1. Research (Google) “Heiligenstadt Testament” What was it?
- It is a letter written by Beethoven in October 1802, addressed to his brothers, but the letter was never given to them. After Beethoven’s death, the letter was found in his room. He writes in the letter about the affliction he has about his hearing problem that he has dealt with for the past six years, which caused him to go live a lonely, solitary life. Many consider this letter to be maybe the last letter of a dying man, implying he might have been contemplating suicide.
2. Research (Google) “Beethoven’s Three Periods” What are they? Give a general description of each.
- Beethoven’s Three Periods are the different periods of his music, and the differences between them. The periods
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.
In terms of the technical differences between the art music of early times and that of the modern period (i.e., after 1600) we can identify five specific features that make post-1600 styles in music sound more or less "familiar."
Elie Wiesel wrote in his book, "To this day, whenever I hear Beethoven play my eyes close and out of the dark rises the sad, pale face of my Polish friend, as he said farewell on his violin to an audience of dying men. a "( Wiesel 64). When Elie Wiesel awoke in the morning, he found his friend's body. Juliek was dead, and lying next to him was his smashed violin. Years later when asked about Juliek, Elie Wiesel revealed, "You know, I used to play the violin before.
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.
A great influential composer is Ludwig Van Beethoven, born in Bonn, who lived from 1770-1826. Beethoven among the masters of classical music such as Mozart and Haydn, set the stage for the creation of the musical canon, which focused on the most famous compositions created. This musical canon set a tradition in the way music was composed, which in turn created the “musical museum”. This “museum” is filled with compositions that followed the musical canon which is what created the
It is clear that Beethoven’s stands as being significant in development of the string quartet to a massive extent in creativity and innovation. His early quartets show great influence of those from the Classical period and with his own, has influenced his contemporaries and later composers. The quartets published later in his life show even greater imagination and use of expression. It is also through similar uses of texture, harmony, rhythm and counterpoint that composers of the Romantic period and the 20th century wrote their own string quartets. Beethoven’s however prove a huge advancement in how string quartets are written and the intensity of emotions that they portray.
The year is 1788 as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to work on his last three symphonies during a time of strife for musicians as the Austro-Turkish War continues to war on in Austria. Tired from moving his family from central Vienna to the suburbs of Alsergrund all while in debt to his ears as he continued to borrow money from friends including a fellow mason, Michael Puchberg, Mozart finished his final symphony on August 10, 1788. This piece, nicknamed the “Jupiter Symphony,” coined by impresario Johann Peter Saloman, was Mozart’s longest symphony with a total of four movements, a typical symphonic form during the Classical era. The Jupiter Symphony totals to about forty five minutes of music ending with a quintuple fugato that brings back the five melodies introduced in the final movement making the closer one of the most complex examples of counterpoint that has ever been created. My goal shall be to give the reader a sense of Mozarts life at the time of this composition, a detailed analysis of all four of these movements, as well as a look at why this piece was seen as a work of innovation.
Mozart, Beethoven and Joseph Haydn are considered the three main composers of this time. The Classical Period took place from 1750-1820. During this time, scientific advances changed the world view. People gained faith in the power of reason and began undermining traditional authority. Music and visual arts stress balance and structure. String, woodwind and some keyboard and brass instruments were used in this era. Classical music shows a contrast in mood, both between and within movements. It also shows flexibility in rhythm, by using multiple rhythmic patterns in a piece. Classical music is mostly homophonic, but with frequent shifts. Classical music also has a tuneful, easy to sing melody. Emotions were expressed in shades of dynamics, which was related to the development of piano. In the Classical era, orchestras grew in size (though they’re still smaller than today’s). Instruments worked in four movements: fast (first), slow (second), dance-related (third), and fast (fourth). Public, ticket buying concerts became common and the rise of the music instrument manufacturing industry began. Vienna became a place where musicians came to study and seek recognition. The most common compositional forms during this time were sonatas, concerti, and
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.
Beethoven’s piano sonata ‘quasi una fantasia’ gives listeners an emotional journey through his complicated life. When I first listened to this song I felt a wave of sadness as I can sense this piece was related to a tragic event. After researching more, I was able to understand Beethoven and sympathize with him in another level, how as individuals we can never control and protect what we care about in our lives, and eventually we realize that it is not possible to achieve a happily ever
“Einsamkeit” is part of a song cycle called Winterreise written by Franz Schubert in 1828. The piece was written for voice and piano. Wilhelm Müller is the author of the poem that is used in the piece. Franz Schubert is known for composing around six-hundred lieder and nine symphonies. When Schubert wrote Winterreise he was coming to the end of his life. He was in the process of reviewing the publisher’s proofs of the cycle just weeks before he passed away. Schubert had performed the songs for a group of friends, but they had not yet reached the public when he passed. The poetry used in the song cycle is based on a young man when he sees the love of his life marry someone else. When the young man sees this, he goes on foot into the deep winter to escape the memories of her. “Einsamkeit” translates to loneliness, which is what is being conveyed through the whole piece. The piano is used to truly emulate the idea of loneliness in the piece. Schubert’s interpretation of the poem is very accurate, however there could be more of a resolution at the end of the piece.
This was a sign of hearing lost and it would control him for the rest of his life. In a desperate act to recover his hearing, Beethoven moved to a country-side village outside of Vienna. Beethoven took mineral bath everyday, a doctor advised him to swim in the near by river, and even try out large brass instruments to put in his ears to pick up sounds. A letter that was found in Beethoven cottage after his passing, confessed his disabilities and the hardship that his was going through at the time for all of his close family of noblemen to know. He never sent it though. He felt defeated and he got so depressed, Beethoven even tried to commit suicide. Beethoven knew that his purpose in life hadn 't yet been fulfilled and that he would go on to write more extraordinary pieces to transform the music culture. He knew his life couldn 't have been
Roughly from 1815 to 1910, this period of time is called the romantic period. At this period, all arts are transforming from classic arts by having greater emphasis on the qualities of remoteness and strangeness in essence. The influence of romanticism in music particularly, has shown that romantic composers value the freedom of expression, movement, passion, and endless pursuit of the unattainable fantasy and imagination. The composers of the romantic period are in search of new subject matters, more emotional and are more expressive of their feelings as they are not bounded by structural rules in classical music where order, equilibrium, control and perfection are deemed important (Dorak, 2000).
Music Appreciation has broadened my view to listen to different eras of music that I was not accustomed to. It was pleasant listening, reading, and learning about different periods of music. This course has given me an exceptional amount of knowledge on different styles of music, identifying different elements in music as well as learning about legendary composers who have influenced music throughout history. Not only has music been around for decades, it has developed a history of great composers who have left an imprint in history by their extraordinary compositions of music they developed during their times of glory, like Ludwig van Beethoven. In this essay I will discuss how Beethoven is known as one of the greatest, ingenuity composers of his time and how the classical period is so fascinating to listen to and learn about. In addition, I will also discuss how Music Appreciation has reshaped the way I perceive and listen to different styles of music that have been created throughout history.