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Ludwig van Beethoven is considered by many to be the most influential composer in
Western Classical Music. One musicologist called him “humanity’s greatest mind.” His
musical creations stand along side Shakespeare’s characters as iconic of many aspects of
the human character.
Family History
 Born in Bonn, Germany (1770-1827). His family is of Flemish origin.
 Father (Johann van Beethoven, 1740-1792) was a tenor at the Court, and was an
alcoholic. His grandfather was the Kapellmeister.
 Mother (Magdalena Keverich van Beethoven, 1744-1787) suffered from
depression.
 Birth date is assumed to be December 16. He was baptized on December 17.
 Beethoven had three brothers. Ludwig Maria preceded him in birth order and died
in infancy. Other family members include Nikolaus Johann (brother), Theresa
(sister-in-law), Caspar Carl (brother), and Johanna (sister-in-law), Karl (nephew).
Important Works
 Nine symphonies
 Five piano concertos
 Violin concerto and Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra
 Thirty-two piano sonatas (among them Pathetique, Moonlight, Appassionata,
Waldstein, Hammerklavier, Les Adieux)
 Sixteen string quartets
 One opera (Fidelio, revised three times)
 Missa Solemnis and other masses and choral works
 Ballet Prometheus
Beethoven’s creative life can be divided into periods as follows:
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Birth in 1770 in Bonn
Bonn Years (1770-92, divided into 1770-85, pause from 1786-89, then 1790-92).
The pause from 1786-89 can be associated with the death of his mother in 1787,
the father’s increased drinking and decline, and Beethoven’s petitioning the
Elector for ½ his father’s salary in order to become head of the family in 1789).
Early Vienna Years (1792-99, 1800-1802). Beethoven met Haydn in 1792 in
Bonn and, with Count Waldstein’s support, moved to Vienna.
First Crisis—Heiligenstadt Testament (1802)
Middle Period (1803-1809, 1809-17), with the years 1812-16 of relatively low
productivity.
Second Crisis—custody of Karl, starting in 1815.
Late Period (1818-20, 1820-1826). Karl attempted suicide in 1826.
Death in 1827
A simplified, three-period division could be seen as:
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First period—1770-1802. Birth in Bonn through the Heiligenstadt Testament.
Second period—1803-1817. Commencement of writing the Third Symphony
through guardianship of Karl, a period of stagnation and the beginning of
recovery.
Third period—1818-1827. Writing of the Hammerklavier Sonata, resignation to
deafness, late works, Karl’s suicide attempt, and death.
General Period Notes
Bonn Years
 Johann Beethoven believed that Ludwig had the potential to become a
Wunderkind pianist as Mozart had been. Beethoven was exploited as child but
Johann’s plans never materialized.
 Beethoven studied with Christian Gottlob Neefe and sponsored by the Prince
Elector of Bonn.
 In 1787, Beethoven visited Vienna and met Mozart. The visit was cut short by
the death of his mother.
 Upon the death of his mother, when Beethoven was 18, Johann’s drinking
increased and Beethoven took over responsibilities for his youth siblings.
 Some works from this period as designated with WoO numbers (werke ohne
Opus) including a set of variations and three piano sonatas, the “Elector” sonatas.
These early works are often in the empfindsamer Stil. Not all WoO works are
early works.
Early Viennese Years—Beethoven:
 Met Haydn in Bonn in 1792.
 Moved to Vienna permanently that year, studying first with Haydn and later with
Johann Albrechtsberger (counterpoint) and Salieri (text setting).
 Established himself first as a piano virtuoso, frequently appearing in homes of
wealthy aristocrats in post-French Revolutionary Vienna.
 Worked outside the patronage system as a composer, rather than seek a position at
a Court or with the Church. He sought and received commissions from patrons to
whom he dedicates the works.
