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Chronology of Beethoven’s life


1770 When was Beethoven born? December 16th uncertain in Bonn, Germany
December 17th: Baptized at Bonn
1774

April 8th: Baptism of his brother Caspar Anton Carl
Ludwig learns music with his father

1776

October 2nd: Baptism of his brother Nikolaus Johann

1778

March 26th: Ludwig’s first known public performance, at Cologne

1779 February 23rd: Baptism of his sister Anna Maria Franziska (died four days later)
October: Neefe pursues Ludwig’s musical training
1781 January 17th: Baptism of his brother Franz Georg (died two years later)
1782 Publication of first work in Beethoven life known as the Dressler Variations
1783 October 14th: Publication of three sonatas and other works
1784

June: Ludwig is appointed organist to the Choir of Maximilian Franz. He is 14 year old.

1786 May 5th: Baptism of his sister Maria Margaretha (died one year later)
1787

Visited Vienna, studied with Mozart
July 17th: death of his mother

1789-1792

Played for four seasons as violinist at the Opera of Bonn
Numerous Beethoven compositions

1791 December 5th: Death of Mozart
1792 November 2nd: Left for Vienna
November 10th: Arrived at Vienna
Musical studies with Haydn
December 18th: Death of his father
1794 May: His brother Carl arrives at Vienna
January 19th: Haydn returns to London. Ludwig studies with Albrechtsberger
Composition of his first major work: Trios for Piano (opus 1)
1795

March 29th: First public appearance at Vienna; he played his own works
July: Finished his studies with Albrechtsberger
August: Trios for Piano (opus 1) published
September: Haydn returns to Vienna and meets Ludwig
December 26th: His brother Johann arrives in Vienna
Proposes to Magdalena Willmann, but she refuses him

1796

Numerous Beethoven compositions and a concert given at Prague
July: Returns to Vienna after Prague, Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin before leaving for a concert in Budapest

1797 Probably the year of a serious illness, which triggered his deafness
1797-1799

Composition and publication of works

1799 Instruction by Salieri
Began composing the first symphony
1800

Concert at Vienna, playing of his first symphony
End of the year: Composition of his second symphony

1802

February: Finished his second symphony
April: left for Heiligenstadt in the hope that his hearing would improve.
Returned to Vienna in October

1803 January: Ludwig became the composer of the Theatre of Vienna, where he lived with his brother Carl
June-October: Composed the Eroica symphony
August 6th: The piano maker Sébastien Erard sent him a new piano, as a present. This allowed for bigger intervals – like the pianos we have today.
1804 April: His contract with the theatre finishes
1805

April 7th: First public performance of the Eroica symphony
Numerous workings on Leonore, with a premiere on November 20

1806 May 25th: Marriage of his brother Caspar Carl
Journey with the Prince Lichnowsky, and composition of the fourth symphony
1807 Composition of the Coriolan Overture
March: First performance of the fourth symphony
Autumn: Composition of the fifth symphony
1808

Spring-Summer: Composition of the sixth symphony – The Pastoral
December: Playing of the sixth symphony

1809 April 9th: War is declared against France
May 10th: French army surrounds Vienna
May 11th-12th: France takes possession of Vienna
Beethoven teaches music to Archduke Rudolphe
1810 April 27th: Beethoven presents ‘The Letter for Elise’ to Thérèse Malfatti
1811 October: Beethoven begins writing the seventh symphony
1812

March 2nd: Presentation of ‘To the Beloved’ to Antonie Brentano
May: Writing of the seventh symphony
Writing of the letter to “The Immortal Beloved”…

1813 December 8th: First public presentation of the eighth symphony
1814 February 27th: Playing of the eighth symphony
May 23rd: First presentation of Fidelio
1815 November 15th: Ludwig’s brother, Carl, dies. After several court cases, Ludwig is given guardianship of his nephew.
1816 October: Beethoven becomes ill
1817
Beginning of the year: Beethoven is still ill
September 10th: Writing of the first bars of the ninth symphony
1818 February 14th: Beethoven and Salieri recommend the metronome in the Viennese press.
February: Beethoven’s deafness is such that he has to use a notebook and pencil to converse with visitors.
December 3rd: Karl runs away to his mother’s home, but Beethoven demands that the police bring him back.
1819 January 11th: The guardianship of Karl is taken away from Beethoven on grounds of his deafness.
November: Composition of ‘Missa Solemnis’
1820 April 8th: Beethoven becomes Karl’s tutor again, with Karl Peters.
1821 January and the following months: Beethoven becomes regularly ill
1822 October: Pursues the composition of the ninth symphony and the beginnings of the tenth
1823 March 6th: Beethoven names Karl as his heir
Works on the ninth symphony
1824 Works on the tenth symphony (only the first movement was written in detail)
February: Finished writing the ninth symphony
May 7th: Public playing of the ninth symphony
1825 May 7th-October 15th: Beethoven installs himself at Baden
1826 August 6th: Karl attempts suicide by shooting himself in the head. He’s only injured.
December: Beethoven’s health starts to decline. He undergoes an operation.
1827

He undergoes three further operations in the first two months of the year…