Ludwig of #Beethoven Biography: Who Was Beethoven?
Ludwig of Beethoven (16 December 1770 to March 26, 1827) was a German pianist and composer widely regarded as the greatest of all time, whose innovative compositions combined vocals and instruments, broadening the scope of sonata, symphony, concert and quartet. He is the crucial transition figure between the classical and romantic eras of Western music. Beethoven's personal life was marked by a struggle against deafness, and some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life, when he was quite incapable to hear. He died at the age of 56.
Beethoven's Date of Birth
Ludwig Van Beethoven was born on or around December 16, 1770 in the city of Bonn in the Electorate of Cologne, a principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Although his exact date of birth is uncertain, Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770. Because babies were baptized within 24 hours of birth under the law and habits, December 16th is the most likely date of birth. However, Beethoven himself mistakenly believed that he was born two years later, in 1772, and he persisted stubbornly in this wrong date, even when he received official documents that proved beyond reasonable doubt that 1770 was his real year of birth.
