Ludwig van beethoven

1. Ludwig van beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven, born in Bonn Germany around 1770. One of the greatest composers that ever lived. He had an innovating mind that revolutionized the way instruments were to be used in concerto and symphony. His life was filled with adversity from an early stage to the struggle of gradually losing his hearing.

2. Early years • Since Ludwig was little, his father saw an enormous musical potential in him. From the time he was four years old Johan personally began to instruct Ludwig in the musical world. Johann was teaching Ludwig how to learn to play instruments such as the violin and clavier, he would also do it with a very hard hand. Johann would demand, abuse and force little Ludwig to learn and play instruments by sometimes locking him in the attic and leaving him crying.

3. Beethoven’s first public performace • When Ludwig was only seven years old, Johann arranged a play in which Ludwig was to perform. Johann deliberately lied and advertised that the child was only six years of age. Johann was trying hard to make a name, fame and money from his child. The upbringing that Ludwig had faced took huge emotional toll and it was perhaps one of the reasons that made him such an excellent composer. He was very capable to portray and express emotion.

4. The perfect music teacher • Christian GottlobNeefe becomes the next musical instructor for the virtuoso pianist. A man of Calvinist faith, a foreigner, despite all that, he is the one music teacher that will fit like a glove. The new instructor, gave up law to pursue music. He studied the ideals of Goethe and Klopstock. He was a follower of the German Enlightenment and believed that art should be portrayed with ethical perfection. Ludwig was very thankful for the instruction he received from Neefe. The pupil’s art begin to really take shape when Neefe would allow the virtuoso child freedom to compose. Neefe felt as though he had no more tricks under his sleeve to share with Ludwig.

5. Organist’s assistant • With the passing of the court’s organist, Neefe is appointed to take on the responsibility. Neefe cannot be present at all times so he appoints Ludwig as his organ assistant. From here on forward and thanks to Neefe, Ludwig’s talent is actually being appreciated. Furthermore, Neefe, wrote an article in a music magazine how skillful little Ludwig is. He claimed that he could be like Mozart.

6. Ludwig meets Mozart • Ludwig van Beethoven goes to Vienna, the capital of the Roman Empire, the capital of music. Maximilian Franz takes on the financial burden and allows Ludwig to go. Once there, his time in Vienna is short lived as he is noticed that his mother is terminally ill. On his short time in Vienna, he manages to meet with the one and only, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Viennese, might not have been as interested at the time. He was having health issues, his father Leopold was also having health issues, and he was at the time composing the music for the opera Don Giovanni. Three months after Beethoven leaves Vienna his mother passes away.

7. The french revolution • The French revolutionary army invaded the Rhine and made their way further in. As a result of this Beethoven moves to Vienna, he takes lessons from Haydn for three years and claims that he had never learned a thing from him. Haydn, well aware of the incredible virtuosic composing capacity, urged that after Beethoven was to compose, to claim that he was Haydn’s pupil. This made Beethoven mad. Fortunately for Ludwig, Haydn had to part back to England to take care of some musical affairs. Beethoven experiences a great deal of freedom and composes arduously.

8. Hearing loss Beethoven begins to lose his hearing. He ignores the symptoms of what he thought will possibly soon go away. As his hearing was slowly deteriorating, he only kept composing extensively and with a lot of complexity. Musicians often complained that his music was impossible to play. He created a set of six string quartets. Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 13, the ‘Pathetique’ which had evolved extensively from previous sonatas. As Beethoven’s hearing gets worse, he goes through a series of depression, tells a few friends about his condition, and urges them to not tell anyone. As he goes through more despair, he decides to see a doctor and nothing ever helped. His condition would only get worse along with his morale.

9. the will As Beethoven hearing loss progresses, he decides to write his will. He feels suicidal and very depressed. He tries to evaluate his life, what the future will bring and all of the despair that is to accompany him along the way. He feels defeated. After that his life turns around and surprisingly things get better for him.

