Beethoven: Bridge to Romanticism

1. Ludwig Von Beethoven
Beethoven: Bridge to
Romanticism
01/07/13 1

2. Ludwig Van
Beethoven (1770-
1827)
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

3. Beethoven
 Represents turning point from Classicism to
Romanticism
 Burst bonds of formalism and control of
Classicism
 Most controversial-Classicist or Romanticist?
 Music very emotional, very dramatic &
powerful
 Bears personality of creator
 Very much a “Romantic” quality
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

4. Beethoven: A Musical
Giant
 Born in Bonn, Germany.
 Lived during the social changes toward democracy in France and
America.
 Studied with Haydn who encouraged him.
 Went to Vienna, which was a cultural center, to make his living as
composer.
 Father-singer in Kapelle of Archbishop-Elector of Cologne;
abusive alcoholic, tried to make him into Mozart
 Loner, never married, cared only for music, untidy
 One serious love affair (Distant Beloved)
 Perfectionist, very particular with music
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

5. Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770 - 1827)
 Beethoven was principal breadwinner by the time he was a
teenager.
 Began to go deaf in his late 20’s, which caused him
intense grief.
 Wrote Heiligenstadt Testament (basically a suicide note) to
his brothers when he realized there was no cure for his
deafness, but decided to live.
 Widely recognized during his lifetime as the greatest
composer of instrumental music. When he died in 1827, at
age 56, declared a national hero.
 Suffered chronic poor health, deafness, and a custody
battle over a nephew during last 15 years of life.
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

6. Beethoven’s Music--
Romanticism
 He played larger pianos that created more
sound.
 He developed the Classical Forms and
expanded them.
 He added a chorus to the final movement of his
9th symphony, “Ode to Joy.”
 His works were longer; he labored over them,
revising them over and over.
 The end of his life (1827) marks the beginning of
the Romantic Period in Music.
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

7. Beethoven’s Music--
>Romanticism
 He increased the number of instruments in the
orchestra.
 He expanded the dynamic range of the orchestra
to ppp and fff.
 The development sections of his compositions
were long, elaborate, and complex.
 In some compositions, he left no pauses
between some of the movements.
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

8. The Sketchbook
 Kept chronicle for
posterity of the
evolution of thematic
material which shows
the inner struggle to
realize the final form
 “…like bloody record
of a tremendous inner
battle.”
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

9. Beethoven
 Dies of jaundice &
cholera during
thunderstorm
 Biggest revolutionist
next to Bach during
lifetime
 Considered biggest
music revolutionary of
all-time
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

10. Ludwig van Beethoven
Other Compositions
 Piano Sonatas  String quartets
 C# minor-- “Moonlight”  9 symphonies
 C minor-”Pathetique”  No. 3 in E-flat major
 D minor-- “Tempest” --”Eroica”
 F minor--  No. 6 in F major--
“Appassionata” “Pastoral”
 Piano Concerto #5  No. 9 in D minor--
in E-flat major-- includes chorus
“Emperor” singing “Ode to Joy”
 Missa Solemnis-Mass in
C
 Fidelio--an opera
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

11. Beethoven
 Nine symphonies
 I. C Major
 II. D Major
 III. E-Major(Eroica)
 IV. B Major
 V. C minor
 VI. F Major(Pastorale)
 VII. A Major
 VIII. F Major(Humorous)
 IX. F Minor(Choral)
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

12. Symphony No. 3- “Eroica”
 First dedicated to
Napoleon, then changed
after Bonaparte declared
himself Emperor
 “Sinfonia Eroica…
composed to celebrate the
memory of a great man”
 Unprecedented length
 Called “wild fantasy” at first
performance
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

13. Symphony No. 6-
“Pastoral”
 Symphony #6 in F
“Pastorale”
 5 movements,
each bearing
descriptive title
 Program content-
“an expression of
feeling rather than
a graphic
depiction”
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

14. Symphony No. 9- “Choral”
 Movement 4-sets Schiller’s “Ode to Joy”
for chorus & quartet
 Considered poem as early as 1792
 Text-ideals of brotherhood of man
through love, love of God
 Does various different musical techniques
with “Joy” theme
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

15. Fidelio
 Fidelio-only opera
 Compared its writing to
the bearing of a child
 1805-revised several
times to 1814
 Difficulty setting text
 “Rescue” opera based
on events of French
Revolution
 Leonore-main heroine
 Last act celebration of
heroism &
humanitarianism
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

16. Fidelio & Vocal Music
 Fidelio-Overture went through several stages
 Three named “Leonora”
 “Fidelio” overture is fourth version; most preferred by Beethoven
 Not at ease with vocal music
 Song cycle-An die ferne Geliebte(To a Distant Beloved
 Song settings of poet Goethe
 Oratorio-Christ on the Mount of Olives
 Missa Solemnis-monumental work, includes soloists, choral
group, “Ode To Joy”
 Written for enthronement of student Archduke Rudolph as
Archbishop of Olmutz, finished too late for the occasion
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

17. Symphony No. 5 in C
Minor
 Most tightly knit motivically of all
compositions
 Opening four note motive appears in every
movement
 Origins-Fate knocking at door, letter V in
Morse Code(not invented yet)
 Along with recurrence of a portion of
“Scherzo” in Finale-makes work “cyclic”
 Not break between movements III & IV
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

18. Painting of Beethoven by
Friend, J. W. Mähler
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

19. Appreciating Beethoven’s
Music
 Contrast-filled with dynamic contrasts, rough/smooth,
loud/soft, etc.; soft passage interrupted by sforzando
chord; rage section ceases abruptly, gentle melody
takes over
 Motive development-showcase of developing short
simple musical ideas
 Sense of drive- “inevitability,” music seems to be
heading toward final destination; has “this too shall
pass” moments; continuation of musical journey
 Personality-sounded like no one else at the time,
unique, fiery spirit, sense of musical logic
Listen to This 5-19
By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458