
Preface
List of Illustrations
Beethoven - In Childhood
The Walk
New Friends
A Merciful Punishment
In Vienna
The End
Footnotes
Appendix
Delving into the formative years of a legendary composer, this biography reads like a vivid tapestry of 18th‑century Bonn. The opening scene drops listeners into a bleak December morning, where fog, rain, and the grumbling of a court musician set the tone for a life marked by hardship and determination. Through precise detail and genuine voices, the narrative paints the domestic and social world that shaped a boy whose ear was already attuned to melody.
Beyond the atmospheric backdrop, the story follows young Ludwig’s restless curiosity, his early encounters with instruction, and the family tensions that both challenged and inspired him. As he wrestles with poverty, familial expectations, and the relentless pursuit of his art, listeners glimpse the qualities—industry, courage, and self‑respect—that would later fuel his ascent to worldwide fame. The account remains grounded in fact while offering an intimate, readable portrait that brings the young composer to life.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (125K characters)
Series
Life Stories for Young People
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by D A Alexander, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2020-07-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1814–1882
A remarkably prolific German writer for young readers and ordinary families, he turned out adventure tales, moral stories, and popular retellings that traveled widely beyond his own time. Before that literary success, he also worked as a bookseller and studied philosophy.
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