Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist whose work spans the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era. Baptized in Bonn in December 1770, he trained under his father and local musicians before settling permanently in Vienna in 1792, where he studied briefly with Haydn. He composed nine symphonies, thirty-two piano sonatas, sixteen string quartets, an opera (Fidelio), and the Missa solemnis. From his late twenties he experienced progressive hearing loss, eventually becoming profoundly deaf, yet continued to compose major works. He died in Vienna in March 1827. His music remains among the most performed in the Western repertoire.