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    Beethoven

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    Famous last words?

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    Beethoven: Compositions, biography, siblings and more facts

    Beethoven's grave

    21. Famous last words?

    Just like Beethoven’s birth, his last words are also a bit of a mystery. It’s often thought his last words were ‘applaud friends, the comedy is ended’ (in Latin!) but his parting gift to the world was far less cerebral. After a publisher bought Beethoven 12 bottles of wine as a gift, the dying composer’s final words were: ‘Pity, pity, too late!’

    1. Image 1: Beethoven Haus Bonn
    2. Image 2: Ludwig's father Johann van Beethoven
    3. Image 3: Beethoven's brother
    4. Image 4: music manuscript violin
    5. Image 5: classical piano
    6. Image 6: Count Waldstein
    7. Image 7: Vienna
    8. Image 8: Bach's well tempered clavier
    9. Image 9: young Beethoven
    10. Image 10: Hofftheatre Vienna 21 images

    See the full gallery: Beethoven: Compositions, biography, siblings and more facts

    Beethoven News

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    Beethoven in 250 words.

    Beethoven at 250: famous figures share what his music means to them, in 250 words

    3-year-old conductor

    This 3-year-old kid conducting to Beethoven’s Fifth is the future of classical music

    Slate article tells classical fans to ‘stop calling Beethoven by his last name’

    ‘Fullnaming’ Mozart and Beethoven to fight sexism and racism? Twitter squabbles over Slate article

    Beethoven Music

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    Beethoven art

    10 works of Beethoven that actually changed the world

    Beethoven Moonlight Sonata

    Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata: discover the 1801 piano masterpiece

    Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 in D minor ('Choral')

    The remarkable story of Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Symphony No. 9 and the ‘Ode to Joy’

    Beethoven Pictures

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    San Quentin Prison interior

    10 of the greatest composers who broke the law

    Beethoven composer letters

    Letters of the great composers: 14 moving, funny and inspiring quotations from the documents they left behind

    Discover Music

    Anna-Maria Mozart mother

    Famous composers' mothers

    Discover Music

    Beethoven Album Reviews

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    new releases 30th july

    New releases: Irnberger and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play Beethoven and Rachmaninov with Martin Jones

    new releases 1st may

    New releases: Beethoven with the Royal Northern Sinfonia & Lars Vogt and 'Strauss in St Petersburg'

    new releases 10th april

    New releases: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra plays Brahms and Beethoven with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

    Beethoven Guides

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    Ludwig van Beethoven and Nannette Streicher

    Meet Nannette Streicher, ‘the woman who built Beethoven’s pianos’

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    So if Beethoven was completely deaf, how did he compose?

    A step-by-step guide to Beethoven’s nine symphonie

    A step-by-step guide to Beethoven’s nine symphonies

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