Ludwig van Beethoven

1
Ludwig van Beethoven

• 1770-1827
• Died at 57

2
Beethoven

• Transitional figure from Classical to Romantic
  Period
  
• His genius directly influenced composition for
  over 100 years

3
Beethoven

• Born in Bonn, Germany
• Family of musicians
• Published by age 12
• Pronounced a real talent by Mozart at 16
• Studied composition with Haydn in Vienna

4
Beethoven

• Piano virtuoso
• First very successful freelance musician
• Income
• Piano lessons (to aristocracy)
• Concerts
• Publishing compositions

5
Beethoven, Publishing

• Somewhat unscrupulous
• Sold same composition to several publishers

6
Beethoven

• Started going deaf at 29
• Slowly at first
• Completely deaf by end of life
• But produced some of the greatest works of all
  time when practically completely deaf
  
• A powerful, tortured personality

7
Beethoven

• Composing was a laborious task for Beethoven
• Unlike Mozart
• Worked on a single symphony for years to get it
  right
  
• While writing other music

8
Beethovens Music

• Transition to Romantic Period
• Expanded tension and excitement
• Syncopation
• Dissonance
• Contrast of mood are more pronounced

9
Beethovens Music

• Concerned with unifying contrasting movements
• One movement leads directly to the next without
  pause
  
• Similar themes used in multiple movements
• Early movements lead to climactic finale
• Haydn, Mozart light, relaxed final movments

10
Beethoven

• 9 symphonies
• Most famous works
• Larger orchestra than Haydn and Mozart
• Finale of 9th symphony
• Added chorus and vocal soloists

11
Beethoven

• 32 Piano Sonatas
• Solo piano
• 4 movements
• String Quartets
• Piano Concertos (5)
• Only one opera Fidelio

12
Beethoven and the Piano

• Piano replaced the harpsichord as the instrument
  of choice
  
• Much wider dynamic range
• Harpsichord could only play at one dynamic
• Somewhat more contrast in color with addition of
  pedals
  
• Sustain pedal
• Soft pedal
• Expanded range of color and dynamics required for
  Beethovens sense of drama

13
Terms review

• Dynamics
• Piano p, soft
• Pianissimo pp, very soft
• Forte f, loud
• Fortissimo ff, very loud
• Crescendo, gradually louder
• Decerescendo, gradually softer
• Staccato short
• Legato smooth

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Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13Pathetique (1798)

• 3 movements
• Extreme dynamic contasts
• Explosive accents
• Crashing chords

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Pathetique Sonata

• First movement
• Grave (solemn, slow introduction)
• Allegro molto (very fast and brilliant allegro)

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Pathetique Sonata

• Allegro molto e con brio
• Sonata form
• Exposition
• Development
• Recapitulation

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Pathetique SonataFirst movmement

• Beethoven adds 2 parts for this movement
• Slow Introduction
• Exposition
• Development
• Recapitulation
• Coda

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Pathetique Sonata

• Slow introduction
• Intense
• Dotted rhythm
• Long short
• Repeated higher and higher (sequence)
• Pauses build expectation

19
Pathetique Sonata

• Exposition
• First theme, Staccato, rising figure
• Accompanied by rumbling lower notes in left hand

20
Pathetique Sonata

• Exposition
• Bridge to second theme grows out of first theme

21
Pathetique Sonata

• Exposition
• 2nd Theme
• Contrasting

22
Pathetique Sonata

• Other themes presented at end of exposition

23
Pathetique Sonata

• Development
• Slow introduction returns!
• Contrast of tempo, rhythm, and mood
• Fast tempo resumes
• Combines bridge theme with slow introduction
  theme (altered form)

24
Pathetique Sonata

• Recapitulation
• Runs normal course of presenting themes from
  Exposition
  
• Coda
• Loud, dissonant chord and pause
• Brings back the slow introduction
• Opening staccato idea returns and powerful chords
  close the movement
  

25
Symphony No. 5in C Minor, Op. 67 (1808)

• First movement
• Allegro con brio (allegro with vigor)
• Sonata form

26
Exposition

• First Theme
• Basic motive, very loud
• Repeated lower, strings in unison (everyone plays
  same notes)
  

27
Exposition

• First Theme
• Suddenly (p) soft
• Strings quickly develop basic motive
• Minor key
• Powerful chords
• High held tone

28
Exposition

• Bridge
• Basic motive, (ff) fortissimo, very loud,
  orchestra in unison (What does unison mean?)
  
