LudwigvanBeethovenLudwigvanBeethovenwasbaptisedonDecember17th1770atBonn.HisfamilyoriginatedfromBrabant,inBelgium.HisfatherwasmusicianattheCourtofBonn,withadefiniteweaknessfordrink.Hismotherwasalwaysdescribedasagentle,retiringwoman,withawarmheart.Beethovenreferredtoherashis"bestfriend".TheBeethovenfamilyconsistedofsevenchildren,butonlythethreeboyssurvived,ofwhomBeethovenwastheeldest.Atanearlyage,Beethoventookaninterestinmusic,andhisfathertaughthimdayandnight,onreturningtothehousefrommusicpracticeorthetavern.Withoutdoubt,thechildwasgifted,andhisfatherJohannenvisagedcreatinganewMozart,achildprodigy.OnMarch26th1778,attheageof8,Beethovengavehisfirstknowpublicperformance,atCologne.Hisfatherannouncedthathewas6yearsold.Becauseofthis,Beethovenalwaysthoughtthathewasyoungerthanheactuallywas.Evenmuchlater,whenhereceivedacopyofhisbaptismcertificate,hethoughtthatitbelongedtohisbrotherLudwigMaria,whowasborntwoyearsbeforehim,anddiedasachild.ButthemusicalandteachingtalentsofJohannwerelimited.SoonLudwiglearnedmusic,notablytheorganandcompositionbyrenownedmusicians,suchasGottlobNeefe.NeeferecognisedthehowextraordinarilytalentedBeethovenwas.Aswellasteachinghimmusic,hemadetheworksofphilosophers,ancientandmodern,knowntoBeethoven.In1782,attheageof12,Beethovenpublishedhisfirstwork:9variations,inCMinor,forPiano,onamarchbyErnstChristophDressler(WoO63).Andthefollowingyear,in1783,Neefewroteinthe"MagazineofMusic",abouthisstudent:"Ifhecontinueslikethishewillbe,withoutdoubt,thenewMozart".InJune1784,onNeefe'srecommendations,LudwigwasappointedorganistofthecourtofMaximilianFranz,ElectorofCologne.Hewas14.Thispostenabledhimtofrequentnewcircles,otherthanthoseofhisfatherandfriendsofhis用心爱心专心1family.Herehemetpeoplewhoweretoremainfriendsfortherestofhislife:TheRiesfamily,thevonBreuningfamilyandthecharmingEleonore,KarlAmenda,theviolinist,FranzGerhardWegeler,adoctor,andadearfriendwhoalsowenttoVienna,etc.Athome,littlebylittle,Ludwigreplacedhisfather.Financiallyfirstofall,becauseJohann,oftenundertheinfluenceofdrink,waslessandlesscapableofkeepinguphisroleatthecourt.TheyoungBeethovenfeltresponsibleforhistwoyoungerbrothers,anideahekeptfortherestofhislife,sometimestotheextentofbeingexcessive.PrinceMaximilianFranzwasalsoawareofBeethoven'sgift,andsohesentBeethoventoVienna,in1787,tomeetMozartandtofurtherhismusicaleducation.Viennawas,afterall,thebeaconcityintermsofcultureandmusic.ThereexistonlytextsofdisputableauthenticityonthesubjectofthismeetingbetweenMozartandBeethoven.Mozartisthoughttohavesaid"Don'tforgethisname-youwillhearitspokenoften."!ButalettercalledBeethovenbacktoBonn:hismotherwasdying.TheonlypersoninhisfamilywithwhomhehaddevelopedastrongandlovingrelationshippassedawayonJuly17th1787.Fiveyearslater,in1792,BeethovenwentbacktoVienna,benefitingfromanothergrant,fortwoyears,bythePrinceElector,againtopursuehismusicaleducation.Heneverwentbacktothetownofhisbirth.HisfriendWaldsteinwrotetohim:"YoushallreceiveMozart'sspiritfromHaydn'shands"...AtVienna,theyoungmusiciantooklessonswithHaydn,thenwithAlbrechtsbergerandSalieri.Hecapturedtheattentionof,andastonished,Vienna,withhisvirtuosityandhisimprovisationsonpiano.In1794,Beethovencomposedhisopus1,threetriosforpiano.Thefollowingyear,BeethovenmadehisfirstpublicperformanceatVienna(an"Academy")wherebyeachmusicianwastoplayhisownwork.Thenfollowedatour:Prague,Dresden,LeipzigandBe...
