His early period, during which he forged his craft, is typically considered to have lasted until 1802. His career has conventionally been divided into early, middle, and late periods. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era in classical music. Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist.
