Listening 19

Ludwig van Beethoven, Mr. Pianist & Symphony Composer, became deaf later in his life yet continued to write music.  Beethoven was such a remarkable pianist and composer.  His accomplishments are well documented, but you may not know that he was one of the first composers to begin notating pedal freely in his music.  We take the pedal for granted, but it has been in existence and usage for only 215 years.  The history of pianos and pedals is quite extraordinary…and so is Beethoven.

Activity Sheet   http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_printit_biographies/ludwig-van-beethoven-print-it-biography.htm (While there is no Activity Sheet from the “Classics for Kids” website this week, this is a suitable substitute from “Making Music Fun”.)

Hear the Music    http://www.classicsforkids.com/music/ Ludwig van Beethoven:  Symphony No. 5 – First Movement