5 Interesting Facts About Beethoven You May Not Have Known

Ludwig Van Beethoven is one of the most famous and influential musicians/composers of the Classical and Romantic era. He was born in Bonn, which is the capital of Cologne (Germany) on December 17th 1770.

He had a very diligent melodious career with the help of his father, Johann Van Beethoven, who started teaching him music at a very early age. Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for the piano and 1 for the violin, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets to represent his entire career. There is probably no one in the developing world that doesn’t recognize a piece or two that was written by Ludwig. His music was dramatic and fierce and lives on to this day.

A lot of historical information can be found about Beethoven, but there are some exceptional facts about him that you may never have known:

Does Age Really Matter?

On paper Ludwig Van Beethoven was born on 1770. However, for many years the composer thought he was born in 1772. The exact year of birth was never officially definite. Historians believe that Beethoven’s father intentionally created this deception by altering his age so that he could present a much younger musical virtuoso. Remember, around the same time period Mozart was already quite established, and most likely, Beethoven’s biggest musical rival! His father didn’t want his son to be out-done by a fellow young originator.

Student Turned Piano Teacher

Beethoven was forced into the practice of music by an early age and music became his existence. It became his identity and he was very successful. One would assume that his passion for music would be something that he would love to share with those who wanted to learn. Beethoven was known to show utter disdain for piano teaching unless he was able to teach exceptionally gifted students, and, it has been noted, that if the student was a beautiful woman, it didn’t matter if she couldn’t tap her fingers to chop-sticks let alone play the piano.

Sounds of Silence for Ludwig

The worst fate that could ever befall a musician is loss of hearing. That is exactly what happened to Beethoven. His hearing loss was gradual, but by 1819, in his 30’s, he was clinically and completely deaf. According to correspondences written by Ludwig, he considered his hearing loss a “demon”, which haunted him everywhere he went. There were moments in this phase of his life where he contemplated suicide, but the love of music and his career held that action at bay. After the deafness set in, he was still able to complete thirty-two piano sonatas, seventeen string quartets, nine symphonies, one of which would be the Fifth Symphony – one of the most commonly recognized pieces he ever wrote.

Twelve Times Thirty

Music and math have always been complimentary disciplines. According to the American Mathematical Society, counting, rhythm, scales, intervals, patterns, symbols, harmonies, time signatures, overtone, and pitch are ALL notations made my composers that are directly connected to mathematics. With that being said, Beethoven was not very gifted, to say the least, when it came to basic math. Due to family obligations, he had to leave school at the early age of 11 to help support his family.

Beethoven’s Struggle For Health

Throughout Beethoven’s childhood, middle years and up to his death, he was never blessed with a healthy life. In addition to his hearing loss, which was attributed to typhus, he also suffered from colitis, rheumatism, rheumatic fever, skin disorder, to list a few. His death was eventually caused by cirrhosis, which lead to liver failure.

Whatever strange behavior or physical infirmities Beethoven struggled with, there is no denying that he will forever remain one of the greatest composers of all time.

The Right Tennis Movements

What is the right footwork for a tennis player? How to move well on the tennis court? I will try to answer these questions in order to help you to improve your tennis game.

Image result for tennisTennis movements are very various and there are many different ways to move on a tennis court. Tennis is a complex activity that involves movements in every direction in order to get to the balls but also to recover. The best tennis players are the ones using a right technique in their movements but also the ones that are able to do this very quickly.

First of all a tennis player needs to execute a split step before every shot. This split step is done while the opponent hits the ball. It is a very small and short hop that allows you to be on the ball of your feet in a wide stance. The player will then be ready to move in any direction. This is the basis to have a good footwork. A split step has to be done before every single shot and allows the player to be light on his feet and to be ready to move to the ball.

A tennis player rarely does more than 4 steps to go to the ball. It is then very important to be explosive and quick on the first steps. Depending or where the ball is going to bounce the player will have to move in a different way. Being able to read the shot of your opponent is a key in order to move well.

