Ludwig van Beethoven [fʌn ˈbeːtˌhoːfn̩] (baptized December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Kurköln; † March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austrian Empire) was a German composer and pianist. He led the Viennese Classic to its highest development and paved the way for the music of the Romantic period. He is counted among the outstanding composers in music history.
At the beginning of his musical career, Beethoven first made a name for himself as a piano virtuoso. His strengths included free improvisation and fantasizing on the instrument. After moving from Bonn to Vienna, his talent soon took him to the highest social circles in the Habsburg metropolis. A hearing problem, which gradually deteriorated to almost total deafness, put an early end to his career as a pianist. The illness triggered a crisis that Beethoven testified to in his 1802 Heiligenstadt Testament. Beethoven maintained many contacts with women around him. His letter to his immortal lover, written in 1812, whose identity has not been clarified beyond doubt to this day, is famous.
As his hearing deteriorated, Beethoven concentrated more and more on composing. While other composers often wrote down their works quickly, Beethoven struggled for every note. Again and again it was reworked and improved. In most musical genres and ensembles, to which Beethoven contributed compositions, his works are among the most important of their kind. The 9 symphonies, the 32 piano sonatas, piano variations, the 5 piano concertos, a violin concerto, the 16 string quartets and the great one should be mentioned in particular Fugue, other chamber music such as the piano trios, violin and cello sonatas; important vocal and stage works are the song cycle to the distant beloved, the only opera Fidelio and the Missa solemnis. Beethoven lived up to his claim of leaving a lasting musical work for posterity. His popularity is unbroken and today he is one of the most performed composers in the world.