Ludwig van Beethoven

Visit the piano page for free mp3s of Für Elise, the Adagio Cantabile from the Pathétique Sonata, and the Moonlight Sonata movements 1 and 2.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was forced into musical training at an early age by his father, an abusive alcoholic, who hoped to produce another prodigy like Mozart. Ludwig gave his first public concert at age eight, though his father advertised his age as six to compare favorably with Mozart. Despite the treatment he received from his father, Beethoven developed a passion for music. He traveled to Vienna, where he met Mozart and studied briefly with Haydn, and soon became known across Europe as a great composer and improviser.

Sometime before 1800, Beethoven became aware that he was losing his hearing. Despite this obstacle, he continued to compose, producing some of the most popular classical compositions. Beethoven's music is often considered the bridge from the graceful, balanced music of the Classical era to the more passionate, unrestrained music of the 19th-century Romantics.

Beethoven files	MP3	MIDI
Für Elise	mp3	midi
Moonlight Sonata, movement 1	mp3	midi
Moonlight Sonata, movement 2	mp3	midi
Pathétique Sonata, movement 2, "Andante cantabile"	mp3