Biography of Beethoven

I. Education in general and in music Beethoven came from a musical family, and his early musical training was under his father's guidance. His father taught him piano and violin. His general education was not continued beyond the elementary school. He was practically illiterate in math. II. Self assertion As a youth of 19, in 1789, Beethoven took legal steps to have himself placed at the head of his family. He petitioned for half his father's salary …

…requesting guardianship (he won). VI. Deafness A. The secret It is not known for sure when he began to go deaf, but he kept the fact a secret until 1801 when he wrote a Bonn friend about his "miserably life". B. Heiligenstadt Testament Having moved out of the city for medical reasons he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament. C. Total deafness He was totally deaf by 1818. He continued to compose until the year of his death in 1827.