Ludwig van Beethoven has been called one of the greatest composers of all time. Beethoven wrote his music in the classical style during the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe. He wrote symphonies and concerti, piano sonatas, and string quartets. He incorporated ideas of the Enlightenment and Romanticism into many of his works. Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770 to Johann van Beethoven and Magdalena Keverich van Beethoven. He was baptized on December 17, 1770. When Beethoven was young, he started taking music lessons from his father, who was a musician in the court of Bonn. Beethoven was exceptionally good even as a child. In 1787 he visited Vienna where he performed and met many famous musicians including Mozart. He returned to Bonn when his mother began dying of tuberculoses. When his mother and sister died, he devoted most of his time to taking care of his younger siblings because his father was an alcoholic. In 1792, Beethoven moved to Vienna, where he began studying with Joseph Haydn, who was a close friend of Mozart’s. Vienna recognized Beethoven as a great pianist and he became very popular. In 1795, he wrote his first works with opus numbers which were the three piano trios. He supported himself by giving lessons, selling his works, and gifts from aristocratic patrons. This was very unusual for musicians of his time because they normally joined the church and became clergy to gain income. In 1801 Beethoven started loosing his hearing. They are not sure of the cause of his deafness but it has been said to be from syphilis, lead poisoning, or typhus. His hearing problem troubled him his whole life and greatly affected his music. At one time in his life he became severely depressed and in 1802 he left Vienna and moved to Heiligenstadt where he continued composing. In 1811 Beethoven performed his own Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” which he failed at playing. Because of this, he never performed in public again.