Ludwig van Beethoven

December 16, 1770 – March 26, 1827

Life• Born in Bonn, Germany• Pianist, from a very musical family• Traveled to Vienna in hopes of studying with Mozart• Age 16, Mother died, took care of brothers• Age 22, moved to Vienna to study with Haydn• Established as piano virtuoso

- Income from performing, gifts, teaching and compositions (not court)- Made developments in music publishing

• No marriage, or children• Belief in the Enlightenment, the first Romantic

composer

Compositional Style• Classical forms with new emotions

- often broke formal rules

• More musical contrasts• Tension and excitement• Extensive developments• 3 Compositional Periods

- Early

- Heroic

- Romantic

Early Period• Composed 2 Symphonies• Studied with Haydn• Excelled at composing for the piano

- Pathetique Sonata first sign of greatness to come

• Began to lose his hearing…

Loss of Hearing

• 1796- Hearing loss begins

• 1802- Heiligenstadt Testament

• Could understand completely until 1812

• 1814- Completely deaf

Heiligenstadt Testament• “…for six years I have been a hopeless case,

aggravated by senseless physicians, cheated year after year in the hope of improvement, finally compelled to face the prospect of a lasting malady (whose cure will take years or, perhaps, be impossible)…”

• “…but what a humiliation when one stood beside me and heard a flute in the distance and I heard nothing, or someone heard the shepherd singing and again I heard nothing, such incidents brought me to the verge of despair, but little more and I would have put an end to my life - only art it was that withheld me, ah it seemed impossible to leave the world until I had produced all that I felt called upon me to produce, and so I endured this wretched existence - truly wretched…”

Heroic Period• Greatest works from this period were his

symphonies:• No. 3 – “Eroica” (Heroic)

- Longest symphony at that point

- Quick harmonic changes, epic developments

• No. 5 – Fate (not an official nickname)- Fast, brimming with excitement

- Development of very simple theme (a Beethoven trait)

• No. 6 – “Pastorale”- A unique look at Beethoven’s softer side

- Program music!

• Took a great amount of time off to care for his nephew

• A period of looking forward, and looking backwards

• Works from this period had a strong influence on the entire Romantic Era

Romantic Period

Romantic Period

• Symphony No. 7- Signaled beginning of the period

- First time writing beautiful melodies for each movement

• Symphony No. 8- homage to Haydn

• Missa Solemnis- Meant for the stage, not church

- presented the first of two views on religion, followed by Symphony No. 9…

Symphony No. 9 “Choral• An opinion on religion, faith, society, love

• Movement 1 is dark, angry, and not a sonata- includes foreshadowing melodies

• Movement 2 is a spirited scherzo• Movement 3 is a serene, calming & slow• Movement 4: Ode to Joy

- Begins frighteningly

- moves to the Ode to Joy melody

- Voices enter (first time voice used in a symphony)

- employs 4 vocal soloists and full choir

- roughly 30 minutes long

Ode to Joy“….Oh friends, no more of these tones! Let us sing more cheerful songs, More joyful. Joy! Joy! ….”

“…Whoever has created, An abiding friendship, Whoever has won a loving wife, Yes, whoever calls even one soul theirs, Join in our song of praise…”

“…Be embraced, you millions! This kiss for the whole world! Brothers, beyond the star-canopy Must a loving Father dwell. Do you bow down, you millions? Do you sense the Creator, world? Seek Him beyond the star-canopy! Beyond the stars must He dwell…”