Germany that would change the change of music for an era. Ludwig van Beethoven was born into a family of musicians. HIS grandfather, whom he was named after, was a bass singer and Experimentalist at the electorate of Cologne. Beethoven’s father, Johann, was a court tenor and music teacher. His mother, Maria Magdalene Lemma, came from a family of wealthy landowners and senators. When Beethoven was only three years of age his grandfather passed away, leaving an inheritance of cash, unpaid loans and property o his son Johann.
But through poor management of the new found wealth, his family would, once again, be bound to a moderate family Income. Most of the mismanagement was due to Johannes love for alcohol. At about the age of four or five, Beethoven began his instruction in music. Johann began Ludwig teachings on the clavier and violin and later moved him to the piano. Ludwig musical education was described as “brutal and willful. “l His father would come in from a late night of drinking and use threats of violence to force Ludwig into practicing.
Though he instantly referred to his mother as an “honest and good-hearted woman,”l Ludwig would, unsuccessfully, attempt to seek solace from her. This caused him to look upon his deceased grandfather as a source pride and emulation. Although he had friends, he remained withdrawn from them throughout his childhood. He did not do well in school, especially mathematics; this was due to his poor study habits. Instead, he would spend all of his time playing on the piano and developing his skills. His physical appearance was also known to be less than admirable.
He suppressed all active thought of his parents and, after his fathers death, even entertained the idea that he was the illegitimate child of French Royalty. For the next two decades. Beethoven would have great teachers that would shape his talents and he would write some of his most memorable compositions. By 1 796, he would be hit with his first symptoms of deafness. By 1801 , the deafness progressed to “humming, buzzing, and other discordant sounds in the ears. “2 By 1817, after years as a solo pianist, he could no longer hear music.
Although he still had some traces of hearing, even rinds had to communicate with him In writing. But, while battling this dilemma, his music remained unaffected and some even say that his deafness may have actually heightened his ability as a composer. “Ultimately, Beethoven turned all of his defeats In the autumn of 1826, Beethoven went to Engineering for a into victories. “3 holiday. It was here that he wrote his last string quartet. In December, upon returning to Vienna, Beethoven fought off a case of pneumonia only to be brought back down by cirrhosis of the liver.
The cirrhosis turned into dropsy and, on the afternoon on March 26, 1827 at about 5:45, Ludwig van Beethoven passed away. “Beethoven’s eyes opened and he lifted his seconds, a serious, threatening right fist for several expression on his face. When his head fell back. He another half closed his sensory another word, not heart beat. “4 Ludwig van Beethoven who, as a child, was thought to be a slow learner, defied a life of adversity. He never used his childhood as a crutch to be mediocre and even as deafness, he was able to use the sounds imprinted in his mind to paint musical portraits that Mould captivate audiences for centuries to come.