Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) was born in Bonn, which is a small
town in Germany on the River Rhine. Beethoven, who first became famous
as a piano virtuoso, became the predominant composer of his time and
is one of the greatest figures in the history of Western music. As a
musician and conductor he was famous for his powerful and emotional
personality. This is also evident in his compositions, which include
piano sonatas, five piano concertos, nine symphonies and one opera.
The theme of the fourth movement of his 9th symphony, which was
inspired by Schiller's "Ode to Joy", is now the European Anthem.