Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Two composers who marked the beginning and the end of the Classical Period respectively. By analysing the last piano sonata of Haydn (Piano Sonata No. 62 in E-flat major (Hob. XVI:52)) and the first and last piano sonatas of Beethoven (Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor Op. 2, No.1, Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op. 111), this essay will study the development of Beethoven’s composition style and how this conformed or didn’t conform to the Classical style. The concepts of pitch and expressive techniques will be focused on, with a broader breakdown on how these two concepts affect many of the other concepts of music. To make things simpler, this essay will analyse only the first movements of each of the sonatas mentioned. …show more content…
His compositions are considered to have led to the development of the sonata form. This was still evident late in his career. Piano Sonata No. 62 in E-flat major (Hob. XVI:52) consists of short, balanced melodic phrases of two, four or sometimes six bars. Each melody in the exposition is evenly divided into an antecedent phrase and a consequent phrase; question and answer. This is a typical characteristic of the Classical Period which obsessed over clarity of structure. Similarly, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor Op. 2, No.1 is clearly divided into an exposition, development and recapitulation. Its lucid exposition of melodic material occurs in balanced melodic phrases. Both of these works contain short codas to each section. The fact that Beethoven’s sonata was written one year after Haydn’s, whilst he was still a student of Haydn’s, highlights the influence of Haydn over Beethoven during the early stage of his
<td width="50%">Baroque OrchestrasClassical OrchestrasString section and basso continuo central to the orchestra. Other instruments are occasional additions.Standard group of four sections: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Different instruments treated individually.Fairly small; generally 10- 40 players.Larger than baroque; great variation to the numbers of players.Flexible use of timbres, e.g. Timpani and trumpets used generally just for festive music.Standardised sections. Most sections used regularly.Tone colour is distinctly secondary to other musical elements.Greater variety of tone colour and more rapid changes of colour. Timbre is unimportant and therefore a piece written for harpsichord could easily be rearranged for a string section.Each section of the classical orchestra has a special role. And each instrument is used distinctively.Wind instruments mainly used as solo instruments or as part of the basso continuo.The wind section had become a separate unit capable of contrast and distinct colour.The harpsichord generally plays an ostinato under the orchestra. Piano not invented.The piano introduces a third colour-tone to be contrasted with the orchestra
His astonishing understanding of musical rudiments was further cemented at age seven by his first teacher Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel, with piano literature ranging from Bach to Schubert to Clementi (Musgrave 10). The young gifted talent quickly matured, with his compositions being sedulously characterized in craft similar to the seasoned taste of aged liquor. Following in the wake of Beethoven, his style of romanticism seemed restrained, and viewed as being confined to classical forms. With his preference towards absolute music, his works demonstrated “as [Ian] McEwan/ [Clive] Linley would have it, at the intersection of emotion and reason” and of “powerful intellect and of passionate expressivity” (Platt and Smith 4). However, being the headstrong romantic that he is, he manipulated the limiting factor into an area of expanse, in which he developed his music into seriously emotional, imaginative works of art.... ...
Traditional analysis of Beethoven's use of Sonata Allegro form tends to focus on harmonic or melodic movement and key relationships. This study stretches such investigations to include questions of historical context and philosophic motivations that drive a composer to structure music in a certain way. Ultimately this leads to an inquiry about how these traditions affect us as listeners, and more specifically how they relate to gender issues in a musical tradition primarily made up of male composers.
In the following paper I will be exploring the beginning of Leonard Bernstein's career and his family background. I will also look into the influences he had in his life and look at two pieces that he composed, "Jeremiah Symphony No. 1", and "Candide". My reasons for choosing these two pieces is due to the fact that they are contrasting in genre, one being a symphony with orchestration and the other being an operetta, and that they were written at different stages in Bernstein's life. They both produced a number of responses and displayed his wide range of musical ability.
The thirty-first sonata came to be in an interesting way. Moritz Schlesinger, in the summer of 1819, had made a request to Ludwig van Beethoven. Schlesinger was in search of some music and thought that Beethoven would be perfect for the job. He asked Beethoven to compose the desired music for him and would pay Beethoven in return. The two agreed in the May of 1820 that Beethoven would write twenty-five songs and three sonatas for Schlesinger at the cumulative price of one hundred and fifty ducats. Beethoven quickly finished the songs and made them available to his commissioner. He then began work on the three sonatas when he suddenly came under attack by a disease known as jaundice. This delayed the finishing of the three sonatas which later became well-known as the final sonatas – some of the last works of Beethoven. All three were completed and sent to Schlesinger by the end of 1822.
