Ludwig van Beethoven

"Beethoven" redirects here. For other uses, see Beethoven (disambiguation).

A portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820

Ludwig van Beethoven (IPA: [English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtəʊvən; German ˈlʊtvɪç fan ˈbeːtovn]), (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of music, and was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music. His music and his reputation inspired — and in many cases intimidated — ensuing generations of composers, musicians, and audiences.

While primarily known today as a composer, Beethoven was also a celebrated pianist. Born in Bonn, Germany, he moved to Vienna, Austria, in his early twenties and settled there, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. Despite gradual hearing loss beginning in his twenties, Beethoven continued to produce notable masterpieces throughout his life, even when he was almost totally deaf. Beethoven was also one of the first composers to work freelance — arranging subscription concerts, selling his compositions to publishers, and gaining financial support from a number of wealthy patrons — rather than seek out permanent employment by the church or by an aristocratic court.

Biography

Further information: Life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven

Early life

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770, to Johann van Beethoven (1740–1792), one of a line of musicians of Flemish ancestry, and Maria Magdalena Keverich (1744–1787), whose father had been overseer of the kitchen at Ehrenbreitstein. Beethoven was one of seven children born to them, of whom only Beethoven and two younger brothers would survive infancy. Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770. Although his birthdate is not known for certain, his family (and later, his teacher Johann Georg Albrechtsberger) celebrated his birthday on December 16. Beethoven's first music teacher was his father, a tenor in the service of the Electoral court at Bonn, who was reportedly a harsh and unpredictable instructor. Johann later engaged a friend, Tobias Pfeiffer, to preside over his training, and it is said Johann and his friend would at times come home late from a night of drinking to pull young Ludwig out of bed to practice until morning. Beethoven's talent was recognized at a very early age, and by 1778 he was studying the organ, violin and viola in addition to the piano. His most important teacher in Bonn was Christian Gottlob Neefe who was the Court`s Organist. Neefe helped Beethoven publish his first work: a keyboard variation. In 1787, the young Beethoven travelled to Vienna for the first time, where he played for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who said that Beethoven would soon astonish the world. After his mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis, Beethoven was forced to return home. Beethoven's mother died on July 17, 1787, when Beethoven was 16. Due to his father's worsening alcohol addiction, Beethoven was responsible for raising his two younger brothers. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, where he studied for a time with Joseph Haydn, though he had wanted to study with Mozart, who had died the previous year. Beethoven received additional instruction from Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (Vienna's pre-eminent counterpoint instructor) and Antonio Salieri. By 1793, Beethoven established a reputation in Vienna as a piano virtuoso. His first works with opus numbers, a set of three piano trios, appeared in 1795. He settled into the career pattern he would follow for the remainder of his life: rather than working for the church or a noble court (as most composers before him had done), he supported himself through a combination of annual stipends or single gifts from members of the aristocracy; income from subscription concerts, concerts, and lessons; and proceeds from sales of his works.

Loss of hearing

Around 1796, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. He suffered a severe form of tinnitus, a "ringing" in his ears that made it hard for him to perceive and appreciate music; he would also avoid conversation. He left Vienna for a time for the small Austrian town of Heiligenstadt, where he wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament. He resolved to continue living for and through his art. Over time, his hearing loss became profound: there is a well-attested story that, at the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he had to be turned around to see the tumultuous applause of the audience; hearing nothing, he began to weep. Beethoven's hearing loss did not affect his ability to compose music, but it made concerts — lucrative sources of income — increasingly difficult. As a result of Beethoven's hearing loss, a unique historical record has been preserved: he kept conversation books discussing music and other issues, and giving an insight into his thoughts. Even today, the conversation books form the basis for investigation into how he felt his music should be performed and his relationship to art.

Ludwig van Beethoven: detail of an 1804 portrait by W.J. Mähler

Character

Social difficulties

Beethoven's personal life was troubled. His encroaching deafness led him to contemplate suicide (documented in his Heiligenstadt Testament). He was attracted to "unattainable" women (married or aristocratic), and he never married. His only love affair with an identified woman began in 1805 with Josephine von Brunswick, young widow of the Graf von Deym. It is believed the relationship ended by 1807 due both to his own indecisiveness and the disapproval of Josephine's aristocratic family.

In 1812, Beethoven wrote a long love letter to a woman he identified only as "Immortal Beloved". Several candidates have been suggested, but the identity of the woman to whom the letter was written has never been proven. (The 1994 film Immortal Beloved was based on this.)

Beethoven quarreled, often bitterly, with his relatives and others (including a painful and public custody battle over his nephew Karl). He frequently treated other people badly. Nonetheless, he had a close and devoted circle of friends all his life, all of whom are thought to have been attracted by his reputed strength of personality. Towards the end of life, Beethoven's friends competed in assisting him cope with illness and his deafness.

