Beethoven

Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. His first music teacher was his father. His father was an alcoholic and his mother died when he was 16. From than on he raised his two younger brothers. He had a lot of responsibility, but never gave up on learning music.

Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792. He continued his study in music and learned from many composers. He made his money by providing lessons and small concerts. After he fell into debt he was offered a job as chapel maestro at the Court of Jerome Bonaparte, the king of Westphalia.

Beethoven started to lose his hearing in 1796. It didn’t stop him from composing music. He used a special rod that sent vibrations from the piano to his jaw. This increased his perception of the sound of his music. He became completely deaf in 1814. The music Beethoven composed is absolutely amazing coming from somebody who couldn’t hear.

Beethoven was depressed and suffered from bipolar disorder. He was considered an outcast. He never married but had little romantic relationships throughout his life. He had a small group of friends that stuck with him through his life. He had such a strong personality that many people didn’t know how to deal with him, including his nephew that he gained custody of after his brother died. His nephew attempted suicide while he was with Beethoven. His suicide failed after he shot himself in the head and he was returned to his mother.

After Beethoven lost guardianship of his nephew, his health declined. Beethoven died on Monday, March 26, 1827. It is believed that Beethoven died due to the lead poisoning he got years before. People believe that his doctor had something to do with his death because of the treatment he gave him for lead poisoning. Even after his death, Beethoven is the most well known composer and his music is used for movies, music classes,