Composer

Ludwig van Beethoven

German composer (1770-1827)

1770–1827

6,206 works in the index

Born: 1770
Died: 1827
Birthplace: Bonn
Place of death: Vienna
Citizenship / historical state: Electorate of Cologne; Austrian Empire
Period (estimated from birth year): Classical

Biography

Beethoven sits on the hinge between the Classical style he inherited and the Romantic one he made possible, and the catalogue spans both: thirty-two piano sonatas, sixteen string quartets, nine symphonies, five piano concerti and a large body of songs and chamber music.

The piano sonatas are the most-bought and the most misjudged. The famous ones — the Moonlight, the Pathétique, the Waldstein — are advanced works, and the first movement of the Moonlight being playable early does not make the rest of it so. The genuine starting points are the two sonatas of Op. 49 and the bagatelles, including the one everyone knows as Für Elise.

He revised heavily and his manuscripts are difficult, so editions disagree about specific notes and markings more than you might expect from a composer this recent. If you are working with a teacher, use theirs.

Life and musical career

Occupations: composer
Teachers: Christian Gottlob Neefe; Joseph Haydn; Antonio Salieri; Johann Baptist Schenk; Johann Georg Albrechtsberger; Gilles van der Eeden; Muzio Clementi; Andrea Luchesi
Recorded memberships: Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Instruments played: piano; violin
Genres: classical music; art music; opera; symphony; sonata
Movements: Classical period; Romantic music
Notable works: Für Elise; Symphony No. 9; Piano Sonata No. 14; Missa Solemnis; Piano Sonata No. 8; Symphony No. 5; Symphony No. 6; Piano Sonata No. 21; Piano Sonata No. 23; Violin Sonata No. 9; Symphony No. 3; Fidelio
Awards: Bröckemännche Award
Official website: https://beethoven.de
Native languages: German
Languages used: German
VIAF ID: 32182557
ISNI: 0000000121268987
GND ID: 118508288
Library of Congress ID: n79107741
MusicBrainz ID: 1f9df192-a621-4f54-8850-2c5373b7eac9

Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.

In this catalogue

Common listed instruments: Piano, violin, Cello, Orchestra, Voice
Genres represented: Classical, pop, Jazz, Pop, Christmas
Works with composition dates: 358 of 6,206

These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.

Catalogue

Works page 95 of 130

Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.

Works and available sheet music details
Work	Year composed	Catalogue / opus	Key in title	Listed instruments	Genre	Editions
Andante, F major, WoO 57 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 57	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Bagatelle, WoO 52 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 52	—	—	—	0
Bagatelle, WoO 56 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 56	—	—	—	0
7 Bagatelles, op. 33 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 33	—	—	—	0
Bagatelle, op. 119 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 119	—	—	—	0
Fantasy, op. 77 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 77	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Piano piece, B flat major, WoO 60 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 60	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Piano piece [For Piringer], B minor, WoO 61 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 61	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
Piano piece, G minor, WoO 61a Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 61a	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
Minuet, E flat major, WoO 82 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 82	—	—	—	0
Polonaise, C major, op. 89 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 89	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Prelude, op. 39 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 39	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Prelude, WoO 55 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 55	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
Rondo, C major, op. 51,1 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 51	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Rondo, G major, op. 51,2 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 51	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Rondo, B flat major, Anh. 6 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	—	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
3 Sonatas [Kurfursten sonatas], WoO 47 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 47	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
Easy sonata, C major, WoO 51 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 51	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
2 Sonatinas , Anh. 5 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	—	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
2 Sonatinas movements, WoO 50 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 50	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
Andante, C major Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	—	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
Minuet, F major Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	—	—	—	—	0
Sonata, E major, op. 14,1 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 14	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Sonata, G major, op. 14,2 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 14	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Sonata, G minor, op. 49,1 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 49	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Allegro, C major, WoO 51	—	WoO 51	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Bagatelle, F major, op. 33,3	—	op. 33	—	—	—	0
Bagatelle, G minor, op. 119,1	—	op. 119	—	—	—	0
Piano piece Lustig und Traurig, WoO 54	—	WoO 54	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
9 Variations on Quant'e piu bello from La Molinara by Paisiello, A major, WoO 69 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 69	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
9 Variations on a march by Dressler , WoO 63 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 63	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
6 Variations on a Swiss Song, WoO 64 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 64	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
24 Variations on Venni Amore by Righini, WoO 65 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 65	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
13 Variations on Es war einmal ein alter Mann v. Ditters von Dittersdorf, WoO 66 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 66	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
12 Variations, WoO 68 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 68	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
6 Variations on Nel cor piu non mi sento by Paisiello, WoO 70 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 70	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
12 Variations on a Russian dance by Wranitzky, WoO 71 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 71	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
8 Variations on Une fievre brulante by Grety, WoO 72 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 72	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
10 Variations on La stessa, la stessissima by Salieri, WoO 73 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 73	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
7 Variations on Kind willst du ruhig schlafen by Winter, WoO 75 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 75	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	1
15 Variations , E flat major, op. 35	—	op. 35	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
9 Variations on a march by Dressler , WoO 63	—	WoO 63	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Beethoven: 8 Variations on 'T	—	—	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Beethoven: Appendix: 8 Variations on 'Ich hab' ein kleines H	—	—	—	Piano, harpsichord	Classical	0
Bagatelle, D major, op. 33,6 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 33	—	—	—	0
Bagatelle, A major, op. 119,4 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 119	—	—	—	0
Bagatelle, C major, WoO 56 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	WoO 56	—	—	—	0
Quartet for Violin, Viola, Violoncello and Piano, E flat major, op. 16 Performed by Ludwig van Beethoven	—	op. 16	—	Piano, Cello, violin, Viola	Classical	0

Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. The biography above is our own. Authority record: VIAF 32182557. Portrait: Joseph Karl Stieler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.