Ludwig van Beethoven - Washington, D.C.
Posted by: Metro2
N 38° 53.321 W 077° 00.346
18S E 326037 N 4306335
This sculpture is in the gallery at the Reading Room in the Library of Congress.
Waymark Code: WMP95K
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 07/22/2015
Views: 9
At 6 foot 6 this somewhat larger than life-sized sculpture of German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven depicts him as a younger man, standing and wearing a cloak over another long coat. He rests his cheek in his right hand as if in thought. His left hand is raised tentatively to waist level. A better photo can be seen at (
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The artist is Theodore Baur and it is dated around 1895.
Wikipedia (
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"Ludwig van Beethoven ... baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets. He also composed other chamber music, choral works (including the celebrated Missa solemnis), and songs.
Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age and was taught by his father Johann van Beethoven and by Christian Gottlob Neefe. During his first 22 years in Bonn, Beethoven intended to study with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and befriended Joseph Haydn. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 and began studying with Haydn, quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. He lived in Vienna until his death. In about 1800 his hearing began to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life he was almost totally deaf. He gave up conducting and performing in public but continued to compose; many of his most admired works come from this period."
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