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Life and work of Beethoven
The music of Ludwig van Beethoven
The music of Ludwig van Beethoven
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Ludwig Van Beethoven was a German composer, born in late 1770. His date of birth is not definitely known, but he was baptized in Bonn, Germany on December 17, 1770. Beethoven’s family, including two younger brothers, a gentle mother, and an alcoholic, musical father, pushed music into his life. His grandfather was a popular musician in his time, which greatly influenced Beethoven and his music. Beethoven’s father was the hardest on him about his musical abilities, using brutal and ruthless measures to force him to learn and practice instruments, such as cavalier, violin, and the organ. Although he was sometimes locked up and deprived of sleep to practice, Beethoven was a musical genius from the beginning. He wasn’t as lucky when it came to …show more content…
Though he only stayed for a short time before his mother fell ill, Mozart was extremely impressed with Beethoven’s talent. His mother died soon after. Beethoven went back to Vienna in 1792 and studied with Joseph Hadyn, Antonio Salieri, and Johann Albrechtsberger. He quickly gained a popular reputation playing piano, although his compositions were not yet very famous. In the spring of 1795, he publically performed in Vienna for the first time, drawing in a great amount of publicity. Soon after, he published three successful piano trios, known as his “Opus 1”. On April 2nd, 1800, he debuted Symphony No. 1 in C Major in Vienna. He grew to hate the piece, but the composition was widely popular, and he was soon considered one of the best composers of all time. In 1804, he debuted his famous Eroica Symphony. Around the same time, his hearing started to deteriorate. Despite the speedy handicap, he continued to compose right and left. Between 1803 and 1812, he composed two sextets, one opera, four solo concerti, five string quartets, six string sonatas, four trios, seven piano sonatas, six symphonies, five sets of piano variations, four overtures, six string sonatas, and 72
Beethoven was a political composer. He stubbornly dedicated his art to the problems of human freedom, justice, progress, and community. The Third Symphony, probably Beethoven's most influential work, centers around a funeral march provoking patriotic ceremonies from the French Revolution. Beethoven was a long time admirer of Napoleon Bonaparte. So he dedicated the symphony to Napoleon, but when Napoleon was proclaimed the Emperor of France, he scratched the dedication to Napoleon. This Symphony is cited as the marking end of Beethoven's classical era and the beginning of musical Romanticism. But what of Beethoven after Napoleon? Beethoven's life and music became worse after the Third Symphony was composed because of his reaction to Napoleon becoming Emperor, his deafness, and through his personal and family difficulties.
Beethoven’s early life was one out of a sad story book. For being one of the most well-known musicians one would think that sometime during Beethovens childhood he was influenced and inspired to play music; This was not the case. His father was indeed a musician but he was more interested in drinking than he was playing music. When his father saw the smallest sliver of music interest in Beethoven he immediately put him into vigorous musical training in hopes he would be the next Mozart; his training included organ, viola, and piano. This tainted how young Beethoven saw music and the memories that music brought. Nevertheless Beethoven continued to do what he knew and by thirteen he was composing his own music and assisting his teacher, Christian Neefe. Connections began to form during this time with different aristocrats and families who stuck with him and became lifelong friends. At 17 Beethoven, with the help of his friends, traveled to Vienna, the music capitol of the world, to further his knowledge and connection...
Beethoven acquired his first post in music when he was just eleven years old. At this age he work as the assistant to the organist in a local court. Later on at the age of thirteen he played keyboard during opera rehearsals. His first real performance came when he was eighteen; Beethoven played the viola in a local theatre orchestra. He played with this orchestra until the age of twenty-two.
Born in 1770 Beethoven grew up with a great interest in music and his father gave him piano lessons at an early age. Even so, he was never close to his father, probably because of the abuse he endured. When his father became unable to care for his family due to an alcohol addiction, Beethoven felt it was his responsibility to take care of his three remaining siblings and his mother. So, at age 12 he began publishing music to help support his family. Unfortunately, his lack of money was always an issue throughout his life. At age 22...
He performed publicly in Vienna in 1795 for the first time, and published his Op. 1 and Op. 2 piano sonatas. His works are traditionally divided into three periods. The first is called the Viennese Classical, the second is the Heroic, and the third is Late Beethoven. In the first period, his individuality and style gradually developed, as he used many methods from Haydn, including the use of silence. He composed mainly for the piano during this period. These works include Symphony no. 1 in C (1800), his first six string quartets, and the Pathétique (1799). His Moonlight Sonata in C# minor (1801) is known as the first of Heroic Beethoven. Beethoven learned that he would become deaf in 1802 and suffered sever depression. His composing skills were not affected by his deafness, but his ability to teach and perform was inhibited. It is said that he became deaf from his habit of pouring cold water over his head while composing, to refresh himself, and then not drying his massive amounts of hair afterwards.
