Ludwig van Beethoven (December 16, 1770 – March 26, 1827)

Austrian-German composer. He is considered one of the greatest composers in human history, along with Bach and Mozart.

He is a prominent figure in music history, hailed as the "Music Saint" and recognized as a great musician. He remains a highly influential and renowned figure to this day.

Moreover, he overcame deafness, a virtual death sentence for a musician, and created a great legacy. He is famous as a symbol of indomitable will and human triumph, and these qualities are reflected in his music, which captures his struggles and ultimate victory over adversity. He was a giant who eased the inferiority complex of the German people of the time and the pride of Viennese audiences. On the other hand, he is also known as the epitome of a "eccentric genius" due to his notoriously demanding and fiery temper.

He is often known as a representative composer of Classical music, along with Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, it is inappropriate to simply place these three giants within the confines of the Classical period because their achievements in music are too remarkable. Haydn was a composer who established various musical forms, such as sonata form, symphony, string quartet, and concerto, which are still widely used today, and confirmed their artistic potential. After Haydn, Mozart further developed the musical forms of Haydn, adding his own creative musical style to create music in various fields, including sonata, symphony, concerto, and chamber music. He further developed various fields of music and led the golden age of Classical music. He especially pioneered opera as a truly dramatic musical form that harmoniously blends story and music. Beethoven sought to explore the possibilities of developing the forms established by his predecessors, Haydn and Mozart, into even deeper and larger-scale works. He relentlessly pursued new experiments in the development of his pieces, the use of harmony and instrumentation, thus completing the Classical form and acting as a midwife for the emergence of new musical movements such as Romanticism.

Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, and many other musicians who called themselves Beethoven's followers or successors, were all influenced by Mozart and Beethoven. In fact, it can be said that all musicians after Beethoven are his descendants. Now that Western music history has been roughly organized and music education curricula have been established, there is no one who has studied Western music for a certain period of time, whether it is a major, a hobby, or a required subject, who has not learned the works of Mozart and Beethoven.

○ I never thought about the word fate. No matter what happens, one must never yield to fate.

○ Music is the language of the soul.

○ It is not important to play the wrong notes, but it is unforgivable to play without passion.

○ The best way not to think about your misfortune is to immerse yourself in work.

○ Music is like clay, from which soul and life are created.

○ The reason I compose music is to express the passion I hold in my heart. Music must burn and explode from the human spirit.

○ Success is building a solid foundation with the bricks that others throw at you.

○ An artist who gains fame suffers because of it.

○ Music is a higher revelation than any wisdom or philosophy. Those who understand the meaning of my music can escape all the misery that others are trapped in.

○ Music shines a light on an immature mind.

○ I think and endure. Every misfortune, though I don't know what it is, brings good things with it.

○ Misfortune is a strange thing. When you speak of misfortune, it grows bigger. The only way to overcome misfortune is to understand its cause and its extent correctly.

○ One reaches ecstasy only after thoroughly experiencing and overcoming sorrow.

○ Music is the mediator between the spiritual world and the real world.

○ I never composed music for social fame. I only listened to my heart and tried to capture it. That is the true reason why I compose music.

○ Hatred returns to the person who hates. Tragically, so does love.

○ At the age of 20, everything in life is decided. Never leave regrets.

○ Only scholarship and art elevate humanity to the divine.

○ It is rare that anything good comes from listening to other people's advice.

○ Not being shaken by adversity and times of trial is truly the mark of a truly admirable and exceptional person.

○ I have never missed a companion that could be better for a morning meal. Nothing can be good without coffee. The coffee beans that make a cup of coffee teach me 60 or more good ideas.

○ No matter what happens, never succumb to fate.

○ My art must be dedicated to the happiness of the poor.

○ Always focus on the motive of your actions and never think about the outcome. Don't be the kind of person who expects compensation in exchange for the results of their actions.

○ The most outstanding person gains joy through suffering.

○ Fate has given man the courage to endure.

○ Even if a bee stings, it cannot stop a ferocious horse that is racing.

○ Truth exists for the wise, and beauty exists for the easily moved heart. Truth and beauty are intertwined and complement each other.

○ Not being shaken by blame and times of trial. This is the true mark of a truly admirable and exceptional person.

○ True art comes from dedication.

○ The essential characteristic that distinguishes a true human being from other human beings is the ability to endure difficult adversity.

○ The characteristic of a great human being is to persevere and endure even in unhappy and painful circumstances.

○ Music fills our lives with wonder.

○ Do good as much as possible and love freedom above all else. Even if I am under the throne, I will never betray truth.

○ Don't tell your secrets to even your closest friends. You are not yet loyal to your friend, yet you demand loyalty from your friend?

○ Nobility is what makes a king. Even in poverty, I lived as a king.

○ Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

○ Music is the most powerful way we express our emotions.

○ I have never composed music for anyone. I compose music in accordance with the call of God who created this world.

○ The greatest artists experience the greatest pain.

○ I hope that even after I die, my music will live on in people's hearts.

○ Music is the only language that can unite the world.

○ Music is an intangible door that leads to a higher realm of knowledge that humans cannot understand.

○ Love returns to the person who loves. Tragically, so does hatred.

○ The one thing that all great humans throughout history have in common is their ability to persevere and endure, even when faced with difficult circumstances.