freedom as possible into the performance of quartets, symphonies and sonatas, creating a sense of space and time.

The composer introduced each instrument with his works in such a way that the performer simply had to master it thoroughly.

Thus the harpsichord was pushed aside, which made the piano the main instrument, which with its expanded range extinguishes its modest grace and requires professional dedication.

The composer also introduced an innovation into the melody - an unexpected impulsive and contrasting performance, with changes in tempos and rhythms, which was sometimes difficult for contemporaries to accept.

Beethoven became a musical revolutionary, eclipsing the former traditional orientation with his creations, creating a new direction in the art of music.

Ludwig van Beethoven comes from a musical family. As a child, the future composer was introduced to playing musical instruments such as organ, harpsichord, violin, and flute.

Composer Christian Gottlob Nefe is Beethoven's first teacher. At the age of 12, Beethoven became an assistant organist at court. In addition to studying music, Ludwig studied languages, read such authors as Homer, Plutarch, Shakespeare, while simultaneously trying to compose music.

Beethoven loses his mother early and takes on all the family's expenses.

After moving to Vienna, Beethoven took music lessons from composers such as Haydn, Albrechtsberger, Salieri. Haydn notes the gloomy manner of performance of the future genius of music, but despite this virtuoso.

The composer's famous works appeared in Vienna: Moonlight Sonata and Pathétique Sonata,

Beethoven loses his hearing due to middle ear disease and settles in the city of Heiligenstadt. The peak of the composer's popularity is coming. The painful illness only helps Beethoven work with even greater enthusiasm on his compositions.

Ludwig van Beethoven died of liver disease in 1827. Over 20 thousand fans of the composer’s work came to the composer’s funeral.

Ludwig van Beethoven. Detailed biography

Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770 in Bonn. The boy was destined to be born into a musical family. His father was a tenor, and his grandfather was a choir director. Johann Beethoven had high hopes for his son and wanted to develop outstanding musical abilities in him. The methods of education were very cruel, and Ludwig had to study all night long. Despite the fact that in short time Johann failed to make a second Mozart out of his son; the gifted boy was noticed by composer Christian Nefe, who made a great contribution to both his musical and personal development. Due to severe financial situation, Beethoven began to work very early. At the age of 13 he was accepted as an assistant organist and later became concertmaster at the National Theater Bonn.

A turning point in Ludwig's biography was his trip to Vienna in 1787, where he was able to meet Mozart. “One day the whole world will talk about him!” was the summary of the great composer after listening to Beethoven’s improvisations. The young man dreamed of continuing his studies with his idol, but due to his mother’s serious illness he was forced to return to Bonn. Since then he had to take custody of younger brothers, and the issue of lack of money became even more acute. During this period, Ludwig found support in the Breuning family of aristocrats. His circle of acquaintances expands, the young man finds himself in a university environment. He actively works on large-scale musical works, such as sonatas and cantatas, and also writes songs for amateur performance, including “Groundhog”, “ Free man", "Sacrificial Song".

In 1792, Beethoven moved to live in Vienna. There he takes lessons from J. Gaidan, and later moves on to A. Salieri. Then he became known as a virtuoso pianist. Among Ludwig's fans there are many influential people, however, the composer was remembered by his contemporaries as a proud and independent person. He said: “I owe what I am to myself.” During the “Viennese” period 1792 - 1802. Beethoven wrote 3 concertos and several dozen sonatas for piano, works for violin and cello, the oratorio “Christ on the Mount of Olives” and the overture to the ballet “The Works of Prometheus”. At the same time, Sonata No. 8 or “Pathetique” was created, as well as Sonata No. 14, better known as “Moonlight”. The first part of the work, which Beethoven dedicated to his beloved, who took music lessons from him, received the name “Moonlight Sonata” from the critic L. Relshtab after the composer’s death.

Beethoven greeted the beginning of the 19th century with symphonies. In 1800 he completed work on the First Symphony, and in 1802 the Second was written. Then comes the most difficult period in the composer’s life. Signs of developing deafness intensify and lead Ludwig into a state of deepest mental crisis. In 1802, Beethoven wrote the “Heiligenstadt Testament”, in which he addressed people and shared his experiences. Despite everything, the composer once again managed to find a way out of a difficult situation, learned to create with his serious illness, although he emphasized that he was very close to suicide.

Period 1802-1812 - the heyday of Beethoven's career. Victory over yourself and events French Revolution are reflected in the Third Symphony, called “Eroic”, Symphony No. 5, and “Appassionata”. The Fourth and “Pastoral” symphonies are filled with light and harmony. For the Congress of Vienna, the composer wrote the cantatas “The Battle of Vittoria” and “A Happy Moment”, which brought him stunning success.

Beethoven was an innovator and a seeker. In 1814, his first and only opera “Fidelio” was first published, and a year later he created the first vocal cycle called “To a Distant Beloved”. Meanwhile, fate continues to challenge him. After the death of his brother, Ludwig takes his nephew to be raised by him. The young man turned out to be a gambler and even attempted suicide. Worries about his nephew seriously undermined Ludwig's health.

