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Germany: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), composer. Portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler (1781-1858), oil on canvas,1820
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Ludwig van Beethoven (17 December 1770 26 March 1827) was a German composer. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers.
. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas, 16 string quartets, his great Mass the Missa solemnis and an opera, Fidelio.