Living during the Classical Era, Ludwig van Beethoven was bombarded by tons of music. He resided in Bonn, Germany, a town that exposed him to the music of his home and the surrounding countries. At the Bonn Nationaltheater, he discovered music of the French, Italians and other European artists. Beethoven also studied the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, in which he explored the expressive side of music. But most importantly, Beethoven had the opportunity to explore the works of his famous contemporaries: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn, two of the most prominent figures of the Classical period. Their music was so famous and widespread at the time that “even Beethoven must have envied Mozart’s sublime skill in internal composition.” The music of various composers along with private piano lessons from multiple teachers gave Beethoven the tools and the impetus to compose. But although countless brilliant musical figures appeared in Beethoven’s life, his biggest compositional influence proves to be Mozart. …show more content…
For many composers, this disability would inevitably end their careers—a fact that Beethoven was both aware and afraid of. However, deafness did not stop him from composing great works of music, such as his Ninth Symphony, more commonly known as Ode to Joy. To make up for his inability to hear, Beethoven began to move away from higher frequencies in his composition. His music progressively shifted towards the lower range of the piano as his hearing diminished, which contained notes that were easy to hear and feel the vibrations of. By 1816, he lost his hearing completely, relying only on the vibrations that the strings of the piano created. Despite his deafness, he continued producing music, imagining how different notes would sound together in his head. This was an incredible feat, even for a prodigy like