Meanwhile, the composer's deafness increased. For everyday communication Ludwig started “conversation notebooks,” and to create music he had to capture the vibration of the instrument using a wooden stick: Beethoven held one tip in his teeth and applied the other to the instrument. Fate tested the genius and took away from him the most precious thing - the opportunity to create. But Beethoven again overcomes circumstances and opens new stage in his work, which became an epilogue. In the period from 1817 to 1826, the composer wrote fugues, 5 sonatas and the same number of quartets. In 1823, Beethoven completed work on the “Solemn Mass,” which he treated with special trepidation. Symphony No. 9, performed in 1824, caused real delight among listeners. The audience greeted the composer standing, but the maestro could only see the applause when one of the singers turned him towards the stage.

In 1826, Ludwig van Beethoven fell ill with pneumonia. The condition was complicated by pain in the stomach and other concomitant diseases, which he never managed to cope with. Beethoven died in Vienna on March 26, 1827. It is believed that the composer's death was caused by poisoning with a drug containing lead. More than 20 thousand people came to say goodbye to the genius.

Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his most famous works during the most difficult periods of life. Scientists have found that the rhythm of a composer's work is his heart rate. A great genius gave his heart and life to music so that it could penetrate our hearts.

Option 3

There is probably not a single person in the world who has not heard the name of the greatest composer of all time, the last of the representatives of the “Viennese classical school,” Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beethoven is one of the most talented figures in the history of music. He wrote music in all genres, including opera and choral works. Beethoven's symphonies are still popular: many musicians record cover versions in different styles. It is necessary to get acquainted with the biography of the composer.

Childhood.

It is not known exactly when Ludwig was born. Rather, it happened on December 16, 1770, since it is known for sure that his christening fell on December 17 of the same year. Ludwig's father wanted to make his son a talented musician. Little Beethovin's first serious teacher was Christian Gottlob Nef, who immediately saw musical talent in the boy and began introducing him to the works of Mozart, Bach and Handel. At the age of 12, Beethoven wrote his first work, variations on a theme of Dressler's March.

As a seventeen-year-old boy, Ludwig first visited Vienna, where Mozart listened to the improvisation and appreciated it. At the same age, Beethoven lost his mother and she died. Ludwig had to take the leadership of the family and responsibility for his younger brothers.

Career blossoming.

In 1789, Beethoven decides to go to Vienna and study with Haydn. Soon, thanks to Ludwig's works, the composer received his first fame. He writes the Lunar and Pathetic Sonatas, and then the First and Second Symphonies and The Creation of Prometheus. Unfortunately, the great composer is overcome by an ear disease. But even with complete deafness, Beethoven continued to compose.

Last years.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Beethoven wrote with particular enthusiasm. In 1802-1812 the Ninth Symphony and the Solemn Mass were created. In those years, Beethoven enjoyed popularity and universal recognition, but due to the guardianship of his nephew, which the composer took upon himself, he immediately grew old. In the spring of 1827, Ludwig died of liver disease.

Despite the fact that the composer lived relatively short, he is recognized as the greatest musician of all time. The memory of him is alive now and will always live.

For children. 5th grade, 7th, 6th, 3rd, 4th grade.

Biography by dates and Interesting Facts. The most important.

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Beethoven was born in Bonn, probably on December 16, 1770 (baptized on December 17). In addition to German blood, Flemish blood also flowed in his veins: the composer’s paternal grandfather, also Ludwig, was born in 1712 in Malines (Flanders), served as a choirmaster in Ghent and Louvain and in 1733 moved to Bonn, where he became a court musician in the chapel of the Elector-Archbishop of Cologne . He was an intelligent man, a good singer, a professionally trained instrumentalist, he rose to the position of court conductor and enjoyed the respect of those around him. His The only son Johann (the rest of the children died in infancy) sang in the same chapel since childhood, but his position was precarious, since he drank heavily and led a disorderly life. Johann married Maria Magdalena Lime, the daughter of a cook. To them were born seven children, of whom three sons survive; Ludwig, the future composer, was the eldest of them.

Beethoven grew up in poverty. The father drank away his meager salary; he taught his son to play the violin and piano in the hope that he would become a child prodigy, a new Mozart, and provide for his family. Over time, the father's salary was increased in anticipation of the future of his gifted and hardworking son. Despite all this, the boy was not confident in his use of the violin, and on the piano (as well as on the violin) he liked to improvise more than to improve his playing technique.

General education Beethoven was as unsystematic as he was musically. In the latter, however, practice played a big role: he played the viola in the court orchestra and performed as a performer on keyboard instruments, including the organ, which he managed to quickly master. K. G. Nefe, Bonn court organist from 1782, became Beethoven's first real teacher (among other things, he went through with him the entire Well-Tempered Clavier of J. S. Bach). Beethoven's duties as a court musician expanded significantly when Archduke Maximilian Franz became Elector of Cologne and began to take care of musical life Bonn, where his residence was located. In 1787, Beethoven managed to visit Vienna for the first time - at that time the musical capital of Europe. According to stories, Mozart, having listened to the young man’s play, highly appreciated his improvisations and predicted a great future for him. But soon Beethoven had to return home - his mother was dying. He remained the sole breadwinner of a family consisting of a dissolute father and two younger brothers.

The young man's talent, his greed for musical impressions, his ardent and receptive nature attracted the attention of some enlightened Bonn families, and his brilliant piano improvisations provided him with free entry into any musical gatherings. The Breuning family did especially a lot for him, taking custody of the clumsy but original young musician. Dr. F. G. Wegeler became his lifelong friend, and Count F. E. G. Waldstein, his enthusiastic admirer, managed to convince the Archduke to send Beethoven to study in Vienna.

