Beethoven Essay, Research Paper

For many people, Ludwig Van Beethoven is considered the greatest composer who

ever lived and is the highest level of musical geniuses. His compositions are

the expression of one of the most powerful musical personalities of all time

which he exceeded above average in both areas of Classical and Romantic

labeling. Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, December 16, 1770, and was

baptized on December 17. His father, Johann, was a singer employed by the

Elector of Cologne in Bonn. Johann married Maria Magdalena Laym, a cook?s

daughter. Together they had seven children of which three sons survived,

Beethoven was the oldest (Collier?s Encyclopedia, Beethoven). When Johanns?

career was threatened by alcoholism, he saw his chance to get rich by exploiting

his son Beethoven as a child prodigy. He claimed Beethoven was years younger

than he actually was, neglected his formal education, and made him practice his

music endlessly. His attempt to get rich was a disaster and probably encouraged

the brusque and withdrawing personality Beethoven developed. Beethoven was a

solo pianist and piano teacher when he was in his twenties. He was well known

for his temperamental nature. He had to abandon his performing career of

deafness. By this time, he was well known as a composer and was able to live by

the profits of concerts and sale of his works to publishers. He was the most

revered composer in all of Europe and regarded as the greatest living example of

Romantic, artistic genius (McLeish, pg. 18-19). Sonate Pathetique, Opus 13 was

written in 1798 and named by the composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. This Sonate was

extremely romantic because of the charged first movement, while the Adagio

Movement is sad, yet comforting. The third movement of the ?Pathetique? was

considered Rondo. The key of the Adagio Movement is A Flat, the submediant Key

of the opening Grave section. The form is a cross between Rondo and Theme and

Variations because the A or Main Theme sections have the same melody, but the

accompanying parts are varied. Although Beethoven still uses the tonic-dominant

relationships to start and end his first section, mm. 1-16, even ending his

first theme with a perfect authentic cadence the composer begins to use keys

with third relationships. The main theme is in the key of A flat, however the

second theme is in the relative minor key of F minor. MM 17-23 are very pivotal

in nature and by mm. 23 Beethoven has modulated to the dominant key of E flat

major. The remainder of the piece gives the feeling of A flat major, although

section c, mm. 36-50. contain many modulations. The coda begins in mm 66-4

through the end and contains a series of V – I cadences. The Adagio of Sonate

Pathetique has been compared having a similar melodic structure and affinity of

theme to the Adagio of the Ninth Symphony written during the last period almost

twenty-five years later. This Adagio movement is in the singing style and

demands great emotion from the performer. Although this particular movement was

written during Beethoven?s first period, the great emotion and contemplation,

the peace and introspection that characterized his third period seem to be

present (McLeish pg. 58-76). Beethoven had a powerful personality that awed

everyone. His high-voltage personality coupled with his high-voltage genius,

Beethoven was able to live his life on his own terms in everything except his

deafness. He was only 5 feet, 4 inches, broad, with a large head, lots of hair,

protruding-teeth, a small nose and a bad habit of spitting. He was clumsy,

sullen and suspicious, touchy, forgetful, and prone to rages of temper. As a

bachelor, he was incredibly messy and had no servants because they would not put

up with him (Schonberg, pg. 110-111). In 1802 Beethoven was told his deafness

was incurable. This knowledge caused a violent change in his character which

brought about a big change in his music. The boisterousness of his youth turned

into a mature artist pondering and placing each effect. Many of Beethoven?s

most popular works date from this time. The ?Emperor? Piano Concerto, the

Violin Concerto, the Third to Seventh Symphonies, the ?Razumovsky? were

composed at this time (McLeish, pg. 19). In 1805 Beethoven premiered the Eroica

Symphony which was a turning point in musical history. A succession of

masterpieces came in the next eight years. Around 1811, Beethoven?s

productivity slowed down. His deafness became total and he retired into his

inner world. His health deteriorated and the relationship he had with his

nephew, Karl, might have robbed the World of some masterpieces. He became the

guardian of Karl when Beethoven?s brother Casper died. Beethoven was

alternately strict and easy going and Karl was driven out of his mind. In 1826,

Karl attempted suicide and told police Beethoven tormented him. Beethoven took

it badly and friends say he aged twenty years in those weeks (McLeish, pg. 20).

He died on March 27, 1827 after a long illness. It is reported 20,000 people

attended the funeral. Beethoven?s music falls into three periods. His first

twenty works hinted at the explosive power to come. After the Eroica, the second

period sets in. He was confident, a master of form, and made his own rules. His

music was governed by the logic of a great technician and musical genius. The

last works period was the music of a man who has seen all and experienced all, a

man in a silent, suffering world. He wrote only to justify his artistic

existence, not to please anyone. Some find the works of this time bleak, cold

and incomprehensible. Beethoven was a musical intellect who was driven by

illness and mental suffering to retreat into his own world. His music is the

most powerful body of music ever brought together by one composer (Schonberg,

pgs. 115, 117, 119, 123).

Bibligraphy

1. ?Beethoven, Ludwig Van? Collier?s Encyclopedia. 1991 ed. 2. McLeish,

Kenneth & Valerie. Listeners? Guide to Classical Music. Great Britain:

Butler & Tanner Ltd., 1986. 3. Schonberg, C. Harold. The Lives of the Great

Composers. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1981.