Power point 19. The Classic Era: Beethoven

1. Ludwig van Beethoven

2. •born in Bonn, Germany 1770
–studied:
• piano & violin w/father
•organ & viola
•counterpoint, composition,
organ w/Neefe
–played Well-Tempered Klavier at
a young age
Young Beethoven

3. •1782: organ & harpsichord @ court in Bonn, composing
•1792: to Vienna
–studied with Haydn
–pianist @ aristocratic gatherings
–performed in others’ concerts
–piano teacher
–publishing
Early—1782-1802

4. Early Compositions
•influenced by Haydn and Mozart
•Symphony no. 1 in C
•Piano Sonata in c minor, Op. 13, mvt. 1, “Pathetique”

5. •in Vienna:
–concerts
–commissions/dedications/gifts
–sold performing rights to works
•began to lose hearing
–1802—Heiligenstadt Testament
•after 1808—stopped performing solo
•1814—last performance
Middle—1803-1815 “Heroic”

6. Middle Compositions
• form
– expanded dimensions
• long, complex development sections
• coda like another development and recapitulation
– blurred demarcations between sections, movements
– themes/motives conceived for developmental possibilities
• dramatic, heroic
• counterpoint
• large orchestra
– Symphony #5—piccolo, contrabassoon, 3 trombones
– Leonore overtures—4 horns
• Symphony no. 3 in E-flat “Eroica”

7. •1815-1820—nephew Karl
custody issue
•1820-1826—composing
•1826—Karl attempts suicide
•1826—with brother Johann to
Gneixendorf; returns to Vienna
seriously ill with
cirrhosis/hepatitis; develops
pneumonia
•dies 1827
Late—1815-1827

8. Late Compositions
• meditative quality
• exhaustive development
• counterpoint—studied Bach, Handel, Palestrina
• expanded transitions
• lyricism—instrumental recitative/arioso
• variation, fugue
•Symphony no. 9 in d minor “Choral”
•String Quartet in c# minor, Op. 131

9. works
• 9 symphonies
• 5 piano concertos
• violin concerto
• overtures
• chamber music, including 16 string quartets, 10
violin sonatas, 5 cello sonatas
• piano music, including 32 piano sonatas
• Fidelio, opera
• songs

10. Enlightenment
Enlightenment--1685 to French Revolution (1789-99)
--Humanitarian secular movement
Enlightenment ideals: Enlightenment effects:
--religious skepticism --French and American Revolutions
--”dignity of man”/human rights --rise of middle class
--education --fewer courts
--empiricism
--brotherhood
--liberation
What does this mean for art and music?
--popularization of art and learning
--treatises in vernacular
--novels and plays depict ordinary people
--literature in prose
--public concerts
--music in the home (violin, keyboard)
--musicians work outside of courts as performers, teachers, composers
--music printing
--the beginning of the Romantic Era

11. Enlightenment
• How does Beethoven’s music reflect the ideals
of the Enlightenment?
– heroic—Eroica Symphony
– brotherhood of man—9thsymphony
– interest in nature—6th symphony “Pastoral”
– artist’s role is to uplift and ennoble audience