The Similarities Between Beethoven And Rachmaninoff

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German musician known as one of the few who had a strong influence on classical music. For many, Beethoven is considered the predominant musical composer who formed the bridge between the classical and romantic era. This gave way to romantic composers such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, who is considered one of Russia s finest pianist and romantic composers. Some people may argue that the musical talents of Beethoven cannot be compared to other composers, however, when you compare his personal life with Rachmaninoff; it seems that tragedy had an influence on both their lives. Even though Beethoven and Rachmaninoff lived during different centuries and they came from different countries, they both shared the same passion for creating beautiful music despite the hardships in life. Although some of the differences between Beethoven and Rachmaninoff are evident, the similarities are pronounced. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn Germany on December 16, 1770 and he d ied on March 26, 1827 at the young age of 56 from pneumonia complicated by cirrhosis of the liver and dropsy. In the book The Gift of Music Great Composers and Their Influence by Jane Smith and Betty Carlson, Beethoven was described as a â€Å"short, stout man with a very red-faced, small piercing eyes, and bushy eyebrows† (56). On the contrary, Rachmaninoff was described as a tall man who didn t fit quite fit in. He measured at 6 6 and his giant hands could strike 13 on the keyboard.