Ludwig van Beethoven Is Born

Setting the scene

Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770, in Bonn in the Electorate of Cologne; his grandfather Kapellmeister Ludwig and father Johann were musicians. Johann pushed his son as a child prodigy, sometimes harshly.

What happened

Beethoven moved to Vienna in his early twenties, studying briefly with Haydn, and composed symphonies, concertos, and piano sonatas while gradually losing his hearing from his late twenties onward.

Why it still matters

He composed his Ninth Symphony with choral finale 'Ode to Joy' when nearly deaf, and his late string quartets pushed Romantic boundaries. Memorable detail: at the 1824 Ninth premiere, Beethoven continued conducting after the music ended until a singer turned him to face the applauding audience he could not hear.

Background

He composed masterpieces while losing his hearing.