On the 29th of March 1795 young Ludwig Van Beethoven gave his first performance in Vienna as a pianist. He was 24.

Today he is considered to be one of the greatest composers – a musical genius. He was able to make a living out of his music which was highly unusual at the time when most composers and musicians relied completely on the patronage of either the church or the rich.

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By 1800 Beethoven had published his first major orchestral work – the First Symphony.

This was a time of revolution and Beethoven was very much caught up in the mood of those times. He later became disillusioned as the effects of Napoleon’s campaigns ravaged Europe.

In later life the deafness which he started to suffer from worsened and he became more reclusive. The unkempt image of Beethoven which we tend to look on today did not represent the once very smart and vigorous young man he once was.