When Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, he caused a sensation as a pianist. Nevertheless, the young Beethoven was quickly recognised as a piano prodigy: he gave his first public concert at the age of seven, and performed at the court of the Prince of Orange-Nassau in The Hague when he was twelve. Sometimes he dragged the sleeping Ludwig out of bed at night, and forced him to play tortuous exercises for hours. If he ever made a mistake, Johann van Beethoven punished him with a slap, or locked him in the cellar.
Given his father’s harsh educational methods, the surprising thing is that he didn’t quickly lose interest in music. He received his first keyboard lessons at the age of five - on the clavichord, since the “modern” piano had not yet been invented.
However, as his hearing deteriorated, this changed.īorn into a family of musicians, Ludwig van Beethoven was surrounded by music from his earliest days.
Because of this, he composed mainly for himself. Ludwig van Beethoven was a piano prodigy he enjoyed the greatest successes of his early career as a pianist. Home Stories Ludwig van Beethoven the pianist Lightning-fast keyboard wizardry Ludwig van Beethoven the pianist
