A German composer whose piano sonatas and symphonies bridge the Classical and Romantic eras.
Ludwig van Beethoven trained in Bonn and Vienna and, despite progressive hearing loss that became total in his later years, continued composing some of his most ambitious works. His 32 piano sonatas trace a singular arc from Classical form to Romantic expression, and pieces such as the Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise remain among the most widely played piano works ever written.