Term Paper on "Beethoven and His Symphonies"

Term Paper 5 pages (1969 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Beethoven and His Symphonies

Beethoven (1770-1827) is considered by many as the greatest composer in the Western music tradition. His stature among music composers is such that his name is familiar even to people who do not listen to classical music, while he is also held in the highest esteem by the most discerning connoisseurs of Western classical music. The wide range of his music composition encompasses a variety of genres, including symphonies, concertos, sonatas, string quartets, chamber music and opera, forming a bridge between the classical and romantic eras of musical history. This paper confines itself to a brief discussion of Beethoven's life and his famous nine symphonies.

Early Life: Ludwig van Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 into a Flemish family and was named after his grandfather, who had settled in Bonn Germany in 1732. His father, Johann van Beethoven, was a minor musician at the court of Bonn. Ludwig went to a primary school until he was 10, but could not continue his studies due to his family's poor financial position. He showed early signs of his musical talent, and his father sought to exploit his son's talents and turn him into a boy genius ala Mozart by giving him music lessons. Johann, however, had limited talent himself and failed in his endeavor despite forcing the young Ludwig to give his first public concert in March 1778 and falsifying his son's age as six. ("Beethoven's Childhood")

First Works: In 1782, Beethoven's musical talent was noted by a German opera composer and court organist, Christian Gottleb Neefe, who took him under his wings, teaching him composition as well as introducing him to the works of the renowned composers of yester years such as J.S. Bach and Handel, as well as his contemporaries -- Mozart, Haydn and Philipp-Emmanuel Bach (Kindermann, 16). Neefe expressed his admiration for his talented pupil in a music magazine dated March 2, 1783 by noting: "This youthful genius is deserving of help to enable him to travel. He would surely become a second Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were he to continue as he has begun..." (Ibid., 16-17) Beethoven's first known compositions were produced during this period and by the age of 16; he had already built a reputation in Bonn and taught music lessons, concerts at aristocratic residences, as well as at court.

Leaves for Vienna: Not satisfied with the musical environment in Bonn, Ludwig left for Vienna in 1787 to meet and work with Mozart. However, he had to cut short his visit and return to Bonn due to his mother's illness. In the meantime, Mozart died and when Beethoven went to Vienna again in 1792, he became a pupil of the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn. Beethoven achieved his greatest fame and composed his most brilliant music in the following decades as he assimilated the Viennese classical style of music in almost every major instrumental genre, including symphony, concerto, string quartet, and sonata.

Struggles with Deafness: By 1798, Beethoven started to have trouble with his hearing that progressively worsened. The affliction, along with his unhappy love life in which he continually fell in love with unattainable married women led to his social isolation and increasing unhappiness. After his brother's death, he was also involved in a bitter legal battle with his sister-in-law for the custody of his nephew.

Last Days: Beethoven, however, continued to compose music almost to the end. For example, he completed the composition of his famous ninth symphony in 1923; by then he was almost completely deaf. The great composer died of pneumonia on March 26, 1827.

Symphony No. 1: First performed on April 2, 1780 at the Imperial theater in Vienna, the symphony composed in C-major, was dedicated by Beethoven to his friend -- Baron van Sweiten. It is his first completed symphony and can be considered as a continuation of the Vietnamese musical tradition, reflecting the recently absorbed influence of Haydn and Mozart in his work. The four-part symphony starts with a very short introductory movement, Adagio molto; it is just twelve bars in length, has no special form, and merely serves as a prelude to the work. Although the opening may not sound novel to the modern ear, it was considered as audacious at the time and was attacked by several established music critics on the grounds that a composition professing to be in the key of C. should begin with a discord in the key of F, and by the third bar be in that of G. (Grove, 4) Part II of the symphony, "Andante cantabile con moto" is constructed of two themes in the form of sonatas, ending in a coda; its third part- "Menuetto, Allegro molto e vivace" strays in form from typical Viennese symphonies, revealing a musical substance of maximum simplicity. It ends with "Alegro molto e vivace" -- borrowing significant thematic elements from its previous parts, revealing a complex form of sonata and at the same time, forming an almost perfect ending for a symphonic cycle.

Symphony No. 2: Symphony No. 2 composed in D major, was completed by Beethoven in 1802 and was first performed in audition on April 5, 1803 in Vienna. The symphony, dedicated by the master to Prince Carl Lichnowsky, was composed at a time when Beethoven was facing great turmoil in his life but was struggling to bring it under control. The work reflects the conflicting emotions of its creator at the time -- deep sorrow as well as joyful bliss. It starts with a slow introduction (Adagio molto) that evolves into a sonata (Allegro con brio) expressing a theme of dignity, maturity, and destiny. The middle part of the symphony (Larghetto) is the climax of Beethoven's creativity in which joy and bliss seem to spring up from a great deal of sorrow; it is followed by the most dynamic part of the symphony (Scherzo, Allegro) in which the composer allows the introduction of a completely new movement in order to express the full range of his feelings. Its last part (Allegro molto) has great depth, musical and harmonic complexity, and reflects the composer's own struggle against his personal demons. (Grove 18-22)

Symphony No. 3: Composed in flat E major, the symphony is significant for a number of reasons. Beethoven had initially dedicated it to Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he greatly admired. After Napoleon crowned himself the Emperor of France, Beethoven renamed it "Eroica." It also represents a "new road" -- a change of direction in the master's musical style; it was perhaps the first time that Beethoven departed significantly from the musical style of the Viennese symphony. He discarded the slow introduction of his first two symphonies, and straight away launches into the first theme of great solemnity. It builds up into a relentless rhythm expressing emotional depth and melancholy, which gradually gives way to great joy in the third part; finally ending in an appropriate conclusion that symbolizes victory and the triumph of the good. (Ibid)

Symphony No. 4: Composed in B flat major, the symphony has not received as much attention as it perhaps deserves. This is probably because it has been overshadowed by the Eroica and the C Minor Symphony No. 5 that followed it. The symphony is in complete contrast to its predecessor and successor and "it is as gay and spontaneous as they are serious and lofty." (Grove, 98). It captures a rare, unadulterated joyful mood of the composer and expresses it without reserve. Starting with a slow introduction, the symphony is structured on Beethoven's scherzo principle and the theme resonates throughout with the vital force of the joy of life and without a single somber bar until the end.

Symphony No. 5: Composed in C minor, it is often considered to be a natural continuation of the "Eroica" because it expresses more or less the same theme. It is also one of the best known and most often enjoyed of Beethoven's nine symphonies. The symphony starts with its unique sonata structure and a theme constructed "with a rhythmical-melodic cell of just four notes, which is also the key motif of the entire symphony." ("Symphony No. 5") it has a lyrical theme and a hymnal resonance throughout, but is not devoid of genuine musical surprises. Like the Eroica, it ends with a festive march theme expressing joy and absolute victory (Ibid.)

Symphony No. 6: Although Symphony No. 6 ("The Pastoral") composed in F major was written almost at the same time as its predecessor, it has a substantially different theme. While Symphony No. 5 deals with the struggle and the joy of victory, "The Pastoral" represents the composer's love for nature. The theme is unique among Beethoven's works but it has been expressed with a surprising force in the symphony, which creates an atmosphere of a pure pastoral air and natural setting through the use of instrumental rural music, the flute and the clarinet. ("Symphony No. 6")

Symphony No. 7: in a major was written by Beethoven during 1809-1812. It represents a new… READ MORE

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