Vein. 1792–1802. In Vienna, where Beethoven came for the second time in 1792 and where he remained until the end of his days, he quickly found titled friends and patrons of the arts.

People who met the young Beethoven described the twenty-year-old composer as stocky young man, prone to panache, sometimes impudent, but good-natured and sweet in his relationships with friends. Realizing the inadequacy of his education, he went to Joseph Haydn, a recognized Viennese authority in the field of instrumental music (Mozart had died a year earlier) and for some time brought him counterpoint exercises for testing. Haydn, however, soon lost interest in the obstinate student, and Beethoven, secretly from him, began to take lessons from I. Schenck and then from the more thorough I. G. Albrechtsberger. In addition, wanting to improve his vocal writing, he visited for several years the famous opera composer Antonio Salieri. Soon he joined a circle that united titled amateurs and professional musicians. Prince Karl Lichnowsky introduced the young provincial into the circle of his friends.

The question of how much the environment and the spirit of the time influence creativity is ambiguous. Beethoven read the works of F. G. Klopstock, one of the predecessors of the Sturm und Drang movement. He knew Goethe and deeply revered the thinker and poet. Political and public life Europe at that time was alarming: when Beethoven arrived in Vienna in 1792, the city was excited by news of the revolution in France. Beethoven enthusiastically accepted revolutionary slogans and praised freedom in his music. The volcanic, explosive nature of his work is undoubtedly the embodiment of the spirit of the time, but only in the sense that the character of the creator was to some extent shaped by this time. The bold violation of generally accepted norms, the powerful self-affirmation, the thunderous atmosphere of Beethoven's music - all this would have been unthinkable in Mozart's era.

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However, Beethoven's early works largely follow the canons of the 18th century: this applies to trios (strings and piano), violin, piano and cello sonatas. The piano was then Beethoven’s closest instrument; in his piano works he expressed his most intimate feelings with utmost sincerity, and the slow movements of some sonatas (for example, Largo e mesto from sonata op. 10, no. 3) were already imbued with romantic longing. Pathetic Sonata op. 13 is also an obvious anticipation of Beethoven's later experiments. In other cases, his innovation has the character of a sudden invasion, and the first listeners perceived it as obvious arbitrariness. Six string quartets op. published in 1801. 18 can be considered the greatest achievement of this period; Beethoven was clearly in no hurry to publish, realizing what high examples of quartet writing were left by Mozart and Haydn. Beethoven's first orchestral experience was associated with two concertos for piano and orchestra (No. 1, C major and No. 2, B-flat major), created in 1801: he, apparently, was not sure about them either, being well acquainted with the greats Mozart's achievements in this genre. Among the best-known (and least provocative) early works is the septet op. 20 (1802). The next opus, the First Symphony (published at the end of 1801) is Beethoven's first purely orchestral work.

Approaching deafness.

We can only guess to what extent Beethoven's deafness influenced his work. The disease developed gradually. Already in 1798 he complained of tinnitus; it was difficult for him to distinguish high tones, understand a conversation conducted in a whisper. Horrified at the prospect of becoming an object of pity - a deaf composer, he told his close friend Karl Amenda about his illness, as well as doctors, who advised him to protect his hearing as much as possible. He continued to move in the circle of his Viennese friends, took part in musical evenings, and composed a lot. He managed to hide his deafness so well that until 1812 even people who often met him did not suspect how serious his illness was. The fact that during a conversation he often answered inappropriately was attributed to a bad mood or absent-mindedness.

In the summer of 1802, Beethoven retired to the quiet suburb of Vienna - Heiligenstadt. A stunning document appeared there - the “Heiligenstadt Testament”, the painful confession of a musician tormented by illness. The will is addressed to Beethoven's brothers (with instructions to read and execute after his death); in it he talks about his mental suffering: it is painful when “a person standing next to me hears a flute playing from afar, inaudible to me; or when someone hears a shepherd singing, but I cannot distinguish a sound.” But then, in a letter to Dr. Wegeler, he exclaims: “I will take fate by the throat!”, and the music that he continues to write confirms this decision: in the same summer the bright Second Symphony, op. 36, gorgeous piano sonatas op. 31 and three violin sonatas, op. thirty.

Second period. "New way".

According to the “three-period” classification proposed in 1852 by one of the first researchers of Beethoven’s work, W. von Lenz, the second period approximately covers 1802–1815.

The final break with the past was more a realization, a continuation of the trends of the earlier period, than a conscious “declaration of independence”: Beethoven was not a theoretical reformer, like Gluck before him and Wagner after him. The first decisive breakthrough towards what Beethoven himself called the “new path” occurred in the Third Symphony (Eroica), work on which dates back to 1803–1804. Its duration is three times longer than any other symphony written previously. The first movement is music of extraordinary power, the second is a stunning outpouring of sorrow, the third is a witty, whimsical scherzo, and the finale - variations on a jubilant, festive theme - is far superior in its power to the traditional rondo finales composed by Beethoven's predecessors. It is often argued (and not without reason) that Beethoven initially dedicated the Eroica to Napoleon, but upon learning that he had proclaimed himself emperor, he canceled the dedication. “Now he will trample on the rights of man and satisfy only his own ambition,” these are, according to stories, Beethoven’s words when he tore up the title page of the score with the dedication. In the end, the Heroic was dedicated to one of the patrons - Prince Lobkowitz.