Sources show he indulged in a particular disdain for authority, and for those superior to him in social rank. He would cease to perform at the piano if the audience chattered among themselves and did not give him their attention: nor, at soirées, would he perform if suddenly called upon to do so without any warning from his hosts in advance. Eventually, after many confrontations, the Archduke Rudolph found himself compelled to give orders that the usual rules of court etiquette did not apply to Beethoven.

Beethoven in 1823; copy of a destroyed portrait by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller

Beliefs and their musical influence

Beethoven was attracted to the ideals of the Enlightenment and by the growing Romanticism in Europe. He initially dedicated his third symphony, the Eroica (Italian for "heroic"), to Napoleon in the belief that the general would sustain the democratic and republican ideals of the French Revolution. But in 1804 , when Napoleon's imperial ambitions became clear, Beethoven crossed out Napoleon's name on the title page. He renamed the symphony "Sinfonia Eroica, composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grand Uomo" ("Heroic Symphony, composed to celebrate the memory of a great man"). The fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony features an elaborate choral setting of Schiller's Ode An die Freude ("Ode to Joy"), an optimistic hymn championing the brotherhood of humanity. Since 1972 , an orchestral version of the fourth movement has been the official anthem of the European Union.

Scholars disagree on Beethoven's religious beliefs and the role they played in his work. For discussion, see Ludwig van Beethoven's religious beliefs. It has been asserted, but not proven, that Beethoven was a Freemason.

Music

Further information: Beethoven's musical style and innovations

Beethoven is generally acknowledged as one of the giants of Western classical music; occasionally he is referred to as one of the "three Bs" (along with Bach and Brahms) who epitomize that tradition. He was also a pivotal figure in the transition from 18th Century musical classicism to 19th Century romanticism, and his influence on subsequent generations of composers was profound.

Overview

Beethoven is widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of musical construction, sometimes sketching the architecture of a movement before he had decided upon the subject matter. He was one of the first composers to systematically and consistently use interlocking thematic devices, or "germ-motives," to achieve inter-movement unity in long compositions. Equally remarkable was his use of "source-motives," which recurred in many different compositions and lent some unity to his life's work. He made innovations in almost every form of music he touched. For example, he diversified even the well-crystallized form the rondo, making it more elastic and spacious, which brought it closer to sonata form.

Beethoven composed in a great variety of genres, including symphonies, concerti, piano sonatas, other sonatas (including for violin), string quartets and other chamber music, masses, an opera, lieder, and various other genres. He is viewed as one of the most important transitional figures between the Classical and Romantic eras of musical history.

As far as musical form is concerned, Beethoven worked from the principles of sonata form and motivic development that he had inherited from Haydn and Mozart, but greatly extended them, writing longer and more ambitious movements.

The three periods

Beethoven's compositional career is usually divided into Early, Middle, and Late periods.

In the Early period, he is seen as emulating his great predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while concurrently exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second symphonies, the first six string quartets, the first three piano concertos, and the first twenty piano sonatas, including the famous "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" sonatas.

The Middle period began shortly after Beethoven's personal crisis centering around his encroaching deafness. The period is noted for large-scale works expressing heroism and struggle; these include many of the most famous works of classical music. Middle-period works include six symphonies (Nos. 3–8), the fourth and fifth piano concertos, the triple concerto and violin concerto, five string quartets (Nos. 7–11), the next seven piano sonatas (including the "Waldstein" and the "Appassionata"), and Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio.

Beethoven's Late period began around 1816. The Late-period works are characterized by intellectual depth; intense, highly personal expression; and formal innovation (for example, the String Quartet, Op. 131 has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement). Works of this period also include the "Missa Solemnis", the last five string quartets, and the last five piano sonatas.

See also

• List of compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven — includes links to articles on individual works, groups of works, and genres
• Category: Compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven
• Ludwig van Beethoven in popular culture
• Beethoven and his contemporaries
• List of historical sites associated with Ludwig van Beethoven
• Three-key exposition
• Beethoven Gesamtausgabe

