Ludwig van Beethoven JH Music Spring 2016 Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven JH Music Spring 2016

Beethoven • Born December 16, 1770 • Bonn, Germany • Died March 26, 1827 • Vienna, Austria • Composed in Classical AND Romantic eras

Beethoven– Early Years • Began piano at age 4 • Age 8– father present him as concert pianist • Advertised he was only 6 years old • NOT prodigy (like Mozart) • Age 14– assistant organist at a local church • Age 17– met Mozart • Predicted great success for Beethoven • Age 19– played violin in local orchestra and gave music lessons • Help support family

Beethoven-- Midlife • Early 20 s– moved to Vienna, Austria • Composed and performed as concert pianist • Took composition lessons from Franz Joseph Haydn • Made friends with wealthy supporters of music • Hoping to find patrons • 1795 (age 25) quit teaching, focused on composing and performing • Began losing hearing in 20 s

Beethoven– Composing and Performing • Traveled Europe performing • Earliest compositions– orchestral and chamber music • Mostly sonatas, concertos, and piano works • 1800– first symphony • Began composing oratorios • 1800 -1815: very productive • By age 45 he completed 8 symphonies, 27 piano sonatas, numerous sonatas, 10 piano trios, 11 string quartets, dozens of orchestral works, numerous vocal solos and choral works

Beethoven– Composing Difficulties • Very difficult • Became quite angry, carried over to his general temperament • Began losing his hearing in 20 s • By mid-40 s, gave up performing • Last 12 years spent composing while steadily losing hearing

Beethoven • Spent life looking for financial support from patrons • Fell in love several times, never married • Poor origins prevented him from marrying upper-class women he desired • Practicality was a disaster • Short, stocky, muscular • Appearance– very careless • Restless and moody

Beethoven • • • Worked on composing every morning– intense concentration Very short fuse Loyal to friends and supporters Manuscripts were terrible to copy Student of Haydn Friend of Schubert Slow worker– many revisions. WHY? Early music– classical style (prior to 1800) Later music– romantic style Considered the musical bridge between classical and romantic periods

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor • Most famous and recognizable • Began work on it as early as 1805 • 6 th Symphony (Pastoral) composed during same time span • Actually finished first • Premiered on December 22, 1808 in Vienna • “Balance of expression and design” • Losing his hearing during the writing of this one • First theme “so knocks Fate on the door!”