Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, on December 16 or 17,1770.
His father and his grandfather were both musicians.
Beethoven exposed his own musical talent when he was very young. His father, an irresponsible drunkard, hoped the boy would be a profitable child prodigy like Mozart. Beethoven was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and forced to practise the piano. At the age of 7 he was playing in public. When Beethoven was 13, the elector of Cologne made him assistant organist at his chapel in Bonn.
In 1787 Beethoven traveled to Vienna and met his idol, Mozart. When Beethoven improvised on a melody that Mozart had given him, the great master was amazed. It is said that Mozart remarked, "This young man will leave his print in the world some day".
But Beethoven could not stay in Vienna. His mother fell ill, and he rushed back to Bonn. The death of his mother left Beethoven and his brothers at the mercy of the drunken father. At the age of 18 Beethoven had to assume