Biography (read more)
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer, conductor, and pianist, baptized 17 December 1770 in Bonn and died 26 March 1827 in Vienna. Trained in the Classical tradition and mentored in part by Haydn, he settled permanently in Vienna in 1792 and, despite the progressive hearing loss that left him almost completely deaf by his forties, continued composing throughout his life. His output includes nine symphonies, five piano concertos, thirty-two piano sonatas, sixteen string quartets, one opera, and a wealth of chamber and choral music.
Beethoven’s music marks the pivotal transition from the Classical to the Romantic era, expanding the scale, emotional range, and structural ambition of the symphony, piano sonata, and string quartet. His middle- and late-period works, forged partly in defiance of his deafness, introduced a new conception of music as a vehicle for personal struggle and transcendence that shaped virtually every major composer who followed him.
Compare recordings piece by piece — 75 works of Ludwig van Beethoven with more than one performance on the site →
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Repertoire
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (“Moonlight”)1801
Performed by Valentina Lisitsa
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 (“Waldstein”)1804
Performed by Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”)1804–1805
Performed by Valentina Lisitsa
Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 1101821–1822
Performed by Hélène Grimaud
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 1111821–1822
Performed by Daniil Trifonov
Moonlight Sonata (Piano Sonata No. 14)
Performed by Gabriella Quevedo
Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56
Performed by Anne-Sophie Mutter
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 73: II. Adagio
Performed by Krystian Zimerman
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37: I. Allegro con brio
String Quartet No. 7 “Razumovsky No. 1”: I. Allegro
String Quartet No. 9 “Razumovsky No. 3”: IV. Allegro molto
Fidelio: Act II: “O namenlose Freunde!”
Performed by Gwyneth Jones
Piano Sonata, Op. 109: I. Vivace ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo
Fidelio, Act 2: “O Gott, welch ein Augenblick!”
Performed by Lise Davidsen
Piano Sonata No. 30, Op. 109: III. Andante molto cantabile (Edit)
Der Wachtelschlag
Performed by Peter Schreier
Piano Sonata “Pathétique”, No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13: III. Rondo – Allegro
Performed by Fabian Müller
Piano Sonata “Pathétique”, No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13: II. Adagio cantabile
Performed by Fabian Müller
Piano Sonata No. 21 “Waldstein” in C Major, Op. 53: I. Allegro con brio
Performed by Emil Gilels
Piano Sonata “Pathétique”, No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13: I. Grave – Allegro
Performed by Fabian Müller
Piano Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata”: III. Allegro ma non troppo
Performed by Fabian Müller
Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”: 1. Allegro con brio (Excerpt)
Symphony No. 5: 1. Allegro con brio (Excerpt)
Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”: III. Scherzo (Excerpt)
Piano Concerto No. 2: III. Rondo (Excerpt)
Performed by Martha Argerich
3 Piano Sonatas, WoO 47: No. 2 in F Minor: III. Presto (WPD Performance)
Performed by Robert Neumann
Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major “The Hunt” op. 31/3: 4. Presto con fuoco
I. Allegro [Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24]
Performed by Antje Weithaas
II. Andante (Sonata No. 2 in F Minor, WoO 47)
Performed by Robert Neumann
Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56: II. Largo
Performed by Rafał Blechacz
Violin Concerto: II. Larghetto
Performed by María Dueñas Fernández
Für Elise, WoO 59
Performed by Alice Sara Ott
Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: IV. Allegro con brio
Sonata No. 30, I. Vivace Ma Non Troppo – Adagio Espressivo (#WPD2022)
Performed by Maurizio Pollini
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67: II. Andante con moto (excerpt)
Symphony No.7 in A Major, Op.92: II. Allegretto (excerpt)
Violin Concerto D Major,III. Rondo Allegro (excerpt)
Performed by Daniel Lozakovich
Zärtliche Liebe, WoO 123 “Ich liebe dich”
Performed by Malcolm Martineau
33 Variations in C Major, Op. 120, Var. 14 ‘Grave e Maestoso’
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Triple Concerto in C Major, Op.56: II.Largo
Performed by Itzhak Perlman
33 Variations in C Major, Op. 120, Tema & Var. 1: Alla marcia maestoso
Fantasia for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C Minor, Op. 80: I. Adagio
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Piano concerto No. 1: Rondo (Live at OPUS Klassik, 2020)
Performed by Rudolf Buchbinder
