ludwig van beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven's importance lies not only in his work, but also
in his life
(Tames, 4). Included in my report is proof that Beethoven was
one of the
greatest composers of the Romantic era. In this proof is a brief
description of
his life. This will help you understand how he felt when he
wrote his music.
Also, there will be a description of all his symphonies.
On December 16 or 17, 1770, (date uncertain) at 515 (now 20)
Bonngasse Bonn,
Germany Beethoven, like Mozart, was born into a small family
(Comptons, 1). He
took his first lessons on March 26, 1778, (Schmit, 10). In 1787,
he went to
Vienna to study with Mozart, but he went back to Bonn due to the
nature of his
mother's sickness (Schmit, 15). This would be the composers last
visit to Bonn.
After his mother's death on July 17, 1787, Beethoven went
back to Vienna
to study with Hayden in November of 1792, where he lived for 35
years (Tames,
14). He was unsatisfied with Hayden because he was preoccupied
and commonly
missed many mistakes made by Beethoven (Schmit, 17). Beethoven,
then, went to
Neffe who himself started composing at the age of 12.
In the late 1700's, Beethoven began to suffer from early
symptoms of

deafness, and by 1802, Beethoven was convinced that the condition
was not only
permanent but was getting much worse. The cause of his deafness
is still
uncertain (Comptons, 1). He was determined to prove that
deafness was not a
handicap to him (Thompson, 25). Beethoven's deafness started to
be noticeable,
and by 1818 Beethoven was completely deaf (Schmit, 28).
In the year of 1812, Beethoven fell in love with the
"Eternally
Beloved." Nobody knew her name except Beethoven, who did not
mention it in any
letter or to friends.
Under his first patron, Prince Karl Lichnowsky, Beethoven
wrote his
first symphony. The first symphony was wrote in 1795, and was a
set of three
Trios. Beethoven believed that his income came from the
successful sale of
these works, but it actually came from Lichnowsky (Tames, 12).
This symphony
was reflective of the classical era. He did not publish this
symphony until he
was 31.
In 1802, Beethoven wrote a second symphony. Beethoven
named this
symphony "Grande Sinfonie" while in Hiligenstadt where he wrote
the symphony
(Schmit, 35). The second symphony is a work noted for sunny and

optimistic tone
(Tames, 15).
Beethoven's third symphony, made in 1803, is the one
where he started
writing his style which was quite recognizably his own, rather
than based on a
previous composer (Tames, 16). The third symphony, originally
called Bonaparte,
was named after Napoleon Bonaparte. Later, Beethoven changed the
name to
"Sinfonia Eroica" (Schmit, 36). Two times as long as any one of
Mozart's or
Hayden's symphonies, the third symphony challenged the idea of
what a symphony
is.
The fourth Symphony was written in 1807. This symphony
shows Beethoven
as a good humored person (Schmit, 39). This symphony was smaller
and more
appealing than the third symphony, and had a more lively style
(Thompson, 25).
In the year of 1808, he wrote the fifth symphony. He
went with Hayden
to Esterházy Palace at Eisenstadt. His fifth is one of his most
famous
symphonies. Work on the fifth was started before the fourth and
was published
after the fourth. This is one of the most popular symphonies of
all time, and
was performed on the 22 of December 1808. (Schmit, 41) This

symphony was made
popular because he used many instruments that were not normally
use in
orchestral works at that time (Thompson, 26).
The sixth symphony, is in a class of its own. Named
"Sinfonia
Pastrella," this symphony is based on scenes from the country,
and expressed
Beethoven's love for the nature that surrounded him (Schmit, 41).
This piece
started the bridge between the Classical era and the Romantic era
(Thompson, 28).
The seventh symphony was written in the summer of 1811,
and the start of
1812, and was performed on December 8, 1813, at the University of
Vienna (Schmit,
42). This is a smaller piece, and presented a very happy mood
reflecting dance
like rhythms (Thompson, 33-35).
The eighth symphony, named "Sinfonia-Linz," was composed
during 1812,
while at the spas in Bohemia. This was performed on the 27 of
February 1814.
At first, the eighth received little notice, but then it
gradually began to get
the fame it deserved (Schmit, 42-44).
The ninth Symphony (completed in 1823) was his best and
his last
symphony. By this time he finally understood his own mind
speaking:

"I carry out my thoughts about with me for a long
time before I set
them down my memory is so faithful to me that I am sure not to
forget a theme
which I have passed. I make many changes, reject and re-attempt
until I am
satisfied. Then the working-out begins in my head It rises,
grows upward, and
I hear and see the picture as a whole take shape and stand before
me as though
cast in a single piece, so that all that is left is the work of
writing it down"
(Tames, 25). He performed the ninth at the Kärntenerthor
Theater. When he
directed the performance his back was to the audience (Thompson,
41). When the
audience went wild, the alto soloist had to tug at his sleeve so
that he could
turn and see the ovation he had earned (Mlt. Beethoven) The
famous "Ode to Joy"
(coral) is included in this symphony.
Beethoven's works include nine symphonies, one opera, two
coral masses,
48 sonatas, ten overtures, and dozens of trios, quartets, and
songs. Many of
these works were sketched out during long walks (Tames, 12). "His
greatest
breakthroughs in composition came in instrumental work, including
his
symphonies" (Comptons, 1).

Beethoven had a great influence on music. Not only did he
create a bridge
between the 18th-century classical period and new beginnings of
Romanticism, but
he started a new era of music.
Beethoven's last years were marked with illness. On
March 24, 1827,
Beethoven died in Vienna. A crowd of almost 30,000 people
attended his funeral
and burial at Vienna Central Cemetery (Schmit, 31). The
bicentennial of his
death was celebrated with performances and recordings of all the
masters' works
(Comptons, 2). At the funeral, Beethoven's friend wrote a moving
address which
stated:
"We, the representatives of an entire nation, come to
mourn the passing
of the gracious mouth by which music spoke, the man who inherited
and enriched
the immortal fame of Handel and Bach, of Hayden and Mozart. He
was an artist,
and who shall stand beside him? Because he shut himself off from
the world,
they called him hostile and callous He withdrew from his
fellow-men after he
had given them everything, and received nothing in return. But
until his death,
he preserved a father's heart for mankind. Thus he was, thus he
died, thus he

will live to the end of time!" (Thompson, 46).