Beethoven Notes
l Lifetime
spanned the boundary between the Classical and the Romantic eras in music.
l He
wrote in both styles.
l His
music benefited from changes in the Romantic era, but he was also responsible
for some of those changes.
l He
transformed the Classical genres and developed them beyond their previously
accepted limits.
l He
enlarged the orchestra, changed musical structures, added a chorus to the
symphony, and told narratives with instrumental works.
l Born
in 1770 into a family of musicians.
l father
and grandfather were court musicians for the Elector of Bonn, Germany.
l He
studied organ and composition and helped look after the instruments. During
this time he began to compose mostly songs and chamber music.
l In
1790, he met Haydn in Bonn and went to Vienna to study with him in 1792.
l Between
1792 and 1802, he composed mostly keyboard and chamber music.
l 1802
l Discovered
he was going deaf
l By
1817, he was completely deaf.
l No
longer able to perform or conduct, but kept composing
l 1802–1812
l Beethoven's
"middle period" (aka his “Heroic Years”)
l His
piano concertos were written so he could perform them.
l Many
compositions from this period were very long.
l They
were also strong and patriotic.
l Beethoven
became very famous during this period.
l In
1815, his brother died and he began a long fight for custody of his nephew,
Karl.
l He
won custody, but parenting didn't work out.
l In
his later years (1820–1827), he composed his last three piano sonatas, the
Ninth Symphony, and a series of string quartets.
l Last
3 years were devoted to string quartets, believed by many to be his greatest
and most challenging music
l At
age 56, Beethoven died.
l Traits
of his music that can be instantly recognized
l Long
powerful crescendos that seem to carry the music forward
l Themes
that sound exactly right but also sound different, played quietly and very loud
l Dramatic
use of classical structures, such as sonata form
l Sudden
key changes that fit into logical harmony
l Beethoven's
orchestra
l In
the time of Haydn and Mozart, the orchestra consisted of a string section
(violins, violas, cellos, and basses), a wind section (pairs of flutes, oboes,
clarinets, bassoons, and horns), and occasionally trumpets and drums.
l Beethoven
expanded this.
l For
example, in his Fifth Symphony, he added trombones, piccolo, and contrabassoon.
l After
Beethoven, orchestras were greatly expanded.
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