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Leigh Raskauskas Music 89S Paper Beethoven’s Influence on Dvořák through Brahms As the great historian Henry Adams once asserted, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”1 The definition of a teacher is as wide as the influence, expanding to include even the musical realm of composers. Composers teach not only the audience that listens to their music, but also facilitate the knowledge of every composer that comes after them, teaching invaluable aspects of style and poise in music. A specific composer of influence would be Ludwig van Beethoven, the great classical composer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries who composed nearly three hundred different pieces over his lifetime. One of the most widely known composers in history, Beethoven has influenced people, whether musicians themselves or not, beginning with his first composition at the age of twelve. His sphere of influence has been so expansive, so all‐ encompassing, that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact effects he has had on any one subject. His influence can be measured, in some part, through similarities of his pieces and composers that came after him. These similarities are not simply mockeries; they are the sometimes‐unconscious homages paid to their great predecessor. One such subject that was especially influenced by Beethoven would be Antonín Leopold Dvořák, one of the greatest Czech composers of the 19th century. Although separated by a century and a few countries, the measure of influence Beethoven had on Dvořák is astounding, apparent in a few of his major pieces, 1 "Henry Adams." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2012. 4 November 2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_adams.html 1 specifically his Symphony No. 6 in D Major. But because Beethoven and Dvořák were so far removed from each other, Beethoven’s influence is even more obvious through another composer, Johannes Brahms, shown through especially his first symphony. Brahms and Dvořák lived in nearly the same time period, coming into contact with each other frequently in the musical world. While both composers were greatly influenced by Beethoven, the best example of “a teacher affect[ing] eternity”2 is the influence Ludwig van Beethoven had on Antonín Dvořák, through the intermediary works of Johannes Brahms. One of the most amazing things about the influential composer Beethoven is the ever surprising, but well‐known fact of his failing hearing. Born in Bonn, Holy Roman Empire in 1770, Beethoven wrote his first piece at the early age at twelve, and continued composing well into the increasing deafness that set in during his twenties. Beethoven was, as all composers are, influenced by a number of people as well, including his father and the composers Mozart and Haydn. One of the reasons Beethoven has been so influential was his importance in the transition between Classical and Romantic eras, serving as a turning point in musical history. He managed to write in a traditional style while at the same time blazing new paths and introducing new styles to the existence of music. As the late Romantic composer Gustav Mahler pondered as to why Beethoven is so awe‐inspiring and influential, his music has “a universal, all‐encompassing quality that look[s] beyond conventional notions of ‘good taste’ and compositional correctness to make a statement about the 2 "Henry Adams." BrainyQuote.com. 2 human condition.”3 This battle between traditionalism and innovativeness stayed a theme throughout his lifetime, becoming one of his most recognizable features in all of his music. This transition away from complete classical composing was just one change in his life; Beethoven had three main styles throughout his life, starting with a formative period, shifting into a middle period also sometimes known as the “heroic”4 period, and maturing into his last stylistic period in 1813. Although these three periods all produced distinct pieces of music, Beethoven composed music, every time, with his explicit ability to create a “wedding of simplicity and complexity.”5 According to Leonard Bernstein, Beethoven was so great and so influential that he was positively incapable of writing anything casually, instead turning every single note in his music into something entirely important and significant. Another musical historian, Jan Swafford, goes even further by asserting that his music seems to grab each and every person who hears it and captivates them, saying, “I am telling you something of extreme importance.”6 Beethoven remains one of the most widely recognized composers even today, with some of his music often used in everyday life, for example in movies, such as his Für Elise or his Ode to Joy. Beethoven’s innovation, significant enough to usher in an entire new era of music, was not without effects on composers following him. Although it cannot be said that those composers, such as Johannes Brahms, followed in his footsteps, there is also no denying the influence that Beethoven had on their lives and music. 