• Sudden (p) piano, soft, strings quickly develop
  basic motive, crescendo, (ff) fortissimo, very
  loud
  
• Powerful chords

29
Exposition

• Second Theme
• Solo French horns, (ff) fortissimo, very loud
• Horn-call motive

30
Exposition

• Second Theme
• Violins (p) piano, soft, lyrical melody in major
• Basic motive accompanies in low strings
• Crescendo to . . .

31
Exposition

• Second Theme
• Triumphant melody (ff) fortissimo, very loud,
  violins
  
• Woodwinds and horns, basic motive rushes
  downward.
  
• Cadences in basic rhythm
• Pause
• Exposition repeated

32
Development

• Basic motive, (ff) fortissimo, very loud, horns,
  strings
  
• Horns
• Strings
• Sudden (p) piano, soft, strings and woodwinds
• Basic motive quickly developed
• Motive climbs to rapidly repeated chords (ff)
  fortissimo, very loud

33
Development

• Violins (ff) fortissimo, very loud, horn-call
  motive
  
• Low strings, descending line

34
Development

• High woodwinds (ff) fortissimo, very loud, in
  dialogue with lower strings (ff) fortissimo,
  
• Horn-call motive broken into tiny fragments
  (eventually just one note)
  
• Decrescendo to (pp) pianissimo, very soft

35
Development

• Sudden (ff) fortissimo, very loud, horn-call
  rhythm
  
• Sudden (pp) pianissimo, very soft
• Woodwinds echoed by strings
• Sudden (ff) fortissimo, very loud, repeated
  motive drives into . . .

36
Recapitulation

• First theme
• Climactic Basic motive
• Full orchestra, (ff) fortissimo, very loud
• Repeated a step lower

37
Recapitulation

• First theme
• Sudden (p) piano, soft
• Strings quickly develop basic motive, minor key,
  chords lead to
  
• Oboe Solo cadenza

38
Recapitulation

• Bridge
• Basic motive quickly developed in strings
• Crescendo to (ff) fortissimo, very loud
• Full orchestra

39
Recapitulation

• Second Theme
• Horn-call motive, solo bassoons, (ff) fortissimo,
  very loud

40
Recapitulation

• Second Theme
• Lyrical major melody, (p) piano, soft
• Violins and flutes alternate
• Basic motive accompanies in timpani
• (p) piano, soft
• Crescendo to . . .

41
Recapitulation

• Second Theme
• Triumphant melody, (ff) fortissimo, very loud,
  violins
  
• Woodwinds, basic motive rushes downward
• Cadences in basic rhythm

42
Coda

• Rapidly repeated chords, (ff) fortissimo, very
  loud
  
• Horn-call motive
• Lower strings, (f) forte, loud with higher violin
  melody, minor
  
• Descending violin melody, staccato, leads to . . .

43
Coda

• New, rising theme in strings
• Legato and staccato
• High woodwinds, (ff) fortissimo, very loud,
  answered by lower strings in powerful
  interchange.
  
• Rapidly repeated notes lead to . . .

44
Coda

• Basic motive, (ff) fortissimo, very loud
• Repeated a step lower, full orchestra
• Sudden (p) piano, soft, basic motive quickly
  developed in strings and woodwinds
  
• Sudden (ff) fortissimo, very loud, powerful
  concluding chords