Ludwig van Beethoven personal life. Ludwig van Beethoven: biography

The message about Beethoven, summarized in this article, will tell you about the great German composer, conductor and pianist, a representative of Viennese classicism.

Report on Beethoven

Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 (this is an estimated date, since it is only known for sure that he was baptized on December 17) in musical family in the town of Bonn. From an early age, parents instilled in their son a love of music, giving him to learn to play the harpsichord, flute, organ, and violin.

At the age of 12, he was already working as an assistant organist at court. The young man knew several foreign languages ​​and even tried to write music. In addition to music, Beethoven was fond of reading books, he especially liked the ancient Greek authors Plutarch and Homer, as well as Friedrich Schiller, Shakespeare and Goethe.

After Beethoven's mother died in 1787, he began to provide for his family on his own. Ludwig got a job playing in the orchestra, and also went to university lectures. Acquainted with Haydn, he began to take private lessons from him. To this end, the future musician moves to Vienna. Once I heard his improvisations great composer Mozart, and predicted a brilliant career and fame for him. Haydn, having given Ludwig several lessons, sends him to study with another mentor, Albrechtsberger. After some time, his teacher changed again: this time it was Antonio Salieri.

The beginning of a musical career

Ludwig Beethoven's first mentor noted that his music was too strange and dark. That is why he sent his student to another teacher. But this style musical works brought Beethoven first fame as a composer. Against the background of other performers classical music they differed favorably. While in Vienna, the composer wrote his famous works- "Pathetic Sonata" and "Moonlight Sonata". Then there were other brilliant works: "First Symphony", "Second Symphony", "Christ on the Mount of Olives", "Creation of Prometheus".

The further work and life of Ludwig Beethoven were overshadowed by sad events. The composer developed a disease of the auricle, as a result of which he lost his hearing. The composer decides to retire to Heiligenstadt, where he works on the Third Symphony. Absolute deafness separated him from the outside world. But he didn't stop making music. Beethoven's opera Fidelio was a success in Berlin, Vienna and Prague.

The period of 1802-1812 was especially fruitful: the composer created a series of works for cello, piano, the Ninth Symphony and the Solemn Mass. Fame, popularity and recognition came to him.

• He was the third person in the family to bear the name Ludwig van Beethoven. The first carrier was the composer's grandfather, a famous Bonn musician, and the second was his 6-year-old older brother.
• Beethoven left school at the age of 11 without learning division and multiplication.
• He was very fond of coffee, brewing 64 grains each time, no more and no less.
• His character was not simple: grumpy and friendly, gloomy and good-natured. Some remember him as a person with an excellent sense of humor, others as a person who is not pleasant in communication.
• He created the famous "Ninth Symphony" when he had already completely lost his hearing.

We hope that the report on Beethoven helped you prepare for the lesson. And you can leave your message about Beethoven through the comment form below.

In order to know about one of the most talented and famous composers late XVIII and the beginning of the 19th century, Ludwig van Beethoven (Ludwig Van Beethoven), it is enough to get acquainted with his main points of life.

Therefore, the article provides a summary of the most important data from the biography of the maestro.

Ludwig van Beethoven - German composer

Ludwig van Beethoven, a German conductor, musician and composer, is one of the most fundamental figures in musical classicism.

Years of life: 12/1770. - 1827.03.26.

The composer's work includes all the genres that existed during the period of his activity: compositions for the choir, music for dramatic performances and opera.

He created brilliant works in between the classical and romantic periods, remaining the last representative of the Viennese classical school.

For children, it is important to answer the question - what instrument did Beethoven play? The composer owned several musical instruments, among which were the organ, viola, piano, piano, violin and cello.

Famous musical works

For all my creative career Beethoven wrote a huge number of musical works, especially famous in their list are:

• 9 symphonies, only two of them acquired a title: 3rd symphony "Heroic" of 1804 and 6th symphony "Pastoral" of 1808;
• 32 sonatas, 16 of them for young men, and 60 pieces for piano, of which the Moonlight Sonata, Pathetique Sonata and Appassionata stand out;
• 8 symphonic introductions to performances, one of them No. 3 "Leonora";
• musical accompaniment of performances: "King Stefan", "Egmont" and "Coriolanus";
• "triple concertos" - concertos for cello, violin and piano;
• 10 pieces for violin and piano and 5 pieces for piano and cello;
• the only opera, in two parts, Fidelio;
• the only ballet, from which only the introduction (overture), "The Creation of Prometheus" is performed;
• "Solemn Mass";
• No. 14 Piano Sonata "The Seasons";
• music for 40 poems and musical revision of the songs of the peoples of Ireland and Scotland.

Short biography of Beethoven

The information is compiled from the most important moments in the life and work of the musician.

Where he was born

In the German city of Bonn, which is located on the Rhine River, in the winter of 1770, the first-born, Ludwig, was born in the family of Johann van Beethoven and Mary Magdalene Keverich.

Father and mother

Beethoven's father and grandfather, Johann and Ludwig, were musicians and singers.

The grandfather of the future musician, Ludwig Sr., was a Flemish singer who moved to Bonn, where he was lucky enough to become a musician at the court of the Elector of Cologne himself.

There, in the chapel, Johann, who had a pleasant tenor, got a job as a chorister. There, Johann meets the daughter of the cook Keverich, Mary Magdalene, with whom he later married.

Childhood

Ludwig's childhood could not be called joyful, because after him 6 more brothers and sisters were born, and he had to help his mother with the housework.

On top of that, my father used to drink alcohol very often, which served as a completely unhealthy atmosphere in the house.

Johann was a completely unbridled man, allowing himself to be beaten, in addition, the family never had enough money due to constant binges. deal with violent temper even the grandfather could not have fathered Ludwig, which may have caused four children's deaths in the future.

Alcohol, beatings, poverty and stress affected the health of the mother and the bearing of children, so everyone died almost in infancy.

Education and upbringing

In the days when calm came, Ludwig liked to listen to the musical performance of his grandfather in the chapel, which did not go unnoticed by his father, who took up the boy's musical education.

But Johann's goals were by no means noble, he was so impatient to soon get rich on a talented child, so the learning process took place in a cruel atmosphere.

On top of that, Johann limited his son to attending the obligatory primary education, which subsequently affected the composer's literacy. Gaps in education are visible in the surviving records of the musician, there are serious errors in counting and spelling.

