...A Biographical Sketch of Ludwig van Beethoven Introduction Ludwig van Beethoven (December 1770- March 1827) was a pianist and composer- arguably the greatest and most influential composer of all time. He made his mark in history with the crucial role that he played in the transition of classical eras in art music. He had a full and varied music career and wasn’t afraid to move his numerous compositions from the tried and tested musical styles. In terms or the world’s greatest, Beethoven only comes second to the likes of Mozart or Bach. Beethoven is best known for his compositions, which include 32 piano sonatas, 5 concertos for piano, 16 string quartets and 9 symphonies (Anderson 1044). He is also known for the composition of other music, choral works and songs. Early Childhood Beethoven was born on the 16th of December, 1770 in Bonn and baptized the following day (Dalhaus & Whittall 6). His father was originally from Brabant, Belgium, but had moved to Bonn where he served as a musician at the local court. Despite his weakness for alcohol, Beethoven’s father was quite influential in shaping the music career of Beethoven as it was through him that young Beethoven was exposed to music. From an early age, Beethoven was taught music by Christiano Gottlob Neefe, a famous opera composer and conductor, and Johann van Beethoven who was his father. Johann envisioned creating a new kind of Mozart in his son and would train him every evening on returning from the court. As a teenager...
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...Ludwig van Beethoven (December 16th, 1770 - March 26th,1827) BIOGRAPHY Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. He was the oldest of two brothers. His childhood consisted of endless piano practice forced upon him by his alcoholic father. If Ludwig made a mistake, his father would punish him. In 1782, Beethoven published his first work, 9 Variations in C minor for the piano on a march by Earnst Christoph Dressler. By the age of 12, he was providing for his family by playing the organ and composing music. In Bonn, he studied with Christian Gottlob Neefe. Neefe once wrote about Beethoven in the Magazine of Music saying, “If he continues like this, he will be, without a doubt, the new Mozart.” For a while he also studied with composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 1792, Vienna became his permanent residency where he studied with Austrian composer Joseph Haydn. In the early 1800’s, Beethoven’s hearing started to decline. 1814 was his faming peak. Two of his most famous works were: Wellington’s Victory op. 91 in 1813 (otherwise known as the Battle Symphony) and The Glorious Moment op. 136 in 1814. His works done between 1818 through 1826 included: the Sonara in B-flat major op. 106 in 1818, the Missa Solemnis in D-major op. 123 in 1823, the Thirty-Three Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli in Cmajor op.120 in 1823, the Symphony No. 9 in D-minor op. 125 in 1824, and his last string quartets. Throughout his life he wrote: one opera, five piano concertos, nine symphonies...
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...and affections of so many – far fewer have rivaled the profound scope and monumental artistic achievement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s ninth and final symphony. This work, whose genesis was in many ways influenced by the course of then-recent human history would ultimately help shape and define the history of civilization itself, and in doing so become firmly rooted in the world’s shared cultural patrimony – the single most eloquent representation of the universal brotherhood of Man. Beethoven’s masterwork, while the definitive choral symphony, was not his first attempt at using the human voice on a par with orchestral instruments. 1808’s Choral Fantasy (Op. 80), though on a more modest scale than the Ninth Symphony, was the composer’s first successful introduction of the voice in a large scale orchestral composition. Beethoven’s defiantly inventive departure marked a new and daring chapter in the further development of the symphonic form. And perhaps no other work has had such singular and fruitful influence on successive generations of musicians. Divers composers, impelled by Beethoven’s example, would later craft their own “choral” symphonies: Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Mahler, and Shostakovitch, to name a few. Even so, examples such as Gustav Mahler’s massive “Symphony of a Thousand” arguably fail to rival the emotional resonance and transformative power of Beethoven’s Ninth which so moved its earliest audiences and which, in our own time, continues to speak to masses of men...
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...Classical Period (1750-1825) Listening Bridge Both of these excerpts are from CONCERTOS. Listen and compare, using the following questions as guides: • What is the solo instrument in each piece? • How would you describe the orchestra that accompanies the soloist in each example? • In which piece does the orchestra and soloist play the same “theme”? • In which piece does the accompaniment part include many repeated tones? • In which piece are there more sudden and extreme changes in dynamics? • Which one has a basso continuo? • Which one features a more “singable” melody? • What purpose do you think each piece was intended to serve? |[pic]Four Seasons: Winter |[pic]Piano Concerto No. 21 C major | |[pic] |[pic] | |Antonio Vivaldi |Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | | | | |Born: 1678 |Born: 1756 | |Died: 1741 |Died: 1791 | |Period: Baroque |Period:...
