Chapter 18:
Beethoven: Bridge to Romanticism
Ludwig von Beethoven
(1770-1827)
• Used and expanded classical forms and genres
• Beethoven’s gradual deafness imparted a feeling of
struggle and ultimate victory
• Career divided into three periods:
– Early (1770-1802)
– “Heroic” Period (1803-1813);
– Final Years (1814-1827)
The Early Years (1770-1802)
• Came from a family of musicians
– Father and grandfather performers at the court at Bonn,
Germany
– Father was an abusive alcoholic who forcibly made him
practice the keyboard at all hours
• 1787 moved to Vienna, settled there permanently in 1792
– Studied with Haydn
– Gained entrée into houses of the wealthy due to his
phenomenal ability as a pianist
• Played louder, more forcefully, and more violently than
any pianist Vienna had heard
• Gained support from wealthy patrons
Piano Sonata, Opus 13, “Pathétique” (1799)
Movement I: Grave; Allegro di molto e con brio)
• Emphasizes extremes of dynamics, tempo, and range
• Slow introduction suggests Beethoven’s style of
improvisation
• First theme: stormy chords, impetuous and racing
theme
• Sonata form controls the passionate intensity
Beethoven, Piano Sonata, Op. 13, “Pathétique”
• Second movement:
– Legato melodic line
• Third movement:
– Rondo form
– Passionate, slightly comical chase
– Crashing chords and stark contrasts from the first
movement have softened into a mood of impassioned
playfulness
Beethoven Loses His Hearing
• 1796: Early symptoms, ringing in his ears (tinnitus)
• 1802: Heiligenstadt Testament
– “I would have ended my life; it was only my art that
held me back.”
– Emerged with renewed resolve to fulfill his artistic
destiny
• 1816: Began using an ear trumpet
• 1817: No longer could hear music
• 1818: Began using “Conversation Books”
The “Heroic” Period (1803-1813)
• Resurgent, defiant mood
• Works became longer, more assertive, full of grand
gestures
• Simple, often triadic themes, predominate
• Majestic proportions
• Wrote Symphonies 3-8 during this period
Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major (“Eroica”), 1803
• Changed the historical direction of the symphony
• Originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte;
Beethoven scratched out his name when Napoleon
declared himself emperor
• Startling rhythmic effects and shocking chord
changes
• Mountains of sound created by simple triads with
ever increasing volume
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (1808)
• Four movements convey a sense of psychological
progression:
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–
–
–
I. Fateful encounter with elemental forces
II. Period of quiet soul-searching
III. Further wrestling with the elements
IV. Triumphant victory over Fate
• Opening theme used throughout the symphony
• Master of thematic transformation
First Movement:
Sonata-allegro form with extended coda
• Fate knocking at the door
• Motive more than melody
• Second theme: a moment of escape
• Second Movement – Theme and Variations
– Two themes: First lyrical and serene; Second brilliantly
heroic
• Third Movement – Scherzo
– Faster, more threatening sound than a Minuet and Trio
– Linked to the Fourth movement by a musical bridge
• Fourth Movement - Sonata-allegro form
– Grand triumphant beginning
– Longer than the First movement
– Added three trombones,
contrabassoon, and piccolo
Beethoven’s Final Years (1814-1827)
•
•
•
•
Totally deaf and withdrawn from society
Music more remote and inaccessible
Mainly composed introspective chamber music
Two large scale composition
– Missa Solemnis (1823)
– Symphony No. 9 (1824)
• All Vienna mourned his death in 1827
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor (1824)
Fourth movement
• First symphony to include a chorus
• An die Freude (Ode to Joy)
– Text by Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805)
– Only appears in the fourth movement
– Text honors idea of universal brotherhood
Beethoven and the Nineteenth Century
• Lasting musical legacy:
– Personal expression might push against and break free
from the confines of Classical form
– Expanded size of the orchestra and length of the
symphony
– Pure sound could be glorious in itself
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qWbcosJdtU
Classical Music
Melody
Short, balanced phrases create tuneful melodies; melody more
influenced by vocal than instrumental style; frequent cadences
produce light, airy feeling
Harmony
The rate at which chords change (harmonic rhythm) varies
dramatically, creating a dynamic flux and flow; simple chordal
harmonies made more active by “Alberti” bass
Rhythm
Departs from regular, driving patterns of Baroque era to become
more stop-and-go; greater rhythmic variety within a single
movement
Color
Orchestra grows larger; woodwind section of two flute, oboes,
clarinets, and bassoons becomes typical; piano replaces
harpsichord as principal keyboard instrument
Texture
Most homophonic; thin bass and middle range, light and
transparent; passages in contrapuntal style appear sparingly and
mainly for contrast
Form
A few standard forms regulate much of Classical music: sonataallegro, theme and variations, rondo, ternary (minuets and trios),
and double exposition (for solo concerto)