3 Hurwitz, David. Beethoven's Fifth and Seventh Symphonies: A Closer Look. New York: Continuum, 2008. Print. p. 9‐10 4 Kinderman, William. Beethoven. Berkeley: University of California, 1995: p. 93 5 Bernstein, Leonard. The Infinite Variety of Music. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1966. Print: p. 195 6 Swafford, Jan. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. Print: p. 37 3 Johannes Brahms, born in Hamburg in 1833, spent most of his life in Vienna, like Beethoven. Like Beethoven, Brahms was also influenced by Mozart and Haydn, and like Beethoven, Brahms was also very influential in the realm of composers. Some lump Brahms into a category of the “Three B’s,” also including Bach and Beethoven. Hans von Bülow, the famous German conductor of the 19th century, went as far as to suggest that the three composers were a type of holy trinity of classical music, saying that he “believe[d] in Bach, the Father, Beethoven, the Son, and Brahms, the Holy Ghost of music.”7 Even in this analogy, Beethoven and Brahms are inexorably linked, leaving no doubt as to the influence the former had on the latter. Both a traditionalist and an innovator, Brahms was a master of counterpoint and development, establishing new approaches to harmony and melody. While a clearly successful composer, Brahms still struggled with some of his works due to his intense perfectionism. The fact that Brahms was so often compared to Beethoven intimidated Brahms, influencing him to spend unnecessary amounts of time perfecting pieces that were very near perfect in the first place. After moving to Vienna in 1862, Brahms came into contact with the musical society, in particular the concertmaster of the Philharmonic, Josef Hellmesberger. On first hearing Brahms perform a piece he had written on the piano, Hellmesberger exclaimed, “This is the Heir of Beethoven!”8 In reality, Brahms worked with a bust of Beethoven that would look over him as he composed, reminding him of the absolute greatness that can and did come out of a musical piece thanks to the great composer. Stylistically, Brahms 7 Slonimsky, Nicolas. Slonimsky's Book of Musical Anecdotes. New York, NY: Routledge, 2002. Print: p. 99 8 Swafford. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. p. 37 4 developed pieces like Beethoven, sticking to a more traditionalist method of composition that Beethoven had also utilized, although innovative in his time, contrasting with other contemporaries of Brahms’s time period. Brahms composed with structure, form, and order in mind, working hand in hand with his perfectionism to compose “pure” pieces of German music. Brahms started composing string quartets, much like his predecessor Beethoven who had successfully written sixteen quartets. The interesting thing about choosing to write string quartets, however, was that they were essentially an extinct genre following the era of Beethoven. Brahms, contrary to the times in more ways than one, decided to compose string quartets, reportedly discarding more than twenty compositions before finally being appeased with his Opus 51. Brahms was so influenced by Beethoven that he decided to face the challenge of writing string quartets, despite their relative unpopularity and difficulty to compose, “picking up the legacy of Beethoven and carrying it further.”9 But Brahms always added his own twist, doing things in his own way while still participating in a type of homage to Beethoven. Beethoven’s influence on Brahms is even more apparent in Brahms’s First Symphony, often even called Beethoven’s Tenth due to undeniable similarities to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. In the First, the sound of the orchestra is so monumental and the chorale theme is so reminiscent of Beethoven’s Ninth that parallels cannot help but be drawn between these two pieces, and accordingly between the two men. While Brahms’ First Symphony, also called his symphony in C 9 Swafford. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. p. 384 5 Minor, is innovative, described as a “paradoxical resolution of conservative and progressive elements,”10 it also correlates to a few of the great compositions of Beethoven. In his First Symphony, Brahms models his layout after Beethoven, starting with a quick tempo‐ed first movement that is followed by a slow and lyrical second movement and a light third movement, but finishes with a grand finale. Beethoven’s style of adding intensity and weight to his finales, especially after his “Eroica,” is clearly seen to have influenced Brahms, manifesting in a finale to the First that is a “culmination of the motive and dramatic unfolding.”11 By bringing in trombones for the first time, Brahms’ finale to his First Symphony is clearly reminiscent of Beethoven’s epic chorale finale in his Ninth Symphony. Some people argue that the two symphonies are really not that much alike, as demonstrated by their different tones, Beethoven’s being much