Ludwig van Beethoven | |
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Portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820
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Born | Bonn, Electorate of Cologne |
Baptised | 17 December 1770 |
Died | 26 March 1827 Vienna, Austrian Empire |
(aged 56)
Occupation | Composer, pianist |
Works | List of compositions |
Signature | |
Ludwig van Beethoven (i/ˈlʊdvɪɡ væn ˈbeɪˌtoʊvən/, /ˈbeɪtˌhoʊvən/; German: [ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːtˌhoˑfn̩]; baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) 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 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas, 16 string quartets, his great Mass the Missa solemnis, and one opera, Fidelio.