The beginning of creativity

Ludwig gives his first concert, under the control of his father, in Cologne, but the proceeds turned out to be too small, which greatly disappointed Johann, and he sends his son to study with his familiar musicians.

But Mary Magdalene tried to support her son in every possible way, offering him to transfer the music that arises in his head to paper.

In 1782, young Ludwig met K. G. Nefe, an organist, composer and aesthete, who takes patronage over the talent, making him his assistant at court. Nefe teaches Ludwig, instilling a love of music and literary works, philosophical science and foreign languages. The young musician dreams of meeting and working with Mozart, and this dream was destined to come true.

In 1787, Ludwig van Beethoven made his first trip to Vienna, where he demonstrated improvisations to Mozart, who, stunned by the performance of the young man, predicted his great popularity in the future. After that, the maestro agreed to Beethoven's requests to give some professional lessons.

But fate decreed otherwise. Ludwig's mother became seriously ill, and therefore had to urgently return home. Mary Magdalene dies and Ludwig has to take care of his two younger brothers. For his children, Johann was a bad father, he was only interested in a reckless, alcohol-soaked life, and the young musician had no choice but to turn to the elector for help, asking for monthly financial assistance. This period of life was very difficult, suddenly complicated by diseases of typhus and smallpox.

Ludwig's sleepless talent further enabled him to secure access to any musical gatherings and respect from wealthy families in his hometown. This allowed him to visit Vienna again in 1792, where the young man took lessons from famous composers: Haydn, Albrechtsberger, Schenk and Salieri. Using acquaintances and knowledge, Beethoven becomes a member of the circle virtuoso musicians and titled persons.

True, to the pampered inhabitants of Vienna, the composer's music seemed very incomprehensible and monstrous, which greatly discouraged and annoyed him. Then, without thinking twice, Ludwig goes to Berlin, where, as it seemed to him, he hoped to meet understanding.

There was also disappointment. Beethoven did not find what he was looking for. Spoiled morals, hypocrisy, covered with piety, irritated, and, despite the improvisations accepted by the court of Frederick II and the offer to stay in Berlin, the musician returns to his beloved Vienna. From there, the musician did not voluntarily leave for several years, devoting himself entirely to his notes, creating three compositions a day.

Beethoven was an open revolutionary who was not afraid to express his views to everyone and everywhere. Even his appearance screamed it, with its naughty whirlwinds out of fashion, not changing to please anyone. The internal and external state existed harmoniously.

This harmony of rebellion was skillfully captured on the canvas in 1920 by the familiar artist Stieler.

This portrait of Beethoven is considered the most popular of all lifetime images.

At the age of 26, a real misfortune crept up to Beethoven - hearing loss. Even earlier, he had to complain about frequent annoying noises and ringing in the ears, which indicated a developing disease - tinnitus.

The doctors' advice on maintaining peace and silence did not improve the condition at all, and the composer, in a moment of despair, wrote a will. But the shown strength of character, characteristic of the composer, did not allow him to lay hands on himself. Realizing the impending deafness, the maestro decided not to waste time and work on his Third Symphony - "Heroic".

heyday

Since 1812, Beethoven has been creating his best monumental works for cello and favorite piano, composes symphony No. 9, "Solemn Mass" and a cycle for vocalists "To a Distant Beloved", arranges songs of the peoples of Scotland, Russia, Ireland.

In 1824 there was the first performance of the 9th symphony in public, which arranged a storm of applause for the maestro, waving handkerchiefs and hats as a sign of greeting. This was allowed only when meeting with imperial persons, so the gendarmes were not slow to stop such liberties.

last years of life

In the winter of 1826, the maestro was struck by pneumonia, in addition to dropsy and jaundice. The struggle with the disease continued for about three months, but this time it turned out to be weaker, and in the early morning Beethoven died.

He was only 56 years old. An autopsy showed that the maestro by that time had developed cirrhosis of the liver and pancreatitis.

Multi-thousandth funeral procession spent her favorite unique composer in complete silence. At the burial site, a pyramidal monument was erected with the image of a lyre, the sun and the name of a genius on it.

There are several interesting facts about Beethoven:

1. Due to hearing loss, the composer comes up with a way to hear the sound: he clamps one end of a thin flat stick in his teeth, and leans the other against the edge of the instrument and feels the note through the resulting vibration.
2. When the disease took possession of his hearing, the deaf musician created a “conversational notebook” to communicate with people, through which people communicated with him. Since the musician was not an admirer of ruling persons, he spoke in every possible way about them with unflattering, and sometimes terrible words. This was dangerous, because at that time royal spies were scurrying around, and Beethoven's friends constantly warned him in a notebook about their presence. But the maestro's irony and intemperance did not allow him to remain silent, to which the answer was written in his notebook - "The scaffold is crying for you!" Some of these notebooks were destroyed.
3. A forensic pathologist and expert from Vienna, Reuter, conducted an analysis of Beethoven's hair in 2007, which showed that the cause of death of the maestro was lead poisoning, due to improper treatment.
4. Unlike his contemporary, the composer Rossini, who covered himself with a blanket to compose, Beethoven stimulated his brain by pouring ice-cold water over his head.

Outstanding Musician Achievement

Ludwig van Beethoven played a prominent role in the development of the musical genres of his predecessors. He allowed as much freedom as possible into the performance of quartets, symphonies and sonatas, creating a sense of space and time.

The composer introduced each instrument with his works in such a way that the performer simply needed to master it thoroughly.

So the harpsichord was pushed aside, which made the piano the main instrument, which, with its extended range, extinguishes its modest elegance, and requires professional dedication.

The composer also introduced an innovation into the melody - an unexpected impulsive and contrasting performance, with a change in tempo and rhythms, which was sometimes difficult to accept for contemporaries.

Beethoven became a musical revolutionary, overshadowing his former traditional direction with his creations, creating a new direction in the art of music.

