LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
The composer of some of the most influential pieces of music ever written,
Ludwig van Beethoven created a bridge between the 18th-century classical period
and the new beginnings of Romanticism. His greatest breakthroughs in composition
came in his instrumental work, including his symphonies. Unlike his predecessor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for whom writing music seemed to come easily,
Beethoven always struggled to perfect his work. In the late 1700s Beethoven began
to suffer from early symptoms of deafness. The cause of his disability is still
uncertain. By 1802 Beethoven was convinced that the condition not only was
permanent, but was getting progressively worse. He spent that
summer in the country and wrote what has become known as
the "Heiligenstadt Testament." In the document, seemingly
intended for his two brothers, Beethoven expressed his
humiliation and despair. For the rest of his life he searched for
a cure, but by 1819 his deafness had become total.
Afterwards, in order to have conversations with his friends,
Beethoven had them write down their questions and replied
orally.
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