| 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…
|