Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer who helped to bridge the Classical and Romantic eras in music. During his lifetime, he enjoyed a certain amount of celebrity for his work, and today is highly regarded as one of the most gifted composers throughout history. Additionally, his music continues to appear in "popular" venues thanks to exposure in film, television and advertisements. The man himself is also widely recognized as a figure of musical importance and has been often portrayed in biographical context as well as parody. His acclaim even outside scholarly circles is often attributed to the fact that he continued to compose in his later years as he slowly lost his hearing. He most famously composed the entirety of his Ninth Symphony ("Ode to Joy" -- one of the first symphonies to incorporate a chorus) while completely deaf, having sawed off the legs of his piano in order to bring the instrument closer to the floor in order to feel its vibrations. He died three years after the premiere of what would be his last completed symphony from a long illness.

The Muppets are no exception to the public's recognition of his immense output of work. The Muppet Show’s resident pianist, Rowlf the Dog, was a big proponent of his music, having played a number of pieces in concert -- usually to some humorous effect. Sometimes these performances were accompanied by a Bust of Beethoven which often sat upon Rowlf's baby grand piano making lude comments. The character, who would state clearly that he was not Beethoveen, merely a bust of the composer, also appeared in the background in a number of sketches.

On three occasions, Rowlf has also performed a song written about Beethoven, "Eight Little Notes." It's original performance on The Muppet Show has featured in home video compilations and sparked an album recording released years later.

Works

 * Für Elise -- epsiode 117 of The Muppet Show
 * Minuet in G Major (Beethoven) -- episode 121 of The Muppet Show
 * Moonlight Sonata -- episode 217 of The Muppet Show
 * Pathétique -- episode 221 of The Muppet Show
 * Symphony No. 5 -- Elmo and the Orchestra
 * Symphony No. 9 -- Elmo and the Orchestra