Ludwig Beethoven was born in 1770 in the German town of Bonn. In a house with three rooms in the attic. In one of the rooms with a narrow dormer window that let in almost no light, his mother, his kind, gentle, meek mother, whom he adored, often bustled about. She died of consumption when Ludwig was barely 16, and her death was the first major shock in his life. But always, when he remembered his mother, his soul was filled with tender warm light as if the hands of an angel touched her. "You were so good to me, so worthy of love, you were my most best friend! O! Who was happier than me when I could still pronounce the sweet name - mother, and it was heard! To whom can I tell it now? .. "

Ludwig's father, a poor court musician, played the violin and harpsichord and had a very beautiful voice, but suffered from conceit and, intoxicated with easy successes, disappeared in taverns, led very scandalous life. Discovered by son musical ability, he set out to make him a virtuoso, a second Mozart, at all costs, in order to solve the material problems of the family. He forced the five-year-old Ludwig to repeat boring exercises for five or six hours a day, and often, having come home drunk, woke him up even at night and half-asleep, crying, sat him at the harpsichord. But in spite of everything, Ludwig loved his father, loved and pitied him.

When the boy was twelve years old, a very significant event- it must be fate itself sent Christian Gottlieb Nefe, court organist, composer, conductor, to Bonn. This extraordinary man, one of the most advanced and educated people of that time, he immediately guessed a brilliant musician in the boy and began to teach him for free. Nefe introduced Ludwig to the works of the greats: Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart. He called himself "an enemy of ceremonial and etiquette" and "a hater of flatterers", these traits were later clearly manifested in Beethoven's character. During frequent walks, the boy eagerly absorbed the words of the teacher, who recited the works of Goethe and Schiller, talked about Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, about the ideas of freedom, equality, fraternity that freedom-loving France lived at that time. Beethoven carried the ideas and thoughts of his teacher through his whole life: “Gifting is not everything, it can die if a person does not have diabolical perseverance. If you fail, start again. Fail a hundred times, start again a hundred times. Man can overcome any obstacle. Giving and a pinch is enough, but perseverance needs an ocean. And in addition to talent and perseverance, self-confidence is also needed, but not pride. God bless you from her."

Many years later, Ludwig will thank Nefe in a letter for the wise advice that helped him in studying music, this “divine art”. To which he modestly answers: "Ludwig Beethoven himself was Ludwig Beethoven's teacher."

Ludwig dreamed of going to Vienna to meet Mozart, whose music he idolized. At 16, his dream came true. However, Mozart reacted to the young man with distrust, deciding that he performed a piece for him, well learned. Then Ludwig asked me to give him a topic for free fantasy. He had never improvised with such inspiration! Mozart was amazed. He exclaimed, turning to his friends: “Pay attention to this young man, he will make the whole world talk about him!” Unfortunately, they never met again. Ludwig was forced to return to Bonn, to his dearly beloved sick mother, and when he later returned to Vienna, Mozart was no longer alive.

Soon, Beethoven's father completely drank himself, and the 17-year-old boy was left to take care of his two younger brothers. Fortunately, fate extended a helping hand to him: he had friends from whom he found support and comfort - Elena von Breuning replaced Ludwig's mother, and brother and sister Eleanor and Stefan became his first friends. Only in their house did he feel at ease. It was here that Ludwig learned to appreciate people and respect human dignity. Here he learned and fell in love for life epic heroes"Odyssey" and "Iliad", the heroes of Shakespeare and Plutarch. Here he met Wegeler, the future husband of Eleanor Braining, who became his best friend, a friend for life.

In 1789, the desire for knowledge led Beethoven to the University of Bonn at the Faculty of Philosophy. In the same year, a revolution broke out in France, and news of it quickly reached Bonn. Ludwig, together with his friends, listened to lectures by professor of literature Eulogy Schneider, who enthusiastically read his poems dedicated to the revolution to students: “To crush stupidity on the throne, to fight for the rights of mankind ... Oh, not one of the lackeys of the monarchy is capable of this. This is only possible for free souls who prefer death to flattery, poverty to slavery.” Ludwig was among Schneider's ardent admirers. Full of bright hopes, feeling great strength in himself, the young man again went to Vienna. Oh, if friends had met him at that time, they would not have recognized him: Beethoven resembled a salon lion! “The look is direct and incredulous, as if sideways watching what impression it makes on others. Beethoven is dancing (oh grace in the highest degree hidden), rides (poor horse!), Beethoven, who has good location spirit (laughter at the top of my lungs). (Oh, if old friends had met him at that time, they would not have recognized him: Beethoven resembled a salon lion! He was cheerful, cheerful, danced, rode and looked askance at the impression he made on others.) Sometimes Ludwig visited frighteningly gloomy, and only close friends knew how much kindness was hidden behind outward pride. As soon as a smile illuminated his face, it was illuminated with such childish purity that in those moments it was impossible not to love not only him, but the whole world!

At the same time, his first piano compositions were published. The success of the publication turned out to be grandiose: more than 100 music lovers subscribed to it. Young musicians were especially eager for his piano sonatas. Future famous pianist Ignaz Moscheles, for example, surreptitiously bought and dismantled Beethoven's Pathétique sonata, which had been banned by his professors. Later, Moscheles became one of the maestro's favorite students. The listeners, with bated breath, reveled in his improvisations on the piano, they touched many to tears: "He calls spirits both from the depths and from the heights." But Beethoven did not create for money and not for recognition: “What nonsense! I never thought of writing for fame or for fame. I need to give an outlet to what I have accumulated in my heart - that's why I write.

He was still young, and the criterion of his own importance for him was a sense of strength. He did not tolerate weakness and ignorance, treated condescendingly as common people, and to the aristocracy, even to those nice people who loved him and admired him. With royal generosity, he helped friends when they needed it, but in anger he was ruthless towards them. In him, great love and the same force of contempt clashed. But in spite of everything, in the heart of Ludwig, like a beacon, lived a strong, sincere need to be the right people: “Never, since childhood, has my zeal to serve suffering humanity weakened. I have never charged any fee for this. I do not need anything but the feeling of contentment that always accompanies a good deed.

Youth is characterized by such extremes, because it is looking for an outlet for its internal forces. And sooner or later a person faces a choice: where to direct these forces, what path to choose? Fate helped Beethoven to make a choice, although her method may seem too cruel ... The disease approached Ludwig gradually, over the course of six years, and struck him between 30 and 32 years old. She hit him in the most sensitive place, in his pride, strength - in his hearing! Complete deafness cut off Ludwig from everything that was so dear to him: from friends, from society, from love and, worst of all, from art! new Beethoven.

