Classical period

1770-1827 German

composer,

Born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. Father was Ludwig’s first music teacher. Ludwig had to practice many nights

when his father came home drunk.

Supported his family as a child

Beethoven’s piano

Beethoven considered himself equal to, not the servant of, any noble!

Beethoven began hearing buzzing in his ears.

At first he tried to hide his loss of hearing from his friends.

He continued to write music when he was deaf.

He could watch people’s lips to understand what they were saying, or have them write in a notebook.

HEARING DEVICES

Doctors poured warm milk and crushed nuts in Beethoven’s ears, telling him that this would help restore his hearing!

Doctors rubbed Beethoven’s arms with an ointment until they blistered, then punctured and drained the blisters…telling him that this would help restore his hearing!

He still composed when he was deaf…..how could he do this?

You will never find a picture of Beethoven smiling

“Yet it wasn’t possible for me to say to people, “Speak Louder, shout for I am

deaf”

(wrote this in his journal)

Beethoven was not easy to be around. He had a temper, and he was very demanding.

He would get lost in his own thoughts and would get impatient with others when they didn’t do what he thought they should do.

He criticized other musicians when they didn’t perform his pieces the way he wanted them to sound.

His whole life was very ‘stormy’ …there were many sad and discouraging times.

*Sonata Pathetique

*Fur Elise

*Symphony …#9 (Ode to Joy)

*Symphony no. 5

Critics and journalists hassled him

“Why must Beethoven write such difficult and complex music?

It sounds like cats fighting! Cannot he write a decent singable melody?”

Beethoven died in Vienna, Austria in 1827.

It was storming when he died Beethoven raised his fist toward the

storm and fell back on his bed, dying. 50,000 lined the streets at his funeral

to pay tribute to this great man.