The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven is considered one of the greatest composers in the history of music, and he has had a huge impact upon the evolution of musical style. Both Beethoven’s life and his musical technique make him an interesting and well-remembered figure in music history. Beethoven has gone down in history as a great musical innovator, but his fame was not achieved without struggle.
There is controversy and mystery surrounding Beethoven’s birth because no records exist to show his accurate date of birth. Beethoven was most likely born on December 17, 1770 of Flemish decent as he was baptized on December 18, and it was customary during this time to baptize a baby the day after birth. Beethoven was born in Bonn in current Germany, and he thought for years that he was born in 1772 because his pushy, often drunk father told him that so that it would seem like Beethoven was more of a child prodigy. Although precocious, Beethoven was still not as advanced as his contemporary...