Symphony No.8: I. Allegro vivace e con brio (excerpt)
Piano Concerto No.1 in C Major, Op.15 (excerpt)
Performed by Rudolf Buchbinder
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125
Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastorale’: I. Allegro ma non troppo (excerpt)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio (excerpt)
Symphony No. 4 in B Major, Op. 60: III. Allegro Vivace (excerpt)
Symphony No. 3 in E Major, Op. 55: I.Allegro con brio “Eroica” (excerpt)
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: II. Larghetto (excerpt)
Violin Concerto: Larghetto
Performed by Daniel Lozakovich
Symphony No. 1 in C Major Op. 21: III. Allegro molto e vivace (excerpt)
Piano Concerto No. 5, III. Rondo. Allegro
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Piano Concerto 4 in G Major, III. Rondo. Vivace
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Piano Concerto 3 in C Minor, III. Rondo. Allegro
Piano Sonata No.14 C Sharp Minor: 3.Presto agitato (teamLab Planets)
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor: 2. Allegretto (teamLab Planets)
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Piano Sonata No.14 C Sharp Minor: 1.Adagio sostenuto (teamLab Planets)
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Piano Concerto No.1 in C Major, Op. 15: II.Largo
Piano Concerto No. 2 B-Flat Major, II.Adagio
“Für Elise” Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor, WoO 59 (Live in Paris, 2019)
Der Liebende, WoO 139
Performed by Jan Lisiecki
Piano Sonata No.30 in E major, Op. 109: 1. Vivace ma non troppo
Performed by Maurizio Pollini
Piano Concerto No. 5: II. Adagio un poco mosso
Performed by Jan Lisiecki
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125: IV. Presto (Excerpt)
Piano Concerto No. 3: I. Allegro con brio
Performed by Jan Lisiecki
Piano Concerto No. 3: III. Rondo. Allegro
Performed by Jan Lisiecki
Piano Concerto No. 3: II. Largo
Performed by Jan Lisiecki
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125: II. Molto vivace (Excerpt)
Piano Concerto No. 2: III. Rondo. Molto allegro
Performed by Jan Lisiecki
“Für Elise” Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor, WoO 59
Piano Sonata No. 29 In B-Flat Major, Op. 106. II. Scherzo. Assai vivace
Performed by Murray Perahia
“Moonlight” Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2
Performed by Murray Perahia
Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 57 „Appassionata“
Performed by Evgeny Kissin
“Hammerklavier” Piano Sonata No. 29, Op. 106: I. Allegro (Excerpt)
Violin Concerto in D Major, I. Allegro ma non troppo (Cadenza)
Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3: II. Adagio
Performed by Alice Sara Ott
IV. „Freude, schöner Götterfunken“ (excerpt)
Odon Racz Doublebass Player (official Video)
II. Allegretto scherzando (excerpt)
Ödön Racz Doublebass Player (official Video)
IV. Allegro con brio (excerpt)
Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat major, Op. 31 No. 3 “The Hunt”: IV. Presto con fuoco
Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight” (arr. for violin and string orchestra)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 611806
Performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yehudi Menuhin
Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70 No. 1 “Ghost”: II. Largo assai ed espressivo (excerpt)1808
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens, Op. 113 (arr. Anton Rubinstein)1811
Performed by Evgeny Kissin
Bagatelles Op. 119 & Op. 126— Alfred Brendel
Performed by Alfred Brendel
Für Elise WoO 59, 7 Bagatelles Op. 33— Alfred Brendel
Performed by Alfred Brendel
Piano Sonata No. 9, Op. 14, No. 1— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 “Pathetique”— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 7, Op. 10, No. 3— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 10, No. 2— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 10, No. 1— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 4, Op. 7— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 2, No. 3— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 2, No. 2— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 2, No. 1— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Complete Piano Sonatas— Claudio Arrau
Performed by Claudio Arrau
Piano Sonatas Nos. 29 ‘Hammerklavier’, 30, 31, 32— Solomon Cutner
Performed by Solomon Cutner
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”— Sviatoslav Richter
Performed by Sviatoslav Richter
Sonatas Op.109,110,111 + Presentation— Sviatoslav Richter
Performed by Sviatoslav Richter
The Piano Sonatas / Presentation + New Mastering— Walter Gieseking
Performed by Walter Gieseking
The Complete— Wilhelm Backhaus
Performed by Wilhelm Backhaus
Complete Piano Sonatas, Pathetique, Moonlight, Appassionata, Hammerklavier..— Yves Nat
Performed by Yves Nat
