LudwigvanBeethoven1770.12.16—1827.03.26IntroductionAGermancomposer,pianist,conductor.OnerepresentativeofViennaclassicalmusic.Hehascomposed9Symphonies,thefirstnumber35PianoSonatas,10ViolinSonatas,16firststringquartetfour,1operas,2masses,1cantatasand3Cantata,inadditiontoalargenumberofchambermusic,songsanddances.Theseworkshavefar-reachinginfluenceonthedevelopmentofmusic,thusbeingknownasLesaint.Growthenvironment

LudwigvanBeethoven(1770-1827),thesecond-oldestchildofthecourtmusicianandtenorsingerJohannvanBeethoven,wasborninBonn.Ludwig'sfatherdrilledhimthoroughlywiththeambitionofshowcasinghimasachildprodigy.Ludwiggavehisfirstpublicperformanceasapianistwhenhewaseightyearsold.AttheageofelevenhereceivedthenecessarysystematictraininginpianoperformanceandcompositionfromChristianGottlobNeefe,organistandcourtmusicianinBonn.EmployedasamusicianinBonncourtorchestrasince1787,Beethovenwasgrantedapaidleaveofabsenceintheearlypartof1787tostudyinViennaunderMozart.hewassooncompelledtoreturntoBonn,however,andafterhismother'sdeathhadtolookafterthefamily.In1792hechoseViennaashisnewresidenceandtooklessonsfromHaydn,Albrechtsberger,SchenckandSalieri.By1795hehadearnedanameforhimselfasapianistofgreatfantasyandverve,admiredinparticularforhisbrilliantimprovisations.Beforelonghewastravelinginthecirclesofthenobility.TheyofferedBeethoventheirpatronage,andthecomposerdedicatedhisworkstotheminreturn.By1809hispatronsprovidedhimwithanannuitywhichenabledhimtoliveasafreelancecomposerwithoutfinancialworries.Beethovenwasacutelyinterestedinthedevelopmentofthepiano.HekeptclosecontactwiththeleadingpianobuildingfirmsinViennaandLondonandthushelpedpavethewayforthemodernconcertgrandpiano.Aroundtheyear1798Beethovennoticedthathewassufferingfromahearingdisorder.Hewithdrewintoincreasingseclusionforthepublicandfromhisfewfriendsandwaseventuallyleftcompletelydeaf.By1820hewasabletocommunicatewithvisitorsandtrustedfriendsonlyinwriting,availinghimselfof"conversationnotebooks".Thefinalyearsinthelifeoftherestlessbachelor(hechangedlivingquartersnofewerthanfifty-twotimes)weredarkenedbysevereillnessandbythestruggleovertheguardianshipofhisnephewKarl,uponwhomhepouredhissolicitude,jealousy,expectationsandthreatsinanefforttoshapetheboyaccordingtohiswishes.Whenthemostfamouscomposeroftheagedied,aboutthirtythousandmournersandcuriousonlookerswerepresentatthefuneralprocessiononMarch26,1827.Setbacks（挫折）:1Middle-ageddeaf2Forthenighttoplaythepiano,whichhastheinfluenceonneighborhood,thusoftenmoving3Hisrelativestreathimbadly5Thesickmadehimoftenseeadoctor,sothathewastorturedtofocusoncreatingAmongthem,themostunfortunateisdeafHisdeafnessdiseaseoccurredin1798summer---eighteenninetwocenturyyears,Beethovenwasimmersedinmusic,andhepaidnoattentiontotheirownhealthstate.Forthisreason,thediseaseismoreheavy.In1801,heintheatremustsitinthefirstrowofchairs,thushearingthesinger'ssingingsound.Hesaidthatinalettertoafriend'sletter:"youdearBeethoven,completelyisanunhappyman,andhehasbeeninconflictwithGodandnature!Iusedtocursegod.Myloveofallthingshasleftme.Hehadnodisease,whichiswhathappiness!Ifasinthepasttohearing,Ireallywantedtoimmediatelyrantotellyou.However，Icannotgetthejoy!Myyouthhasdisappeared,theyouthwishcomingtrue,Ihavingnowaytheartofmind,andIhadtosorrowgiveupinmylife……Thefollowingyear,in1802,hisdiseaseofearismoreheavy,oftentinnitus.Heisanaturelover,andwalkinginthefieldishisbiggestcomfort.Atthattimeinthefield,hedon'trecognizetheflutesound,suddenlypessimistic,writing"lastwords"tosendafriend.Hefinallyisstrong,however,withtheattitudeofrefusingtobecowedorsubmit.Heoncesaid:"Ihavetocontrolmydestiny"withthedeafdiseasefighting.Sincethenlifeisallforthedeafdisease.1809,Napoleon'sarmyinvadingVienna,cannonballflyawayintheair,andBeethovenprobablyshellsvoicestoincreasehisear,withtwofingerstightlyclosetheirears,filledwithsadnessandlyinginbed.DeafdiseaseisBeethoven'soneoflife'sgreatsorrow.ThemainworksSymphonyNo.5,Op.67thefate（命運(yùn)）SonataNo.14c-sharpMinor,"Quasiunafantasia"("Moonlight")（月光奏鳴曲）SymphonyNo.9,Op.125"Choral"（歡樂頌）SymphonyNo.3,Op.55"Eroica"（英雄）Beethoven'smanuscriptMusicshouldstrikefirefromtheheartofman，andbringtearsfromtheeyesofwoman.