 Works from this period include lieder (songs), twenty piano sonatas (including the
Op. 2 set (gallant style), Op. 7, Op. 13—Pathetique, les Adieux, and Op.27 set,
including Moonlight) three violin/piano sonatas, two cello/piano sonatas, two
piano concerti, and three piano trios. NB: high concentration of works for piano.
Other works include six string quartets, two symphonies, “social” music, and the
ballet Geschoepfe des Prometheus which will provide source material for the 3rd
symphony.
FIRST CRISIS: Deafness
 Problems with hearing emerge before the turn of the 19th century (ca. 1798)
 Causes of deafness have been variously postulated as lead poisoning (from water,
wine barrels, etc.), and systemic lupus erythematosus (an auto-immune disease),
syphilis (not true—there were no elevated levels of mercury in his hair strands—
mercury being the common treatment for syphilis), and other diseases. Difficult
to diagnose posthumously. He died of renal failure and jaundice.
 Works such as the early piano sonatas, first and second piano concerti and first
symphony come from the 1798-1802 period.
 Contemplates suicide. At Heiligenstadt, a spa to which Beethoven retreated in
1802 on doctor’s orders, he contemplates suicide in a letter to his brothers, known
as the “Heiligenstadt Testament”. Decides on committing his life to music. His
fears are social, not musical.
Middle or Heroic Period
 Dated by scholars as ending around 1816-18.
 Heroic is not a sufficiently encompassing word to describe music of this period,
since many works are not in the “Heroic” style
 Period commences with Symphony No. 2 in 1803 (shows unrest with Classical
procedures), Piano Concerto No. 3, also 1803 (heroic style more in evidence) and
Symphony No. 3 Eroica (also 1803, quintessential Heroic work).
 Other Heroic style works include symphonies 5 and 7, piano concerti 4 and 5, the
opera Fidelio, and seven piano sonatas (nos. 21-27), beginning with the Waldstein
Sonata, Op. 53.
 Works from this period which are NOT in the Heroic style include symphonies 4
and 6, Triple Concerto, etc.
 In 1809, Beethoven was given a “lifetime annuity” guaranteed by several
noblemen. With the decline in the economy and the personal misfortunes or some
of them, this cause him to experience financial difficulties, later.
SECOND CRISIS: Nephew
 Around 1812, Beethoven recognizes that he will never marry
 With the death of Caspar Carl precipitates a second crisis in Beethoven’s life
 Custody battle over Carl commences with Caspar Carl’s death in 1815
Late Period
 Beethoven resumes more active composition
 Works from the late period include the last five piano sonatas, last six string
quartets (esp. the C# Minor Quartet), the Ninth Symphony, and Missa Solemnis.
 Carl attempted suicide in 1826, which is devastating to Beethoven
Major works by genre:
Symphonies:
Symphony No. 1 in C major (1799-1800)
 Dedicated to Baron von Swieten
 Four movements
 Starts out-of-key
 First and last movements in sonata form with introductions
 Third movement is a scherzo (fast ¾ movement)
Symphony No. 2 in D Major (1801-1802)
 Dedicated to Prince Lichnowky
 Four movements. First movement has an extensive introduction
 Second movement in a remote key (E Major)
 Third movement scherzo considered shocking and has a “dragon’s tail” in it (early
review)
 Finale based on a theme by CPE Bach
Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Eroica (1803-04)
 Dedicated to Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz
 Four movements
 First Beethoven symphony with a descriptive name (originally named for
Napoleon, later removed from title page)
 First movement has NO introduction (except two staccato chords)
 First movement is of unprecedented length (nearly 20 minutes and almost as long
as some Haydn or Mozart symphonies). Theme evolves from an asymmetrical
phrase based on a triad in E-flat with a disrupting C#, to a balanced phrase.
Middle of movement has a famously dissonant chord in it. Also, uses syncopation
 Second movement is a gigantic ABA funeral march, linking the work with
Revolutionary France. The solemn processional theme has drum rolls in the lower
strings.
