Day 3

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN(1770-1827)

Composer and musician. Although he wasn't born deaf, he did lose his hearing at an early age. It is said also that after his first public performance of his ninth symphony he cried when he was turned around in order to see the audience's response to the music. His musical talent was recognized early and had even met Mozart in 1787 and had wanted to study under him in 1796, but Mozart had died a year earlier. Instead, he atudied under Joseph Haydn. He went on to live a full life as composer and musician.





Childhood:


At a very early age, Beethoven received violin and piano lessons from hid father.At the age of 8, he studied theory and keyboard, local organist.





Teenage Years:


He was the assistant of Christian Gottlob Neefe. He was sent to Vienna for unknown reasons. Two weeks later, he returned home because his mother died of tuberculosis.





Early Adult Years:


He studied with Haydn thier personality did not mix well. He studied with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger.





Mid Adult Years:


In 1800 he performed his symphony and a septet(op.20) While still in 20's he became deaf. He wanted to hide his impairment from the world. Determined to overcome his disability, he wrote symphonies 2,3 and 4 before 1806.





Late Adult Years:


He's fame began to pay off; he soon found himself prosperous. In 1827, he died of dropsy.





His Deafness


By the time Beethoven was 28, he began to notice hearing loss. At first it was slight. He coudn't hear the church's bell from the distance. As he got older his hearing loss worsened. By the time he was 50 he was completely deaf. How sad and strange that one of the most greatest composers could not hear his own music. Even more amazing is that he wrote some of the world's greatest music eventhough he could not hear a note of it.


He was so angry and sad over his deafness that he thought of killing his self. He even wrote a suicide note to his brother explaning why he will going to kill himself. Thankfully, he didn't go through with it. He would learn to cope with his handicap and with go on to write some of the world's greatest music.


To hear sounds, Beethoven cut off the legs of his piano and place the instruments on the floor. He did this to feel the vibrations in the floor when he played.


Beethoven wrote lots of piano music. Listen to Moonlight Sonata to get a musical idea of how sad Beethven must have felt over his deafness.