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Born in Bonn on December 16, 1770. The son of Johann van Beethoven. His first lessons were from his father. Yet his father introduced music to him, Johnann, was an alcoholic. His increasingly serious alcoholism brought the family into deep poverty. He had dreams to mould a second Mozart. He was the primary financial supporter of the family by the time he was 18. In 1787, Beethoven was sent to Vienna where he took some lessons form Mozart, himself. Two months later, he was called back home because of the sudden death of his mother.

First period in his life known as the "new manner" In 1802, he suffered form depression, because he realized his hearing problems were getting worse. There's a theory that the reason why Beethoven began to deafen was because he had a habit of pouring cold water over his head, while composing. The water reached the inside of his ear, and there was a stemming from rheumatic inflammation center.

Portrait Ludwig van Beethoven when composing the M...

English: Photograph of bust statue of Ludwig van B...

Beethoven in 1818 by August Klöber

Deafness did not affect his ability to compose, but to teach and perform. In his despair, he wrote a will like document, called the "Heliegenstadt Testament." He recovered from his misery, and the works of this middle period are called his "heroic period. The music then conveyed his determination to strive creatively in his despair. He called it "seizing fate by the throat" Beethoven, had various lovers throughout his life, which he had not married any. He always regretted not marrying, but his reason was because he was too absorbed in his music. He wrote an infamous letter, to his "immortal beloved." Nobody ever knew who this "immortal beloved was, but some have mad assumptions as to who she was.

His third period was known as his "silent" period.

March 26, 1827, marks the day Ludwig van Beethoven fell into a deep coma. As lengend has it, right before his death, Beethoven awoke from his coma, and lifted his clenched fist into the air and then collapsed in his pillow, dead. Thus signifying how he single handedly sparked the Romantic Era of music.

Considered one of the greatest musicians of all time.

His most important teacher was Christian Gottlob Neefe. He studies w/ neefee in the 1780's.

1814, was the peak of his career.

English: Ludwig van Beethoven statue, by Ernst Hä...

English: House of birth Ludwig van Beethoven, Bonn...

Deutsch: Beethovens Geburtshaus in der Bonngasse �...