Media

Problems playing the files? See media help. Template:Multi-listen start

References and further reading

• Classical Collection
• Joseph Kerman and Alan Tyson (and others): "Beethoven, Ludwig van", Grove Music Online ed L.Macy (accessed 18th March 2007), grovemusic.com, subscription access.
• Albrecht, Theodor, and Elaine Schwensen, "More Than Just Peanuts: Evidence for December 16 as Beethoven's birthday." The Beethoven Newsletter 3 (1988): 49, 60-63.
• Bohle, Bruce, and Robert Sabin. The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians. London: J.M.Dent & Sons LTD, 1975. ISBN 0-460-04235-1.
• Clive, Peter. Beethoven and His World: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-19-816672-9.
• Davies, Peter J. The Character of a Genius: Beethoven in Perspective. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002. ISBN 0-313-31913-8.
• Davies, Peter J. Beethoven in Person: His Deafness, Illnesses, and Death. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001. ISBN 0-313-31587-6.
• DeNora, Tia. "Beethoven and the Construction of Genius: Musical Politics in Vienna, 1792-1803." Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1995. ISBN 0-520-21158-8.
• Geck, Martin. Beethoven. Translated by Anthea Bell. London: Haus, 2003. ISBN 1-904341-03-9 (h), ISBN 1-904341-00-4 (p).
• Hatten, Robert S. Musical Meaning in Beethoven. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 372. ISBN 0-253-32742-3. {{cite book}}: Check |first= value (help); Unknown parameter |tear= ignored (help)
• Kropfinger, Klaus. Beethoven. Verlage Bärenreiter/Metzler, 2001. ISBN 3-7618-1621-9.
• Martin, Russell. Beethoven's Hair. New York: Broadway Books, 2000. ISBN 978-0767903509
• Meredith, William. "The History of Beethoven's Skull Fragments." The Beethoven Journal 20 (2005): 3-46.
• Morris, Edmund. Beethoven: The Universal Composer. New York: Atlas Books / HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 0-06-075974-7.
• Rosen, Charles. The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. (Expanded ed.) New York: W. W. Norton, 1998. ISBN 0-393-04020-8 (hc); ISBN 0-393-31712-9 (pb).
• Solomon, Maynard. Beethoven, 2nd revised edition. New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. ISBN 0-8256-7268-6.
• Solomon, Maynard. Late Beethoven: Music, Thought, Imagination. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. ISBN 0-520-23746-3.
• Stanley, Glenn, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Beethoven. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-521-58074-9 (hc), ISBN 0-521-58934-7 (pb).
• Thayer, A. W., rev and ed. Elliot Forbes. Thayer's Life of Beethoven. (2 vols.) Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09103-X

External links

General reference

• Chronology of Beethoven's life
• Beethoven Depot. Contains all of his works in midi format.
• Beethoven: The Immortal. Introduction and detailed account of the composer's life. Articles include his deafness, demeanor, daily routine, medical history, final days, and letters.
• Beethoven-Haus Bonn. Official website of Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany. Links to extensive studio and digital archive, library holdings, the Beethoven-Haus Museum (including "internet exhibitions" and "virtual visits"), the Beethoven-Archiv research center, and information on Beethoven publications of interest to the specialist and general reader. Extensive collection of Beethoven's compositions and written documents, with sound samples and a digital reconstruction of his last house in Vienna.
• Raptus Association for Music Appreciation site on Beethoven
• One Stop Beethoven Resource - articles and facts about Beethoven from Aaron Green, guide to Classical Music at About.com.
• Analysis of the music and life of Beethoven on the All About Ludwig van Beethoven Page.
• The Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61: Some Twentieth-Century Viewpoints
• Beethoven’s Personality and Music: The Introverted Romantic
• Keeping Score: Beethoven Symphony No. 3 multimedia website Rich multimedia website that explores the history and creation of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. Presented by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony

Lists of works

• University of Quebec In French. Contains links to the works arranged according to various criteria, and to a concordance of the various catalogues.

Scores

• Beethoven Piano Sheet Music (out of copyright)
• Free scores by Ludwig van Beethoven in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Free scores by Beethoven at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Works by Ludwig van Beethoven at Project Gutenberg, the oldest producer of public domain ebooks.
• Template:IckingArchive
• Free Scores, Audio and Midi You can preview scores while listening audio streams

Recordings

• Musopen.com: Free Public Domain MP3 Files
• MP3 Creative Commons recordings from Magnatune
• Beethoven's Nine, The Philadelphia Orchestra performs all nine symphonies for NPR's Performance Today
• Piano Society — Beethoven. Many free recordings, articles and biography.
• Kunst der Fuge: hundreds of MIDI files
• The Unheard Beethoven - MIDI files of hundreds of Beethoven compositions never recorded and many that have never been published.
• Beethoven cylinder recordings, from the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara Library.
• Ludwig van Beethoven discography at MusicBrainz, a collection of information about commercial recordings.
• Recording of the Ninth Symphony, with Maximianno Cobra directing the Europa Philharmonia Budapest Orchestra & Choir.
• Recording of the piano sonata opus 110, with extensive analysis
• Recording of the Moonlight Sonata
• Performances of works by Beethoven in MP3 and MIDI formats at Logos Virtual Library

Specific topics

• Beethoven manuscripts at the British Library
• Contemporary reviews of Beethoven's works
• Pictures of "Beethoven in Vienna and Baden". In French.
• Beethoven's Hair - trace the journey of Beethoven's Hair.
• Für Elise - and other Beethoven resources.
• The Guevara Lock of Beethoven's Hair, from The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies.
• Hair analysis says Beethoven died of lead poisoning. CBC News, 18 October 2000.
• The Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61: Some Twentieth-Century Viewpoints

Related topics

• Beethoven's last apartment in Vienna, digitally reconstructed 2004, on Multimedia CD-ROM edited by Beethoven-Haus Bonn
• Animated Hero Classics: Beethoven (2005) at IMDb