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Mozart vs. Beethoven

Beethoven built a musical bridge from the Classical to the Romantic period.  

Mozart was happy, cheerful, and not very responsible with money.  Beethoven was moody, ill-tempered, and handled business very well. 

Mozart's music writing was neat and was almost always completed in his head before he ever wrote it down.  Beethoven's music writing was sloppy and he was always making corrections, as this example shows.
The Eroica (Heroic) Symphony.  
Online image available
http://www.classicalarchives.com/bios/beethoven_bio.html,
February 15, 2002.  

Beethoven could support himself by writing music for the public rather than kings and queens.  His music didn't have to be for parties or entertaining, like composers before him.   Mozart had to depend on royalty to pay his wages.  

Beethoven published his first symphony when he was 30.  Mozart had already written almost 40 symphonies when he was the same age.  

Mozart married, had children, died penniless at 35, and was buried in an unmarked grave.  Beethoven never married nor had children.  He died when he was 56.  His funeral was attended by thousands of people.