Beethoven Project Timeline

By pickle131

  • Antonio Vivaldi is born

  • Johann Sebastian Bach is born

  • The first piano is invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori

    I found this fact while researching and thought it was really interesting! NOTE Only year applies.

  • The tuning fork is invented by John Shore.

    Another piece of information I came across and found interesting! NOTE Only year applies.

  • Lodewijk van Beethoven is born

    *NOTE. Exact day is unknown. Year was 1712.

  • Johann van Beethoven is born

    Beethoven's father. NOTE. Only year applies.

  • Antonio Vivaldi is deceased

  • Johann Sebastian Bach is deceased

  • Marriage of Beethoven's parents

    Johann marries Maria Magdalena Keverich. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven is born

    No actual record exists in present day, but since he was baptized the next day this is commonly accepted as his birthday.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven is baptized

    *This is believed to be his birthday as well, but since no records of his birthday exist in the present day, this is commonly accepted.

  • Lodewijk van Beethoven is deceased

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Caspar Anton Carl is born

    Beethoven's brother.

  • Nikolaus Johann is born

    Beethoven's brother.

  • Beethoven's first public performance

    NOTE Only month and year apply.

  • *NOTE*

    It was around this time that Beethoven started studying with Neefe. Neefe was the Court's organist and helped teach Beethoven composition.

  • Beethoven becomes Neefe's student.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven works for Neefe as assistant organist (unpaid)

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's first three piano sonatas are published and dedicated to Maximilian Frederick.

    Beethoven is at this point considered an early prodigy by those who heard his work. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven replaces Neefe at the court.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Portrait of young Beethoven by an unknown artist.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven finishes his first published composition

    NOTE Only month and year apply.

  • Beethoven works as Neefe's assistant (paid)

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven is the principal person making money in the family.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven travels to Vienna, returns two weeks later to attend mother's funeral

    He had high hopes of studying with Mozart. Rumour has it he got to meet and work with him, but nothing is confirmed. After his mom passed away, he had to remain in his hometown for some time to look after family matters and couldn't return back to Vienna for quite some time. Was introduced to many important people in this time frame. NOTE Only month and year apply.

  • Beethoven started recieving half his father's salary to help look after the family

    He also started playing viola in an orchestra to help raise more money for the family, which is what got him interested in opera. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven starts University.

    Takes classes at the University of Bonn. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beginning of the French Revolution

    Not directly related to Beethoven, but an important marker in history. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven meets Haydn in Bonn

    NOTE Only month and year apply.

  • One of Beethoven's inspirations, Mozart, is deceased.

  • Beethoven moves to Vienna to study with Haydn

    NOTE Only month and year applies.

  • Johann van Beethoven is deceased,

    Beethoven's father passes away. NOTE only year applies

  • Beethoven begins to obtain a reputation as an improviser amongs nobility

    Often plays his own version of Bach songsm and his works begin to get published. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's first public performance in Vienna

    NOTE Only month and year apply.

  • Only at the age of 26, Beethoven began to lose his hearing.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven performs in Leipzig

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Smallpox vaccine is invented, possibly saving Beethoven from possible earlier death.

    Another important breakthrough in history during his life time. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven begins composing string quartets.

    Between here and 1800 his first six string quartets were composed. They were published in 1801. NOTE Only year applies.

  • The Fourdrinier Machine is created for sheet paper making productions.

    This can help make it easier to write and publish music. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven completes Septet op. 9

    This was one of his most famous songs in his lifetime! A huge achievement for him. NOTE Year only applies.

  • Beethoven starts teaching two daughters of a Hungarian Countess.

    Falls in love with one of his pupils, Josephine. NOTE Only month and year apply.

  • 1st Symphony is completed.

    This symphony is what the popular Youtube sensation "Beethoven Virus" is based on. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's first symphony debuts

    NOTE Year only applies.

  • Beethoven's demand quickly rising.

    By the end of this year, Beethoven's performance and composition were starting to pick up and demand was rather large.

  • Beethoven begins tutoring Ferdinand Ries.

    Continues this until 1805. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven Tutored Czerny

    He continued tutoring him until 1803. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven completes Symphony no. 2

    NOTE Only year is relevant.

  • The Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland band together and the United Kingdom is created.

    Also not directly affecting Beethoven, but a very important marker in history. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Spring 1801, Beethoven completed his ballet, The Creatures of Prometheus.

    NOTE Only year and season apply,

  • Management of publishing his works taken over by his brother Carl.

    Things started to improve for him drastically at this point, and work picked up. Convinced people to pay more money for his compositions, and convinced Beethoven to make arrangements for other instrument combinations of existing songs. NOTE Only year applies.

  • End of Beethoven's "First Period"

    From year on, his music takes a huge turn and transitions into the Middle Period or the "Heroic" Period. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven performs "Moonlight Sonata" for the very first time.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Finished his second symphony in the spring.

    NOTE Only season and year apply.

  • Beethoven's Second Symphony debuts

    NOTE Year applies only.

  • Beginning of Beethoven's Middle/Heroic Period

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe.

    Beethoven originally thought highly of Napoleon and thought that maybe he could bring change to Europe, but by this point he had lost his faith in him and believed him to be as selfish as the other communist leaders. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's portrait painted by Christian Horneman

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • As of this year the world officially has 1 billion people.

    This shows just how many other composers and people were alive during Beethoven's lifetime, yet he was talented enough to stand out above all the others. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's portrait painted by Joseph Wilibrod Mahler

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven has an affair with Josephine von Brunswick

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • First public performance of Symphony no. 3

  • Debut of Beethoven's opera "Fidelio"

  • Debut of Beethoven's Symphony no. 4

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's Symphony no. 5 & Symphony no. 6

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • An improved printing press is invented by Frederick Koenig.

    This can also make publishing sheet music much easier. NOTE Year only applies.

  • Beethoven's final public performance.

    Because of his deteriorating hearing, Beethoven's performance of his Piano Concerto no. 5 "The Emperor" he never worked up the courage to perform again. NOTE Only year applies.

  • Czerny gave the debut of Beethoven's fifth piano concerto.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • "Immortal Beloved"

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's Symphony no. 7

  • Beethoven's almost completely deaf by this point.

    NOTE Only year applies.

  • Beethoven's symphony no. 8

  • Beginning of Beethoven's Late Period

    Music from here on is known as his most personal and expressive work. Although he was having an extremely hard time hearing at this point and his health was also deteriorating, he still worked for a while. NOTE Year only applies.

  • Due to his brother's death, Beethoven recieves custody of his nephew.

  • Beethoven's portrait painted by Joseph Karl Stieler

    NOTE Year only applies.

  • Beethoven's Symphony no. 9

    At the end of this piece, there is a huge amount of applause. Everyone at this point really appreciates Beethoven, and are amazed at his work. This song is known as one of his most expressive, and though he couldn't hear it himself it is one of the most personal songs he created.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven is deceased

  • Tchaikovsky is born

  • Tchaikovsky is deceased

  • Joe Hisaishi is born