Works of the second period.

During these years, brilliant creations came out of his pen one after another. The composer's major works, listed in the order of their appearance, form an incredible stream of brilliant music, this imaginary sound world replaces its creator with the world of real sounds leaving him. It was a victorious self-affirmation, a reflection of the hard work of thought, evidence of a rich inner life musician.

We can name only the most important works of the second period: violin sonata in A major, op. 47 (Kreutzerova, 1802–1803); Third Symphony, op. 55 (Heroic, 1802–1805); oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, op. 85 (1803); piano sonatas: Waldstein, op. 53; F major, op. 54, Appassionata, op. 57 (1803–1815); Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 (1805–1806); Beethoven's only opera is Fidelio, op. 72 (1805, second edition 1806); three “Russian” quartets, op. 59 (dedicated to Count Razumovsky; 1805–1806); Fourth Symphony in B flat major, op. 60 (1806); violin concerto, op. 61 (1806); Overture to Collin's tragedy Coriolanus, op. 62 (1807); Mass in C major, op. 86 (1807); Fifth Symphony in C minor, op. 67 (1804–1808); Sixth Symphony, op. 68 (Pastoral, 1807–1808); cello sonata in A major, op. 69 (1807); two piano trios, op. 70 (1808); Piano Concerto No. 5, op. 73 (Emperor, 1809); quartet, op. 74 (Harp, 1809); piano sonata, op. 81a (Farewell, 1809–1910); three songs on poems by Goethe, op. 83 (1810); music for Goethe's tragedy Egmont, op. 84 (1809); Quartet in F minor, op. 95 (1810); Eighth Symphony in F major, op. 93 (1811–1812); piano trio in B flat major, op. 97 (Archduke, 1818).

The second period includes Beethoven's highest achievements in the genres of violin and piano concertos, violin and cello sonatas, and operas; The genre of piano sonata is represented by such masterpieces as the Appassionata and Waldstein. But even musicians were not always able to perceive the novelty of these compositions. They say that one of his colleagues once asked Beethoven whether he really considered one of the quartets dedicated to the Russian envoy in Vienna, Count Razumovsky, to be music. “Yes,” the composer answered, “but not for you, but for the future.”

The source of inspiration for a number of compositions were the romantic feelings that Beethoven felt for some of his high-society students. This probably refers to the two sonatas “quasi una Fantasia”, Op. 27 (published in 1802). The second of them (later named “Lunar”) is dedicated to Countess Juliet Guicciardi. Beethoven even thought about proposing to her, but realized in time that a deaf musician was not a suitable match for a flirtatious social beauty. Other ladies he knew rejected him; one of them called him a “freak” and “half crazy.” The situation was different with the Brunswick family, in which Beethoven gave music lessons to his two older sisters - Teresa (“Tesi”) and Josephine (“Pepi”). It has long been discarded that the addressee of the message to the “Immortal Beloved” found in Beethoven’s papers after his death was Teresa, but modern researchers do not rule out that this addressee was Josephine. In any case, the idyllic Fourth Symphony owes its conception to Beethoven's stay at the Brunswick Hungarian estate in the summer of 1806.

The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth (Pastoral) symphonies were composed in 1804–1808. The fifth, probably the most famous symphony in the world, opens with a brief motif about which Beethoven said: “Thus fate knocks at the door.” The Seventh and Eighth Symphonies were completed in 1812.

In 1804, Beethoven willingly accepted the commission to compose an opera, since in Vienna success on the opera stage meant fame and money. The plot in brief was as follows: a brave, enterprising woman, dressed in men's clothing, saves her beloved husband, imprisoned by a cruel tyrant, and exposes the latter before the people. To avoid confusion with a pre-existing opera based on this plot - Leonore Gaveau, Beethoven's work was called Fidelio, after the name taken by the heroine in disguise. Of course, Beethoven had no experience composing for the theater. The climaxes of the melodrama are marked by excellent music, but in other sections the lack of dramatic flair prevents the composer from rising above the operatic routine (although he strived very hard to do so: there are fragments in Fidelio that were reworked up to eighteen times). Nevertheless, the opera gradually won over listeners (during the composer’s lifetime there were three productions of it in different editions - in 1805, 1806 and 1814). It can be argued that the composer did not put so much effort into any other composition.

Beethoven, as already mentioned, deeply revered the works of Goethe, composed several songs based on his texts, music for his tragedy Egmont, but met Goethe only in the summer of 1812, when they ended up together at a resort in Teplitz. The refined manners of the great poet and the harsh behavior of the composer did not contribute to their rapprochement. “His talent amazed me extremely, but, unfortunately, he has an indomitable temper, and the world seems to him a hateful creation,” says Goethe in one of his letters.

Friendship with Archduke Rudolf.