Ludwig went to Heiligenstadt, an estate near Vienna, and settled in a poor peasant house. He found himself on the verge of life and death - the words of his will, written on October 6, 1802, are like a cry of despair: “O people, you who consider me heartless, stubborn, selfish - oh, how unfair you are to me! You do not know the secret reason for what you only think! From the early childhood my heart was inclined towards a tender feeling of love and benevolence; but consider that for six years now I have been suffering from an incurable disease, brought to a terrible degree by inept doctors ... With my hot, lively temperament, with my love of communicating with people, I had to retire early, spend my life alone ... For me, not there is rest among people, no communication with them, no friendly conversations. I must live as an exile. If sometimes, carried away by my innate sociability, I succumbed to temptation, then what humiliation I experienced when someone next to me heard a flute from afar, but I did not hear! .. Such cases plunged me into terrible despair, and the thought of committing suicide often came to mind. Only art kept me from it; it seemed to me that I had no right to die until I had done everything to which I felt called... And I decided to wait until the inexorable parks would please to break the thread of my life... I am ready for anything; in my 28th year I was to become a philosopher. It is not so easy, and more difficult for an artist than for anyone else. O deity, you see my soul, you know it, you know how much love it has for people and the desire to do good. Oh people, if you ever read this, then remember that you were unfair to me; and let everyone who is unhappy take comfort in the fact that there is someone like him, who, in spite of all obstacles, did everything he could to be accepted among worthy artists and people.

However, Beethoven did not give up! And before he had time to finish writing his will, as in his soul, like a heavenly parting word, like a blessing of fate, the Third Symphony was born - a symphony unlike any that existed before. It was her that he loved more than his other creations. Ludwig dedicated this symphony to Bonaparte, whom he compared with the Roman consul and considered one of the greatest people new time. But, subsequently learning about his coronation, he was furious and broke the dedication. Since then, the 3rd symphony has been called the Heroic.

After everything that happened to him, Beethoven understood, realized the most important thing - his mission: “Let everything that is life be dedicated to the great and let it be the sanctuary of art! This is your duty to the people and to Him, the Almighty. Only in this way can you once again reveal what is hidden in you. The ideas of new works rained down on him like stars - at that time the Appassionata piano sonata, excerpts from the opera Fidelio, fragments of Symphony No. 5, sketches of numerous variations, bagatelles, marches, masses, the Kreutzer Sonata were born. Finally choosing your life path, the maestro seemed to have received new forces. So, from 1802 to 1805, works dedicated to bright joy appeared: “ Pastoral symphony”, piano sonata “Aurora”, “Merry Symphony” ...

Often, without realizing it himself, Beethoven became a pure spring from which people drew strength and consolation. Here is what Beethoven's student, Baroness Ertman, recalls: “When my last child, Beethoven could not make up his mind to come to us for a long time. Finally, one day he called me to his place, and when I came in, he sat down at the piano and said only: “We will talk to you with music,” after which he began to play. He told me everything, and I left him relieved. On another occasion, Beethoven did everything to help the daughter of the great Bach, who, after the death of her father, found herself on the verge of poverty. He often liked to repeat: "I do not know any other signs of superiority, except kindness."

Now the inner god was Beethoven's only constant interlocutor. Never before had Ludwig felt such closeness to Him: “... you can no longer live for yourself, you must live only for others, there is no more happiness for you anywhere except in your art. Oh Lord, help me overcome myself!” Two voices constantly sounded in his soul, sometimes they argued and were at enmity, but one of them was always the voice of the Lord. These two voices are clearly audible, for example, in the first movement of the Pathetique Sonata, in the Appassionata, in Symphony No. 5, and in the second movement of the Fourth Piano Concerto.

When the idea suddenly dawned on Ludwig during a walk or a conversation, he experienced what he called an "enthusiastic tetanus." At that moment he forgot himself and belonged only to musical idea and he didn't let her go until he had completely mastered her. This is how a new bold, rebellious art was born, which did not recognize the rules, "which could not be broken for the sake of more beautiful." Beethoven refused to believe the canons proclaimed by the harmony textbooks, he believed only what he had tried and experienced. But he was not guided by empty vanity - he was the herald of a new time and a new art, and the newest in this art was a man! A person who dared to challenge not only generally accepted stereotypes, but, first of all, his own limitations.

Ludwig was by no means proud of himself, he constantly searched, tirelessly studied the masterpieces of the past: the works of Bach, Handel, Gluck, Mozart. Their portraits hung in his room, and he often said that they helped him overcome suffering. Beethoven read the works of Sophocles and Euripides, his contemporaries Schiller and Goethe. God alone knows how many days and sleepless nights he spent comprehending great truths. And even shortly before his death, he said: "I begin to learn."

But how new music received by the public? Performed for the first time in front of selected listeners " Heroic symphony”was condemned for “divine lengths”. At an open performance, someone from the audience pronounced the verdict: “I’ll give a kreuzer to end all this!” Journalists and music critics Beethoven did not get tired of instructing: "The work is depressing, it is endless and embroidered." And the maestro, driven to despair, promised to write a symphony for them, which would last more than an hour, so that they would find his "Heroic" short. And he will write it 20 years later, and now Ludwig took up the composition of the opera Leonora, which he later renamed Fidelio. Among all his creations, she occupies an exceptional place: "Of all my children, she cost me the greatest pain at birth, she also gave me the greatest grief - that's why she is dearer to me than others." He rewrote the opera three times, provided four overtures, each of which was a masterpiece in its own way, wrote the fifth, but everyone was not satisfied. It was an incredible work: Beethoven rewrote a piece of an aria or the beginning of some scene 18 times and all 18 in different ways. For 22 lines vocal music- 16 test pages! As soon as "Fidelio" was born, as it was shown to the public, but in the auditorium the temperature was "below zero", the opera withstood only three performances ... Why did Beethoven fight so desperately for the life of this creation? The plot of the opera is based on a story that took place during French Revolution, its main characters were love and fidelity - those ideals that Ludwig's heart has always lived. Like any person, he dreamed of family happiness, of home comfort. He, who constantly overcame illnesses and ailments, like no one else, needed care loving heart. Friends did not remember Beethoven except as passionately in love, but his hobbies were always distinguished by extraordinary purity. He could not create without experiencing love, love was his sacred.

Autograph score of "Moonlight Sonata"

For several years, Ludwig was very friendly with the Brunswick family. The sisters Josephine and Teresa treated him very warmly and took care of him, but which of them became the one whom he called his "everything", his "angel" in his letter? Let this remain Beethoven's secret. Its fruit heavenly love steel Fourth Symphony, Fourth piano concert, quartets dedicated to the Russian Prince Razumovsky, a cycle of songs "To a Distant Beloved". Until the end of his days, Beethoven tenderly and reverently kept in his heart the image of the "immortal beloved".

