Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770. He was a German composer（作曲家）. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of music, and was the predominant（有突出贡献的） figure（角色） in the transitional period（过渡期） between the Classical（古典的） and Romantic（浪漫的） eras（时代） in Western classical music. His reputation（名声） and genius（天赋） have inspired many composers, musicians, and audiences. While primarily（起初） known today as a composer, he was also a celebrated virtuoso pianist（钢琴艺术家） and conductor（指挥家）, and an accomplished violinist（小提琴家）.

Born in Bonn, Germany, he moved to Vienna, Austria, in his early twenties, and settled there, studying with Joseph Haydn（海顿） and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. In his late twenties he began to lose his hearing（听力） gradually, and yet he continued to produce notable（著名的） masterpieces（杰作） throughout his life, even when his deafness was almost total. Beethoven was one of the first composers who worked as a freelance（自由作家）. He arranged concerts, sold his compositions to publishers, and gained financial support from a number of wealthy patrons（赞助人） — rather than being permanently（长久地） employed by the church or by an aristocratic（贵族） court（朝廷）.