Ludwig Van Beethoven is considered the third greatest composer of all time. He wrote classical music for piano, various orchestras and other different instruments. Even though he became deaf in 1817, he still composed and premiered some of his greatest pieces. Not much is known about Beethoven's childhood, but it is known that he was baptized on December 17, 1770. He was probably born a few days later. before that. His parents were Johann Van Beethoven and Maria Magdalena Keverich. His father was a musician at the court of the Elector of Cologne. The court was in Bonn, Germany and that is where he lived until he was a young man. His father taught him what he knew with the piano and the violin. Beethoven was a child prodigy, just like Motzart, except Beethoven never traveled until he was seventeen. He traveled with his piano teacher named Neefe, who studied under Johann Sebastian Bach's son. He went to Vienna. While there he had received a lesson or two from Motzart, and then received a letter telling him that his mother was dying and so he had to return to Bonn. His mother died shortly after his return and his father became an alcoholic, leaving him to take care of the family. Beethoven played the viola in The Elector, began to compose and met many friends. Most of his friends were aristocrats who could help him in his career. In 1792, Beethoven returned to Vienna and remained there for the rest of his life. He wanted to be able to study more with Motzart but he had died, so he studied with Joseph Hyadn, one of the most famous composers of the classical music period and is often called the "Father of the Symphony". He was a good teacher, but after about a year he moved to England. This forced Beethoven to move to the middle of the newspaper on March 26, 1827. Around 20,000 people took to the streets for his funeral. Beethoven is one of the most famous musicians in the world. He is a hero and an inspiration to many. Many composers after him attempted to match his greatness and failed. Years later, a choral symphony was attempted and it never reached a level of greatness such as that achieved by Beethoven. He was an extraordinary composer whose talent was immense and the fact that he was still able to compose such wonderful music without being able to hear it makes him a million times more impressive.Works Cited1. Salter, Hannah. “Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven.” . No. Internet. April 14, 2014. .2. “Ludwig van Beethoven.” 2014. The Biography.com website. April 14, 2014http://www.biography.com/people/ludwig-van-beethoven-9204862.