Ludwig van Beethoven is the first name people think of when they are asked any question related to Classical music. His symphonies, piano sonatas, and choral works are still performed today, especially his symphonies. Beethoven’s symphonies are well known by all, a good example is his ‘knock-knock’ Symphony No. 5. The rhythmic pattern and minor third skip could be hummed and recognized by many. However, few people know of Beethoven’s masses, the Mass in C major Opus 86, and Mass in D, commonly known as Missa Solemnis, Opus 124. These two masses are significant because they were written in two different points in Beethoven’s life. The Mass in C was written in 1807 and was his first mass written in the traditional style (Solomon 205). The Missa Solemnis was written in 1818, and not finished until 1823 because Beethoven spent more time toying with it until he felt satisfied with it (Schauffler 381). Both masses were written around the same time as his renowned symphonies, No. 5, and No. 9, respectively. However, these two masses are not only significant because they were written in two different times of Beethoven’s life; they were also written in two different periods of music history. The Mass in C was written toward the late Classical period, which lasted from 1750 to 1820. The Missa Solemnis was written at the beginning of the Romantic period, which lasted from 1810 to 1914. Beethoven was at a shift in two different periods of music and he successfully made a career in both and by analyzing and comparing both masses, one can see the changes that Beethoven went through.
This research will be split into three sections, the Mass in C, the Mass in D, and then a comparison of both. Each beginning of each mass will contain the history...
... middle of paper ...
...43. Book.
Forbes, Elliot. Thayer's Life of Beethoven. Vol. 1. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967. Book.
—. Thayer's Life of Beethoven. Vol. 2. Princeton: Princeton Unviersity Press, 1967. Book.
Kerman, Joseph and Alan Tyson. The New Grove Beethoven. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1983. Book.
Newman, Ernest. The Unconscious Beethoven. New York: Alfred A Knof, 1927. Book.
Rosen, Charles. The Classical Style Haydn Mozart, Beethoven. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. Book.
Schauffler, Robert Haven. Beethoven The Man Who Freed Music. New York: Tudor Publishing Co., 1929. Book.
Scherman, Thomas K. and Louis Biancolli. The Beethoven Companion. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1972. Book.
Schonberg, Harold C. The Lives of The Great Composers. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997. Book.
Solomon, Maynard. Beethoven. New York: Schirmer Books, 1977. Book.
Peyser, J. (1986) The Orchestra: Origins and Transformations. New York: Charles Scribner’s and Sons. Sadie, S. (1980) New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Classical music can be best summed by Mr. Dan Romano who said, “Music is the hardest kind of art. It doesn't hang up on a wall and wait to be stared at and enjoyed by passersby. It's communication. Its hours and hours being put into a work of art that may only last, in reality, for a few moments...but if done well and truly appreciated, it lasts in our hearts forever. That's art, speaking with your heart to the hearts of others.” Starting at a young age Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven have done just that with their musical compositions. Both musical composers changed the world of music and captivated the hearts of many. Their love of composing shared many similar traits, though their musical styles were much different.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980)9: 708-709
Susskind, Pamela. "Clara Schumann." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie and George Grove. 1980. Print.
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
Willoughby, David. "Chapter 11." The World of Music. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 249-53. Print.
This is the second volume of Richard Taruskin's historical work, and it highlights composers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He examines the progression of different styles and eras of music.
I attended Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on October 14, at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Southwestern Seminary Oratorio Chorus, directed by C. David Keith, performed it. Ludwig Van Beethoven composed the work. He composed it between 1811-1824. Beethoven composed the work in D minor, Op. 125 (“Choral”). His Ninth Symphony was his last symphony to compose. It was preceded by eight other symphonies. I was attracted to this work because it was the first symphony to include a choral. I found it astonishing that Beethoven was completely deaf when he finished this work.
When one considers the history of classical music, often images of Vienna, Prague, and other European cities come to mind. Centuries of European musical achievement and development have implanted in society the idea that classical music is an inherently European creation. Considering the accomplishments of countless composers such as J.S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Antonin Dvorak, this preconception is certainly not unfounded. However, Leonard Bernstein's rise to international fame proved that one cannot neglect American composers in a discussion of the development of Western music. Combining elements of a vast array of musical styles, Bernstein's unique compositions reached a wide variety of audiences and often bridged gaps between distinct musical genres. Through his long conducting career, profoundly influential compositional output, and televised music lectures, Leonard Bernstein left a lasting legacy which came to define American music in the 20th century.
TitleAuthor/ EditorPublisherDate James Galways’ Music in TimeWilliam MannMichael Beazley Publishers1982 The Concise Oxford History of MusicGerald AbrahamOxford University Press1979 Music in Western CivilizationPaul Henry LangW. W. Norton and Company1941 The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Classical MusicRobert AinsleyCarlton Books Limited1995 The Cambridge Music GuideStanley SadieCambridge University Press1985 School text: Western European Orchestral MusicMary AllenHamilton Girls’ High School1999 History of MusicRoy BennettCambridge University Press1982 Classical Music for DummiesDavid PogueIDG Books Worldwide,Inc1997
In the following paper I will be exploring the beginning of Leonard Bernstein's career and his family background. I will also look into the influences he had in his life and look at two pieces that he composed, "Jeremiah Symphony No. 1", and "Candide". My reasons for choosing these two pieces is due to the fact that they are contrasting in genre, one being a symphony with orchestration and the other being an operetta, and that they were written at different stages in Bernstein's life. They both produced a number of responses and displayed his wide range of musical ability.
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.
Sadie, Stanley. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Essays on his Life and his Music. United States: Oxford University Press. 1996, Print.
...f. Th.Reinach, La musique grecque, Payot, Paris, 1926; C.Sachs, The Rise of Music in the Ancient World, W.W.Norton & Comp. Inc. New York, 1969.
John Warrack, author of 6 Great Composers, stated, “Any study of a composer, however brief, must have as its only purpose encouragement of the reader to greater enjoyment of the music” (Warrack, p.2). The composers and musicians of the Renaissance period need to be discussed and studied so that listeners, performers, and readers can appreciate and understand the beginnings of music theory and form. The reader can also understand the driving force of the composer, whether sacred or secular, popularity or religious growth. To begin understanding music composition one must begin at the birth, or rebirth of music and the composers who created the great change.