The years 1822-1824 became especially difficult for the maestro. He tirelessly worked on the Ninth Symphony, but poverty and hunger forced him to write humiliating notes to publishers. He personally sent letters to the "main European courts", those who once paid attention to him. But almost all of his letters remained unanswered. Even despite the enchanting success of the Ninth Symphony, the fees from it turned out to be very small. And the composer laid all his hopes on the "generous Englishmen", who more than once showed him their enthusiasm. He wrote a letter to London and soon received £100 from the Philharmonic Society on account of the academy being set up in his favor. “It was a heartbreaking sight,” recalled one of his friends, “when, having received a letter, he clasped his hands and sobbed with joy and gratitude ... He wanted to dictate again thank you letter, he promised to dedicate one of his works to them - the Tenth Symphony or Overture, in a word, whatever they wish. Despite this situation, Beethoven continued to compose. His last works were string quartets, opus 132, the third of which, with his divine adagio, he entitled "A song of thanksgiving to the Divine from a convalescent."

Ludwig seemed to have a premonition of imminent death - he copied the saying from the temple of the Egyptian goddess Neith: “I am what I am. I am all that was, is, and will be. No mortal has lifted my veil. “He alone comes from himself, and everything that exists owes being to this one,” and he loved to reread it.

In December 1826, Beethoven went on business with his nephew Karl to his brother Johann. This trip turned out to be fatal for him: a long-standing liver disease was complicated by dropsy. For three months the illness severely tormented him, and he talked about new works: “I want to write a lot more, I would like to compose the Tenth Symphony ... music for Faust ... Yes, and a piano school. I think of it to myself in a completely different way than it is now accepted ... ”He did not lose his sense of humor until the last minute and composed the canon“ Doctor, close the gate so that death does not come. Overcoming incredible pain, he found the strength to console his old friend, the composer Hummel, who burst into tears, seeing his suffering. When Beethoven was operated on for the fourth time, and water gushed from his stomach when pierced, he exclaimed with a laugh that the doctor seemed to him to be Moses, who struck the rock with a rod, and immediately, to console himself, added: “Better water from the stomach than from - under the pen.

On March 26, 1827, the pyramid-shaped clock on Beethoven's desk suddenly stopped, which always foreshadowed a thunderstorm. At five o'clock in the afternoon a real storm broke out with a downpour and hail. Bright lightning lit up the room, there was a terrible thunderclap - and it was all over ... On the spring morning of March 29, 20,000 people came to see off the maestro. What a pity that people often forget about those who are near while they are alive, and remember and admire them only after their death.

Everything passes. Suns also die. But for thousands of years they continue to carry their light in the midst of darkness. And for thousands of years we receive the light of these faded suns. Thank you, great maestro, for the example worthy victories, for showing how you can learn to hear the voice of the heart and follow it. Each person seeks to find happiness, each overcomes difficulties and longs to understand the meaning of their efforts and victories. And maybe your life, the way you searched and overcame, will help to find hope for those who seek and suffer. And a spark of faith will light up in their hearts that they are not alone, that all troubles can be overcome if you do not despair and give all the best that you have. Maybe, like you, someone will choose to serve and help others. And, like you, he will find happiness in this, even if the path to it leads through suffering and tears.

to the magazine "Man Without Borders"

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN AND THE IMMORTAL BELOVED OF THE GREAT DEAF

Ludwig van Beethoven considered a key figure Western music period between classicism and romanticism. Even now he is one of the most performed composers in the world. An unsurpassed master of sonatas, although he wrote in all the genres that existed in his time, including opera, ballet, music for dramatic performances, and choral compositions. She is his first real love, to which he dedicated a brilliant sonata. And although in the life of the great German composer there were other women, it is this young charmer who is called his immortal lover.

Ludwig van Beethoven's first teacher

One of the three " Viennese classics"was born in 1770 in the German city of Bonn. The years of childhood can be called the most difficult in the life of the future composer. It was difficult for a proud and independent boy to survive the fact that his father, a rude and despotic man, noticing his son's musical talent, decided to use him for selfish purposes. Forcing little Ludwig to sit at the harpsichord from morning till night, he did not think that his son needed childhood so much. At eight years old Beethoven earned his first money - he gave a public concert, and by the age of twelve the boy was playing the violin and organ freely. But along with success, isolation, the need for solitude and lack of sociability came to the young musician.

At this time in life Ludwig appeared Christian Gottlieb Nefe, his wise and kind mentor. It was he who instilled the boy had a sense of beauty, taught him to understand nature, art, to understand human life. Nefe trained Ludwig ancient languages, philosophy, literature, history, ethics. Subsequently, being deep and wide thinking person, Beethoven became an adherent of the principles of freedom, humanism, equality of all people.

In 1787 Ludwig comes to Vienna. The city of theaters and cathedrals, street orchestras and love serenades under the windows won the heart young genius. But it was there that the young musician was struck by deafness: at first the sounds seemed muffled to him, then he repeated the unheard phrases several times, then he realized that he was finally losing his hearing. “I lead a bitter existence,” wrote Beethoven to my friend. - I'm deaf. With my craft, nothing can be more terrible ... Oh, if I got rid of this disease, I would embrace the whole world.

"And the sun in it - Juliet"

She appeared in his life suddenly. The young provincial countess, who arrived in the Austrian capital from Italy with her family in 1800, was charming.

The daughter of a respectable family, sixteen-year-old Juliet, struck the composer at first sight. She soon wished to take lessons from the idol of the Viennese aristocracy, especially since Beethoven was close to her cousins ​​and cousin, the young Hungarian counts of Brunswick. And, of course, he could not resist - he began to give the girl piano lessons, and completely free of charge. Juliet had good musical abilities and grasped all his advice on the fly. She was pretty, young, sociable and tirelessly flirted with her 30-year-old teacher.

He impressed Juliet with his popularity and even oddities. With all the severity of views, Beethoven was not indifferent to female beauty and never refused to give lessons to young beautiful girls. He didn't say no this time either. He did not take money from her, and she gave him shirts - under the pretext that she embroidered them for him with her own hands. During the lessons, the composer often got annoyed and even threw the notes on the floor, but, nevertheless, quickly succumbed to the charm of his student.

