Ludwig van Beethoven | |
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Portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820
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Born | Bonn, Electorate of Cologne, Holy Roman Empire |
Baptised | 17 December 1770 |
Died |
Vienna, Austrian Empire |
26 March 1827 (aged 56)
Signature | |
Ludwig van Beethoven (/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.