One of the greatest musical geniuses of all time didn't even know his birthday. Ludwig von Beethoven was born second in his family, behind Ludwig Maria, his older brother, who died very young. This loss may still have stung their parents. Their pain could have overshadowed the second Ludwig's early childhood. The brothers shared a name, Ludwig, which probably added to his confusion. A common mistake is a claim that Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770. This is the date of his baptism, which suggests that he may have been conducted on December 16, but the details are unknown.
             Although his birthday is unknown, we do know that he was born in Bonn, Germany. Miserably brought up there by a father who wanted him to become a profitable musical infant prodigy, he joined the Elector of Cologne's orchestra. He eventually received lessons from Mozart in Vienna, a city in which he would later settle down. He also studied under Haydn, Albrechtsberger, and possibly Salieri. Mainly, Beethoven played piano, but he also played violin and viola, among others.
             Beethoven's music is generally divided into three periods. The first, around 1792-1802, was termed the Classical Period. During this period, he wrote his first two symphonies, the first six quartets, his "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" sonatas, and gradually personalized his style. It was also during this period that he started to develop hearing loss around age thirty. This condition may have begun as an untreated ear infection and would eventually render him almost completely deaf. Beethoven's second period was around 1803-1812 and included his "Eroica" symphony and the "Kreutzer" sonata, among others. The final period, one he helped usher in, was the Romantic period, which began in 1813, and included his "Choral" symphony and his last five quartets.
             Overall, Beethoven composed 9 symphonies, 1 opera, 32 piano sonatas, 5 piano concertos, 16 string quartets, and 16 sonatas for one instru...