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Essay / and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven, was born in December 1770 and spent most of his life in Vienna, Austria. His first teacher was his alcoholic father, who worked as a musician at the Court of Bonn. Teaching him day and night, Ludwig suffered from his father's harsh and erratic behavior. For a time he and his father played in church. As his father's alcoholism increased, Ludwig became the primary musician. Beethoven's talents were discovered at a young age and he was sent to Vienna to study under various teachers, including Mozart and Hayden. Beethoven quickly adopted a reputation there as a great pianist, a child prodigy. He gave his first public performance at the age of eight and published his first works at the age of twelve: nine variations, in C minor, for piano. Christian Goftlob Neefe was sure that Beethoven's talents would make him the new Mozart of the era. At the age of fourteen, Beethoven was appointed court organist to Maximillian Franz, Elector of Cologne. However, his promising career will have to be put on hold in order to raise his two younger brothers. This turn of events occurred because his mother had died of tuberculosis and his father had spiraled further into alcoholism. Finally, in 1792, Beethoven studied with Joseph Hayden in Vienna with Johan George Albrechtsberger and Antonio Salieri. By 1795 he was an established piano virtuoso, working not for the church or the noble court, but for members of the aristocracy, who paid for his compositions and subscribed to his concerts. He also earned income from public concerts, music lessons and the sale of his works. In 1800, Beethoven presented his first symphony, although it was considered risky and...... middle of paper ...... saying too much at once. Overall, I would return to this biography only to reference facts about Beethoven and the history that was happening and influencing the composer at the time. I found the content of the biography very helpful in learning more about the life and conflicts of Ludwig van Beethoven. The famous composer led an interesting and semi-tragic life. Otherwise, I wouldn't read Beethoven: The Universal Composer for personal enjoyment. Works CitedLane, William. "Deafness." L'Immortel 2005. November 13, 2006. "Ludwig van Beethoven." Master of Classical Music November 13, 2006. "Ludwig van Beethoven." Wikipedia November 11, 2006. November 13, 2006. Morris, Edmund. Beethoven: the universal composer. Harper Collins: New York, 2005. Prévot, Dominique. “Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven”. Beethoven websiteDecember 2005. November 13 2006.
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