Beethoven at 245 | Britannica

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She also edited <em>Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature.</em></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Kathleen Kuiper</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content mt-20"><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/74978-050-C7D733E8/portrait-Ludwig-van-Beethoven-Josef-Karl-Stieler.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/74978-050-C7D733E8/portrait-Ludwig-van-Beethoven-Josef-Karl-Stieler.jpg?w=600&q=60" alt="Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by Josef Karl Stieler. (composers, music)" data-width="1331" data-height="1600" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">University History Archive/UIG/Shutterstock.com</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">“Dieses Glas dem guten Geist” (“This glass to the good spirit”). So wrote <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Schiller" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Friedrich Schiller</a> in his poem “An die Freude,” some of which Ludwig van Beethoven used in the glorious ending to his <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Symphony-No-9-in-D-Minor" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Ninth Symphony</em></a>. In that vein, we propose that you turn on Stephen Kovacevich’s recording of <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whOU8XNgKFo" data-show-preview="true"><em>Piano Sonata in E-flat</em></a> (or your favorite Beethoven piece) and raise a glass to the person and the spirit of Beethoven, especially on December 17. That day marks the 245th anniversary of Beethoven’s baptism. His birth date is unknown.</p><span class="MOD"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Beethoven had a difficult life. He was forced to leave school before he reached his teens, and by age 18 he was his family’s main support. By the time he reached age 30, the gifted pianist and composer had recognized that he was losing his hearing. Deafness completely enveloped him about 1819, some eight years before his death. Though unable to continue his concert performances, he persisted with his composing. It’s hard to imagine a world without his music. </p><span class="MOD"></span><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article><div class="related-info grid"><div class="col"><div class="learn-more"><h3>Learn More About This Topic</h3><ul class="list-unstyled"><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ludwig-van-Beethoven" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tell me more about Beethoven’s life</a></li><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Haydn" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Who was Beethoven’s most well-known teacher?</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="external-websites"><h3>Recommended from the web</h3><ul><li><a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/Ludwig_van_Beethoven" data-show-preview="true">What works did Beethoven write?</a></li></ul></div> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Story","templateName":"SPOTLIGHT","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":5348,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.38"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/story-page.js?v=3.130.38' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Story","pageSubtype":"SPOTLIGHT","articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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