Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, today Germany. In his teenager years, local wealthy and influential patrons helped him to meet and follow Haydn (on his way back from London) to Vienna, in order to learn from the great Master. He first left Bonn for this reason in 1787 (at age 17), only to hasten back several weeks later, …
Like every contemporary boy, Beethoven went to start his primary school education around age of 5 or 6, (exact age is unknown). The school he attended was a secular state school in Bonn, called Tirocinium. Like often the case with geniuses, he did not make any lasting impression at school and by the age of ten his father withdrew him …
From childhood Beethoven was trained to become a great musician, and as such, from his early years he had learned to play on more instruments. He had fair command of the violin and viola, at age of 18 he got a viola player position at the Bonn-court orchestra. He himself was not impressed by his own skills with these strings… …
Ludwig van Beethoven was not born deaf, but he gradually lost his hearing during the years. Initially, he kept it a secret, he felt shame, but in June 29, 1800, he wrote a letter to his friend Wegeler and reported about his condition for the first time. This letter is the first evidence of his problems, and this document provides …
1. Rome was not built in a day, as we say, and neither was the Fifth Symphony! Beethoven made his first notes in his famous sketchbook around 1803-1804. The initial ideas about the opening, the primal four-note motif, were not very impressive. He had to develop it further. He had started to focus more on this composition from 1807 and …
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is unique and remarkable. Ever since its birth audiences are keen to solve the mystery, find the answer, point a finger to a meaning. Not possible! What is special about it? Everything! Let us look at some of the most important aspects that make this work so outstanding! 1. Drama Beethoven put to paper his first ideas …