Ludwig van Beethoven byl klíčovou postavou na přechodu mezi klasicismem a romantismem v západní umělecké hudbě. Narodil se 16. prosince 1770 v německém Bonnu, hudební nadání projevil již v raném věku a zpočátku ho učil jeho otec Johann van Beethoven. Později studoval u Christiana Gottloba Neefeho, který mu ve dvanácti letech pomohl vydat první skladbu. Ve svých dvaceti letech se Beethoven přestěhoval do Vídně, kde studoval u Josepha Haydna a získal si pověst klavírního virtuosa.

Austrian conductor. He was born 16 May 1922 in Innsbruck, Austria and died 8 January 2010 in Berlin, Germany and is still listed as honorable member of Staatskapelle Berlin.

German orchestra founded in 1570 as court orchestra by Prince-Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg. The Staatskapelle Berlin is the orchestra of the Berlin State Opera . Founded as the "Kurfürstliche Hofkapelle" , it became the "Königliche Kapelle" in 1701, the Kapelle Der Staatsoper Berlin in 1919, the Staatskapelle in 1934, the Preußische Staatskapelle in 1944, and finally the "Staatskapelle Berlin" from 1945. It was the leading orchestra in East Berlin, firmly under German Democratic Republic government rule. In 1989, the members of the orchestra presented to the government a petition demanding the reorganization of the Staatskapelle as an independent, democratically run organization. This became part of the widespread public pressure that within months caused the collapse of the German communist state and the reunification of Germany. Music Directors: Johann Friedrich Agricola Johann Friedrich Reichardt Bernhard Anselm Weber Gaspare Spontini Giacomo Meyerbeer Otto Nicolai Robert Radecke Joseph Sucher Felix Weingartner Richard Strauss Leo Blech Erich Kleiber Clemens Krauss Herbert von Karajan Joseph Keilberth Erich Kleiber Franz Konwitschny Otmar Suitner Daniel Barenboim