Beethoven's friendship with Rudolf, the Austrian Archduke and half-brother of the Emperor, is one of the most interesting historical stories. Around 1804, the Archduke, then 16 years old, began taking piano lessons from the composer. Despite the huge difference in social status, teacher and student felt sincere affection for each other. Appearing for lessons at the Archduke's palace, Beethoven had to pass by countless lackeys, call his student “Your Highness” and fight his amateurish attitude towards music. And he did all this with amazing patience, although he never hesitated to cancel lessons if he was busy composing. Commissioned by the Archduke, such works as the piano sonata Farewell, the Triple Concerto, the last and most grandiose Fifth Piano Concerto, and the Solemn Mass (Missa solemnis) were created. It was originally intended for the ceremony of the Archduke's elevation to the rank of Archbishop of Olmut, but was not completed on time. The Archduke, Prince Kinsky and Prince Lobkowitz established a kind of scholarship for the composer who had brought glory to Vienna, but received no support from the city authorities, and the Archduke turned out to be the most reliable of the three patrons. During Congress of Vienna in 1814, Beethoven derived considerable material benefit from communicating with the aristocracy and kindly listened to compliments - he managed to at least partially hide the contempt for the court “brilliance” that he always felt.

Last years. The composer's financial situation improved noticeably. Publishers hunted for his scores and ordered works such as large piano variations on a theme of Diabelli's waltz (1823). His caring friends, especially A. Schindler, who was deeply devoted to Beethoven, observing the musician’s chaotic and deprived lifestyle and hearing his complaints that he had been “robbed” (Beethoven became unreasonably suspicious and was ready to blame almost everyone around him for the worst ), could not understand where he was putting the money. They didn’t know that the composer was putting them off, but he wasn’t doing it for himself. When his brother Kaspar died in 1815, the composer became one of the guardians of his ten-year-old nephew Karl. Beethoven's love for the boy and his desire to ensure his future came into conflict with the distrust that the composer felt towards Karl's mother; as a result, he only constantly quarreled with both, and this situation colored the last period of his life with a tragic light. During the years when Beethoven sought full guardianship, he composed little.

Beethoven's deafness became almost complete. By 1819, he had to completely switch to communicating with his interlocutors using a slate board or paper and pencil (the so-called Beethoven conversation notebooks have been preserved). Completely immersed in such works as the majestic Solemn Mass in D major (1818) or the Ninth Symphony, he behaved strangely, causing alarm to strangers: he “sang, howled, stamped his feet, and generally seemed to be engaged in a mortal struggle with invisible enemy" (Schindler). The brilliant last quartets, the last five piano sonatas - grandiose in scale, unusual in form and style - seemed to many contemporaries to be the works of a madman. And yet, Viennese listeners recognized the nobility and greatness of Beethoven's music; they felt that they were dealing with a genius. In 1824, during the performance of the Ninth Symphony with its choral finale to the text of Schiller's Ode to Joy (An die Freude), Beethoven stood next to the conductor. The hall was captivated by the powerful climax at the end of the symphony, the audience went wild, but Beethoven did not turn around. One of the singers had to take him by the sleeve and turn him to face the audience so that the composer bowed.

The fate of other later works was more complicated. Many years passed after Beethoven's death, and only then did the most receptive musicians begin to perform his last quartets (including the Grand Fugue, Op. 33) and the last piano sonatas, revealing to people these highest, most beautiful achievements of Beethoven. Sometimes Beethoven's late style is characterized as contemplative, abstract, in some cases neglecting the laws of euphony; in fact, this music is an endless source of powerful and intelligent spiritual energy.

Beethoven died in Vienna on March 26, 1827 from pneumonia, complicated by jaundice and dropsy.

Beethoven's contribution to world culture.

Beethoven continued the general line of development of the symphony, sonata, and quartet genres outlined by his predecessors. However, his interpretation of known forms and genres was distinguished by great freedom; we can say that Beethoven expanded their boundaries in time and space. He did not expand the composition of the symphony orchestra that had developed by his time, but his scores require, firstly, a larger number of performers in each part, and secondly, the performing skill of each orchestra member, incredible in his era; in addition, Beethoven was very sensitive to the individual expressiveness of each instrumental timbre. The piano in his works is not a close relative of the elegant harpsichord: the entire expanded range of the instrument, all its dynamic capabilities, are used.

In the areas of melody, harmony, and rhythm, Beethoven often resorts to the technique of sudden change and contrast. One form of contrast is the contrast between decisive themes with a clear rhythm and more lyrical, smoothly flowing sections. Sharp dissonances and unexpected modulations into distant keys are also an important feature of Beethoven's harmony. He expanded the range of tempos used in music and often resorted to dramatic, impulsive changes in dynamics. Sometimes the contrast appears as a manifestation of Beethoven's characteristically somewhat rude humor - this happens in his frantic scherzos, which in his symphonies and quartets often replace a more sedate minuet.

Unlike his predecessor Mozart, Beethoven had difficulty composing. Notebooks Beethoven is shown how gradually, step by step, a grandiose composition emerges from uncertain sketches, marked by a convincing logic of construction and rare beauty. Just one example: in the original sketch of the famous “fate motif” that opens the Fifth Symphony, it was assigned to the flute, which means that the theme had a completely different figurative meaning. Powerful artistic intelligence allows the composer to turn a disadvantage into an advantage: Beethoven contrasts Mozart’s spontaneity and instinctive sense of perfection with unsurpassed musical and dramatic logic. She is the one main source Beethoven's greatness, his incomparable ability to organize contrasting elements into a monolithic whole. Beethoven erases traditional caesuras between sections of form, avoids symmetry, merges parts of the cycle, and develops extended constructions from thematic and rhythmic motifs, which at first glance do not contain anything interesting. In other words, Beethoven creates musical space with the power of his mind, his own will. He anticipated and created those artistic movements that became decisive for the musical art of the 19th century. And today his works are among the greatest, most revered creations of the human genius. Smertnik Cool guy. His musical and dramatic (that's right!) works, especially the first and second parts of the Ninth Symphony, have no equal in the entire world of art in terms of depth, beauty and purity of content.

