Transcript Ludwig van Beethoven

(1770-1827)
Beethoven grew up when Haydn and Mozart were
still actively composing; he studied the Classical
style.
 He lived well into the 19th century when
Romanticism was blossoming. He was a beneficiary
of the change (from Classical to a Romantic style)
and partly responsible for it.
 He took forms, procedures and ideas from the
Classical period and developed them beyond their
previously accepted limits.
 He enlarged the orchestra, changed musical
structure, added a chorus to the symphony and
told narratives with purely instrumental works.
 He was a child of one era and a father of the next.
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 Born
in 1770 into a family of musicians.
 Father and Grandfather were professional
musicians at the court of the Elector of
the German town of Bonn
 Father was an alcoholic, so as a teenager,
Beethoven was put in charge of the family
finances. He began a job at the court
where he studied organ and composition
and took care of the instruments. It was
at this time that he began to compose
songs and chamber works.
In 1790, Franz Joseph Haydn passed through Bonn on
his way to London.
 Beethoven and Haydn meet and Haydn agrees that
upon his return to Vienna, Beethoven would study
with him.
 In 1792, Beethoven moves to Vienna to study with
Haydn, a great master.
 The lessons did not go well; Haydn was old fashioned
and Beethoven was rebellious and headstrong.
 Beethoven was able to stay in Vienna and find work
as a pianist. Prince Lichnowsky gave him room and
board in return for piano music at parties and
original compositions.
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 Early,
Beethoven mainly wrote keyboard and
chamber-music pieces.
 As time passed, he decided to compose
larger musical forms: string quartet, piano
concerto and symphony
 At age 32, he had written piano sonatas, lots
of chamber music, six string quartets, three
piano concertos and two symphonies.
 Showing signs of individuality: 1st symphony
deliberately begins in the wrong key, 3rd
piano concerto features a unifying rhythm
and the last movement of an early string
quartet has a slow introduction (Melancholy)
 In
1802, Beethoven discovers that he is going
deaf
 He contemplated suicide, but overcame this
by deciding that his first responsibility was to
produce the works that he had in his mind.
 In 1817, Beethoven could not hear a single
note and communicated by means of an ear
trumpet and a notebook slung around his
neck.
 His deafness prevented him from performing
or conducting, but he composed until the
end of his life by hearing all of the notes in
his head.
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Beethoven’s middle period included a focus on work
with a sense of triumph over adversity. This period is
often called the Heroic Period
In one of his letters, Beethoven writes, “I will seize Fate
by the throat”.
He had extraordinary productivity in this period from
1802-1812
He composed six more symphonies, four concertos, five
more string quartets, an opera, orchestral overtures,
piano sonatas and chamber music.
The music during this time is strong and confident with
contrasting passages of great lyricism. They are also
larger in scope (in the 3rd symphony, the first movement
is longer than complete symphonies of Haydn and
Mozart)
Beethoven became popular during this period and his
music was regarded as strong and patriotic (his
homeland was at war with France)
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Family crisis: Beethoven’s brother dies and leaves
Beethoven and his widow joint custody of his son, Karl
This caused Beethoven great turmoil and distress.
Having never married, he decided to seek sole legal
custody of his nephew.
He ultimately won his long, exhausting custody battle
and his nephew came to live with him.
His relationship with his nephew was stormy because
Beethoven was strict and possessive.
At age nineteen, Karl pawned his watch, bought two
pistols and tried to kill himself.
After this incident, Karl was allowed to return to his
mother and he escaped Beethoven’s domination by
joining the army.
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Beethoven gradually regains productivity
His most important works of this period includes: the
last three piano sonatas, the Ninth Symphony and a
series of string quartets.
Piano Sonatas are unusual in form and design,
juxtapose complexity and simplicity
Ninth Symphony, revolutionary in that it includes a
choir and four vocal soloists. (The use of a choir in a
symphony was unheard of at this time) The text for
the last movement is a poem by Schiller: the Ode to
Joy. Summation= “Let Joy bring everyone together:
all men will be brothers; let all kneel before God.”
Beethoven’s last three years were devoted to
composing string quartets
He died on March 26, 1827 at the age of 56
 Stylistic
traits include:
 1. Long powerful crescendos that seem
to carry the music inexorably forward
 2. Themes that sound exactly right
played quietly and very loud;
 3. Dramatic use of Classic structures such
as sonata form;
 4. Sudden key changes that nonetheless
fit into a powerful harmonic logic.
During the latter part of Beethoven’s life,
newspapers begin to emerge and print music
reviews.
 As it is today, reviewers are not always fond of new
music. Here are a few reviews of Beethoven’s
music…
 On the Third Symphony, “It is infinitely too
lengthy….If this symphony is not by some means
abridged, it will soon fall into disuse.”
 On the Ninth Symphony, “crude, wild, and
extraneous harmonies” “…ugly, in bad taste,
cheap.”
 On all his music: “Beethoven always sounds to me
like the upsetting of bags of nails, with here and
there also a dropped hammer.”
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