Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770, in Bonn on the Rhine near Cologne, Germany. His father, Johann, was a mediocre alcoholic, and Beethoven's childhood was anything but happy.
The whipping of his childhood was a painful experience.
His father wanted his son to become a second child prodigy, so that he could enjoy glory and wealth, so he forced him to learn the piano, and if he did not do so, he was beaten severely. Beethoven spent his childhood under such a miserable and painful fate. Beethoven's talent, coupled with the hard work of the latter, the degree of higher and higher, and even his teacher sighed to himself.
At the age of twelve, Beethoven was hired as a court musician for the ancient piano and organ, and took on the responsibility of supporting his family. Beethoven's attention at court was growing, but he had a big heart, and in 1787 he traveled to Vienna to study with Mozart. Unfortunately, his mother became critically ill in Bonn and died soon after he returned home. This was a great blow to Beethoven, and he stayed in Bonn for another five years.
In order to realize his dream, Beethoven went to Vienna again in 1792. This time, Count Waldstein was of great assistance, and in return, Beethoven wrote his Piano Sonata Op. 53, which he dedicated to Waldstein.
In Vienna, Beethoven studied with Haydn for a year, and with Schenker, Abrezberg and Salieri, especially the latter, for ten years.
Beethoven gave his first concert in Vienna in 1795, playing his own Piano Concerto No. 2, which was so well received by the Viennese people that it made him famous.
His Symphony No. 1 came later, and in the same year he published three piano trios for which Beethoven established a reputation as both performer and composer.
In the next five years, he wrote the Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 to 11, and the Piano Concertos Nos. 1 to 3, which were published in the same year. And the Piano Concertos No. 1 to No. 3. In 1799, Beethoven completed his Symphony No. 1. With his marvelous imagination, he wrote a succession of masterpieces that shocked the music world. These works are filled with the joy and enthusiasm of life, and they express an unprecedented freedom of expression, breaking through the strict forms that bound even Mozart.
Beethoven was at the height of his fame when he was on his way to a great success, but a misfortune befell him - he became deaf.
~ The Giant Who Couldn't Hear ~
This was a cruel blow, and Beethoven gradually withdrew from the group for fear of being recognized as deaf, becoming more and more isolated.
At this time, he fell in love with a seventeen-year-old girl named Giulietta Gucciardi. He fell in love with a seventeen-year-old girl named Giulietta Gucciardi. The famous Piano Sonata No. 14, "Moonlight," is the work of their love affair.
In 1802, Beethoven moved to the quiet village of Hellequin, an hour's drive from Vienna, where he completed his Second Symphony. But his ear disease worsened and he suffered so much that he wrote the Heiligenstadt suicide note, a statement of misery and misfortune. Later, Beethoven's confidence was rebuilt by Kant's philosophy. "The best way to forget one's misfortunes is to work hard". He returned to Vienna at this time, and in 1803 he wrote his thunderous "Heroic" Symphony No. 3, which was intended to be dedicated to Napoleon. The piece was originally intended to be dedicated to Napoleon, but because Napoleon was crowned emperor, Beethoven was outraged and painted over Napoleon's name, renaming it the "Hero Symphony".
In the same year, Beethoven wrote the brilliant Violin Sonata No. 9, Croce. In 1804, Beethoven completed his Piano Sonata No. 21, "Waldstein". In 1804, he completed his Piano Sonata No. 21, "Waldstein", followed the next year by his Piano Sonata No. 23, "Passion", and his unique opera, "Fidelio". In this series of works he showed his true ability to mesmerize the world with "Waldstein" and "Passion". In 1806 he added the Piano Concerto No. 4 and the Violin Concerto in D major.
In 1808, Beethoven released his Symphony No. 5, "Fate," and Symphony No. 6, "The Field," at the same time. In 1809, Beethoven completed his Fifth Piano Concerto, "The Emperor". These are all masterpieces that will never be forgotten.
Beethoven was a volcano of passion.
Beethoven's heart was filled with infinite emotions, subtle, extraordinary, harmonious and perfect. Beethoven intentionally puts his own ideas into his compositions. For example, in the fifth "Fate", the motive of the theme at the beginning is the God of Fate knocking on the door, and in the sixth "Fields", Beethoven's intention to depict the nature can be detected, and in the first movement, he marked the words "delightful countryside".