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2 13.11.2007 01:00:01

they wrote the rules will do

Beethove is with us!
Reward 14.05.2010 08:01:08

Nature has placed a barrier between her and humanity: morality. A person who is always aware of his social level challenges fate with his creativity and his rebellion is being watched higher power. However, they are also preparing talent for such a protest. They form him to the extent required to accomplish the main work of his life, in the case of Beethoven - his music, for imagining humanity without his symphonies is the same as deleting Columbus, trampling on the fire given by Prometheus, or returning humanity from space. Yes, if Beethoven had not existed before space, we would have had to throw up our hands at the launches: something is missing, something is slowing down, somewhere we “messed up”... But everything is in order, friends! Beethoven is with us. With humanity forever this rebel, this loner, who sacrificed a successful cozy bedroom, a comfortable family nest, and contrary to respectable burgher morality, it is he who lends his shoulder to any breakthrough of humanity into the future, he, this breakthrough, is unthinkable without Beethoven.

Beethoven lives in me
Aziz 12.12.2016 12:47:39

Nice article, thanks. I was looking for whether Beethoven had children and found this article. Just today I wrote the thought that if people were not so obsessed with sex and reproduction, they could approach the greatness of the geniuses of mankind, of which Beethoven is a shining example.
When I lose heart and life is ready to crush me, when they try to intimidate me with death, I always remember the sounds of his 9th Symphony, heard in my youth, and I understand that the one who went through and survived the 9th Symphony with Beethoven to the end is invincible and undaunted. 9 Symphony is my personal nuclear weapon, nuclear button turning me into Beethoven's Superman.. His Spirit comes to life and lives in me in the tact of moments and my weak body and mind are in no way a burden for him. The feeling is as if an engine from Belaz, or even from one in general, was installed on a passenger car. jet plane)) This unique experience. But I still can’t listen to Beethoven’s music for a long time. It quite hardens your heart and you start to climb the wall, quarrel with everyone... In this regard, Tchaikovsky has a more harmonious influence on the Spirit and Mind. In Tchaikovsky's music there is not only a fierce struggle, but also a lot that touches the heart, melts it and makes it cry for no apparent reason. Because Tchaikovsky awakened your soul and showed you himself... And Beethoven's symphonies are well suited for some titanic efforts and achievements. Or to pull yourself out of a complete swamp, like Baron Munchausen by the scruff of the neck... Tchaikovsky gives Reason, thanks to which you can go not ahead, but wisely, which relieves you of titanic overstrain.
However, not everyone thinks so. Some people told me that Tchaikovsky’s music, compared to Beethoven’s, is full of water...) I don’t think so. You won't miss a single note. In general, these 2 composers are my teachers in life. Anyone who has listened to and lived Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony has lived a whole life and his soul has become wiser for this life...

Ludwig Van Beethoven is a famous deaf composer who created 650 musical works that are recognized as world classics. The life of a talented musician is marked by a constant struggle with difficulties and adversity.

Childhood and youth

In the winter of 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in a poor quarter of Bonn. The baby's baptism took place on December 17. The boy's grandfather and father are distinguished by their singing talent, so they work in the court chapel. It’s difficult to call a child’s childhood happy, because a constantly drunk father and a miserable existence do not contribute to the development of talent.

Ludwig remembers with bitterness his own room, located in the attic, where there was an old harpsichord and an iron bed. Johann (father) often got drunk to the point of unconsciousness and beat his wife, taking out his evil. My son also received beatings from time to time. Mom Maria dearly loved the only surviving child, sang songs to the baby and brightened up the gray, joyless everyday life as best she could.

Ludwig's early age musical abilities appeared, which Johann immediately noticed. Envious of the fame and talent, whose name is already thundering in Europe, he decided to educate from own child similar genius. Now the baby’s life is filled with exhausting lessons in playing the piano and violin.

The father, figuring out the boy’s talent, forced him to practice 5 instruments simultaneously - organ, harpsichord, viola, violin, flute. Young Louis spent hours poring over playing music. The slightest mistakes were punished by flogging and beatings. Johann invited teachers to his son, whose lessons were mostly mediocre and unsystematic.

The man sought to quickly train Ludwig to perform in concert in the hope of royalties. Johann even asked for an increase in salary at work, promising to place his gifted son in the archbishop's chapel. But the family did not live any better, as the money was spent on alcohol. At the age of six, Louis, urged by his father, gives a concert in Cologne. But the fee received turned out to be tiny.

Thanks to his mother's support, the young genius began to improvise and take notes on his own works. Nature generously endowed the child with talent, but development was difficult and painful. Ludwig was so immersed in the melodies created in his mind that he could not get out of this state on his own.

In 1782, Christian Gottloba was appointed director of the court chapel, who became Louis's teacher. The man saw glimpses of talent in the young man and began to educate him. Realizing that musical skills do not provide full development, he instills in Ludwig a love of literature, philosophy and ancient languages. , become the idols of the young genius. Beethoven eagerly studies the works and Handel, dreaming of working together with Mozart.

The young man first visited the musical capital of Europe, Vienna, in 1787, where he met Wolfgang Amadeus. The famous composer, having heard Ludwig’s improvisations, was delighted. To the astonished audience, Mozart said:

“Keep your eyes on this boy. One day the world will talk about him.”

