Essay On Beethoven

Essay on Ludwig Van Beethoven
When you look at the world and all the people on it as a whole, you see that there are very few
influential people whose actions or opinions strongly influence the course of events. Ludwig Van
Beethoven, a German musician, is one of those very few. He was an extraordinary musician that
lived through hardship and had the horrific fate of deafness, any musician's worst nightmare.
Beethoven left a wall standing in history that captured the art of sounds and worked it beyond
imagination into music so fragile and pure yet onerous, unable to be matched by any succeeding
composer. His determination to push music forward, go beyond the thinkable, and make it his own,
has made a huge impact on all music forever going forward.
Beethoven had a...show more content...
Instead, he worked with HAYDN and J. G. Albrechtsberger. Soon Beethoven would begin to make
his mark as a pianist and as a "daring and unorthodox composer."(Literary Reference Center)
When Beethoven was 28, in 1798, he began seeing signs of deafness; this progressively got
worse. "He struggled against the gradual loss of his hearing. For a musician, there is nothing
more tragic. A deaf musician is like a painter without fingers, a soccer player without feet.
Beethoven could not hear the sound of musical instruments or the pitch of a single note. Although
his fate challenged him, miraculously, his best works were completed after he went
deaf."(History Reference Center) Although it may seem like Beethoven was barely hazed by his
deafness, it actually brought him great stress. Beethoven steadily started drawing away from
people and close friends; as the lack of hearing grew he got really frustrated at times. He got to
where he stopped caring about his appearance, left his hair tangled and uncombed, clothes tattered
and rumpled. He became really bitter and unpleasant to be around; if one of his maids brought him
soup he didn't like, he would just smash the bowl on the ground. Beethoven was alone in the world,
and that is why towards the end of his life his music was even more emotional and expressive.
Ludwig Van Beethovenwas a very prolific composer and had a vast
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Ludwig Van Beethoven Essay
The composer of some of the most influential pieces of music ever
written, Ludwig van Beethoven created a bridge between the 18th–century
classical period and the new beginnings of Romanticism. His greatest
breakthroughs in composition came in his instrumental work, including
his symphonies. Unlike his predecessor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for whom
writing music seemed to come easily, Beethoven always struggled to
perfect his work.
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, and was baptized on
Dec. 17, 1770. (There is no record of his birth date.) His father and
grandfather worked as court musicians in Bonn. Ludwig's father, a
singer, gave him his early musical training. Although he had only meager...show more content...
By 1802
Beethoven was convinced that the condition not only was permanent, but
was getting progressively worse. He spent that summer in the country and
wrote what has become known as the "Heiligenstadt Testament." In the
document, apparently intended for his two brothers, Beethoven expressed
his humiliation and despair. For the rest of his life he searched for a
cure, but by 1819 his deafness had become total. Afterward, in order to
have conversations with his friends, Beethoven had them write down their
questions and replied orally.
Beethoven never married. Though he had many friends, he seemed to be

a lonely man. He continued to appear in public but spent more and more
of his time working on his compositions. He lived in various villages
near Vienna and took long walks carrying sketchbooks in which he would
write down his musical ideas. Scholars who have studied these
sketchbooks have discovered the agonizingly long process that the
composer went through in order to perfect his melodies, harmonies, and
instrumentations.
Three Periods of Work
Most critics divide Beethoven's work into three general periods,
omitting the earliest years of his apprenticeship in Bonn. Although some
pieces do not fit exactly into the scheme, these divisions can be used
to categorize the composer's work.
The first period, from 1794 to about 1800, consists of music whose
most salient

