Beethoven

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
(1770 - 1827)

MAIN GENRES
Symphony
Chamber Music
Concerto





Beethoven was the most revolutionary composer in all of music history. His symphonic music is performed today more than any other composer, he pushed the boundaries of the classical style to their limits, and he marks the turning point in history where music stopped being simply entertainment and became a vehicle for the self-expression of the composer.

A YOUNG BEETHOVEN

Beethoven's earliest education in music came from his alcoholic and abusive father. During his teens, he began studying with organist Christian Neefe who introduced Beethoven to the music of Bach.

In 1792, a year after Mozart's death, Beethoven moved to Vienna where he studied composition with both Haydn and Salieri. In his early career, Beethoven was known as a virtuoso pianist with an aggressive playing style and moody temperament.

BEETHOVEN PERFORMING IN VIENNA

In his early 30s, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. Over the next 20 years the composer would gradually go completely deaf. The emotional crisis of his impending hearing loss set Beethoven on a new path of composition that resulted in his most groundbreaking music.



Many of the Viennese nobility financially sponsored Beethoven, allowing him to compose freely without having to limit his musical creativity.








Late in his life, Beethoven grew more isolated, short-tempered, and paranoid as his deafness worsened. It was during this time, however, that his music became more transcendental, evolved, and forward-looking.

Beethoven died from liver disease at age 57, having created a new direction for music to take in the future. A path that embraced self-expression over the rules of formal structure, a basic tenant of the Romantic Era which was to follow.

Among Beethoven's greatest works are:

9 Symphonies
5 Piano Concerti
1 Violin Concerto
32 Piano Sonatas
16 String Quartets
1 Opera


WHERE TO START WITH BEETHOVEN?

Music historians usually divide Beethoven's music into three periods (VIENNESE, HEROIC, and LATE). The best approach in my opinion is to start with the symphonies beginning with Symphony 1 and go from there. You will hear wonderfully massive differences between each symphony as you progress through them. Other suggestions for each period are as follows:

VIENNESE PERIOD
Symphony 1
Symphony 2
Piano Concerto 1
Piano Concerto 2
Piano Concerto 3
Piano Sonata 8 "Pathétique"
Piano Sonata 14 "Moonlight"
String Quartet 1
String Quartet 2
String Quartet 3
String Quartet 4
String Quartet 5
String Quartet 6
Septet Op 20

Wind Sextet Op 71

HEROIC PERIOD
Symphony 3 "Eroica"
Symphony 4
Symphony 5 "Fate"
Symphony 6 "Pastorale"
Symphony 7 "Dance"
Symphony 8 "Short"
Violin Concerto
Piano Concerto 4
Piano Concerto 5 "Emperor"
Piano Sonata 21 "Waldstein"
Piano Sonata 23 "Appassionata"
String Quartet 7 "Rasumovsky 1"
String Quartet 8 "Rasumovsky 2"
String Quartet 9 "Rasumovsky 3"
String Quartet 10 "Harp"
String Quartet 11 "Serioso"
Fidelio

LATE PERIOD
Symphony 9 "Choral"
Piano Sonata 29 "Hammerklavier"
Piano Sonata 32
String Quartet 12
String Quartet 13
String Quartet 14
String Quartet 15
String Quartet 16

*** Please note that the late period string quartets and piano sonatas are very complex and profound compositions. They can be difficult to understand on the surface but don't let that discourage your efforts. They are some of the most transcendental works of Art Music ever written and deserve repeated listening.