Composer of some of the most influential pieces of music ever written, Ludwig van Beethoven created a bridge between the Classical period of the 18th century and the new beginnings of Romanticism. His greatest compositional breakthroughs came in his instrumental work, notably his symphonies. Unlike his predecessor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for whom writing music seemed an easy task, Beethoven always struggled to perfect his work. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, and was baptized on December 1. 17, 1770. (There is no record of his date of birth.) His father and grandfather worked as court musicians in Bonn. Ludwig's father, a singer, gave him his first musical training. Although he had little academic education, he studied piano, violin, and French horn, and before the age of 12 he became a court organist. Ludwig's first important composition teacher was Christian Gottlob Neefe. In 1787 he studied briefly with Mozart, and five years later he left Bonn permanently and went to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn and later with Antonio Salieri. Beethoven's first public appearance in Vienna was on March 29, 1795, as a soloist in one of his piano concertos. . Even before leaving Bonn, he had gained a reputation for his fine improvisation performances. In Vienna, young Beethoven soon had a long list of aristocratic clients who loved music and were eager to help him....