Essay on Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770. He came from a family of
musicians. His father and grandfather worked for the Electors of Cologne. The grandfather,
Lodewyk van Beethoven came from Mechelen, Belgium and joined the court orchestra in Bonn as
a bass player. He eventually became the conductor. His son Johann was a professional tenor at the
court in Bonn and also played piano and violin. As Beethoven began to exhibited his outstanding
musical talent at a young age, his father pushed for him to become a child prodigy. Johann gradually
gave up when Beethoven 's recitals were only marginally successful. Beethoven's mother then died
when he was in his late teens. His mother's death drove his father to become an abusive...show more
content...
" By this time Beethoven was ready for the almightiest risk of his life" ( Simpson 55). He was at
the stage in his life where he knew what risks he could and could not take. For years Beethoven had
contemplated setting Schiller's Ode to Joy, but when he decided to make this the setting to the final
movement to his ninth symphony he was very uncertain as to how to introduce the voice. " ... there
are reports of him striding up and down his room trying to solve this problem" ( Pike 70). Although
some of the ideas used in the Ninth Symphony appear in sketches of 1817–18, Beethoven only
began concentrated work on the score in 1822. It occupied him throughout 1823, and he completed
it in February 1824. The first performance took place at the Karntnerthor Theater in Vienna on May
7, 1824. Beethoven stood there completely deaf beating time and turning pages of his score, but the
real conduction was done by Michael Umlauf. The orchestra leader was Schuppanigh. The
dedication was to King Frederick William III of Prussia.( Steinberg 47–48)The first vocal soloists to
perform this were Henriette Sontag (soprano), Karoline Ungersabatier ( alto), Anton Haizinger (
tenor), and Joseph Seipelt (bass). Only two rehearsals were gad been possible for the performance
with mixed critical success. The symphony's required orchestration includes: two flutes and piccolo,
two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three
trombones, timpani, triangle,

Beethoven Essay
The rise of Ludwig van Beethoven into the rank of history's greatest composers was paralleled by
and in some ways a consequence of his own personal tragedy and despair.
Beethoven's family was of the Flemish origin. His mother, Maria Magdalena, died after a long
illness when Beethoven was only 17. He was not the only child in this family though. He had 2
brothers and 1 sister, both to which were disorganized and unruly. His family was always in constant
need of funds.
Beethoven showed his extraordinary musical talent at an early age. His father hoped he could
induce his child's development and make him more like Mozart, and possibly bring in some money
for the family which was desperately in need.
As a child, Beethoven never was too...show more content...
He began to study with other teachers and soon became very popular in Vienna. Some were pleased
with his performances, but others were embarrassed by his arrogance and bad manners.
In the late 1790's, Beethoven discovered an increasing buzzing and humming in his ears and it sent
him into panic, searching for a cure. In 1802, he wrote a letter to his brother describing his
anguish. He asked his brother to read the letter at the funeral. His suffering had a brief respite when
he soon fell in love with a young countess, and dedicated a song to her called "Moonlight Sonata".
Even after this, she did not marry Beethoven.
By October 1802, he had written the Heiligenstadt Testament confessing his deafness, and suicidal
considerations.
By about 1800, Beethoven was mastering the Viennese High–Classic style. Although Mozart had
first perfected the style, Beethoven did extend it to some degree. Having displayed a wide range of
his piano writing, he was also beginning to forge a new voice for the violin.
Beethoven's deafness landed him into a major cycle of depression. In his Testament, he reveals his
malaise that was sending him to the edge of despair. He speaks of suicide in the same breath as a
reluctance to die. Having searched vainly for a

Essay on Beethoven
Beethoven He was born in the German town of Bonn on the 16th of December 1770. His
grandfather Ludwig and his father Johann were both musicians. Johann was to act as little
Ludwig's first music teacher, but Ludwig soon changed to the court organist C. G. Neefe. Passing
eleven years of age, Ludwig deputized for Neefe, and at twelve had his first music published. He
then stayed as Neefe's assistant until 1787, when at seventeen, he took off for Vienna. Even though
Vienna was to be his home for the rest of his life, this first visit was short. On hearing that his
mother was dying, he quickly returned to Bonn. Five years later he finally moved to Vienna to live
and work. After arriving in 1792 he studied composition and counterpoint...show more content...
This strive culminated in the second symphony from 1801–1802. This is also the time when the
middle period starts. From now up until 1813, Beethoven develops and enhances the high classical
style into a more dynamic and individualistic style. It is now that he writes symphonies Nr. 3 – 8,
piano consert Nr. 5 and a lot of chamber music. But as he learns to control his craft and develop
the music into new undiscovered grounds, he also suffers from reminders of the pains of real
life. He has early in life discovered that his hearing wasn't what it should be, and the disorder gets
worse as time goes by. It gets to the point where Beethoven is thinking of ending his life as he sees
no way out of his despair. That fact is documented in the letter he wrote to his brothers in 1802,
the so called . This hearing disorder seems to have affected his social life to a great extent. He
became difficult to handle in social interactions and could suddenly burst into outbreaks of anger
and show bad temper where he usually insulted someone. If that is the reason for his troubles with
women, or if their is something traumatic hidden in his childhood, I don't know, but the fact is that
he never got involved with a woman in a normal relation. Beethoven seems to have been attracted to
women he couldn't get, or at least was hard to get. An example is Antoine Brentano, with whom he
had a relationship, but who broke up with him to marry a friend. It is