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...Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) The culmination of the Viennese Classical Style—and/or first great Romantic? The first completely freelance composer: Beethoven never held a position as a composer in residency, as had Haydn and Mozart For his success at combining tradition and personal expression he was the dominant musical figure of the 19th century, and scarcely any composer since his time has escaped his influence Beethoven’s greatness is mainly thought of in terms of instrumental composition (though in his last symphony he would try to synthesize the symphonic and vocal realms) Beethoven’s audience heard “Liberation” in his music—a successful revolutionary He chose to compose music that would express his individual ‘genius Beethoven expanded all the stylistic categories and models that he inherited Beethoven’s life was seen as a tragic and—in the age of Napoleon—as a heroic struggle He was of the generation coming of age at the time of the French Revolution (1789–1815) The revolution’s ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, fired Beethoven’s inspiration Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon embodied the “career of talents” (meritocracy) The “heroic Beethoven” takes shape: For two years I have ceased to attend any social functions . . because I find it impossible to say to people ‘I am deaf’ - - (and yet) I will seize Fate by the throat - it shall certainly not crush me completely The Heiligenstadt Testament The Eroica (Ital.,...
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...There are many popular composers whose music has made a great impact on the way that music is created, performed, and listened to all around the world. Each composer has their own unique methods that they used to create their pieces. The composer and musical piece that I will analyze is "Symphony No. 3 Eroica" by Ludwig van Beethoven. This piece of work focuses on various themes and elements that help portray it into a symphony. To further explain his musical piece, it is important to do an in-depth search on the piece's background, characteristics, and key elements. Beethoven was a very talented, dedicated, and hardworking German composer. "Widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived, Ludwig van Beethoven dominates a period of musical history as no one else before or since" (Knapp & Budden). Beethoven wrote "Symphony No. 3 Eroica" at an emotional and hard time in his life when he was in the early stages of going deaf. Writing musical pieces like this symphony are...
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...pitches. Later on, the xylophone was played at this session. It makes me feel that I am sitting on a wagon and riding towards to the castle. I believe that a lot of songs for Disney movies used the xylophone. It created a very mysterious and romantic environment which emphasis on the topic: ride again. I also went to listen the UTSA Orchestra concert on October 3rd. I am really happy that they played Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. There are four movements. Each movement is relatively long compared with other symphony. The first one is Poco sostenuto; Vivace. As an overture, it is a slow introduction to the main theme. The flutes solo is very unforgettable. It repeats over and over again to increase the mysterious atmosphere. I think the purpose here is to build up the main...
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...Listening assignment 2: Beethoven “Eroica” In 1803 Beethoven composed his Third Symphony. It was most played at a private concert during the summer a year later at the estate of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz and in the following year he gave a public premier in Vienna on April 7th 1805. At the time the audiences were split into 2: Those who rated the symphony a masterpiece and those who said that the piece was too long, difficult and strange. The movements in this symphony were departed in unexpected ways from Beethoven’s other writings for symphony especially with the first movement of this symphony being as long as the symphonies from a generation earlier. This symphony was first called the Bonaparte because Beethoven highly admired Napoleon Bonaparte, his hero who promised to lead humanity into a new age of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Napoleon was like a hero to Beethoven, but when the symphony became published in 1806 Beethoven realized that the things her saw in Bonaparte became illusions and he change the name of his Third Symphony from “Bonaparte” to “Sinfonia Eroica… composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grand Uomo” which translates to “ Heroic Symphony… composed to celebrate the memory of a great man. This great man was his original patron, Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. Before all of this, Beethoven started going deaf and thought that it would be wortless for him to continually compose for he thought that a deaf musician is like a blind painter…...
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...I chose to respond to Symphony No. 5, I (opening) because this is one of my favorite pieces. When I was little my mother would play this song almost every single day. It is one of the most popular pieces by him and in the classical genre. Although Beethoven’s symphony No. 5 is classified as a classical piece it really pushes the borders on the genre of classical music. Symphony No. 5 was composed by the German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven between the years 1804-1808. The first performance of symphony no 5 was in 1808 at Theater an der Wien in Vienna Austria. A lot of people who know of classical music can tell this piece from any other music because the Symphony No. 5 has a very distinctive four-notes opening, which is short-short-short-long...
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...Least we Forget A Bibliography and an Appreciation To A Social Inspiration; Ludwig V. Beethoven LEAST WE FORGET Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Germany in 1770 and died in 1827 at the age of 56, the funeral rites took place at the church of the Holy Trinity. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 30,000 people attended… When I think of this I can’t begin to imagine that type of influence, and type of appreciation he had. In a time where there was no radio stations or Televisions, and telephones where still a couple decades away, 10,000 to 30,000 people attended one man’s funeral on paper news and word of mouth. Beethoven was no regular man, but yet a man born with talent. Beethoven who was brother of seven whom only three brothers survived making Beethoven the eldest; began learning music at a young age from his father, musician at the Court of Bonn. He Showed talent right away, and on March 26th 1778, at the age of 7 in a half, Beethoven gave his first know public performance, at Cologne. His talents surpassed his father’s ability at a young age and needed more talented teachers. He later began to learn under several renowned Instructors but things didn’t really pick up until he fell under the teachings of Gottlob Neefe. The reason that Neefe’s ability to coach Beethoven were so notable is because Neefe knew people and would began to bring the piercing stature of the young man to public interface. So began the attention of philosophers...