And just imagine: they are sitting very close in front of the instrument, so that they feel each other's breath… The music fills the space with romance, emotions and mystery… Evening creeps up. A candle illuminating the music sheets illuminates the faces of the teacher and student with a warm light... Beethoven gently takes the girl's hand to put it on the keyboard correctly, and his heart flutters with excitement ...

The gloomy and unsociable composer understands that he has fallen in love. I loved passionately, recklessly. He loved so much, with all his heart, that he was ready to give his life for his beloved without the slightest delay. Sweet, beautiful in spring, with an angelic face and a divine smile, eyes in which you wanted to drown - all Beethoven's thoughts were about Juliet Guicciardi. She became for him that straw, for which he tried with all his might to hold on. She seemed ready to reciprocate. Ludwig again felt a surge of strength, hope for recovery. Happiness was so close.

Beethoven writes to his friend of youth Franz Wegeler: “Now I am more often in society. This change was made in me by a sweet, charming girl who loves me and whom I love.

“You can hardly believe how lonely and sad I have spent the last two years: deafness, like some kind of ghost, appeared to me everywhere, I avoided people, seemed to be a misanthrope, which I have so little resemblance to. Previously, I was constantly ill, but now my bodily strength, and at the same time my spiritual strength, has been growing stronger for some time. You must see me happy. I will grab fate by the throat, it will not be possible to completely bend me. Oh, how wonderful it is to live a thousandfold life!” This letter was also written to Wegeler, but a few months later.

Beethoven fell in love for the first time, and his soul was full of pure joy and bright hope. He is not young! But she, as it seemed to him, was perfection and could become for him a consolation in illness, joy in everyday life and a muse in creativity. Beethoven is seriously considering marrying Juliet, because she is nice to him and encourages his feelings. But increasingly, the composer feels helpless due to progressive hearing loss, his financial situation unstable, he does not have a title or "blue blood", and yet Juliet is an aristocrat!

Sonata time

Literally crushed in October 1802 Beethoven left for Heiligenstadt, where he wrote the famous "Heiligenstadt Testament".

Fear, the collapse of hopes give rise to thoughts of suicide in the composer. But Beethovengathered strength, decided to start new life and almost completely deaf created great masterpieces.

Several years passed, Juliet returned to Austria and came to the apartment to Beethoven. Crying, she remembered the wonderful time when the composer was her teacher, talked about the poverty and difficulties of her family, prayed for forgiveness and asked for help with money. Being a kind and noble man, the maestro gave her a significant amount, but asked her to leave and never appear in his house. Beethoven seemed indifferent and indifferent. But who knows what was going on in his heart. At the end of his life, the composer will write: “I was very loved by her and more than ever, was her husband ...”

Open, direct and honest, Beethoven was contemptuous of hypocrisy and servility, so he often seemed rude and ill-mannered. Often he expressed himself obscenely, which is why many considered him a plebeian and an ignorant boor, although the composer simply spoke the truth.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Last "Sorry"

Autumn 1826 Beethoven got sick. Exhausting treatment, three the most complex operations could not put the composer on his feet. Throughout the winter, without getting out of bed, he was completely deaf, tormented by the fact that ... he could not continue to work. In 1827, the genius died.

After his death, a letter "To the immortal beloved" was found in a desk drawer. Beethoven I titled the message myself. There were lines: "My angel, my everything, my me ...".

Then there will be disputes about who exactly the letter is addressed to. But a small fact points specifically to Juliet Guicciardi: next to the letter was kept a tiny portrait of her, made by an unknown master.

DATA

When Giulietta Guicciardi, while still a student of the maestro, and noticing that Beethoven's silk bow was not tied like that, tied it up, kissing him on the forehead, the composer did not take off this bow and did not change clothes for several weeks, until friends hinted at the not quite fresh look of his costume.

According to legend, the Moonlight Sonata was written in Hungary at the Brunswick estate of Korompa. The gazebo has been preserved there, in which the great composer created his brilliant work. That summer spent with Juliet was the happiest for the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

Updated: November 25, 2017 by: Elena

Greetings, dear readers of the site, dedicated to creativity Beethoven. It would be logical to start the section from the childhood of the great composer, as we will do.

In fact, not much is known about Ludwig's childhood. However, we know that the musical future of little Beethoven was planned or, one might even say, "destined" from his earliest childhood, because some members of his family were directly connected with musical activities.

Beethoven's musical prophecy

A little backstory. German city Bonn, located in the western part of Germany, is part of the states of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Rhine River, which flows in close proximity to the city, certainly gives it charm and charm.

Modern Bonn is the result centuries of development and continuous improvement. During its existence, he managed to "accumulate" a truly amazing number of attractions, among which are the famous Commende Castle, Cathedral Square, the center of which is marked by the monastery of St. Martin, the Museum of Arithmetic ...

But we are interested in the city of Bonn for another reason - it was in this wonderful city that the great composer was born, to whom our site is dedicated.

If you dig very deep, it all started with the fact that in 1733 a musician was invited to the court chapel of Bonn - he was the grandfather of the future great composer.

Bonn at that time was the capital of the electorate Koln, in which the ruler (elector) was chosen not by citizens, but by the Church. As a rule, princes or archbishops who were relatives of the current rulers were potential rulers.

The ruler of Cologne and some neighboring electors at that time was Clemens August - a highly educated and enlightened person. Just at that time, he completed the construction of a new palace and theater in Bonn and, given his love of culture, was not against enjoying great music (what else could he do when his subordinates did all the work for him - almost all the inhabitants of Bonn worked one way or another for the benefit of the elector). It was with him that Ludwig van Beethoven the Elder was seen, after which he was invited to Bonn.

Having settled in Bonn, Ludwig the Elder at first got a job as a courtier singer-bassist(1733), and then completely rose to Kapellmeister(1761, after the death of Clemens August).

And, in general, Ludwig the Elder was a very respected person in Bonn- Passers-by recognized him, greeted him, bowed to him when they met on the street. But, despite the respect from the inhabitants of Bonn, Ludwig the Elder, like any other musician of the chapel, did not bathe in gold, for the greedy elector Maximilian Friedrich , who replaced Clemens August after his death, was not particularly generous to the musicians (however, like his predecessor).*I remind you that Ludwig the Elder became Kapellmeister only after the death of Clemens August. Before that, he was just a singer.