Beethoven Essay
Introduction
Like many people of this time period Beethoven was affected by the French Revolution, the
enlightenment and romantic periods; in 1789 the French Revolution was raging and people were
dying. The French general Napoleon defeated France's enemies and inspired Beethoven with ideas
of freedom and equality. It was because those inspirations that Beethoven was going to dedicated his
Third Symphony, Erocia which means heroic to him, that was until Napoleon decided to declared
himself emperor, which made him so angry that he viciously scratched out the dedication. (Alvarez
2006–2007)
He was also influence by nature and especially the country side. This is evident by his sixth
Symphony, Pastoral which means simple country, below...show more content...
The middle period is thought to begin shortly after his personal crisis brought about by his
recognition of his deafness. This period include large–scale works that express heroism and struggle.
The late period is thought to begin around 1815. This period is characterized by the intellectual
depth, formal innovation, intensity and high personal expression. (Ludwig van Beethoven 2011)
Early Years
Born December 16, 1770; although there is some debate about his actual date of birth, but according
to traditions of that time period children were christened within 24–hours of their birth and Ludwig
van Beethoven was christened on December 17, 1770 at the Parish of St. Regius. He was born to
Johann and Magdalena Keverich van Beethoven of Flemish descent at 515 Bonngasse, Bonn
Germany.
Eyewitness said that Johann was and ill–tempered man who would beat music lessons into his young
son. There is speculation that he would force the young Ludwig to play the violin for his father's
drunken friends. Johann was a particular fan of the bottle too. Even though he was very fond of
his mother, she too had an alcoholic problem due in part to the loss of several children. Of the
seven children, only three of the children survived, Ludwig, Johann, and Karl. Eventually, she was
placed with nuns to live out days. Young Ludwig is said to have a fairly

Beethoven Essay
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was, and remains today, an influential figure in the history of classical
music. Perhaps no other composer in history wrote music of such inspiring power and
expressiveness. His influence on the last 150 years of music is unequalled.
Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. His father, a music enthusiast, dreamed of molding
his son into the next Mozart. Beethoven never showed the impressive characteristics of Mozart, but
he was unusually talented, learning the piano, organ and violin at a very early age. At 14, he was
already skilled enough on the organ to receive a professional appointment (Beethoven). He held
positions as an assistant organist in the electoral chapel where he obtained his first...show more
content...
The early piano sonatas of Beethoven deserve special mention. Although his first published
examples of concertos and trios and the first two symphonies are beneath the masterpieces of
Mozart and Haydn, the piano sonatas bear an unmistakably Beethovian stamp: grandiose in scope
and length, and innovative in their range of expression. The sonatas were able to move expression
from terrible rage to peals of laughter to deep depression so suddenly. Capturing this unpredictable
style in his music, a new freedom of expression which broke the bounds of Classical ideals, was to
position Beethoven as a disturbed man in the minds of some of his contemporaries. Furthermore, he
was to be seen as the father of Romanticism and the single most important innovator of music in the
minds of those after him. (Bookspan 27).
Before Beethoven struck the new note of romance in music, songwriters generally used one of two
patterns for their songs: (1) the simple folk–song pattern in which the same melody is repeated for
each stanza of the poem, and which is called a strophic song; or (2) the elaborate pattern of arias in
the Italian style of singing which is full of runs and trills (McGehee 406).
Beethoven has traditionally been referred to as music's "bridge to romanticism," and his major
works consist of 9 symphonies, 7