more heroic, and Brahms more gentle. Jan Swafford argues that Brahms’ First is much more “lyrically restrained”12 than Beethoven’s Ninth, but this does not take away from the obvious similarities in the concept as well as the layout of the symphony. There are also parallels between Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Brahms’ First, including the rhythm of the fate mottos, Beethoven’s distinct pattern of three short notes followed by one long note, at the opening, and how they both shift from C minor to C Major at the end. It is undeniable that Brahms used Beethoven as a model for one of his most successful symphonies, with Brahms even acknowledging the similarities and declaring himself that instead of plagiarizing Beethoven, he was paying the great composer a 10 Swafford. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. p. 405 11 Swafford. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. p. 408 12 Swafford. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. p. 411 6 “conscious act of homage.” Brahms went on to write A German Requiem in 1868, a piece inspired by his mother’s death. This specific composition identified Brahms and allowed him to move beyond his obsession with Beethoven and symphonies. He started finishing more pieces, moving beyond the quartets and symphonies that took him decades to finish, and finally having the confidence to overcome the perfectionism that haunted much of his early life. Antonín Leopold Dvořák is another composer who was, unsurprisingly, greatly influenced by Ludwig van Beethoven. Born in 1841 in the former Austrian Empire, which is now the Czech Republic, Dvořák lived in roughly the same time and musical period as Brahms. He published his first composition at age twenty, in contrast to some of the other child prodigy composers, such as Beethoven, who finished his first composition at the young age twelve. Also in opposition to some of the other famous composers, Dvořák was not born into a family that set him up for a musical lifestyle. Instead, Dvořák struggled through his early years as a musician, with a “discrepancy between outward poverty and inner enrichment”13 so apparent in his poor lifestyle. He could not afford a piano or a house, and therefore spent much of his time shifting from house to house until he was kicked out. In fact, Dvořák nearly was not even allowed to continue with his musical education early on in his life, as his dad insisted on his dropping his music and becoming a butcher when he returned home from learning how to speak German. While away from his home, Dvořák had learned music theory and how to play various instruments from first his language teacher Anton Liehmann, and then later the choirmaster Franz 13 Honolka, Kurt. Dvořák. London: Haus, 2004. Print. p. 20 7 Hanke. Liehmann, a German from North Bohemia, greatly encouraged Dvořák ‘s musical talents, introducing him to the great composers, especially Beethoven. This was the first time Dvořák came into contact with the music of Beethoven and it would change his life forever. Dvořák began to revere Beethoven, especially influenced by his German teachers and their respect for the great composer as well. His father finally did give in to Dvořák’s insistence of following his musical dreams, insisting though that Dvořák would “take up a solid, practical career as an organist.”14 Dvořák agreed, happy do be doing anything that involved music, attending a German organist school where he once again learned more about Beethoven alongside getting his education in how to play the organ. After completing his two years of organ school and then in an ironic twist of fate not even being able to find a position as an organist, Dvořák became first violist in the very small private orchestra of the Provisional Theatre, following in the footsteps, once again, of Beethoven. Beethoven also started his musical career as a violist in Bonn, giving rise to the suggestion that there is something about the way a viola is placed in an orchestral context that gives rise to the mind of a composer. Dvořák struggled along for more than a decade on a meager salary of a violist in the orchestra, teaching music lessons on the side to just stay afloat, until he finally got a little extra help from Johannes Brahms. Dvořák admired Brahms greatly, and Brahms played a great role in assisting Dvořák in his career, praising him and helping him get a contract from his very same publisher, Fritz Simrock. In a letter to Brahms in 1877, Dvořák exclaims, “But an even greater good fortune is the favour 14 Honolka, Dvo řák. p. 15 8 with which you, highly respected Sir, have shown towards my humble talent.”15 Brahms, eight years his elder, served as a sort of father figure for Dvořák. Although Dvořák did have a very close relationship with his biological father, the man did not fully support Dvořák’s musical lifestyle, as for example how he was reluctant to even let Dvořák continue on with his musical education in his early years. Brahms filled this void of complete parental