Synopsis
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized Dec. 17, 1770, in Bonn, Germany. He was an innovator, widening the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto, and quartet, and combining vocals and instruments in a new way. His personal life was marked by a struggle against deafness, and some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life, when he was quite unable to hear.