Ludwig van Beethoven Essay
Some of the most well known composers came to be in the in the classical music period. Ludwig
van Beethoven was one of the composers, along with other greats of the time like Haydn and
Mozart, which helped to create a new type of music. This new music had full rich sounds created by
the new construction of the symphony orchestra. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the town of
Bonn, Germany on December 16 of 1770. Bonn is located in western Germany on the Rhine River.
Beethoven showed an affinity for music at an early age. His father, Johann, taught Ludwig to play
the piano as well as the violin. Johann did this in hopes that his son would become a prodigy, and
then reach fame like Wolfgang A. Mozart. Unfortunately though Beethoven...show more content...
Regrettably, though in the late 1790s Beethoven began to lose his hearing. Then at the start of
the 1800s Beethoven changed the way he created music and his personality because of the
increasing deafness. Prior to the increasing loss of hearing Beethoven had been full of pride and
independent, though a little odd. When his hearing started to go he changed, he became more
apprehensive and ill tempered. Despite becoming absolutely deaf by the end of his life
Beethoven's works were still brilliant. It was on March 26, 1827 when Beethoven died, the cause
was a simple cold that turned into pneumonia and then later dropsy. Beethoven's works are
classified into three periods. Beethoven's first period took place between the 1780s to
approximately 1800. The works produced during this period show the Beethoven was just
beginning his musical journey. The pieces created are similar to ones created by Haydn, Mozart,
Bach, and Neefe. Christian Neefe was one of Beethoven's instructors from Bonn. Despite the fact
that Beethoven modeled his early works after others they still showed his personality in the way they
were written and in their robust melodies. In Beethoven's second period he generated many of his
most famous works. This period lasted from about 1800 to 1820. It was in this time span that
Beethoven wrote symphonies three through eight, two piano concertos, one violin

Beethoven Research Paper
&#8220;...to the cast majority of people suffering is still one of the fundamental characteristics
of life, and it is their realization that an experience of suffering, pure and profound, enters as an
integral part into
Beethoven&#8217;s greatest work, that helps to give that work its unique place in the minds
and hearts of men.';(Marek, 634) These words of compassion come from J. W. N. Sullivan during
Ludwig van Beethoven&#8217;s funeral. They express the regret and sense of loss felt by
people all over the world as they caught news of his end. Beethoven was and is a cornerstone for
music of all kinds in that he combined new color, imagination, structure and expression to further
capitulate the evolution of this great form...show more content...
Chapter 2: His life and works.
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the second half of the 18th century when the age of curiosity was
prominent. Society at the time was beginning to question many old beliefs, customs, and religions.
There were advances in astronomy, geography and chemistry, proving that the world was ready for a
revolution of innovation and excitement.
Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. Bonn was a pleasant city. It was
very old and very rich in tradition. Its location was on the western bank of the Rhine River which
offered protection form intruders.(Marek, 26–7) It was a close knit community and there was a good
balance between business and recreation. It may be safe to say that some of
Beethoven&#8217;s compassion was sparked by his environment of fertile resources that the
town of Bonn provided.
&#8220;The boy was looking out of the window, his hands cradled in his hands. His mien was
werious, his glance rigid. Cacilia Fischer came along the courtyard and saw him. &#8216;How
are you, Ludwig?&#8217; she shouted up to him.
No answer. She said, &#8216;Well, no answer in an

Ludwig Van Beethoven Essay
German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, was born December 1770 and spent most
of his life in Vienna, Austria. His first teacher was his alcoholic father, who worked as a musician
at the Court of Bonn. Teaching him day and night, Ludwig suffered from his father's harsh and
erratic behavior. For a time, he and his father played at the Church. As his father's alcoholism
increased, Ludwig became the main musician. Beethoven's talents were discovered at an early age,
and he was sent to Vienna to study under different teachers including Mozart and Hayden. There,
Beethoven quickly adopted a reputation of a great piano player, a child prodigy. He gave his first
public performance at the age of eight and published his first...show more content...
Music was his life and he was deeply depressed and angry at the thought of being deaf. He even
became suicidal. His relationship to his music was very serious, and though he continued to
compose music, he never performed again following a failure to perform his Piano Concerto No.
5 "Emperor" in 1811. Following many personal crises in his life, Beethoven's music reflected his
mood. His masterpieces depicted struggle followed by triumph. Later, his worked was influence
by the ideals of Enlightenment, leading him to dedicate the symphony "Erotica" to Napoleon.
The symphony "Ode to Joy" was believed to be about the brotherhood of humanity. His works are
admired for intellectual depth, intense expression, and experimental forms. He is considered one
of the greatest minds of humanity. His ambitious works made him prominent in the transition
between eras of Classical and Romantic music. Music had driven Beethoven's life from a small
child to an adult. It helped him overcome an alcoholic father, his mother's death, failed love, and
provided a means of support for his family. It carried him through personal crises including the
loss of his hearing and won him critical acclaim in social circles. His life ended in 1826 following
complications of a cold and chronic health problems. He used his music to preach through art and
has remained a model to later composers in the use of classical principles of

Essay On Beethoven

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Essay On Beethoven