Ludwig Van Beethoven: A Musical Genius
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Ludwig van Beethoven: A Musical Genius
Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the most amazing musical composers of all time. He changed the way people heard and understood music forever. Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 17, 1770. He was a major figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic Era. Beethoven passed away on March 26, 1827. Ludwig van Beethoven had the biggest influence on classical music because of the quality of his music, the strength he had to overcome his adversity, and the high demand of audiences for his performances.
Beethovens quality of music played a big part in his influence on classical music. First, the quality of Beethovens music is very unique. He was very different from other composers during his time and did not try to stick to the normal music that people heard everyday. As author Jeremy Siepmann said, “Among the many things that make Beethovens music unique is its extraordinary capacity to inspire courage” (Siepmann 75). It had a different sound that people had never heard before, but everyone seemed to like it. Siepmann also stated, “No other composer has matched the universality of his appeal, across the globe. His music is for all, and forever” (Siepmann 164). Since so many people liked Beethovens music he made music become a much more respected art and it became very popular (“Ludwig van Beethoven” Biography.com). His music is said to have changed the course of history. Art and literature were much more important to people than music, but once people started listening to Beethoven their opinions quickly changed. The quality of Beethovens music was also very superior to that of other composers. He spent days working on pieces and made sure they were perfect in his standards. Beethoven also had sketchbooks where he wrote down notes and drawings that turned into finished music (“Ludwig van Beethoven” Biography.com). He was never in a hurry to finish his compositions and usually worked on more than one at the same time. Many of these sketchbooks are still preserved today. They show how hard Beethoven worked to write amazing music and how seriously he took it.
Another reason why Beethovens quality of music is at such a high standard is because many of Beethovens pieces have his own emotions and feelings put into them. Beethovens music focused on the new spirit of humanism and nationalism (“Ludwig van Beethoven” Biography.com). Siepmann states, “In one way or another most of the music he wrote proclaims joy, yet much of it was the product of immeasurable suffering” (Siepmann 3). Beethoven also put much of himself into the music he wrote. He would compose pieces to express his feelings and experiences throughout his life. Some of the experiences he wrote music about were his childhood and his love life. Many people felt they could really understand his music better this way and could relate to his music more than they could to that of other composers (Siepmann 75). This was yet another component that helped him become famous.
Finally, the quality of Beethovens music was also quite advanced because many other great musicians taught him. All Beethovens teachers agreed that he wasnt an easy pupil, but he did take some of the legacy of his teachers with him (Siepmann 6). Many of his teachers strongly believed in Beethoven and supported him. Mozart at first thought Beethoven was just another student; however, when Mozart let Beethoven improvise some music on his own, he was quickly astonished (Siepmann 7). Christian Gotlobb Neefe was a very good music teacher and famous composer. He believed that Beethoven would be the new Mozart (Prevot). Beethovens teachers played a big part in his success and they were known to be the best teachers anyone could have due to their fame and talent (“Ludwig van Beethoven” Wikipedia).
Beethoven faced many difficult challenges during his life. He had great strength to overcome all his adversities. His struggles all began when he was a child. Beethoven grew up with a very difficult childhood. People witnessed Beethoven crying while he practiced late at night. Many times his father would lock him downstairs and deprive him of food if he didnt practice his piano well enough (Siepmann 5). While Beethoven was still a child he helped his mother take care of the family and replaced his father (Prevot). He took care of his siblings and helped his mother around the house while his father was out working and came home many nights drunk. One of the hardest things for Beethoven during his childhood was when his mother passed away. He was still young and she was the only person in his family with whom he had a strong and loving relationship with (Prevot). Due to all this exposure to a cruel world while he was still young Beethoven grew up very quickly. Despite all of this he didnt let his rough childhood hold him back and became very successful.
One of the biggest adversities Beethoven overcame was his disability. He learned to work through his deafness and still compose music. When Beethoven first noticed that his hearing was getting