caption death_date death_place birth_place baptised signature_alt signature alt works image article_title name occupation
portrait by joseph karl stieler , 1820 26 march 1827 vienna , austrian empire bonn , electorate of cologne 17 december 1770 signature written in ink in a flowing script beethoven signature.svg portrait by joseph karl stieler , 1820 list of compositions beethoven.jpg ludwig van beethoven
 ludwig van beethoven composer and pianist
ludwig van beethoven

ludwig van beethoven -lrb- ; ; baptised 17 december 177026 march 1827 -rrb- was a german composer and pianist .
a crucial figure in the transition between the classical and romantic eras in western art music , he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers .
his best-known compositions include 9 symphonies , 5 concertos for piano , 1 violin concerto , 32 piano sonatas , and 16 string quartets .
he also composed other chamber music , choral works -lrb- including the celebrated `` missa solemnis '' -rrb- , and songs .
born in bonn , then the capital of the electorate of cologne and part of the holy roman empire , beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age and was taught by his father johann van beethoven and by christian gottlob neefe .
during his first 22 years in bonn , beethoven intended to study with wolfgang amadeus mozart and befriended joseph haydn .
beethoven moved to vienna in 1792 and began studying with haydn , quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist .
he lived in vienna until his death .
in about 1800 , his hearing began to deteriorate , and by the last decade of his life , he was almost totally deaf .
he gave up conducting and performing in public but continued to compose ; many of his most admired works come from this period .