If the ball is going to bounce next to you usually one side step is enough to be in the right positions. If the ball is deep you will have to move back very quick in order to hit the ball while you are moving forward. If you are late you will still be off balance while you are hitting and then the shot will not be efficient.

For most of the shots the player will have to move around 3 steps to the backhand or forehand side. The most efficient way is to move forward and in diagonal to the ball. After the split test, step forward with the leading leg in the direction of the ball and at the same time push off the ground with the opposite foot. This will allow you to have an explosive and quick first step. Once the leading leg is back on the ground push off hard on the ground and bring your other leg in front of you, then set you up and you should be able to hit an efficient shot.

If you have to run for a short ball, right after the split step explode forward an avoid doing a step back. This is a common mistake that costs time. Your first step has to be forward in the direction of the ball.

Moving to the ball is one thing but now you need to recover well in order to be ready for the next shot. The most efficient way after a shot is to do a cross over step and then to side step back This is a lot quicker and more efficient than doing only side steps to recover.

All those different steps need a good coordination and of course they need to be practiced. A lot of tennis players could be a lot better if they were using a correct technique while they move to the ball and recover. The best way to train movements is agility training on the court. Moving to a cone, doing a shadow and recovering at the starting point are good drills to improve the movements. Because there is no tennis balls involved the player can really focus on his movements and learn the right technique. After a little while he will not think about, it will be automatic and then he will be able to use this with live balls.

StoryBoard Artist Version 7 From PowerProduction Software Now Available

Los Gatos, CA (PRWEB) January 26, 2016

PowerProduction Software, the leading developer of visualization solutions for film and video production, announced today the availability of StoryBoard Artist Version 7, the essential digital and animatic storyboard creation tool for filmmakers. The new version 7 release amps up 3D capabilities, adding an unlimited number of character poses, advanced motion graphics, and integration with StoryBoard mobile apps for previs creation across devices. With this new technology I think storyboard artist for hire will grow much larger.

“StoryBoard Artist Version 7 gives you the simplicity and speed of working in 2D environments with all the flexibility you want when creating a 3D representation of your vision. It’s really the best of both worlds,” says Paul Clatworthy, creative director at PowerProduction. “Artist 7 eliminates the time and learning curve that comes with creating an entire 3D world. With all the assets at your fingertips, users can quickly and easily create the shot they want. They can tweak characters in 3D just as if they were directing actors. Artist 7 is our best upgrade ever, building on our rich history of innovation in media production software.”

StoryBoard Artist Version 7 Key Features

  • Unlimited character posing with straightforward adjustment tools lets users get started quickly and tweak poses as needed
  • New motion graphics capabilities let users define character movement within shots, providing an exact representation of the director’s vision for that scene
  • Supports standard 3D formats as well as Autodesk .FBX and Google SketchUp
  • Integration with StoryBoard mobile apps allows users to storyboard on any of their devices
  • Expanded timeline editing and sound sweetening
  • Imports native screenplay formats such as Final Draft, Screenwriter and more
  • Floating licensing, no hardware key
  • Streamlined interface

Pricing and Availability

StoryBoard Artist Version 7 is immediately available through the PowerProduction Software worldwide reseller channel and direct from the PowerProduction Software website at http://www.powerproduction.com for 499.99 USD.

StoryBoard Artist owners can upgrade to the new version 7.0 for 199.00 USD.

Request a Press Kit

Members of the media are invited to review StoryBoard Artist v7. For more information, please email Mariah Stein.

About PowerProduction Software

PowerProduction Software has been a trendsetter in storyboard software for over a decade. The Hollywood production community has made them a staple in a very competitive niche. Their staff of well-rounded media professionals is dedicated to making sure that the software programming serves the needs of filmmakers. For more information, visit http://www.powerproduction.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/01/prweb13181271.htm