support, encouraging Dvořák to write more and more. Fritz Simrock was more than pleased with the work of Dvořák, and accordingly asked him to do something a little different than usual. Simrock asked for a dance, modeled off of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, published in 1869, consisted of 21 dance tunes based on old folk themes. In fact, only three of the 21 dances are completely original, the rest instead focused around Hungarian melodies. When Simrock asked Dvořák to write his own dances with Brahms’ dances as a model, Dvořák did something a little ambitious. Instead of using old melodies, Dvořák used only Slavic rhythms, publishing his first eight in 1878. Eight more followed in 1886, adding up for a total of “sixteen masterpieces of melodic, rhythmic, and tonal invention, surpassing Brahms’s Hungarian Dances,”16 according to musical analyst Kurt Honolka, mostly because of Dvořák’s originality as opposed to Brahms’ method of simply modifying existing folk melodies. In addition, the Slavonic Dances were a little bit longer on average than their ‘parent’ dances, adding a little bit of a different air to the two very similar dances. Dvořák’s orchestrated Slavonic Dances became very popular and 15 Honolka, Dvo řák. p. 41 16 Honolka, Dvo řák. p. 45 9 profitable, catapulting the composer into a fame and fortune he had not experienced thus far in his composing life. This period of his life was collectively called his Slavonic period, characterized with overwhelming support for his compositions and abundant commissions, as well as an overtly nationalistic style. The influence Beethoven had on Dvořák, apparent through both the similarities in their early life as well as the fact that Dvořák was, for the most part, German educated and therefore developed in accordance to the style of Beethoven, cannot be emphasized any better than through analysis of some of Dvořák’s pieces. In his First Symphony, Dvořák clearly shows the influence that his worship of Beethoven has on his music, as the symphony is reminiscent of Beethoven’s Fifth in its keys. The four movements of Dvořák’s First are written in C minor, A‐Flat major, C minor, and C major, an amazing exact parallel to the keys of the four movements of Beethoven’s Fifth. What is really interesting about Dvořák’s decision to emulate Beethoven’s Fifth is the fact of its relative unpopularity at the time. As David Hurwitz claims, it is unsurprising that Beethoven’s Fifth was not originally widely accepted, because “most new and complex works take time to sink in and establish themselves.”17 Dvořák looked at Beethoven’s Fifth, hearing the genius in its composition, and decided to use the piece as a model even as it was declared a generally unsatisfying by the general public and even the musical community, as such showed the reaction of Beethoven’s contemporary Louis Spohr when he assigned the phrase “unmeaning noise”18 to the symphony. When Dvořák set the 17 Hurwitz, Beethoven's Fifth and Seventh Symphonies: A Closer Look. p. 55 18 Hurwitz, Beethoven's Fifth and Seventh Symphonies: A Closer Look. p. 56 10 poem Heirs of the White Mountain, a nationalistic, emotional poem about the Czech people, to music, he did so in the style of Beethoven’s symphonies, “[believing] unashamedly both in Beethoven and in his own people.”19 Dvořák’s love for Beethoven, for his music and everything it symbolized, epitomized in his knowledge about the great composer. Dvořák knew everything about Beethoven, as well as other influential composers, including all his works down to the smallest details, allowing him to subconsciously incorporate aspects of Beethoven’s style into his own music. Dvořák composed his Symphony No. 6 in D Major for the Vienna Philharmonic, expecting that it would be performed in 1880. Although the Philharmonic did not actually end up performing it until 1942, the symphony remained a success, said to be the piece where “the gaiety, humor, and passion of the Czech people”20 dwells. The layout itself is typical of any symphony of the times, with four movements consisting of an allegro, an adagio, a presto and an allegro. The simple layout of his symphony is further work of the influence of Beethoven, the master of the symphony. Once again, Dvořák composes something nationalistic about the Czech, saying about his Sixth that his “motto is and always will be: God, Love, Fatherland!”21 The fact that Dvořák still chooses to write his nationalism into a symphony, a symbol of the German composer, shows the absolute influence Beethoven had on Dvořák. The layout of the symphony, therefore, begins with the allegro as the first movement, in sonata form, followed by the adagio. The adagio 19 Honolka, Dvo řák. p. 30 20 Honolka, Dvo řák. p. 49 21 Honolka, Dvo řák. p. 65 11 contains a rondo and woodwind solos, constructing a close relationship between the main theme and introductory melody. The third movement is where Dvořák shows his true ingenuity, culminating in the way he integrates the sonatas in the movements as well