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Beethoven and His Music

August 8th, 2009

Today I’m going to give a brief history lesson, because I believe that knowing about certain famous composers is essential for you to be considered a “well-rounded” pianist. For conservatory exams, music history is usually tested (at least in advanced levels as far as I know). I had to memorize the composers, the era they came from (classical, romantic, etc.) and explain the nature of their music and the piece that I was going to play. There are also exams based fully on music history. I have a friend who has her grade 10 piano and she recently went to write an exam exclusively on the topic of music history.

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

Ludwig Van Beethoven is one of the greatest pianists and composers of all time. Born in 1770, he contributed to the shaping and development of music in its universality. His father and grandfather were musicians, so it seemed best fit that Beethoven would follow this destiny as well. His talents had been evident since he was 4 years old.

Beethoven began studying the piano, organ, violin, and viola. He excelled greatly with the piano and organ. By the time he was 11 years old, the composer Christian Gotthof Neefe (organist and band master of the court) took Beethoven as his pupil. He helped broaden his background in music and also encouraged him to compose.

Still a young child, Beethoven became Neefe’s assistant at the organ. He also assisted in the Elector’s personal theatre orchestra and was later hired as a band master.

With the help of these experiences and assisting some other families, Beethoven was sent to study in Vienna. Only here was he first identified as a truly skilled pianist, and many saw the unusual musical power he possessed.

Beethoven’s musical creation can be divided into three separate periods of time. The first period includes Beethoven’s first twenty musical works. His minuet from the 1^st Symphony and the Sonata for piano opera 10 no. 3 include a direct affective involvement and almost suggest sort of a romantic feeling.

The second period starts with the 3^rd Symphony. At this time, Beethoven appears as an expert of musical form. He establishes his own rules during this period, and the form of the sonata indeed determined the musical evolution of all composers.

The third period implements the last five chords quartets. Piano sonatas “Diabelli Variations,” “Missa Solemnis,” and the 9^th Symphony are all works that were written to justify Beethoven’s musical, artistic, and intellectual abilities, rather than for the purpose of sounding pleasurable to the human ear. These works appealed to several concepts and symbols.

Elise’s Musical Tip For The Day:

Beethoven’s music is interesting to listen to. I would suggest downloading or purchasing his symphonies and piano solos and listening to them whenever you can. Some are very beautiful and relaxing, while others are very out of the ordinary and really get you thinking about music. I suggest getting Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos, as it offers the best value and most variety of his musical works. Also, if you’re looking for something fun to show off your musical intelligence and love of Beethoven, visit the Everything Piano Shop, where you can find some great T-shirts and accessories with a Beethoven logo and a funny caption. I actually designed these myself and I’m looking to add more soon.