 Third movement, scherzo
 Finale, a set of variations on a theme which Beethoven used twice before, most
notably in the Ballet Prometheus
Symphonies nos. 4-6 were composed between 1804-1808.
Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat (1806)
 Dedicated to Count Oppensdorff. He paid 500 florins for the first performance
rights.
 Four movements
 First movement has an extensive introduction
 In general, this symphony is of more classical proportions, including the use of
only one flute
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Slow movement is presumed to be a “love-letter” to Theresa von Brunswick.
Scherzo is the first to employ the ABABA (so-called double-trio) form
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (1804-05, 1807-08)
 Dedicated to Counts Lobkowitz and Razumovsky
 Four movements
 Earliest sketches for this work date from 1780s, when Beethoven was still in
Bonn!
 First performed at the legendary “Monster Concert” of December 22, 1808, along
with 4th piano concerto, sixth symphony, three movements of the C Major Mass,
the concert aria “Ah, perfido” and the Chorale Fantasy (concert lasted four hours).
This was the most hectic period in the composer’s life. He played both the
concerto and the Choral Fantasy on the concert.
 Symphony marks a turning point in the history of music criticism: a review by
E.T.A. Hoffmann gave musical analysis a decisive role in determining the
importance of a work.
 First movement: unprecedented concentration on a single motif (short-short-shortlong)
 Second Movement: Double Variations (variations on two themes in a hybrid
form)
 Scherzo was originally an ABABA, but Beethoven cut one repeat as a concession
to the orchestra, which was under rehearsed. Beethoven failed to notice the error
in the printed score for almost a year.
 Finale: Sonata form of large proportions, including repeat of exposition.
 The symphony marks Beethoven’s most successful endeavor (to date) in
integrating the four movements, which are unified by modulatory procedures, and
the short-short-short-long motive. All movements revolve around modulations to
C major from C minor, A-flat Major, etc. Further, the scherzo is linked by a
bridge passage directly to the finale, and the scherzo’s theme and the bridge
passage return within the finale to further connect the movements.
Symphony No, 6 in F Major (1807-1808)
 Dedicated to Counts Lobkowitz and Razumovsky
 Five Movements
 Earliest sketches from 1803. Premiered with 5th Symphony on the 1808 concert.
 Entitled by Beethoven Pastoral-Sinfonie
 Work on the symphony was put aside several times
 Full program inscription:
Sinfonia Pastorella/Pastoral Symphony—Recollection of Country Life
(More the expression of feeling than a painting)
1. Agreeable, cheerful feelings which awaken as one arrives in the
country
2. Scene by the brook
3. Merry gathering of the country folk (Scherzo is in ¾ while the trio is
in 2/4
4. Thunder, storm
5. Shepherd’s Song: charitable feelings, together with thanks to the
Divinity, after the Storm
Symphony No. 7 in A Major (1811-12)
 Dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries
 Four Movements
 Composed after returning from the spa at Telpitz
 Called the Apotheosis of the Dance by Richard Wagner
 First movement has an extended introduction (first introduction since Symphony
No. 4)
 Slow movement is a hybrid form (part variation set, part rondo)
 Scherzo is an ABABA form with coda
 Symphony was a success from the premiere and is one of Beethoven’s most
popular symphonies. The slow movement was encored in the middle of the
performance.
Symphony No. 8 in F Major (1812)
 No dedication
 “Neo-classical” symphony. A “conservative” symphony, compared to its
predecessors, although it’s truncation of form is notworthy.
 The canon which is the basis of the slow movement was attributed to an earlier
canon by Beethoven which he supposedly wrote for Maezel (the inventor of the
metronome). The story, fabricated by Schindler, has been discredited.
