250 Years of Ludwig van Beethoven
A German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven’s compositions are among the most performed classical music in the world. We don’t know his exact date of birth, only that he was born in Bonn, Germany in a house now known as Beethoven House Museum. The date of his baptism is December 17, 1770 and this gives us an indication because it was a general custom at that time to baptize children within 24 hours of birth. This year (2020) makes it the 250th anniversary of his birth, which is why this is as good a time as any to celebrate him.
He learned music initially from his father Johann Beethoven and later from other teachers, who taught him piano and violin. His music instruction by his father was extremely harsh and intensive, often reducing him to tears. One of his teachers Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer was an insomniac and would drag the young Beethoven out of bed to learn the keyboard. His father wanted to promote him as a child prodigy and claimed that Ludwig was six on posters of his first public performance (he was seven).
Beethoven’s most important teacher was Christian Gottlob Neefe with whom he began his music instruction in 1780 or 1781. He wrote his first three piano sonatas in 1782 and 1783 at the age of 11 and 12. The Elector of Bonn, Maximillian Franz supported him and appointed him court organist.