For this reason, in addition to musical activity, Ludwig the Elder was engaged in a business related to the wine trade. At first, this activity was not difficult for the musician, since he owned 2 small wine cellars, and his wife mainly sold wine.

However, it is worth noting that the trade in alcoholic beverages gradually contributed to the development of a passion for alcohol in Ludwig the Elder's wife, and therefore he was forced to send his wife to a monastery until the end of her days, because her addictions had a negative impact on the authority of an established musician.

The bright name of Ludwig the Elder was spoiled not only by his drunken wife, but also, probably, his most important disappointment - his own son, who later became the father of Ludwig the Younger - the future great composer, to whom our site is dedicated.

Daughter of a chef from Koblenz, married Johann van Beethoven when she was 19 years old. It is worth noting that this was the second marriage for Mary Magdalene - her first husband died about a year after the marriage.

Ludwig was the second of seven children of Johann and Mary Magdalene, given that their firstborn had passed away. Concerning younger brothers Beethoven - only two of them will also survive - born 4 years later, and also born 6 years after Ludwig.

Although the Keverich family (Ludwig's mother) was not fabulously wealthy, it formally stood above the Beethoven family in terms of social status - among the closest relatives of Mary Magdalene were merchants, advisers and even senators. As for the personal qualities of Beethoven's mother, contemporaries note her unusually kind nature and how she tried to make her son's childhood as carefree as possible.

The birth of a genius. Beethoven's childhood

Like grandparents, the parents of the future great composer Ludwig got married in Church of Saint Remigius that was close to home.

It was in the same church that Ludwig, who was born the day before, was baptized. However, this church did not survive - already during the life of Ludwig, a smaller church was built in its place, where a little later Beethoven played the organ.

Speaking about the date of birth of the composer, it is probably worth mentioning two dates at once:

• 16.12.1770 - the day when Beethoven was born (most likely. December 15 is also allowed, but with less probability);
• 17.12.1770 - the day when Beethoven was baptized (according to the customs of those times, babies had to be baptized within 24 hours after birth).

It is worth noting that the composer himself believed that his true date of birth was 1772 and stubbornly insisted on this date. However, all the materials of that time prove that Beethoven was wrong, and he was still born in 1770.

Beethoven's early general and musical education

Ludwig spent the first years of his childhood with his family in the harmonious and fruitful atmosphere of Bonn. Johann Beethoven (father) had, in principle, a good financial situation, but he could not afford to live in luxury. Ludwig the Elder, the grandfather of the future composer, provided significant material support to his son's family.

However, such a harmonious atmosphere fades away after the death of Ludwig the Elder on December 24, 1773 (right on Christmas Day). Without the support of his father, it becomes much more difficult for Johann to provide for his family. And Johann's passion for alcohol demanded more money than a mediocre tenor could earn in the chapel.

Gradually, the insidious demon of alcohol, which took possession of Ludwig's father, forces the latter to sell various property assets of the family, up to the items of his own inheritance. That same family harmony is deteriorating in direct proportion to Johann's "drunkenness".

In 1775, Johann Beethoven moved with his family to the Zoom Walvis house, owned by a local baker named Fisher. This house, in which Johann and his father periodically lived before this move, was located on the Rhine Street (Rheingasse, 934), named after the Rhine River, which flowed nearby among the most beautiful landscape. Apparently, it was here that little Ludwig's love for nature began to manifest itself. Now this house does not exist - it was destroyed in 1944 during an air raid, and according to new maps it should be on the same street, but already in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bhouse number 24 (now the Beethoven Hotel is located next to this address).

In the future, one of the first friends of the future composer, the son of the same baker Fischer, will tell in his manuscripts about how little Beethoven, sitting at the window, watched these landscapes, almost plunging into a trance. But at the same time, according to the same Fischer, Ludwig was not some kind of boring melancholic, but, on the contrary, was that still “alive” and mischievous boy.

Until the age of 10, Ludwig went to school. Little Beethoven had clearly not a mathematical mindset, but, on the contrary, was interested in languages, philosophy, poetry, and, in general, read a lot. This, let's call it "good", Beethoven's habit haunted him until the end of his life.

Although Beethoven did not finish school due to an even greater deterioration in the financial situation of the family, soon he would still actively study Latin, as well as French and Italian.

Unfortunately, Ludwig's father, Johann, was not the most exemplary parent. Although not outstanding, but in principle a good musician (violinist and tenorist), Johann was captured in biographical sources primarily as an alcoholic who terrorized his talented son in order to raise a “second Mozart” in order to earn money on his behalf.

Teaching little Ludwig to play the violin and harpsichord, the gloomy and unpredictable Johann, being his first teacher, showed simply incredible severity and cruelty, systematically beating the future great composer for every mistake. Still: after all, Ludwig, unlike his senior colleague, Mozart, was not a prodigy, and therefore could not assimilate the stream of musical skills that his father imposed on him.

And yet it is worth noting that the music lessons that he taught little Ludwig (albeit with cruelty and lack of competent methodology) certainly played a role. significant role in raising a genius.

The musical achievements of little Beethoven progressed, although not at the same incredible speed as Mozart had at the same age, but still it was enough for the boy to play at concerts in Cologne at the court of the then Elector at the age of 7 - Maximilian Friedrich Koenigseg-Rotenfelsky, however, apparently, the boy did not produce a special “wow effect” on the public at that time.

It is worth noting that Johann not only gave lessons to his son himself, but also attracted other teachers. In total, during the period of childhood, Ludwig was taughtat least 5 teachers. One of them wasGilles van der Eeden - an old choir organist and friend of Beethoven's then deceased grandfather, Ludwig the Elder. At the request of Johann, he began to teach Ludwig, and for free.

Another well-known for us teacher of a little musician after Eden was a very talented musician, but also a drinking buddy of Ludwig's father, tenor vocalist Tobias Pfeiffer .

Though the last one was enough talented musician and played on different instruments, his pedagogical methods were not the most efficient. In particular, it was common for him to get drunk with Ludwig's father, and at night he suddenly remembered that "today he forgot to teach his son a lesson".

As a result, Pfeiffer could simply wake up the sleeping Ludwig, who, with tears, was dragged by force to the harpsichord. In turn, Johann only approved of such a manner of "teaching". However, it is worth noting that Beethoven, as it turned out later, did not have such a negative attitude towards this teacher, and in the future, having moved to Vienna, he even thanked Pfeifer by providing him with financial assistance.

