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We don't know exactly when Beethoven was born, so most people just use the date of his baptism. He was baptized in Bonn, Germany.
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Beethoven's first concert took place in Cologne, after recieving music training from his father.
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9 Variations in C minorIn the year of 1782, Beethoven composed his first work:
"9 Variations in C minor for Piano" -
History of ViennaThis first trip to Vienna was to meet Mozart and study with him! This unfortunately never happened because Beethoven had to rush back to Bonn when he recieved a letter informing him that his mother was dying.
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Five years later, Beethoven headed back to Vienna, Austria to study music. Unfortunately, at this point, Mozart had died, so Beethoven decided to study with Haydn instead.
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Symphony No. 1 in C MajorSymphony No. 1 in C Major was performed for the first time in Vienna. At the time, it was considered very extravagant compared to Mozart and Haydn's works, and people weren't sure what to thing of it at first. Beethoven was already pushing the boundaries of music!
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TranslationIn this famous letter written by Beethoven, he expresses his dismay at the unfairness of life. He had recently come to a terrible realization: He was going deaf.
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EroicaBeethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major "Eroica" was originally written to honor Napoleon Bonaparte, as much of the world originially took him to be a liberator, opening the door for the French Revolution. However, when he declared himself Emperor, Beethoven was angry and scratched Bonaparte's name in his score.
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Symphony 5Arguably his most famous symphony, Symphony No. 5 in C minor employs the use of a motif, or repeated musical idea.
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Beethoven wanted to leave Vienna, but the Archbishop Rudolph, the Prince Lobkowitz, and the Prince Kinsky gave Beethoven and annual grant of 4,000 florins if he would stay. This money made him the world's first independent composer, as all major composers before him had been considered servants of wealthy, aristocratic families.
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One of the three men that had been combining money to keep Beethoven in Vienna passed away, and another fell short on money, therefore ending the grant that Beethoven was recieving.
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On this day, Kaspar Karl, Beethoven’s brother, died. He left behind his wife as well as a 9 year old son, Karl. His brother had written that he wished Karl’s guardianship to be exercised by both his wife and his brother, Ludwig. Beethoven took this role very seriously, but found it difficult to live with and understand a child.
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Beethoven caught a cold and the illness complicated other health problems that he had suffered from all his life. "He passed away surrounded by his closest friends on March 26th 1827, just as a storm broke out." (http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Bio/BiographyLudwig.html) He is burried in Vienna, Austria.
