Hello Steemians!
Welcome to another episode of the "Today in History" serial, where I bring you daily historical facts and events of the current date.
On today's date, 16 December 1770, in Bonn near Cologne the German composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven was born.
Portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820
Ludwig Van Beethoven, best known for his 9th Symphony, was probably the most famous composer in the transition from the Classical to the Romantic music era.
From an very early age Beethoven showed interest and talent for music.
As a child he was thought by his father Johan, and by the conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe.
Christian Gottlob Neefe.
In March of 1787 Beethoven began his first travel to Vienna, allegedly, to study with Mozart, the man he looked up to.
It is unknown if the two ever met and unfortunately 2 weeks after he arrived to Vienna, Beethoven's mother got ill, so he returned home.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, oil on canvas by Barbara Krafft, 1819.
At the age of 20, Beethoven was introduced to Joseph Haydn.
Joseph Haydn by Thomas Hardy (1791)
Just about 2 years later Beethoven moved to Vienna ti study with Haydn.
Shortly after his arrival Beethoven found out that both his father has and Mozart have passed away.
The next few years Beethoven spent his time studying Mozart's work and writing his own, with a Mozartean flavor.
Instead of going for the fame as soon as he could, Beethoven kept studying
Even after Hyden left for England in 1794. Beethoven kept studying, with his new teacher Johann Albrechtsberger.
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger portrait by Leopold Kupelwieser
In 1798 Beethoven became deaf, the cause was never discovered, but it could have been his habit of putting his head into cold water to stay awake.
He did partially recover his hearing, but it started to gradually decrease over time, by 1814 he was totally deaf.
Between the years of 1798 and 1800 Beethoven was composing the first six string quartets (Op. 18), which was published soon after, in 1801.
After publishing his First Symphony in 1800 and Second Symphony in 1803, Beethoven became known as one of the most important young composers.
Beethoven was highly depended on the donations from his patrons, his most important one being Archduke Rudolph, whom he also took as a student in 1804.
"His Eminence" Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainer
Archduke of Austria by Johann Baptist von Lampi
In 1805 Beethoven presented his Third Symphony known as the Eroica, which was at that time a completely new style, totally different from anything wrote till then.
In 1810 Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann called Beethovens Fifth Symphony "one of the most important works of the age".
Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann
Over the coming years Beethoven published many works, all together 9 symphonies, 16 string quartets, 5 piano cocnertos, 32 piano sonatas, a violin concerto, the Mass "Missa solemnis" and his opera "Fidelio"
He died on March 26 1827 at the age of 56 in Vienna.
*Beethoven's funeral by Franz Xaver Stöber *
I hope everyone has enjoyed learning a bit more about one of the main figures in music arts!
For the end I'd like to share with you Beethoven's most famous work, the 9th Symphony!
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