Well, it seems that many geniuses are a little crazy. He also had strange personal habits such as wearing filthy clothing while washing compulsively. Yes, but besides these problems he worked very well, and wrote many things. His father taught him in the beginning, but unfortunately he was an alcoholic and beat him. Well, there's no wonder he went crazy. Luckily, Beethoven's talent was soon noticed by others. That's when his career lifed off. We talk about his career in periods: the early, middle and late periods. In his early period he emulated Haydn and Mozart, his middle period began shortly after he found he was going deaf. So this is when we start to see large-scale works expressing heroism and struggle. These include many of the most famous works of classical music. Yes, then his late period is greatly admired for intellectual depth and intense, highly personal expression. He stopped composing in 1826. I'm so happy that you are passionate about Beethoven, because actually the gift's for you. Happy Birthday!