Ludwig van Beethoven

Portrait of 13-year-old Beethoven

Johann van Beethoven 

Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770. His father, Johann van Beethoven made poor little Beethoven get up in the middle in the night and practice the piano.  He was very, very, tired every day. His father was very strict to Beethoven. He would punch him if he made a mistake. When Beethoven was 7 1/2 he performed his first concert. His father announced that he was 6 which made Beethoven think that he was younger that he was. 

After some more practice he was invited to play for the king of Germany. The king liked it so much that he made Beethoven stay. His father didn’t want Beethoven to stay, but the king said he had to. So, Beethoven stayed and played for the king. After a while Beethoven wanted to go home. At first the king said no, but after a day he let Beethoven go. When Beethoven got back, he continued to play the piano. He also started composing his own music. 

When Beethoven grew older he went to Vienna. While he was there he he met the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Josef Haydn who became his teacher. After he came back, he began to grow deaf. After a while he was so deaf that he had to use a horn to put to his ear. Then he became so deaf that it hurt and he got sick. Eventually he got so sick that he died. He died in 1827 at the age of 57. His best compositions are Symphony No.5, Symphony No. 6,Symphony No.9, Fur Elise, and The Ruins of Athens.