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Beethoven Essay

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The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the rank of history’s greatest composers was paralleled by and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy and despair.
Beethoven’s family was of the Flemish origin. His mother, Maria Magdalena, died after a long illness when Beethoven was only 17. He was not the only child in this family though. He had 2 brothers and 1 sister, both to which were disorganized and unruly. His family was always in constant need of funds.
Beethoven showed his extraordinary musical talent at an early age. His father hoped he could induce his child’s development and make him more like Mozart, and possibly bring in some money for the family which was desperately in need.
As a child, Beethoven never was too …show more content…

He began to study with other teachers and soon became very popular in Vienna. Some were pleased with his performances, but others were embarrassed by his arrogance and bad manners.
In the late 1790’s, Beethoven discovered an increasing buzzing and humming in his ears and it sent him into panic, searching for a cure. In 1802, he wrote a letter to his brother describing his anguish. He asked his brother to read the letter at the funeral. His suffering had a brief respite when he soon fell in love with a young countess, and dedicated a song to her called “Moonlight Sonata”. Even after this, she did not marry Beethoven.
By October 1802, he had written the Heiligenstadt Testament confessing his deafness, and suicidal considerations.
By about 1800, Beethoven was mastering the Viennese High-Classic style. Although Mozart had first perfected the style, Beethoven did extend it to some degree. Having displayed a wide range of his piano writing, he was also beginning to forge a new voice for the violin.

Beethoven’s deafness landed him into a major cycle of depression. In his Testament, he reveals his malaise that was sending him to the edge of despair. He speaks of suicide in the same breath as a reluctance to die. Having searched vainly for a

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