Beethoven's first public appearance was in Vienna on March 29, 1795, as a soloist in his piano concerti. By that time, he had developed a reputation for fine improvisatory performances. In Vienna, young Beethoven soon had a long list of aristocratic patrons who loved his music and were eager to help him develop his talents.
             Beethoven was deaf for most of his life. He sawed off the legs on his piano and would feel the vibrations to write his music. In the late 1700s, Beethoven suffered from early symptoms of deafness. The cause of his disability is still uncertain. By 1802 Beethoven was convinced that the condition not only was permanent but was getting progressively worse. He spent that summer in the country and wrote what has become known as the "Heiligenstadt Testament." Beethoven expressed his humiliation and despair in the document intended for his two brothers. For the rest of his life he searched for a cure, but by 1819 his deafness had become total. Afterward, Beethoven had them write down their questions and reply orally to have conversations with his friends.
             Beethoven never married. Though he had many friends, he seemed to be a lonely man. He continued to appear in public but spent more and more time working on his compositions. He lived in various villages near Vienna and took long walks carrying sketchbooks to write down his musical ideas. Scholars who have studied these sketchbooks have discovered the agonizingly long process that the composer went through to perfect his melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation.
             Most critics divide Beethoven's work into three general periods, omitting the earliest years of his apprenticeship in Bonn. Although some pieces do not fit precisely into the scheme, these divisions can categorize the composer's work. From 1794 to about 1800, the first period consisted of music that was typical of the classical era. The influence of such musicians as Mozart and Haydn is evident in Beethov...