Why was he important?
Beethoven helped transition Western music from the Classical period – where music was balanced, even, and followed strict rules – to the Romantic period, where music focused more on telling stories in an emotional, virtuosic style. His powerful compositions include some of the most famous and listened-to music pieces today. While they follow certain structures from the Classical period, like the sonata form, his compositions have strong, clear emotions and technically challenging passages that require a lot of practice to master!
Fun facts
Beethoven went deaf at the age of 25. That means he never heard most of his most famous compositions!
Beethoven wrote music even as a kid! At just 12 years old, he wrote a very advanced piano piece.
Beethoven sometimes got so angry while composing his music that he ripped holes in the paper he was writing on!
Famous pieces
Listen to some of Beethoven's most famous works!
Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 9
Appassionata Sonata
Moonlight Sonata
Für Elise
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