Bee·tho·ven  (bā'tō'vən)  German composer. Among the greatest composers in history, he began to lose his hearing in 1801 and was deaf by 1819. His music, which formed a transition from classical to romantic composition, includes 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, a violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas, several other sonatas, 2 Masses, and an opera. |
A German composer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, whose works spanned the classic and romantic musical traditions (see romanticism). Considered one of the greatest composers of all time, he is particularly well known for his Moonlight Sonata and other sonatas for piano; for his string quartets; for his concertos; and for his nine symphonies. The Third Symphony (Eroica), Fifth Symphony, and Ninth Symphony (“Choral”) are the most famous.
Note: Beethoven began to grow deaf midway through his career but continued to compose great works.