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German Composer-Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Beethoven was a German composer during the classical and romantic period.

Beethoven often dipped his head in cold water before composing.

In later life he became totally deaf (so he couldn’t even hear his own music.)

When he was little, his father forced him to practice the keyboard for hours and hours. His father wanted Beethoven to be like Mozart.

He was often quite grumpy and scruffy!

His music was so original that he started a whole new type of music (called romantic).

His symphonies are so great that later composers were nervous about composing their own symphonies.

His late string quartets are very deep, serious and personal. They are the last major pieces completed by Beethoven. They also started a tradition with other composers of writing their most serious music for string quartets.

He wrote another of his sonatas entirely at night and so called it the “Moonlight Sonata”

Beethoven’s height was 5′ 3.

Beethoven was very temperamental and would end performances if he became aware of anyone in the audience talking 

Beethoven’s deafness was the result of lead poisoning, and lead poisoning was also the cause of Beethoven’s death.