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Beethoven
The Story of a Little Boy Who Was Forced to Practice

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the lovely town of Bonn, on the River Rhine, December 16, 1770.

The house in which he spent his boyhood is still standing. We see in the picture what a pretty, homelike place the house and the yard must have been. It is now the Beethoven House, or Museum, filled with mementos of the great composer. There you may see music pages written by him, letters, medals, instruments; even his ear trumpet is there.

Beethoven’s father was a singer at the Chapel of the Elector. He was not a good father, for he did not care to work even enough to make his family comfortable. But Beethoven’s mother loved her boy with all her heart, as we shall see.

Ludwig was only four years old when he began to study music. Like children of today, he shed many a tear over the first lessons. In the beginning, his father taught him piano and violin and forced him to practice. At school he learned, just as we do today, reading, writing, arithmetic, and later on, Latin.

Once Ludwig turned thirteen, he did not go to school for he had to work and earn his living.

Do you wonder what kind of a boy he was?

We are told that he was shy and quiet. He talked little and took no interest in the games that his boy and girl companions played.

While Ludwig was in school, he played at a concert for the first time. He was then eight years old. Two years later, he had composed quite a number of pieces. One of these was printed. It was called Variations on Dressler’s March. On the title page of this piece, it said:

VARIATIONS ON DRESSLER’S MARCH
Composed by a Young Amateur
LOUIS VAN BEETHOVEN
Aged ten years. 1780