Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer, generally considered one of the greatest composers in the Western tradition. Born in Bonn, Beethoven was reared in to the capricious discipline of his father, a singer in the court chapel. In1789, because of his father"s alcoholism, the young Beethoven became a court musician in order to support his family. His early compositions under the tutelage of German composer Christian Gottlob Neefe, particularly the funeral on the death of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph || in1790, signaled an important talent, and it was planned that Beethoven study in Vienna, Australia, with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Although...
to Karl"s attempted suicide in 1826.

By 1818, Beethoven had become virtually deaf and relied on small "conversation books" in which visitors wrote their remarks to him. He withdrew from all, but a steadily shrinking circle of friends. Except for the premieres of his Symphony no. 9 and parts of the Missa Slemnis in 1824, his music remained fashionable only among a small group of connoisseurs. His prestige was still such, however, that during his last illness he received a huge outpourings of sympathy. He died in Vienna on March 26, 1827. Tens of thousands witnessed his funeral procession.