Beethoven was this really big deal in music back in the day. He was born in 1770 and grew up to be an amazing composer and pianist. He even conducted orchestras. The crazy thing is, he started losing his hearing when he was only in his late 20s, but that didn't stop him from making incredible music.
He got into music pretty young, playing and writing stuff as a teenager. He moved to Vienna because that's where all the cool music stuff was happening. He wrote a bunch of famous piano pieces there, like the "Moonlight Sonata" - you've probably heard that one.
Even though he was getting famous, life wasn't easy for Beethoven. His hearing was getting worse, which you'd think would be a career-ender for a musician. But nope, he just kept going and wrote some of his best stuff during this time. Like his "Eroica" Symphony - that was a big deal.
He kept churning out great music. The Fifth Symphony - you know, the one that goes "dun dun dun DUN" - that was him. And his Ninth Symphony with the "Ode to Joy" part? Also him. He was always trying new things with his music.
By the end of his life, Beethoven was pretty much deaf and kind of a loner. But he never stopped writing music. His last pieces are really deep and emotional.
Beethoven wasn't just important for his own music. He kind of changed the game for everyone who came after him. His stuff is still played all over the world today because it's just that good. People still get blown away by how powerful and beautiful his music is.
