Ludwig van Beethoven, baptized on December 17, 1770, in Bonn, Germany, and died on March 26, 1827, in Vienna, Austria, was a pivotal figure in the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era in Western music. Beethoven is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in history, known for his innovative compositions that expanded the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto, and quartet forms. His works are celebrated for their emotional depth and structural complexity.

Beethoven's early musical education was rigorous and often harsh, as his father, Johann van Beethoven, subjected him to intense and sometimes brutal training. Despite these challenges, Beethoven displayed prodigious talent from a young age. He was initially taught by his father and later by Christian Gottlob Neefe, under whose guidance he published his first work in 1783.

At age 21, Beethoven moved to Vienna, where he studied composition with Joseph Haydn and gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. His first major orchestral work, the First Symphony, premiered in 1800. Despite his advancing deafness, Beethoven continued to compose and conduct, producing some of his most significant works during this period, including his Third and Fifth Symphonies.

Beethoven's personal life was marked by a heroic struggle against deafness, which became profound by 1815, forcing him to cease performing publicly. Nevertheless, he composed many of his most admired works during this time, including the Ninth Symphony, which introduced choral elements into the symphonic form.

His only opera, "Fidelio," underwent several revisions before reaching its final form in 1814. In his later years, Beethoven composed the "Missa solemnis" and his late string quartets, which are considered among his greatest achievements. Beethoven's legacy is characterized by his profound influence on subsequent generations of composers and his role as a central figure in the history of Western music.