Transcript Chapter 15 The Music of Beethoven

The Music of
Beethoven
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•“Probably
no single composer
has influenced the course of
musical events more than
Ludwig van Beethoven.”
•Effect on the musicians of his
time and now
•Music continues to appeal to
public
•Expanded works of Mozart and
Haydn, increased power and
expressiveness
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Born in
Bonn,
Germany
•Father singer in
court chapel
choir and tried
to exploit
Beethoven as
prodigy
Age 12, substitute
as court organist;
later named
assistant organist
•Known for
virtuoso piano
improvisations
•Haydn heard
Beethoven play
and urged
Beethoven’s
employer to
send him to
Vienna for
music study
Moved to
Vienna at
age 22
•Retained
popularity with
general public
and aristocracy
•Lived
independently
– not reliant on
patronage
system
•Middle class
audiences
provided
concert and
publishing
revenues
Performance
career ended
with onset of
deafness
•Lived as a
recluse at end
of life
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Died at age
57 in
Vienna
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•Output
is limited compared to Mozart
and Haydn
•Beethoven’s works are typically longer
and content is more substantial than
other music of the time
•Ideas did not come easily for
Beethoven
•Constantly revised and rewrote works
•Beethoven viewed music as an art and
only accepted commissions for works
he wanted to complete
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16 string
quartets
1 violin and
5 piano
concertos
10 sonatas
(violin and
piano)
21 piano
variation
sets
1 opera and
1 oratorio
9 overtures
9
symphonies
Beethoven’s
Works
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2 masses
5
Most productive
and happy era
•“Rasoumovsky” string
quartets
•Symphonies 2 – 8
•Fidelio (only opera)
•Piano sonatas
(including “Waldstein”
and “Appassionata”)
III: 1815-1827
•Six quartets
•First symphony
•Three piano sonatas
II: 1803-1814
I: 1770-1802
Assimilation of
Classical Style
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Less productive
but perhaps most
important period
•Great personal
troubles, including
deafness
•Developed musical
ideas for the next style
period
•Ninth Symphony
•Missa solemnis
•Late quartets &
sonatas
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•Longer
works than Mozart of
Haydn
•Longer development sections in
sonata form
•More development in codas
•Increased size of orchestra
•added
string players
•made trumpets regular part of
ensemble
•Added
to craft of orchestration –
utilizing instruments for
expressive purposes
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Mozart, Symph. no. 40
•0
• One flute
• Two oboes
• Two clarinets
• Two bassoons
•0
• Two horns
•0
•0
•0
• Five part strings
Beethoven, Symph. no. 5
• One piccolo
• Two flutes
• Two oboes
• Two clarinets
• Two bassoons
• Contrabassoon (fourth
movement)
• Two horns
• Two trumpets
• Three trombones (fourth
movement)
• Timpani
• Five part strings
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•Probably
most popular of
Beethoven’s symphonies
•Recognizable for its opening
theme and its unity
•Introduced the idea of a
common thread heard in all
four movements
•Musical idea appearing in
each movement is cyclic form
– a process used later by other
Romantic composers
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Symphony
Allegro con brio (fast, with vigor and spirit)
Sonata form
Duple meter
Orchestra
Listening Guide
Excerpt
from CD 1,
tracks 30-35,
pp. 156-157
Listen to the first theme and bridge from
the exposition
Notice the famous four notes (three short
and one long) that are used in all
movements
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Symphony
Andante con moto(walking, with motion)
Theme and variations
Triple meter
Orchestra
Listen to the
movement on
CD 4,
Tracks 3-5,
p. 158
This movement contains two themes
Listen to the second theme with the three
short/one long note motive:
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Symphony
Allegro tempo
Scherzo and trio
Triple meter
Orchestra
The scherzo is faster than the traditional third
movement minuet
Listening Guide
Excerpt
from CD 4,
track 6,
p. 159
Scherzo means “joke” – one could not dance a minuet
to the movement
Listen to the opening of the scherzo and trio:
Notice three short and one long note motive enters
20 seconds into the movement
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Symphony
Allegro tempo
Sonata form
Qudaruple meter
Orchestra + piccolo, contrabasson,
trombones
Listening Guide
Excerpt
from CD 4,
track 7,
p. 160
Follows traditional sonata form of
exposition, development, and recapitulation
Listen to the end of the recapitulation where
the three short, one long note motive
appears:
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Harpsichord
• Strings are plucked
• Player cannot control
dynamic changes
• Worked for baroque
terrace dynamice, but not
for classical dynamic
versatility
Piano
• Strings struck by
hammers
• Player’s force determines
dynamic level
• Becomes preferred
keyboard instrument
• Originally called pianoforte
(soft/loud) or fortepiano
(loud/soft)
• Name later shortened to
piano
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Piano sonata
Adagio sostentuo (sustained, leisurely pace)
No regular repeated or contrasting sections
Duple meter with triplets
Solo piano
Listening Guide
Excerpt
from CD 4,
track ,
p. 162
Title “Moonlight” given by publisher, not
Beethoven
Listen to the opening of this popular
sonata:
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Texture
Tonality
Rhythm
Largely homophonic,
but flexible with shifts
to polyphony
Major-minor system
with frequent
modulations to related
keys; heavy
dependence on tonicdominant relationship
Variety of rhythmic
patterns within a work
Melody
Composed of short,
balanced phrases,
melodic phrases often
contrasted with each
other
Mood
Expression of variety of
moods within a work
and sudden changes of
mood
Gradual dynamic
changes
Dynamics
Sonata, symphony,
concerto, string quartet,
Mass, oratorio, opera
Large Works
Piano and violin favored
for solo concerto; makeup
of orchestra becomes
standardized;
development of orchestra
favors symphonic works
Musical
Instruments
Sonata principle (multimovement structure for
large works); singlemovement sonata form;
rondo; minuet and trio;
scherzo and trio; theme
and variations; cadenza
and double exposition
used in concertos
Formal
Structures
Follows four-movement
plan, with first movement
in sonata form; each
movement self-contained;
clarity and balance are
major stylistic features
Symphonic
Style
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