Beethoven was born in Bonn, a little town on the banks of the Rhine River in Germany. His father was a poorly paid musician in the court orchestra. He could see that Ludwig had talent, and he gave the boy lessons on the piano and violin, hoping that Ludwig would be a child prodigy and make the family rich. Beethoven was a musical genius, but he never made a fortune for himself or his family. His father was an alcoholic who would stay up late drinking with his friends. It is said that he'd bring his friends home, wake up poor little Ludwig and make him play for them. If the young musician made a mistake, his father would box him on the ears. Perhaps this treatment contributed to Beethoven's deafness.

Beethoven studied with Haydn, but not for long. He was unhappy with the restraints of the classical style of music. He wanted to make his own rules. He did just that in his later works, which really belong to the Romantic Period. Beethoven composed just nine symphonies. His Fifth Symphony is probably the most familiar. The beginning notes, three short and one long, are simple yet powerful. Beethoven took a simple idea and turned it into a dramatic statement.

The last movement of his Ninth Symphony uses a large choir to sing the "Ode to Joy." No other composer in the Classical Period had ever used a choir in a symphony or made the music sound so exciting.

Beethoven began to lose bis hearing when he was only 31. This was a great tragedy for someone whose life was music. However, he continued to compose sublime music. He was completely deaf when he composed the Ninth, his last symphony. In spite of this, he insisted on conducting the orchestra and chorus. At the end, he could not hear the applause. His friends had to turn him toward the audience for him to see the applause.