Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven, born in 17 December 1770, was a well-known German composer and pianist. At an early age, Beethoven showed his musical talents. His father Johann van Beethoven, together with composer and conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe, taught him about music. When Beethoven was 21 years old, he moved to Vienna. Here he started studying composition with Joseph Haydn. He soon became popular as a pianist. Unfortunately, Beethoven had problems with his hearing by his late 20s. In the last ten years of his life, he was almost deaf. In 1811, he stopped performing in public but he continued to compose. Many of his wonderful pieces of music came from the last 15 years of hif life. He lived in Vienna until he dies in 26 March 1827. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, and 32 piano sonatas. The list goes on. Beethoven always remains as one of the most famous and influential composers all over the world. ______ 1. Beethoven is only famous as a composer. ______ 2. When Beethoven was small, he studied composition with Joseph Haydn. ______ 3. Beethoven had problems with his hearing by his late 20s. ______ 4. In 1811, Beethoven stopped performing and composing. ______ 5. He lived in Vienna until his death.