He suffered a severe form of tinnitus, a "roar" in his ears that made it hard for him to appreciate music and he would avoid conversation. The cause of Beethoven 's deafness is unknown, but it had variously been attributed to syphilis, lead poisoning, typhus, or possibly even his habit of immersing his head in cold water to stay awake. Over time, his hearing loss became worst, at the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he had to be turned round to see the tumultuous applause of the audience, hearing nothing. In 1802, he became depressed, and considered committing suicide. He left Vienna for a time for small Austrian town of Heiligenstadt, where he wrote the "Heiligenstadt Testament", in which he resolved to continue living through his art. He continued composing even as his hearing worsened. After a failing his perform in 1811 his own "Emperor Concerto”, he never performed again. As a result of his hearing loss, Beethoven kept conversation books discussing music and other issues, and giving an insight into his thought. Even today, the conversation books form the basis for investigation into how he felt his music should be performed, and his relationship to art - which he took very seriously. Beethoven was best known for his use of the piano wide range and for his nine symphonies, which have been called the cornerstones of Western civilization. Two of the most famous are the Fifth Symphony and the Ninth Symphony because of their
Despite the fact that Beethoven’s hearing was slowly diminishing, he continued to write works that surprised the people in Vienna and other famous composers of the time. Years passed of fame and praise of his work from all different kinds of people. In November of 1815, however, his brother died, leaving behind his wife and their 9 year old son named Karl (Budden and Knapp). This was particularly stressful not only for his brother’s death but also because he had wished that his son’s guardianship was “to be exercised by both his wife and his brother, Ludwig” (“Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Biography”). Beethoven took this role of being a guardian as important to him, but as he was becoming deaf and older, so it seemed harder for him to take care of the child like his brother wished. As the years went by, so did his hearing and in 1816 he was completely deaf however by the time he went completely deaf he had written 8 Symphonies and many other great works. Many people by this point would have given up and lost hope because the one aspect that they passionately pursued was destroyed, but Beethoven overcame his disability and continued to make music despite being completely and utterly deaf. His 9th symphony was created and finished in 1823 by him using what many musicians call their “Inner ear” and because “he was not attached anymore to physical sound, [he could] just use his imagination” (Jones). After the completion of his 9th symphony he created an estimated 26 works and in 1827 had sketches for a 10th symphony (Harrison); however, the sketches were to remain sketches. Beethoven started to become ill with a disease, still unsure of which it was today, and died in Vienna on March 26th, 1827. The funeral was held three days after and approximately anywhere from ten thousand people to thirty thousand showed up for his funeral (Budden and
Ludwig Van Beethoven was one of the greatest classical music composers of all time. He was born around December 16, 1770 to a middle class family in the city of Bonn in the Electorate of cologne. His exact date of birth is unknown but he was baptized on December 17, 1770 and during this time it was law and custom for babies to be baptized within 24 hours of birth. His father Johann Van Beethoven was a court singer and his mother was Maria Magdalena Van Beethoven. Ludwig had four other siblings. The first Ludwig had passed away 6 days after he was born. Anton Karl was born on April 1774, Nikkolaus Johann October 1776 and Maria Margareta Josepha in 1786.
Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770 in Bann, Germany. From a young age Beethoven was involved with music because he came from three generations of musicians. He received instruction from his father on the piano and violin. One of his earliest concerts was in front of his father’s peers against his will. Beethoven had a fiery temper and was somewhat introverted in his school years. Beethoven went to school until the age of ten. At this time his family’s finances prevented his family from affording the education that he needed. In July of 1787, Beethoven’s life was further thrown into disarray with the death of his mother. Despite Beethoven’s misfortune he would still achieve monumental amounts of success while in Vienna. His success can be attributed to the fact that he crafted relatio...
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.
Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 16th, 1770, in Bonn, Germany. His family was extremely poor. His father, Jan van Beethoven, was an alcoholic and both verbally and physically abused his mother, Maria-Magdalena Keverich. She was absolutely terrified of her husband and never stood up to him. Jan van Beethoven's father, however, was not like his son. He was a very sweet man and Ludwig van Beethoven was named after him. He and little Ludwig became the best of friends and went everywhere together. However, Ludwig van Beethoven Sr. died suddenly from a stroke of apoplexy in 1773. This devastated little Ludwig.
In 1829, he left his hometown and started his music tour to Italy, France and England. During this period of time, he published many significant compositions, which included the overture Die Hebriden (1829), the Reformation Symphony (1830) and the Italian Symphony (1832) etc.
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. His works are traditionally divided into three periods. In his early period, he focused on imitating classical style, although his personal characteristics of darker pieces, motivic development, and larger forms are already evident or foreshadowed. In his middle period, he is beginning to go deaf, and has realized that he cannot reverse the trend. His works express struggle and triumph. He stretches forms, with development sections becoming the bulk of his works. He is breaking from tradition and laying the groundwork for the romantic style period. In his late period, he breaks almost completely with classical forms, but ironically starts to study and use baroque forms and counterpoint. He is almost completely deaf, and his works become much more introspective with massive amounts of contrast between sections, ideas, and movements. He dies in Vienna in 1827.
By this time, Beethoven wasn 't a very approachable man. He was known to be about 5’4”, messy and crazy hair, pocketed face from smallpox, and a split personality. François Mai better describes Beethoven’s personality, he states, “He had episodes of depression accompanied by suicidal ideas, and rarer episodes of elation with flights of ideas. The latter are reflected in some of his letters. He had a low frustration tolerance and at times would become so angry that he would come to blows with others such as his brother Carl, or he would throw objects at his servants.”
Beethoven was born in Bonn Germany. At 14, he held the occupation of a court organist. Sadly, his father was a drunken singer, and barely supported his family. Consequently, the money Beethoven earned assisted his family. In 1778, he traveled to Vienna and met Wolfgang A. Mozart who instantly acknowledged his brilliance. However, on account of his mother’s illness, he returned to his home town, and had to support his brothers after her death. He gave music lessons in Bonn, in addition to playing the viola in the theater orchestra. Settling in Vienna in 1792, he studied with masters such as Joseph Haydn. He appeared as a pianist and gaine...