Beethoven for Kids: His Life and Music with 21 Activities
uncomfortable for Beethoven although he liked being with peo ple In addition he had a hard time with the exaggerated elegant manners of his day Beethoven spent many years trying to keep his friends and audiences from learning that he was suffering from many physi cal ailments in addition to his increasing deafness This conceal ment often made his actions appear odd and unusual to those who had no knowledge of his medical condition Once his hear ing loss was complete Beethoven withdrew from most social settings This increased his feeling of isolation and caused him to be suspicious and distrustful Being deaf makes it hard to communicate with others Helen Keller who lost both her hearing and her sight stated that blind ness separates people from things but deafness separates people from people Beethoven lost more than his hearing the lost his ability to connect to other people Yet this disability may have actually helped Beethoven as a composer because he had to be able to hear the music he created inside himself without the dis tractions of the outside world Beethoven's works are true masterpieces many of his pieces were groundbreaking and set the standards for all to follow He was a fantastic architect of music always seeking perfection Some of his greatest music shocked and surprised the audiences of his day The works were far too complex and forward thinking for 19th century listeners musicians and critics to fully under stand Beethoven understood this fact and stated that these works are not for you but for a later age His creations con tinue to inspire and uplift people all over the world This is a true story about one of the most famous composers of all time one who overcame many obstacles that caused him pain and suf fering but could not stop
TIME LINE 1770 Ludwig van Beethoven is baptized on December 17 in Bonn born to Johann van Beethoven and Maria Magdalena Keverich 1774 Brother Caspar Carl baptized 1776 Brother Nikolaus Johann baptized 1778 Beethoven's first concert March 26 1780 Beethoven becomes a pupil of Christian Gottlob Neefe organist at the Court of Bonn and director of the National Theater 1783 Variations on Dressler's March in C Minor is pub lished 1787 Ludwig travels to Vienna and meets Mozart Maria Magdalena van Beethoven Ludwig's moth er dies on July 17 1789 The storming of Bastille in Paris Beethoven supports his family becomes a violist in the court orchestra
1790 Beethoven composes Cantata on the Death of the Emperor Joseph II 1791 Mozart dies on December 5 Beethoven becomes a music teacher for the von Breuning family 1792 Beethoven leaves Bonn for Vienna Johann van Beethoven Ludwig's father dies 1793 Beethoven studies with Haydn 1796 Symptoms of deafness begin Beethoven travels to Leipzig Prague Dresden and Berlin 1798 Beethoven composes the Piano Sonata in C Minor Pathétique Sonata op 13 1799 Napoleon becomes first consul of the new French government 1800 Beethoven conducts his First Symphony 1802 Beethoven writes the Heiligenstadt Testament and composes Symphony no 2 op 36 1804 Napoleon crowns himself emperor the Napoleonic Wars begin 1805 First public performance of Fidelio 1806 Collapse of the Holy Roman Empire Fidelio is revised and performed again 1807 Beethoven composes Symphony no 5 op
1808 Beethoven completes Symphony no 6 in F Major Pastoral op 68 premieres Symphonies no 5 and 6 1809 French army captures Vienna 1810 Beethoven meets Bettina Brentano and possibly Bettina's sister in law Antonie Brentano 1812 Beethovenvisits Teplice writes Immortal Beloved letters and composes Symphony no 7 in A Major op 92 and Symphony No 8 op 93 1813 Premieres Symphony no 7 and Wellington's Victory 1814 A revised Fidelio is successfully performed Beethoven's hearing worsens 1815 Napoleon is defeated Beethoven becomes the guardian of his nephew Karl 1816 Beethoven uses ear trumpets 1818 Beethoven begins to use conversation books 1823 Beethoven completes the Missa Solemnis 1824 Premieres Symphony no 9 in D Minor op 125 and the Missa Solemnis 1826 Beethoven becomes ill with pneumonia 1827 Ludwig van Beethoven dies on March 26
