Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770 in the city of Bonn, Germany, in what is called the Rhineland. His father and grandfather were singers at the court of the local prince, but the family situation was most unhappy. Beethoven’s father was addicted to alcohol, and Ludwig was forced at an early age to assume the support of his mother and two younger brothers. At age 11 he was the assistant organist in the court chapel, and a year later, he became harpsichordist in the court orchestra. When he was 17, he visited Vienna and played for Mozart. Mozart was impressed by Beethoven and remarked to his friends, “Keep an eye on him, he will make a noise in the world someday.”
At age 22 arrangements were made for Beethoven to study with Haydn in Vienna. Their relationship was strained, however, mostly because Haydn was ruffled by Beethoven’s volcanic temperament and free spirit. His abilities as a pianist earned him great respect and notoriety among the aristocracy, and he was welcomed into the great homes of some of the most powerful patrons in Vienna.
Beethoven, though often moody and temperamental, was able to function well under a modified patronage system. This meant that he was not directly attached to any particular princely court, rather, the aristocrats of Vienna helped him financially through gifts or lesson payments. He was also aided by the emergence of an upper class who appreciated the music that had only been heard by royalty and the wealthy in times past. Another development that helped Beethoven break free of the patronage system was the greatly increased amount of music publishing. This allowed his music to be performed and heard throughout Europe.
When Beethoven was in his late 20s, however, he began to exhibit symptoms of one of the most dreadful curses that a musician could ever face: Beethoven was going deaf. By 1802 his hearing was nearly gone, and he was so distraught that he thought many times of taking his own life. However, Beethoven found the strength to endure this horrific challenge that was given him and continued for nearly 25 years to both compose and conduct many of his own pieces. In fact, many of Beethoven’s most famous and popular compositions were composed at a time in the composers life when he was not able to hear them be performed. He could only hear them in his head. An active conductor and composer throughout his life, Beethoven would never hear the applause that was his for many of the works he composed.
A carriage ride in inclement weather brought on an attack of dropsy that proved fatal. Ludwig van Beethoven died in 1827 at the age of 57, revered by the greatest composers of his time. For at least a hundred years following Beethoven’s death, composers looked to his compositions as the standard of excellence for their own.