Ludwing Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) was born in Bonn in northwestern Germany and was taught music by his father and a local organist.He lived at a time when new and powerful forces were abroad in human society, forces which affected him and made themselves felt in his work. Historically, Beethoven's work is built on the conventions, genres, and styles of the Classic period. Through external circumstances and the force of his own genius, he transformed this heritage and become the source of much that was characteristic of the Romantic period.

He composed 9 symphonies, 5 piano conceros, 16 string quartets, 32 piano sonatas, and many other orchestral, chamber, and vocal works.
He took each piece of his compositions through many drafts and revisions as we can see in his surviving sketchbooks.

Everybody knows that Beethoven was ahead of his time, and so was his piano playing. It had unprecedented power, personality and emotional appeal. In many respects he can be considered the first romantic pianist: the one who broke all of the laws in the name of expression; the one who thought orchestrally and achieved orchestral effects on the piano. In this he was alone in his day, and his like was not to be seen until the maturity of Franz Liszt.

It has been customary to divide Beethoven's works into three periods on the basis of style and chronology. Now, let's focus only on the piano works. The first period is said go to about 1802. Composed during that time were the first ten piano sonatas (through Op.14). The works of this time naturally show most clearly Beethoven's dependence on the Classic tradition. For instance, the first three piano sonatas Op.2 contain some passages reminiscent of Haydn. The second period, from year 1803 to 1816, includes seventeen sonatas, from Op.22 to Op.90, and the Piano Concertos in G and E flat major (Emperor Concerto). The last period, 1817 - 1827, in which Beethoven's music becomes more reflective and introspective, includes the last five piano sonatas and the Diabelli Variations.

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