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor (1812-1822, primarily 1823-24)
 Dedicated to King Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia
 Idea materialized during composition of 7th and 8th symphonies
 Earliest idea of setting the Ode to Joy dates from 1793, in a reference to the
project by Fischenich to Schiller’s wife. There are sketches for an Ode theme in
the sketch books of 1798-99. The sketchbook of 1815-16 has the scherzo theme
in it. By 1817-18, ideas for the symphony appear mixed in with sketches for the
Hammerklavier sonata. Also, the idea of formal plan which included a choral
finale appeared.
 Between 1818-1822, Beethoven worked on the Missa Solemnis and the Diabelli
Variations (an important work for piano).
 Work on the 9th symphony proceeded uninterrupted after 1823.
 Premiere was a resounding success
 Four movements, all of gigantic scope, by contemporary standards
 First movement: Sonata form with distant key for the second theme group
 Second Movement: Scherzo. Beethoven repositions the scherzo. ABABA form
 Third Movement: Double Variation form on two themes.
 Finale: Gigantic hybrid variation form with an extensive introduction followed by
variations in a variety of keys and tempi which emulate the pattern of the entire
symphony (Allegro—Scherzo—Slow Variations—Final Variations—Coda).
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Movement can be viewed as: 1) a set of variations, 2) a sonata form with
introduction (Schreckenfanfare), exposition (variations on the Ode theme),
development (Turkish march and Adagio section on a new theme associated with
the words “Seid umschlungen”), recapitulation (return of Ode theme in a fugal
treatment with the new theme) and coda (presto on the Ode theme), a onemovement symphony in which the Ode variations equal the first movement, the
Turkish March the second movement, the Adagio variations the third movement,
and the fugal variations the finale.
Beethoven uses THEMATIC TRANSFORMATION and REOCCURANCE to a
greater extent in this symphony than in any other symphony. For example, the
“Ode” theme is presaged in every movement (2nd theme of first movement, trio
theme in the Scherzo, 2nd theme in the Adagio movement). The introduction to
the finale also recalls all of the major themes of the first three movements. The
process was used in the 5th symphony, but carried to its logical completion, here.
Beethoven attempted to conduct the premiere, although he was deaf. A second
conductor was used. The contralto Fraulein Unger had to turn Beethoven around
to see the applause.
The significance of this story is often overlooked: Beethoven was still conducting
when the orchestra finished; therefore, his sense of the tempo was slower than
what conductor (presumably following Beethoven’s verbal directions on tempo)
was doing.
5 Concertos, 1 Violin Concerto, “Triple Concerto”
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
 Published 1801, composed and first performed in 1798
 Later, revised
 1st movement has a extensive orchestral exposition and with martial themes
 Slow movement in distant key (A-flat Major)
 Finale is a rondo.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 19
 Published in 1801, composed before the C Major concerto
 Both nos. 1 and 2 were preceded by an unnumbered concerto written in1784, not
and published until 1890. Therefore, No. 2 is actually No. 1.
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
 Original MS dated 1800
 Dedicated to “Prince Louis Ferdinand de Prusse”
 First performance with the composer at the piano in 1803. Later than year,
performed with Ferdinand Ries at the keyboard and the composer conducting
 !st movement has an extensive orchestral exposition
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
 Composed 1805-06
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Dedicated to Archduke Rudolf
First performed in 1807 at Lobkowitz’s Palace, the solo part being played by the
composer
Included on the “Monster Concert” of 1808
The concerto begins with the soloist. The orchestra commences at m. 6 in a
remote key, but modulates quickly to the tonic for the beginning of the orchestral
exposition proper.
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73
 Composed 1809-10
 Dedicated to the Archduke Rudolf
 The soloist enters after a single chord from the orchestra. There a numerous
stories about performances with great pianists such as Rubinstein or Schnabel in
which the confusion between which of the last three concertos was being played
led to humorous confusion on stage and either delayed beginnings, or
“emergency” entrances
 Beethoven never performed this concerto in public, indicating that by 1810,
Beethoven’s hearing was too deteriorated for him to be able to perform a concerto
in public.