26 in E-flat major, Op. 81a is written in sonata form. The movement opens in a 2/4 time Adagio introduction, and begins with a descending E flat major scale consisting of three chords. The syllables “Le – be – wohl!” are written above this three-chord motif and the scale is harmonized to create a tone similar to that played by a pair of French horns. However, contrary to the use of horns in his other works which are used to confidently proclaim a new piece, the sound produced by the descending E flat major scale mimics the natural harmonic series played by French horns but resembles a feeling of distant calling. The soft and subtle tone of the three beginning notes strongly resemble a sense of uncertainty that can relate to the emotions experienced by Beethoven during the departure of a close friend like Rudolph. These three notes serve as an important motif in this movement, and the joining of the left hand accompaniment on the third beginning note introduces a new sentiment to the piece. Rather than progressing in the key of E flat major, the left hand enters in C minor and creates a sense of tragic struggle. Similar to his works such as the Fifth Symphony and the “Pathétique” Sonata, Beethoven uses C minor to represent grievous emotions. The low C used in the opening statement of this movement establishes a darkened atmosphere in which the rest of the piece
It is clear that Beethoven’s stands as being significant in development of the string quartet to a massive extent in creativity and innovation. His early quartets show great influence of those from the Classical period and with his own, has influenced his contemporaries and later composers. The quartets published later in his life show even greater imagination and use of expression. It is also through similar uses of texture, harmony, rhythm and counterpoint that composers of the Romantic period and the 20th century wrote their own string quartets. Beethoven’s however prove a huge advancement in how string quartets are written and the intensity of emotions that they portray.
Haydn presents a number of his deviations from the standard sonata form in the exposition. Haydn presents the first half of the opening thematic material in the choir in mm. 1-4. The second half
Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the classical and romantic eras and from 1800 to 1809 he wrote some of the most revolutionary compositions in the history of western music. This essay therefore will aim to discuss the numerous ways in which Ludwig Van Beethoven expanded the formal and expressive content of the classical style he inherited. From the early 1770s to the end of the eighteenth century the concept of the symphonic style and sonata style dominated most of the music composed. These forms, employed countless times by Mozart and Haydn, stayed relatively constant up until the end of the eighteenth century, when Beethoven began to extend this Viennese classical tradition. Many musicologists have put forward the idea of Beethoven music falling into four periods.
Beethoven slowly began showing his emotions, and feelings, but very subtly. His work began to have a very sublime feeling to it, very deep and not knowing what to expect. It was after those first two that Beethoven had a big life crisis. (Sayre 407) He then began seeing life as a shorter journey than previously sought, and stopped caring about what consequences would arise from what he wanted to do. Which was to show strong emotion in his music. It was his escape from his impending doom, which was becoming deaf. He released music very quickly over the next decade. This shows how Beethoven’s own life experiences changed the direction of his
The main goal of the very talented English music composer and conductor Benjamin Zander was to convince his audience through his very interesting and inspirational video, “The Transformative Power of Classical Music” that ‘Classical Music is for every one’. He was not only able to keep the attention of his audience growing with his splendid performance but also was able to make them understand the depth of classical music. He chose the most beautiful piece of classical music in order to make sure that his audience love it.
This analysis looks at two compositions. One resembles a through-composed work and the other a modern song form. The analysis of both pieces aims to illustrate that whilst there are similarities between the two compositions, the musical development of both pieces occurs in very different ways structurally.
The overall simplistic and serene atmosphere seems to hid the innovation within this first movement. Each section, the Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation have unique qualities that separate them from other sonatas. This essay will explore the particular composition’s characteristics within the first movement. The Exposition (mm. 1-163) is harmonically tightly knit and has it’s own clear characteristics. The Primary Theme
This paper will focus on the differences and similarities of the styles of Mozart and Beethoven based on Symphony No. 41 in C Major by Mozart and Symphony no. 5 in C Minor by Beethoven, discuss the specific aspect of their works and a personal impact of this music. Symphony No. 41 in C Major by Mozart gives the impression of slow music even in areas of rapid rhythm. Orchestra cuts in memory. First, it supports the play of the violins but then it quickly goes up creating harmony.
Music Appreciation has broadened my view to listen to different eras of music that I was not accustomed to. It was pleasant listening, reading, and learning about different periods of music. This course has given me an exceptional amount of knowledge on different styles of music, identifying different elements in music as well as learning about legendary composers who have influenced music throughout history. Not only has music been around for decades, it has developed a history of great composers who have left an imprint in history by their extraordinary compositions of music they developed during their times of glory, like Ludwig van Beethoven. In this essay I will discuss how Beethoven is known as one of the greatest, ingenuity composers of his time and how the classical period is so fascinating to listen to and learn about. In addition, I will also discuss how Music Appreciation has reshaped the way I perceive and listen to different styles of music that have been created throughout history.