Ludwig van Beethoven,was a German composer and pianist; his music is amongst the most performed of the classical repertoire and he is one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music. His works span the transition between the classical and romantic eras in classical music. His career has conventionally been divided into early, middle, and late periods. The 'early' period in which he forged his craft, is typically seen to last until 1802. His 'middle' period, (sometimes characterised as 'heroic') shows an individual development from the 'classical' styles of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, covers the years 1802 to 1812, during which he increasingly suffered from deafness. In the 'late' period from 1812 to his death in 1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and expression.
