Many people believe that Ludwig van Beethoven was the greatest composer of them all. Yet his greatness did not come easily to him. It was, in fact, the result of a lifetime of hard work and extreme difficulties. In this unique presentation from Classical Archives, we will hear Beethoven himself explain his life and his music.
Guten Tag.
My name is Ludwig van Beethoven, and I am here at the invitation of Classical Archives to tell you a little about my life and work.
I was born in Bonn in 1770, though the exact date was never recorded. My early years were shaped by music—my father, a singer, hoped I’d become another Mozart. By the age of seven, I was already performing in public, and before long, I found myself composing works of my own. Music became my language—more precise than words, more honest than conversation.
Vienna became my true home, the city where I studied with Haydn—though we didn’t always see eye to eye—and later, where I forged my career. There, I wrote symphonies, sonatas, string quartets—works that I hoped would stretch the bounds of feelings and thought. I believed that music must come from the heart—and when it does, it will reach the heart.
But my journey was not without struggle. In my late twenties, I began to lose my hearing. Imagine the irony: a composer, deaf! For a time, I withdrew from the world, despairing. I even wrote a letter—never sent—expressing my anguish. Yet in silence, I found a deeper music. My most profound works—the Eroica, the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies, the late quartets—all came after silence fell.
There was rage, yes, and solitude. But also a fire that would not go out. I lived with passion, with ideals, with a belief that music could uplift, even redeem. My Ninth Symphony ends with the Ode to Joy, a declaration of brotherhood, of hope. That, above all, is what I tried to give the world: not just sound, but soul.
My death in 1827 was widely mourned—an estimated ten thousand people attended my funeral procession. I could no longer hear them. But I hope they heard me.
Thank you for listening.
May my music always find its way to your heart.
Great Works of Ludwig van Beethoven for Your Listening on Classical Archives*
Piano Sonatas
Piano Sonata No.14 in C#-, Op.27, No.2 (‘Moonlight’)
Piano Sonata No.21 in C, Op.53 (‘Waldstein’)
Piano Sonata No.23 in F-, Op.57 (‘Appassionata’)
Piano Sonata No.29 in Bb, Op.106 (‘Hammerklavier’)
String Quartets
String Quartet No.10 in Eb, Op.74 (‘Harp’)
String Quartet No.16 in F, Op.135
Opera
Oratorio
Mass in D, Op.123 (a4, ‘Missa Solemnis’)
Symphonies
- Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21
- Symphony No.2 in D, Op.36
- Symphony No.3 in Eb, Op.55 (‘Eroica’)
- Symphony No.4 in Bb, Op.60
- Symphony No.5 in C-, Op.67
- Symphony No.6 in F, Op.68 (‘Pastoral’)
- Symphony No.7 in A, Op.92
- Symphony No.8 in F, Op.93
- Symphony No.9 in D-, Op.125 (‘Choral’)
Piano Concertos
- Piano Concerto No.1 in C, Op.15
- Piano Concerto No.2 in Bb, Op.19
- Piano Concerto No.3 in C-, Op.37
- Piano Concerto No.4 in G, Op.58
- Piano Concerto No.5 in Eb, Op.73 (‘Emperor’)
Violin Concerto
* Please note that in order to listen, you must be a member of Classical Archives. If you are not yet a member, we invite you to join now. Free 14-day trial memberships are now available.
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