Beethoven agreed with the maestro on several lessons, which had to be interrupted due to his mother’s illness.

Returning to Bonn and burying his mother, the young man plunged into despair. This painful moment in his biography had a negative impact on the musician’s work. The young man is forced to look after his two younger brothers and endure his father's drunken antics. The young man turned to the prince for financial help, who assigned the family an allowance of 200 thalers. The ridicule of the neighbors and the bullying of the children greatly hurt Ludwig, who said that he would get out of poverty and earn money through his own labor.

The talented young man found patrons in Bonn who provided him with free access to musical meetings and salons. The Breuning family took custody of Louis, who taught music to their daughter Lorchen. The girl married Dr. Wegeler. Until the end of his life, the teacher maintained friendly relations with this couple.

Music

In 1792, Beethoven went to Vienna, where he quickly found friends and patrons of the arts. To improve his skills in instrumental music, he turned to him, to whom he brought his own works for testing. The relationship between the musicians did not work out right away, as Haydn was annoyed by the obstinate student. Then the young man takes lessons from Schenk and Albrechtsberger. He improves his vocal writing together with Antonio Salieri, who introduced the young man to the circle of professional musicians and titled persons.

A year later, Ludwig van Beethoven created music for the “Ode to Joy,” written by Schiller in 1785 for the Masonic lodge. Throughout his life, the maestro modifies the anthem, striving for a triumphant sound of the composition. The public heard the symphony, which caused frantic delight, only in May 1824.

Beethoven soon became a fashionable pianist in Vienna. In 1795, the young musician made his debut in the salon. Having played three piano trios and three sonatas own composition, charmed his contemporaries. Those present noted Louis's stormy temperament, richness of imagination and depth of feeling. Three years later, the man is overtaken by terrible disease– tinnitus, which develops slowly but surely.

Beethoven hid his illness for 10 years. Those around him did not even realize that the pianist had begun to become deaf, and his slips and answers were inadvertently attributed to absent-mindedness and inattention. In 1802 he wrote the “Heiligenstadt Testament” addressed to his brothers. In the work, Louis describes his own mental suffering and worry about the future. The man orders this confession to be announced only after death.

In the letter to Dr. Wegeler there is a line: “I will not give up and take fate by the throat!” The love of life and expression of genius were expressed in the enchanting “Second Symphony” and three violin sonatas. Realizing that he will soon become completely deaf, he eagerly gets to work. This period is considered the heyday of the work of the brilliant pianist.

The “Pastoral Symphony” of 1808 consists of five movements and occupies a special place in the life of the master. The man loved to relax in remote villages, communicate with nature and think about new masterpieces. The fourth movement of the symphony is called “Thunderstorm. Storm”, where the master conveys the riot of the raging elements, using piano, trombones and piccolo flute.

In 1809, Ludwig received a proposal from the management of the city theater to write musical accompaniment to the drama "Egmont" by Goethe. As a sign of respect for the writer’s work, the pianist refused any monetary reward. The man wrote music in parallel with theater rehearsals. Actress Antonia Adamberger joked with the composer, admitting to him his lack of singing talent. In response to the puzzled look, she skillfully performed the aria. Beethoven did not appreciate the humor and said sternly:

“I see that you can still perform overtures, so I’ll go and write these songs.”

From 1813 to 1815 he wrote fewer works, as he finally lost his hearing. A brilliant mind finds a way out. Louis uses a thin wooden stick to “hear” the music. One end of the plate is clamped with the teeth, and the other is leaned against the front panel of the instrument. And thanks to the transmitted vibration, he feels the sound of the instrument.

The compositions of this life period are filled with tragedy, depth and philosophical meaning. The works of the greatest musician become classics for contemporaries and descendants.

Personal life

The personal life story of the gifted pianist is extremely tragic. Ludwig was considered a commoner among the aristocratic elite, and therefore had no right to lay claim to noble maidens. In 1801 he fell in love with the young Countess Julie Guicciardi. The feelings of the young people were not mutual, since the girl was simultaneously dating Count von Gallenberg, whom she married two years after they met. The composer expressed the torment of love and the bitterness of losing his beloved in the “Moonlight Sonata,” which became a hymn to unrequited love.

From 1804 to 1810, Beethoven was passionately in love with Josephine Brunswik, the widow of Count Joseph Deym. The woman enthusiastically responds to the advances and letters of her ardent lover. But the romance ended at the insistence of Josephine's relatives, who are sure that a commoner would not be a worthy candidate for a wife. After a painful breakup, a man proposes to Teresa Malfatti out of principle. Receives a refusal and writes the masterpiece sonata “Für Elise”.

The emotional turmoil he experienced so upset the impressionable Beethoven that he decided to spend the rest of his life in splendid isolation. In 1815, after the death of his brother, he became embroiled in a legal battle over the custody of his nephew. The child's mother has a reputation as a woman who goes out for a walk, so the court satisfied the musician's demands. It soon became clear that Karl (nephew) had inherited bad habits mother.

The uncle raises the boy strictly, tries to instill a love of music and eradicate alcohol and gambling addiction. Having no children of his own, the man is not experienced in teaching and does not stand on ceremony with the spoiled young man. Another scandal leads the guy to attempt suicide, which was unsuccessful. Ludwig sends Karl to the army.