as how he introduces the furiant into his symphonies. The furiant, or “a spirited Bohemian dance tune in 3⁄4 time with shifting accents”22 appears in the presto movement of Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony. The furiant is not only where the symphony contrasts from others of the time, but also where the Czech composer’s nationalism is most apparent in the theme and intensity of the movement. The finale of the Sixth Symphony is an allegro, once again in sonata form. Dvořák’s outer movements in particular resemble Brahms’s Second Symphony, written three years earlier. They have similar themes and structures and in both symphonies, there is a recurring theme from the fourth movement that goes back to the first movement, tying the entire composition together. Both compositions have the same tempo, meter, key, and scoring, adding even more evidence to the fact that Dvořák was highly influenced by the works of Brahms, who wrote his compositions greatly influenced by Beethoven. So it was not just Brahms that influenced Dvořák in his writing of his Sixth Symphony; Beethoven also influenced Dvořák both directly and through the intermediary of Brahms. The first movement, in particular, is similar to Beethoven’s Third symphony in its orchestration and transitions. But besides just his melodies, Dvořák also modeled his symphony off of Beethoven’s processes, using similar compositional techniques to those of the man he admired so much. The second 22 "Furiant." MerriamWebster. Merriam‐Webster, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://www.merriam‐ webster.com/dictionary/furiant>. 12 movement, as well, is similar to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in its shape and instrument usage. Both compositions have a melodic shape, shift from B flat major to D major, and take advantage of the use of woodwinds. Dvořák so emulated Brahms and Beethoven, as is completely apparent through his compositions, to the point that he wrote in the same style as them. Dvořák wrote conservatively, as opposed to the popular style of the times, following in the footsteps of Beethoven and guided along by Brahms. Fighting against the tide of new music, Dvořák became a prominent composer who, like Brahms, preferred to write in the traditional pure style, emulating the great Ludwig van Beethoven. Whether it was Beethoven’s style of integrating traditionalism and innovation or simply a matter of his success, the man and his music had an expansive influence on many composers, including but not by any means limited to Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák. His influence is undeniable, shown clearly in the obvious similarities between his Fifth and Ninth Symphonies and Brahms’s First, but even more importantly in the less obvious examples of Brahms’s other pieces. Just the fact that Brahms worked with a bust of Beethoven watching over him points to the fact that all his music has some sort of underlying influence, paying a sort of homage, to the composer he so looked up to. Through this connection, the influence of Beethoven can also be expanded to Dvořák, who was affected by Beethoven all the same. Practically raised to worship Beethoven, some of the most important similarities, to Beethoven’s Third and Ninth, are conspicuous in Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony. It is not only these similarities, the ones directly connecting Dvořák and Beethoven, but also the similarities between Brahms and Dvořák that further point 13 to the effects that Beethoven had on the Czech composer. As Henry Adams once concluded, ““A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops,”23 clearly exemplified through Beethoven’s influence on Brahms and through him the powerful influence on Dvořák and his music. Ludwig van Beethoven, the successful musician, the great composer, and the awe‐inspiring teacher of the 19th century is truly a composer of influence. Music Bibliography Fuller‐Maitland, J. A. Brahms. Port Washington, NY: Kennikat, 1972. Print. Smaczny, Jan. Dvořák, Cello Concerto. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1999. Print. "Henry Adams." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2012. 4 November 2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_adams.html Kinderman, William. Beethoven. Berkeley: University of California, 1995. Print. Honolka, Kurt. Dvořák. London: Haus, 2004. Print. Hurwitz, David. Beethoven's Fifth and Seventh Symphonies: A Closer Look. New York: Continuum, 2008. Print. Bernstein, Leonard. The Infinite Variety of Music. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1966. Print. "Hans von Bülow." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. http://www.britannica.com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/EBchecked/topic/84532/Hans‐ von‐Bulow. Slonimsky, Nicolas. Slonimsky's Book of Musical Anecdotes. New York, NY: Routledge, 2002. Print. Swafford, Jan. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. Print. 23 "Henry Adams." BrainyQuote.com. 14 15