In 1809, when Napoleon captured Vienna, the princes and grandchildren fled, and Beethoven's economy was in dire straits. In the days of the war, he remained in Vienna, painstakingly composed, his "Emperor" concerto was written in the rumble of the cannon.
Because his first performances of "Fate" and "Idyll" did not win the favor of the Viennese people, Beethoven wanted to leave for Germany, but he stayed there because Duke Rudolf, Prince Robert Gorwitz, and Duke Kinski tried to keep him there. Later, Beethoven wrote the "Archduke's Piano Trio" dedicated to these benefactors.
The sound of music has entered the homes of ordinary people.
Since the French Revolution, the air of Europe has been renewed, and individual freedom and human rights have been defined. Beethoven also made music accessible to the public, taking it from the aristocracy to the masses. Beethoven's achievements will be remembered for generations to come.
The defeat of Napoleon restored joy to Vienna. In 1812, Beethoven premiered his Symphonies No. 7 and No. 8 at the Wounded Warrior Relief Concert, which was a great sensation. He won the respect of the Viennese people.
Beethoven suffered from physical deafness between 1804 and 1814, but in those eleven years he produced a wealth of compositions of unprecedented historical value. He wrote the most luminous treasures in the musical treasure of mankind.
His 'Symphony No. 7' is untitled, and Wagner regarded it as a symbol of the dance, especially the passionate final movement. The "Symphony No. 8" is the brightest and most refreshing of his nine symphonies, navigating life with a sense of perspective and transcendence.
The third part of Beethoven's life began in 1815, when he was in the prime of his life. At that time, he was already in his prime and had a more thorough understanding of life. The music he wrote thereafter was all piano sonatas and string quartets, in addition to the ancient and heartbreaking Symphony No. 9, "Chorus", and the "Solemn Mass", which all had an inner and profound spiritual meaning.
～Music Saints are not good at earthly things～
With the death of his brother Karl in 1814, Beethoven took on the responsibility of guardianship of his nephew and his upbringing. But the adoption process and the problems that his nephew caused him afterwards caused him a lot of suffering. In short he was unable to transfer his love to his nephew. Beethoven has a complete breakdown of reasoning about how to get along with people.
The saint of music, Beethoven, became even more depressed, and at the same time, his health became more serious and his finances very limited. At that time, he was in the midst of composing two major works, the Missa Solemnis and the Ninth Symphony. The first one in particular was intended for Rudolf's enthronement as Archbishop. Because of this great responsibility, it took him about five years to complete the work in 1823, and on May 7 of the following year, his "Ninth Symphony" was completed. The premiere of his Ninth Symphony on May 7 of the following year brought his reputation to a new peak.
The 'Ode to Joy' chorus of the Ninth was taken from Schiller's poem 'Ode to Joy'. The idea was born in his early years, and it took him thirty-two years to realize it. "The success of the Ninth brought him the greatest honor and joy of his life.
Beethoven himself conducted the Ninth Symphony at the previews, but because of his deafness, it was impossible to proceed, and chaos reigned, so the official performance was conducted by Umlauf. Beethoven remained on stage with his back to the audience. When the whole piece played just finished, the audience was y moved, loud cheers, thunderous applause, but Beethoven was unconscious, or after the performer's reminder, he saw the touching scene, tearful answer to the salute.
This is Beethoven's last public appearance, he unknowingly suffered from liver disease, the time spent in the increasingly serious condition of the day. His mind, which was about to turn away from the world, became tranquilized. It was as if Beethoven was looking down on the world he was about to leave behind from the thin, pure air. He wrote five final string quartets. These chamber music were his last works and Beethoven's legacy to the world. Proof to all ages that the spirit can overcome pain, even death.
~The Last Spring Thunder ~
The rest of Beethoven's life was short, and in 1826 alone, he underwent four surgeries, but his condition did not improve. On the afternoon of March 26, 1827, there was a sudden blizzard in Vienna, accompanied by deafening spring thunder, when Beethoven clenched his right fist and took his last breath.
According to ancient records, Beethoven's funeral was held on March 29, with more than 20,000 Viennese citizens attending to be escorted to the Church of the Jasper, where the memorial mass was held. ......