Wolfgang Mozart, respected pianist and composer, invited Beethoven to go to Vienna and study under him (Landon 82). Two weeks after arriving in Vienna Beethoven suffered yet another hardship. Beethoven"s mother died. His mother"s death aggravated his father"s drinking problem to the point where he could no longer care for his family. Hence, at the young age of seventeen, Beethoven had no choice but to care for his two younger brothers (Landon 157). Despite these responsibilities, he still managed to expand his skills, both on the piano and as a composer. As a final hardship, Beethoven developed a buzzing noise in his ears. "At the age of 28, Beethoven"s hearing began to deteriorate; first in the left ear, then in the right," the "cause later determined as severe damage to the acoustic nerves" (Nettl 38). Eventually Beethoven lost all hearing. Regardless, Beethoven"s superior intellect allowed him to compose an entire symphony inside his head before copying a single music note onto paper. Thus, unbroken by his obstacles, Beethoven remained loyal to his music. .

             In the history of music, Beethoven is unique as a composer and as a person. Three different time periods characterize Ludwig van Beethoven"s career. The first period contained Symphony No.1 and No. 2. Beethoven"s work followed tradition and resembled the style used by Bach and Mozart. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 21, was completed in April of 1800. Two years later, Beethoven completed Symphony No.2 in D major, Opus 36, and was released in Vienna (Grove 22). Beethoven had mastered the Classical Viennese style and he wanted to pursue his own new ideas. .

             In 1802, the start of the second period, Beethoven realized that his hearing was deteriorating, and he slid into a state of depression (Landon 179). As a result, in 1802, Beethoven"s work broke free from the formal conventions of classical music. He looked inward and liberated his mind as well as his emotions; Beethoven created music with a deeper meaning.