 First performance by Friedrich Schneider, soon thereafter by Karl Czerny.
“Triple Concerto” in C Major for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra, Op. 56
 Composed 1803-04
 Dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz
 Written for the Archduke Rudolf of Austria, who was an amateur pianist and
Beethoven’s pupil. The piano part is, therefore, relatively easy. The violin and
cello parts, written for the violinist Seidler and the cellist Anton Kraft, who were
in the service of the Archduke, are difficult.
 The so-called Leonore sketchbook of 1804 has numerous drafts of this work
 The outer movements are in the tonic key; the slow movement—a gracious and
charming although short movement—is in the remote key of A-flat Major
 The work is in concertante style, and continues the tradition which was in vogue
in the late 18th and early 19th century. Other examples include JS Bach’s
Brandenburg concerto no. 5, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola,
and Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Cello, Oboe and Bassoon.
Violin Concerto, Op. 61
 Written in 1806 for (and dedicated to) Franz Clement the Viennese
violinist/conductor. The dedicated includes this play on words: “Concerto par
Clemenza pour Clement primo Violini e direttore al theatro a Vienna.”
 At the urging of the publisher Clementi, Beethoven also produced an arrangement
of the work for piano, which is ignored by pianists today.
 There are numerous textual problems with the violin part, stemming from the
haste with which the work was prepared for publication.
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The work was not an immediate success; however, when it was taken up by the
great Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim in 1844 its greatness was recognized.
This performance was given by the then 13-year old Joachim in London under the
direction of Felix Mendelssohn.
1 Opera--Fidelio
 Composed in 1803-04, immediately after the Eroica symphony
 Based on the French Revolutionary-era opera Leonore: ou, L’Amour conjugal
 First performance in November, 1805 after French took Vienna
 Shortened to two acts and performed in March, 1806
 Third version in 1814 with extensive revisions
11 Overtures
The Creatures of Prometheus
 Ballet music, a theme from which became the principal theme of the finale of the
Third Symphony
 Composed 1800-01; contemporaneous to 1st Symphony, written for a ballet
devised by Salvatore Vigano
 Overture is filled with highs spirits; Beethoven ignored Prometheus’s suffering
Overtures, Leonore, nos. 1 (Op. 138, written 1807), nos. 2 and 3, (Op. 72a and 72b,
written 1805-1806), all three written for the opera Fidelio
 The premiere of Fidelio (1805) coincided with the French invasion of Vienna
 Opera was revived in 1806,and again in 1814—see Fidelio Overture
 Of the 3 Lenore overtures, no. 3 is the most famous and longest; it refers to major
characters and scenes of the opera, including Florestan’s imprisonment, Leonore’s
theme, and the arrival of the Governor, heralded by the trumpet
Coriolan, Op. 62.
 Composed in 1807; contemporaneous to 4th Piano Concerto
 Inspired by a play by his friend Heinrich von Collin, which based on Shakespeare
 A concert overture, not incidental music to a play
Egmont Overture, Op. 84
 written as part of the incidental music for the play by Goethe
 composed in 1809-10
 Beethoven wrote the music partly as a tribute to Goethe, who he had not yet met
 Goethe consider the minor chord to be an expression of man’s highest qualities of
invention (since it does not occur in Nature)—the overture is in F Minor
 The “Victory Symphony” which forms the coda of the work comes directly from
the incidental music
Ruins of Athens Overture, Op. 113 (1811)—Overture to a play, with incidental music
Wellington’s Victory, Op. 91, (1813)
 Possibly Beethoven’s worst piece, premiered on concert with 7th Symphony
 The Battle of Waterloo was staged in front of the orchestra to this work
Fidelio Overture, Op. 72c (1814)
 Overture written for the last revision of the opera Fidelio, in 1814
 Has little direct reference to the opera
Late Overtures, rarely played in the standard concert repertoire
 King Stephen Overture, Op. 117 (1811)
 Overture Namenfeuer, Op. 115 (1815)
 Consecration of the House, Op. 124 (1822)
16 String Quartets
Early Vienna Period:
 Opus 18: Six String Quartets (1800)
Middle Period:
 Opus 59: Three "Rasumovsky" String Quartets (1806). Rasumovsky was the
Russian ambassador to Vienna and an amateur musician. There is a Russian
theme in the finale to the 1st quartet and another in the 3rd movement of the 2nd
quartet. The musicians thought Beethoven was playing a joke on them because of
the 1-, 2- and 3- note pedal points, frequent changes in texture, imitations, etc.
