| The Lovers | |
|---|---|
| Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827) showed so much talent as a child musician that he turned professional at the age of 11. As a young man he was taught by Mozart and Haydn and his virtuoso performances on the piano attracted aristocratic patrons in Vienna, the musical center of Europe. Beethoven is reputed to be the first musician to make a living from private patronage, without subsidies from the church or court. His best-known works (the Symphonies numbers 2 through 8, the Moonlight Sonata, the Battle Symphony, and his only opera, Fidelio) were written in his thirties and forties, when he was already suffering from deafness. He told friends that his affliction hampered him least when he was playing and composing, and most when he was in company. By the time he was 50, his career was blighted by this handicap, but he went on compsing despite the difficulties--the Ninth Symphony and several string quartets are from this period. When he died od dropsy at age 57, his last words were "Applause friends, the comedy is over." |
The "Immortal Beloved"
No one has ever identified her--she remains a romantic enigma. |
