Download Ludwig_vanBeethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven
and the Ninth Symphony
Background
• Born in Bonn, Germany
• Baptized on Dec. 17 1770
• Grandfather was
Kapellmeister at court
• Father sang in choir and
taught voice and violin
lessons from their home
Early Life
• First performance at age of 7
• Took lessons with court organist,
Christian Gottlob Neefe
• Neefe introduced him to the
works of J.S. Bach, Joseph
Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart
• 1782 - 1783: wrote several
variations on an existing march
and three piano sonatas
Mozart and Haydn
• Went to Vienna to study with Mozart but had to return
home to to his mother's failing health
• Mother died and father became an alcoholic
• Got his first salaried position as an organist at court and
also had part of his father's salary transfered to him
• 1792: returned to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn
(Mozart had died only a year earlier)
Starting His Career
• 1795: funding for his studies was cut
off due to the French Revolution
• Made a name for himself in the local
salons; especially popular for his
improvisation on the piano
• Starting in 1800, Prince Licknowski
provided him a yearly stipend so he
could focus on composing music
Hearing Loss
• 1801: no longer able to hear
high-pitched tones
• Retreated to village of
Heiligenstadt where he wrote the
Heiligenstadt Testament
"I will grasp Fate by the neck, it
shall not bring me down entirely."
- Beethoven
Dark Period
• Beethoven's music reflected his
mood while struggling with his
hearing loss
• Moonlight Sonatas
• Eroica Symphony; originally
intended as an homage to Napoleon
Bonaparte
• Scratched Napoleon's name off the
symphony after hearing he had
declared himself emperor of France
Financial Worries
• First opera, Fidelio, not very successful
• Falling out with long-time supporter, Prince Licknowsky
• Turned down for permanent post with Vienna opera
• Considered position as Kapellmeister for Napoleon's
brother in Kassel
• Prince Kinsky, Prince Lobkowitz, and Archduke Randolph
joined together to provide an annual stipend of 4000 florins
Troubled Success
• Publication of music reached its
peak during 1810 to 1811
• Wellington's Victory
• Revival of Fidelio
• 1816 - 1820: Guardianship battle for
nephew
• Missa Solemnas
Final Years
• Symphony No. 9 and Ode to Joy
• Performed on May 7, 1824; met with thunderous
applause
• Nephew attempted to kill himself and was sent to an
army post
• Beethoven grew progressively sicker until confined to
a bed by November 1826
• Died March 26, 1827
• Over 20,000 attended his funeral (funeral oration)
Symphony No. 9 - History
• Delayed by guardianship battle and
Missa Solemnas
• First time voices were included in
a symphony
• Group of Viennese art lovers
petitioned Beethoven to have the
first performance in Vienna
• Final concert before his death
Listening Guide
Listen
• Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 Choral 4th Movement
• Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
• Conducted by Zubin Mehta, a musical director of
Florence, Italy
• Performed by the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the
Tokyo Opera Singers of Japan
• This musical number was performed at a charity concert
for the survivors of the March 11, 2011 Japan earthquake.
Listening Guide 0:00 - 2:30
0:00 - Bass drums and brass instruments in unison
0:30 - Abrupt changes from bass drums to brass and
woodwinds; rapid violin notes then slow cello and basses
1:00 - Forte; dramatic, quick cello strokes become pianissimo
then return to forte
1:30 - Bass strings and high pitched woodwinds take turns
2:00 - Slow to quick bass notes with woodwinds
2:30 - Bass instruments varying from high to low notes
Listening Guide 2:45 - 5:00
2:45 - Brief stop then "Ode to Joy" melody on bass and cello
3:15 - Melody continues
3:35 - Violins join then a bassoon
4:00 - Bassoon becomes louder the violins take over again
4:30 - Violins continue melody with violas harmonizing
5:00 - Full orchestra play melody and harmony then brass
instruments begin to dominate the melody
Listening Guide 5:30 - 7:45
5:30 - Bass drums join trumpets on melody
6:00 - Forte, rapid music slows down to just woodwinds then
full orchestra joins in and speeds up
6:30 - Orchestra stops and bass singer continues a Capella
7:00 - Singer continues with short bursts of music from
orchestra; flutes and piccolos play softly in background
7:30 - Plucking violin and soloist on melody
7:45 - Full choir on melody then instrumental interlude
Listening Guide 8:15 - 10:15
8:15 - Two high pitched female singers and two low pitched
male singers take over melody
8:30 - Full choir, forte, and orchestra take over melody
8:45 - Woodwind interlude then male singers on melody
9:15 - Orchestra and choir join together then slow down
9:45 - Pause, bassoon starts in unison with drum beat
10:15 - Flutes, piccolos, and trumpets continue with bassoon
getting louder
Listening Guide 10:30 - 13:00
10:30 - Tenor soloist with drums, symbols, and triangle; music
becomes a marching rhythm
11:00 - Male choir members join soloist; fortissimo
11:30 - Musical interlude with fast violins and woodwinds joined
by trumpets then full orchestra
12:00 - Orchestra continues at rapid pace
12:30 - Musical interlude winds down
13:00 - Full orchestra and choir join in fortissimo union to
complete the piece
Bibliography
Autexier, Philippe. Beethoven, The Composer as Hero. New York:
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992. Print.
Geck, Martin. Beethoven. London: Haus, 2003. Print.
Johnson, Stephen. Ludwig Van Beethoven: An Essential Guide to Hi
Life and Works. London: Pavilion, 1997. Print
Wegeler, Franz Gerhard, and Ferdinand Ries. Beethoven
Remembered: the Biographical Notes of Franz Wegeler and
Ferdinand Ries. Arlington, VA: Great Ocean, 1987. Print.
Wyn Jones, David. The Life of Beethoven. Cambridge: Cambridge
UP, 1998. Print.