 Opus 74: String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major "Harp" (1809)
 Opus 95: String Quartet No. 11 in F minor "Serioso" (1810)
Late Period:
 Opus 127: String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat major (1825)
 Opus 130: String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major (1825)
 Opus 131: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor (1826). This seven-movement
work includes pizzicato and sul ponticello passages. The movements form an arch
with the variations as the central movement. The seven movements could be seen
as based on a four-movement plan with movements 2, 4, 5, and 7 as the basic
four movements, and movements 1, 3, and 6 as introductory movements. The
movements are linked by motives as well (see chart and excerpts in text).
 Opus 132: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor (1825)
 Opus 133: Große Fuge in B-flat major for string quartet (1826)
 Opus 135: String Quartet No. 16 in F major (1826)
32 Piano Sonatas
Early Viennese:
 Opus 13: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, "Pathetique" (1798)
 Opus 27, no. 2: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor "Moonlight" (1801)
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Opus 31, no. 2: Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor "Tempest" (1802)
Opus 31, no. 3: Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major "The Hunt" (1802)
Heroic Period:
 Opus 53: Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major "Waldstein" (1804). Dedicated to Count
Waldstein. Starts with “brooding ostinato” with “lightning flashes” in the right
hand. Key schemes are disrupted (dominant arrives late in the exposition, 2nd
theme is in A Major in the recapitulation, and only stated in tonic in the coda)
 Opus 57: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor "Appassionata" (1805). Also has a keyscheme “problem” which is solved over the course of the movement.
 Opus 81a: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major "Les adieux/Lebewohl" (1810)
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Late Period:
Opus 101: Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major (includes improvisatory passage in
slow movement)
Opus 106: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major "Hammerklavier" (1819)
Opus 109: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major (1820) (long trill)
Opus 110: Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major (1821) (recitative)
Opus 111: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor (1822)
Other Important Works:
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Opera—Fidelio, Op 72, (1814)
Mass—Missa Solemnis, Op. 123, (1822). Originally intended as the Mass for the
installation of the Archduke Rudolf as the archbishop of Olmütz, the work grew
in proportions to become a compendium of techniques for setting the mass. In this
way, it is comparable to Bach’s B Minor Mass.
10 Violin Sonatas
5 Cello Sonatas
9 Piano Trios for Violin, Cello and Piano, including the “Archduke” Trio
Diabelli Variations. Thirty-three variations on a Waltz by Diabelli. Variations are
built on “motives derived from the theme but altered in rhythm, tempo, dynamics”
to produce distantly related variations. Brahms and Schumann followed this work
as a model.
Assessment:
 Life story helped shape the Romantic view of the artist as cultural hero and social
outsider
 It was Beethoven’s heroic style works which dominated the 19th century view of
him (symphonies 5, 6, 7 and 9, and the piano sonatas). The late quartets were not
understood
 E.T.A. Hoffmann saw Beethoven as a romantic composer.
 Beethoven was, in the words of our text, one of the great disruptive forces in the
history of music. No subsequent composer could view the symphony (or any
other instrumental genre) in the same way as it was seen before. Further,
Beethoven’s influence on opera was great, because of his programmatic
symphonies and his system of thematic transformation. Wagner studied
Beethoven closely. (includes improvisatory passages)