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...The Advent of Romanticism The Romantic era (1770-1870) was the term used to define the rebellion against the political and social devastation that followed the French Revolution. The Romantic era was the time when artists revolted against the classical values of balance, control, order, and proportionality promoted by neoclassical artists (Sayre 878). This revolt against the formalism of the Classical age produced a flood of emotional lyric, music, art, and poetry that peaked in works such as Ludwig van Beethoven’s (1770-1827) The Ninth Symphony (1824). The romantic characteristic of emotions, individualism, and imagination can be found in The Ninth. Francisco de Goya’s (1746-1828) Saturn Devouring One of his Children (1820-1823) posses the horrifically natural or true to life, as well as the emotional characteristics he so genially portrayed. On the softer side of the romantic scale, Percy Bysshe Shelley’s (1792-1822) Indian Girl’s Song (1819) beautifully portrayed the natural and emotional characteristics of Romanticism. There are also references to the supernatural, as well as the exotic, in this work, which most certainly leaves his readers yearning for more. Artists approached the world with an outpouring of feeling and emotional passion that came to be called Romanticism. The key characteristics of Romanticism are emotion, the exotic, nature, imagination, individualism, and the supernatural. Romanticism was an overt reaction against the Enlightenment, which was...
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...one of them is Ludwig van Beethoven. According to Jane S. Van Ingen (n.d.), "By the time Beethoven was 40 years old in 1810, he had given the world six symphonies, 15 piano sonatas, 10 quartets, five concertos, a ballet, an opera and a choral mass" (para. 1). Beethoven is one of the greatest masters in music composition with no doubt. He became so successful even though he was coming from an abusive family, became deaf at the age of 31, his love left him to marry another man and he got the custody of his nephew who hated him (Swimmer, 1998). Beethoven is my...
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...Concert Review 1– Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No 9 Concert realized in Berlin on “The Berlin Celebration Concert”, a celebration for the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. The concert was realized in the same year, on Christmas day. Conducted by Leonard Bernstein, famous American conductor and composer, along with musicians from the most important orchestras in the world. Bernstein performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Beethoven who was Germany. This symphony is considered the greatest work from Beethoven, your most-know work and one of the greatest works from classical era. My choice was this symphony because of all history and rumors about 7 years that Beethoven worked to finish this work. Experts say that work was the first try to add a vocal in a symphony, and contain a melody that foreshadows "Ode to Joy" from Mozart. I usually listen classics music to practice sports because the emotion makes me...
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...#RollOverBeethoven One of the most influential composers that the world has ever seen was Ludwig Van Beethoven. Composing some of the greatest works known to man, such as his Symphony No. 5 as well as his Pathetique Sonata. Today I am lucky enough to be his manager. He has come to the future to give the world a once in a lifetime opportunity of seeing him live with an artist of my choosing. Beethoven has a lot of qualities that make up his electrifying persona. He is often described as a self-absorbed angry individual always trying to better his work. In his lifetime he has faced many difficulties. One of his major difficulties was his rapid loss of hearing. Right now he is practically deaf. After taking these qualities into consideration we have decided to incorporate two different...
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...Title: Beethoven Lives Upstairs Questions: 1. What was the story all about? It’s all about the young boy named Christoph, he met a crucial composer named Ludwig van Beethoven. Christoph eventually sees the pain and struggles of Beethoven. He also begins to see the softer side of Beethoven, they became friends and Christoph begin to appreciate Beethoven's wonderful music. 2. Who are the main characters? Ludwig van Beethoven- He was the upstairs boarder of Christoph, He bosses people around and gets away with it, he's loud, he's peculiar, and he's very angry. He’s a madman, but inside him there’s pain and struggle his dealing with. Christoph- He’s a young boy, at first he really hates Beethoven, but eventually he understands the situation of Beethoven and he has been close to him. And Beethoven thought him that Music is not something you can quit. Mother- It was Christoph’s Mother, she’s a Pianist. Uncle Kurt- He helps Christoph understand some reasons for Beethoven strange behavior and thought that Christoph should see brighter side of a person Sophie- She’s a maid, she definitely hates Beethoven, but at the end like Christoph, She eventually saw the brighter side of a person. 3. When and where was the story set? It was Monday, March 26, 1827. The story happened in the house of Christoph. 4. Who was your favorite character in the movie? Why? Beethoven, actually from the start, I don’t like him. He looks weird and acted strange, although that’s my...
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