Death

In 1826, Louis caught a cold and contracted pneumonia. The pulmonary disease was accompanied by stomach pain. The doctor incorrectly calculated the dosage of the medicine, so the malaise progressed daily. The man was bedridden for 6 months. At this time, Beethoven was visited by friends trying to ease the suffering of the dying man.

The talented composer died at the age of 57 - March 26, 1827. On this day, a thunderstorm raged outside the windows, and the moment of death was marked by a terrible thunderclap. During the autopsy, it turned out that the master’s liver had decomposed and the auditory and adjacent nerves were damaged. Beethoven is accompanied on his last journey by 20,000 townspeople, funeral procession heads . The musician was buried in the Waring cemetery of the Holy Trinity Church.

• At the age of 12 he published a collection of variations for keyboard instruments.
• He was considered the first musician to whom the city council assigned a financial allowance.
• Wrote 3 love letters to the “Immortal Beloved”, found only after death.
• Beethoven wrote a single opera called Fidelio. There are no other similar works in the master’s biography.
• The greatest misconception of contemporaries is that Ludwig wrote the following works: “Music of Angels” and “Melody of Tears of Rain.” These compositions were created by other pianists.
• He valued friendship and helped those in need.
• Could work on 5 works at the same time.
• In 1809, when he bombed the city, he was worried that he would lose his hearing from the shell explosions. Therefore, he hid in the basement of the house and covered his ears with pillows.
• In 1845, the first monument dedicated to the composer was opened in Beaune.
• The Beatles' song "Because" is based on the "Moonlight Sonata" played in reverse.
• “Ode to Joy” has been designated as the anthem of the European Union.
• Died from lead poisoning due to medical error.
• Modern psychiatrists believe that he suffered from bipolar disorder.
• Photographs of Beethoven are printed on German postage stamps.

Musical works

Symphonies

• First C major op. 21 (1800)
• Second D major op. 36 (1802)
• Third Es-dur “Heroic” op. 56 (1804)
• Fourth B major op. 60 (1806)
• Fifth C minor op. 67 (1805-1808)
• Sixth F-dur “Pastoral” op. 68 (1808)
• Seventh A major op. 92 (1812)
• Eighth F major op. 93 (1812)
• Ninth d minor op. 125 (with choir, 1822-1824)

Overtures

• "Prometheus" from op. 43 (1800)
• "Coriolanus" op. 62 (1806)
• "Leonora" No. 1 op. 138 (1805)
• "Leonora" No. 2 op. 72 (1805)
• "Leonora" No. 3 op. 72a (1806)
• "Fidelio" op. 726 (1814)
• "Egmont" from op. 84 (1810)
• "Ruins of Athens" from op. 113 (1811)
• "King Stephen" from op. 117 (1811)
• "Birthday" op. 115 (18(4)
• "Consecration of the House" cf. 124 (1822)

More than 40 dances and marches for symphony and brass orchestra

Beethoven was presumably born on December 16 (only the date of his baptism is known exactly - December 17), 1770 in the city of Bonn into a musical family. From childhood he was taught to play the organ, harpsichord, violin, and flute.

For the first time, composer Christian Gottlob Nefe began to work seriously with Ludwig. Already at the age of 12, Beethoven’s biography included his first musical job – assistant organist at court. Beethoven studied several languages ​​and tried to compose music.

The beginning of a creative journey

After his mother's death in 1787, he took over the family's financial responsibilities. Ludwig Beethoven began playing in an orchestra and listening to university lectures. Having accidentally encountered Haydn in Bonn, Beethoven decides to take lessons from him. For this he moves to Vienna. Already at this stage, after listening to one of Beethoven’s improvisations, the great Mozart said: “He will make everyone talk about himself!” After some attempts, Haydn sent Beethoven to study with Albrechtsberger. Then Antonio Salieri became Beethoven's teacher and mentor.

The rise of a musical career

Haydn briefly noted that Beethoven's music was dark and strange. However, in those years, Ludwig's virtuoso piano playing brought him his first fame. Beethoven's works differ from the classical playing of harpsichordists. There, in Vienna, the future famous works were written: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Pathétique Sonata.

Rude and proud in public, the composer was very open and friendly towards his friends. Beethoven's work next years filled with new works: the First, Second Symphonies, “The Creation of Prometheus”, “Christ on the Mount of Olives”. However, Beethoven's further life and work were complicated by the development of an ear disease - tinitis.

The composer retires to the city of Heiligenstadt. There he works on the Third – Heroic Symphony. Complete deafness separates Ludwig from outside world. However, even this event cannot make him stop composing. According to critics, Beethoven's Third Symphony fully reveals his greatest talent. The opera “Fidelio” is staged in Vienna, Prague, and Berlin.

Last years

In the years 1802-1812, Beethoven wrote sonatas with special desire and zeal. Then entire series of works for piano, cello, the famous Ninth Symphony, and the Solemn Mass were created.

Let us note that the biography of Ludwig Beethoven in those years was filled with fame, popularity and recognition. Even the authorities, despite his frank thoughts, did not dare to touch the musician. However, strong feelings about his nephew, whom Beethoven took into custody, quickly aged the composer. And on March 26, 1827, Beethoven died of liver disease.

Many of Ludwig van Beethoven's works have become classics not only for adult listeners, but also for children.

There are about a hundred monuments to the great composer around the world.