Later, Pfeiffer was replaced by another teacher Ludwig - organist Willibald Koch . We do not know how good a teacher he was for the young child prodigy, but we know that it was at this time that Ludwig already played the organ quite well.

Moreover, at moments when Koch could not play the organ due to lack of time (he was a monk and played during church services), little Beethoven easily replaced him, because he already played quite worthily.

Another teacher of Ludwig was another monk, with the surname Huntsman. It is only known that Ludwig simply hated this teacher, unlike the same Koch.

Well, it's probably worth mentioning Franz Georg Rovantini , who taught violin and viola to Ludwig for some time, but died suddenly in 1781. By the way, the Rovantini and Beethoven families were related. Rovantini's maternal grandmother, Maria Magdalene Daubach (1699–1762) and Ludwig's maternal grandmother, Anna Clara Keverich (1704–1768), were the daughters of Jacob Westorff and his wife, Mary Magdalene.

Nefe is one of Beethoven's best teachers

It just so happened that since 1779 a wonderful theater troupe has settled in Bonn Grossman , music director which was (by the way, it was with the Grossman troupe that Tobias Pfeifer, mentioned above, arrived in Bonn).

And after the death in 1782 of that same Eden, who some time ago taught little Ludwig to play the organ, Nefe becomes court organist(It is worth noting that Nefe received his last position with great difficulty, for he did not belong to catholic church, but still he succeeded).

By happy circumstance smartest person and the brilliant teacher Nefe took up the education of little Ludwig. The latter, in turn, thanks to his talent and quick learner, soon became Nefe's unofficial assistant to the organist, sometimes replacing him at work.

Without a doubt, Nefe not only taught Beethoven the disciplines of music, but also instilled in him a love of literature and philosophy, in which he himself was very strong. Nefe was a very good teacher for Ludwig, and in many ways, thanks to him, talent young musician developed very rapidly.

It was Nefe who instilled in Ludwig a love for the work of Handel and Bach. It is worth noting that in those days few people knew about the famous "HTK" of Bach - these works were especially rare, but at the same time extremely valuable for any musician. In general, it was Nefe who turned out to be not only a good teacher for Ludwig, but also his first mentor, who opened his eyes to many aspects of life.

It was under Nefe, and not without his authoritative view from the side, that the young Ludwig wrote his first compositions. These were written for pianoforte (1782-83).As a theme for variations, Ludwig took "March" Ernst Dressler - Kassel opera singer, about which almost nothing is known now:

In general, until the end of his life, Ludwig was very fond of this genre (variations). It is understandable - being just a brilliant improviser, Beethoven could take any theme as a basis and, sitting at the piano, endlessly develop this theme in any key.

Literally after composing these Variations, Ludwig creates, dedicating them to the then Elector, the already old Maximilian Friedrich.

There is even an opinion among biographers that the young and cunning Beethoven, composing these 3 sonatas, pursued the goal - material gain. Indeed, in theory, the elector, having received such a gift, could generously thank Ludwig.However, in any case, the miserly Maximilian Friedrich simply accepted this gift, and that's it.

In parallel with studying with Nefe, Ludwig is very interested in theater life Bonn. He was especially attracted by the famous aforementioned Grossman troupe, which was at that time in Bonn. By the way, this troupe had its own orchestra, whose composition did not lag behind the Bonn Chapel. Given that the musical director of the theater was the teacher Ludwig Nefe, the young and curious Beethoven had the opportunity to observe the rehearsals and performances of the troupe.

Several times Ludwig even worked in this theater (again, thanks to Nefe). He loved to communicate with the members of the troupe, personally learned vocal parts with them and received great pleasure from this. Of course, the close relationship with the Grossman troupe also affected the upbringing of Beethoven. The little musician was especially influenced by the strong discipline that reigned in this troupe. Also, largely thanks to this troupe, Ludwig gets acquainted with the operatic art of different countries.

Personnel reforms inside the chapel

In 1784, Maximilian Friedrich dies, and another elector comes to replace him - Maximilian Franz . After some time, the new elector decided to make cost-effective personnel changes among the employees of the chapel, demanding from his advisers information about all the employees of the chapel (there were 36 in total).

Together with the personnel reform, the new elector suspends the activities of " national theater". Consequently, Grossman's troupe also dissolved, the actors of which dispersed to different cities.

One of the elector's advisers suggested that he dismiss Nefe and appoint Ludwig to his position. Considering that Ludwig was working for free at the time, from the adviser's point of view, the young organist could "happily work for a salary 3 times less than his teacher." Moreover, by that time Ludwig played the organ very well and could completely replace his teacher, because Beethoven's skills would be quite enough to perform not the most complex "church" repertoire.

This adviser, to put it mildly, did not like Nefe, for he was not a Catholic, but a Calvinist. This, in principle, explained the fact that Johann Beethoven (Ludwig's father), who was already famous for his love of alcohol, was much less valuable to the chapel, he did not ask to be fired, although he himself partially recognized his uselessness. And, in general, apparently, he treated Beethoven very positively.

However, Maximilian Franz, despite the obvious economic benefit, left Nefe in office, but at the same time reduced his salary by 2 times. Moreover, he now officially appointed Ludwig to the position "assistant organist", and now the young musician is already getting paid for it.

Perhaps very productive lessons with Nefe can be called the end of the "childhood period" in the biography of Ludwig van Beethoven.

A Few Words About Beethoven's Childhood Friends

A positive influence on the young Beethoven, of course, was provided by his close friends, who lived near his home. medical student Frans Gerhard Wegeler became a close friend of Ludwig and remained so until the end of the life of the great composer.

The list of Beethoven's close friends from 1784 until the very end of his life also included Eleanor Breuning , who later became Wegeler's wife, as well as her brothers: Christoph , Stephen and Lorenz(Lenz). By the way, later young Ludwig taught Elernora and Lenz how to play the piano.

The Breunings, being representatives of an educated and cultured family, became simply family to Beethoven. And their mother, a very smart and intelligent widow, treated the friend of her own children as her own son. Young Ludwig often liked to stay at the Breunings' house, and also from time to time traveled around the country with them (in the future).

In the future, we will make separate issues about each character from the life of Ludwig.

Other periods of Beethoven's biography:

• next period:

All information about Beethoven's Biography