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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...
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.
Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770 to Johann van Beethoven and his wife, Maria Magdalena. He took his first music lessons from his father, who was tenor in the choir of the archbishop-elector of Cologne. His father was an unstable, yet ambitious man whose excessive drinking, rough temper and anxiety surprisingly did not diminish Beethoven's love for music. He studied and performed with great success, despite becoming the breadwinner of his household by the time he was 18 years old. His father's increasingly serious alcohol problem and the earlier death of his grandfather in 1773 sent his family into deepening poverty. At first, Beethoven made little impact on the musical society, despite his father's hopes. When he turned 11, he left school and became an assistant organist to Christian Gottlob Neefe at the court of Bonn, learning from him and other musicians. In 1783 he became the continuo player for the Bonn opera and accompanied their rehearsals on keyboard. In 1787, he was sent to Vienna to take further lessons from Mozart. Two months later, however, he was called back to Bonn by the death of his mother. He started to play the viola in the Opera Orchestra in 1789, while also teaching in composing. He met Haydn in 1790, who agreed to teach him in Vienna, and Beethoven then moved to Vienna permanently. He received financial support from Prince Karl Lichnowsky, to whom he dedicated his Piano Sonata in C minor, better known as The Pathétique .
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the town of Bonn, Germany on December 16 of 1770. Bonn is located in western Germany on the Rhine River. Beethoven showed an affinity for music at an early age. His father, Johann, taught Ludwig to play the piano as well as the violin. Johann did this in hopes that his son would become a prodigy, and then reach fame like Wolfgang A. Mozart. Unfortunately though Beethoven mother died when he was seventeen. In addition to his mother’s death Beethoven’s father developed an alcohol problem. To escape these problems Beethoven found a job tutoring the two children of the von Breuning family. This relationship proved to be beneficial to Beethoven. The matriarch of the family happened to be well liked in the town of Bonn, so she introduced Beethoven to a few important people.
Ludwig van Beethoven is who everyone thinks of first when someone asks if you know any composer from classical music. Beethoven changed the sound of music in the early 1800’s from bland and meaningless, to exciting and heartfelt. You felt Beethoven’s pain through his music. Was Beethoven’s deafness to blame for his spark of genius that changed the course of classicism, to romanticism? Was it not for his lonesome solitude, and lack of hearing that drove him to create the masterpieces that are still resonating through current times?
Beethoven was born and raised in the city of Bonn, although this date of birth is uncertain he was baptised on December 17, 1770 and in the culture at the time, babies were baptised within 24 hours of birth; so one could argue he was born December 16. Beethoven stubbornly believed he was born in 1772 and denied it even when shown official papers that proved otherwise. His father Johann van Beethoven was a musician in the court of the Elector of Cologne but was known more for his alcoholism. Beethoven 's mother, Maria Magdalena van Beethoven was many times described as a gentle, shy, and warm hearted women. Beethoven was the oldest in his family he had 7 siblings, but only two of his younger brothers survived, Caspar, born in 1774, and Johann,
Ludwig Van Beethoven was a famous composer and pianist between the Classical and Romantic eras of history. Beethoven started performing at the age of seven years old and he composed his first piece at the age of twelve and was considered to be a child prodigy by many; however, much of his life was accomplished through struggles that eventually become part of his legacy. Throughout his life he had many problems that he would have to overcome but this did not stop his love for music and all the accomplishments that he would have.
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...
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...
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...