This document provides biographical information about Ludwig van Beethoven and summarizes the key periods and styles of his compositions. It is divided into sections on his early life and education, his early compositions that were influenced by Haydn and Mozart, his heroic middle period starting around 1803 characterized by expanded forms and counterpoint, and his late period starting in 1815 with more meditative and developed works. The document also provides context about the Enlightenment period in which Beethoven was composing and how his music reflected Enlightenment ideals through heroic, universal, and nature-inspired themes.