Revolution and Change
Composer Biographies
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Born: 1770 (baptized December 17), Bonn, Germany
Died: March 26, 1827, Vienna
Return to Just Listen: Era : Composer
In his own words....
"I carry my thoughts about with me for a long time...before writing them down...once I have grasped a theme. I shall not forget it even years later. I change many things, discard others, and try again and again until I am satisfied; then, in my head...[the work] rises, it grows, I hear and see the image in front of me from every angle...and only the labor of writing it down remains...I turn my ideas into tones that resound, roar, and rage until at last they stand before me in the form of notes."
German composer. Often considered a transitional figure from the Classical to the Romantic era.
Ludwig van Beethoven is often described by musicians as a "giant straddling two styles": the Classical and the Romantic. Indeed, it is a testimony to Beethoven's place in history that he is claimed for both periods. Whether Beethoven was a Classical or a Romantic composer, however, is beside the point. Instead, we might best view him as a new composer for a new age - an age that is reflected in both musical as well as the nonmusical worlds.
Haydn and Mozart lived during a time of nascent ideals of liberty and two major revolutions. They also lived in a world of royal patronage, in which Haydn flourished but Mozart floundered. In contrast, Beethoven came of age as an artist when the consequences of revolutions had to be confronted and when the burden of patronage had already shifted to the less reliable mechanisms of the commercial sphere: publications and concerts proceeds, supplemented by sporadic noble patronage. It was a far more disorderly world for Beethoven, yet one full of exciting potential.
It is this world of change that we find Beethoven one of the most enigmatic composers. By the middle of his life he was almost totally deaf, and had yet to produce his most profound works. In many ways cut off from the world, Beethoven was still committed to the idea of "brotherhood" as so powerfully expressed in his Ninth Symphony. These tensions and contradictions find a voice in many of his compositions. His symphonies starting with the Third (the Eroica ) are huge works, as are some of the late quartets. Yet at the same time, he could compress his works. These sometimes contradictory aspects are part of Beethoven's character and part of the times in which he lived. And they make Beethoven one of the most interesting of all the great composers.
Works
- Orchestral music, including 9 symphonies: No. 1 (1800); No. 2 (1802); No. 3, Eroica (1803); No. 4 (1806); No. 5 (1808); No. 6, Pastoral (1808); No. 7 (1812); No. 8 (1812); No. 9, Choral (1824); overtures, including Leonore (Nos. 1, 2, 3) and Egmont ; incidental music
- Concertos, including 5 for piano, 1 for violin (1806), and 1 triple concerto (piano, violin, and cello, 1804)
- Chamber music, including string quartets, piano trios, quartets, 1 quintet, 1 septet, violin and cello sonatas, serenades, and wind chamber music
- 32 piano sonatas, including Op. 13, Pathetique (1806); Op. 27, No. 2, Moonlight (1801); Op. 53, Waldstein (1804); and Op. 57, Appassionata (1805)
- 1 opera, Fidelio (1805)
- Choral music, including Missa solemnis (1823)
- Songs, including song cycle To the Distant Beloved , 1816 ( An die ferne Geliebte )
Back to top
Musical Examples
- Symphony No. 5, First mvmt 06:56
- Symphony No. 5, Second mvmt 09:18
- Symphony No. 5, Third mvmt
04:56
- Symphony No. 5, Fourth mvmt
04:47
- Violin Concerto, 3rd mvmt 11:21
- Piano Sonata No. 14, "Moonlight," 1st mvmt 05:15
- Piano Sonata No. 14, "Moonlight," 2nd mvmt 02:04
- Piano Sonata No. 14, "Moonlight," 3rd mvmt 07:20
- Symphony No. 9: Finale: Allegro assai vivace: Alla Marcia (conclusion) in D Minor Op. 125 Choral 13:44
- Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 - Allegro 20:13
- Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, "Pathetique," 2nd mvmt: Adagio cantabile 04:42
- Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, "Pathetique," 3rd mvmt: Rondo, Allegro 04:30
- String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18, No. 1 - Adagio affettuoso ed appassionato 10:36
- String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1 - Allegro 10:41
- Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 - Finale: Allegro molto12:27
- Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 (Eroica) first movement 28:16
- String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131, 1st Movement 08:00
- String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131, 2nd Movement 02:59
Back to top
Links
- A Basic Biography
Extracted from the Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. Links to other information including detailed lists of works, a picture gallery, and a bibliography.
- Beethoven and Opera
From the OperaGlass site. A listing of Beethoven's dramatic music (we usually think only of his opera, Fidelio)
- Multimedia Beethoven Encyclopedia
Focuses mainly on the symphonies. A large amount of biographical information to explore, and even a quiz.
- The Beethoven Depot
A place for Beethoven fans. Includes MIDI files and links to other sites, a discussion forum, and a chat room. Also has translations of some Beethoven letters and the Heiligenstadt Testament , Beethoven's will which he wrote in 1802 when contemplating suicide.