LudwigvanBeethovenHewasbornintheGermantownofBonnonthe16thofDecember1770.HisgrandfatherLudwigandhisfatherJohannwerebothmusicians.JohannwastoactaslittleLudwig'sfirstmusicteacher,butLudwigsoonchangedtothecourtorganistC.G.Neefe.Passingelevenyearsofage,LudwigdeputizedforNeefe,andattwelvehadhisfirstmusicpublished.HethenstayedasNeefe'sassistantuntil1787,whenatseventeen,hetookoffforVienna.EventhoughViennawastobehishomefortherestofhislife,thisfirstvisitwasshort.Onhearingthathismotherwasdying,hequicklyreturnedtoBonn.FiveyearslaterhefinallymovedtoViennatoliveandwork.Afterarrivingin1792hestudiedcompositionandcounterpointunderHaydn,Schenk,SalieriandAlbrechtsberger.Atthesametime,hetriedtoestablishhimselfaspianistandcomposer.Hisgoodrelationswiththetownsaristocracysoonledtoasecuredincome.In1809,withthesoleconditionthathestayedinVienna,PrinceKinsky,PrinceLobkowitzandArchdukeRudolpevenguaranteedBeethovenayearlyincome.Butgoingbacktotheyearsaround1800,whichistraditionallycalledtheearlyperiod,hewasstilltryingtomasterthehighclassicalstyle.Thisstriveculminatedinthesecondsymphonyfrom1801-1802.Thisisalsothetimewhenthemiddleperiodstarts.Fromnowupuntil1813,Beethovendevelopsandenhancesthehighclassicalstyleintoamoredynamicandindividualisticstyle.ItisnowthathewritessymphoniesNr.3-8,pianoconsertNr.5andalotofchambermusic.Butashelearnstocontrolhiscraftanddevelopthemusicintonewundiscoveredgrounds,healsosuffersfromremindersofthepainsofreallife.Hehasearlyinlifediscoveredthathishearingwasn'twhatitshouldbe,andthedisorder用心爱心专心getsworseastimegoesby.ItgetstothepointwhereBeethovenisthinkingofendinghislifeasheseesnowayoutofhisdespair.Thatfactisdocumentedintheletterhewrotetohisbrothersin1802,thesocalled"HeiligenstadtTestament".Thishearingdisorderseemstohaveaffectedhissociallifetoagreatextent.Hebecamedifficulttohandleinsocialinteractionsandcouldsuddenlyburstintooutbreaksofangerandshowbadtemperwhereheusuallyinsultedsomeone.Ifthatisthereasonforhistroubleswithwomen,oriftheirissomethingtraumatichiddeninhischildhood,Idon'tknow,butthefactisthathenevergotinvolvedwithawomaninanormalrelation.Beethovenseemstohavebeenattractedtowomenhecouldn'tget,oratleastwashardtoget.AnexampleisAntoineBrentano,withwhomhehadarelationship,butwhobrokeupwithhimtomarryafriend.Itisshewhoisknownasthe"immortalbeloved"inlettersaddressedtoherfromBeethovenin1812.Aroundthesametime,asthiswasn'tenough,hisdeafnessreachedthestagewherehenolongercouldperform.Nowcameacoupleofyearswithoutmuchcreativework.Insteadhewastormentedbypersonalmattersconcerninghisnephewofwhichhetriedtogaincustodywhenthebrotherdiedin1815.ButBeethovendidn'thavethecapacityofadomestichumanbeing,andeventhoughhedidwinthestruggleforcustody,Beethoven’srelationwiththenephewwastenseandburdensomeanditreachedthepointwherelittleKarltriedtotakehisownlifein1826.ThisisalsothesocalledlateperiodinBeethoven’smusicalcareer.Hismusicisdescribedaslessdramaticandmoreintrovert,butalso,Iwouldliketoadd,morematureandsecure.Ithasaflavourofthegeniusgrowingoldandanobviousattitude.ListenforexampletosymphonyNr.9-itiscomplete!ThereisreallynotmuchtoaddasIseeit.Theabovementionedpiecegavehim,atlast,atbitofeconomicalsuccessandhecouldlivehislastyearsinrelativewelfare.Butthisperiodisstillcharacterizedbyhislackoffunds,muchbecausehisformerpatronsnolongercould用心爱心专心supporthim.MaybethelifelongpovertyisareasonforhisdeterioratinghealthandhisdeathonMarch261827.用心爱心专心