10. eroica In 1804, Beethoven had first performed his third Symphony. He first composed it in honor of Bonaparte, the French consul who in a radical way, swept across Europe. When Napoleon had crowned himself Emperor, Beethoven found that against his liking. Furthermore, he decided to change the name of the title from Eroic to Eroica.

11. Listening guide for “eroica” • Date: 1803-05 • First Movement: Allegro con brio • Melody: Disjunct, diatonically ascending and descending. Slow and fast counterpoints as well as sudden stops with surprising and unexpected phrasing. • Rhythm/ meter: Triple meter ¾ • Harmony: E flat major. • Texture: Homophonic as well as polyphonic. • Form: Ternary • Expression: Soft, dissolvable notes as well as forte dynamical and dramatic nuances.

12. Music guide eroica • 0:03 The whole entire Orchestra comes in absolute shock and unison to express an E flat major chord. Loud, dramatic, energetic and awakening. • 0:06 Chordophonic instrumentation state the theme of the movement with a very subtle dynamic and raspy diatonic flow. • 0:50 The texture changes as the melody is highly syncopated. The intensity hits a climax with the use of chordophonic instrumentation. The contour of the melody takes a sudden ascending and descending interval, offering disjunct leaps. • 2:26 Full Orchestra with a forte approach and a wide array of intensity comes up turning the texture with a polyphonic melody. • 3:21 The harmony again, possesses a lot of consonance. The chello becomes the main drive and solitarily carries the theme. The bassoon and trombone aid in the support of the harmony with very subtle strength.

13. Music guide eroica • 5:37 Full Orchestra with polyphonic melodies maintaining a chromatic interval and a tremolo nuance lingers as aerophones and chordophones sustain consonance of the harmony • 7:05 The piccolo takes on the responsibility of portraying the melody changing the timber. It takes an ascending diatonic and disjunct leap. The harmony plays the theme on a lower interval as the timber is being recognized by the very luscious and seducing sound of the violoncello. • 8:20 Brass instruments cease to exist and the harmony has a rather ethereal consistency with a very subtle timber portrayed by stringed instruments in a lower interval.

14. Music guide eroica • 9:14 All of a sudden, a ritardando meter and a diminuendo degree of loudness is being heard by the symphony. The harmony has a lot of consonance as the chords do not offer much tension, and the melody is very polyphonic. • 10:30 The main theme is played by woodwinds on the melody line. The violin plays a vibrant harmony full of vibrato. • 12:00 Woodwinds play the melody as stringed instruments rest.

15. God of the vienesse Not having Mozart to compete against, as well as creating a great reputation from his amazing virtuosity, along with his very complex symphonic compositions Ludwig becomes the god of the Viennese. As his health gets worse his symphonies only get better.

16. Terminally ill • Beethoven is terminally ill. He moves to an apartment in the schwarpanierhaus which is in a very impressive building. In the hallway which Beethoven used as a dining room, is where he hung the portrait of his grandfather the “Kapellmeister” which once was pawned by Beethoven’s father Johann. In one of the bedrooms, the music room he had to pianos. One given to him by Conrad Graf, and the other one shipped from London. To that same apartment a lot of doctors deny medical help towards the virtuoso as they know he will probably soon die

17. Death of the symphonic innovator • . Beethoven needs to sign his will but he is too weak to accomplish that. He cannot even sign it, when he finally does he says; ‘Plaudite amici comediafinitaest’ He receives some wine he had previously requested and said; “pity pity too late” those were his final words. On the 26th of March 1827 the titan that was to create amazing compositions while deaf had passed away. The titan composer who felt the music as opposed to heard the music has finally stopped agonizing and his spirit had left his body. It was a sad day for all of Vienna and all of Europe as well. The funeral had more significance to the people than the actual death of a roman emperor…

18. Resources Biography resources www.biography.com Ludwig van Beethoven mini biography The Enjoyment of Music Kristine Forney Joseph Michaels Hal Leonard Piano Library Beethoven Fur Elise and other Bagatelles John Edwards Beethoven The Man Revealed John Suchet