Ludwig van Beethoven

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Ludwig van Beethoven (IPA: [English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪt.həʊvən; German ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːt.hoːfn]), (baptized December 17, 1770^[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer and one of the pillars of European classical music.

He is esteemed as one of the greatest composers in the history of music, and was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music. His music and his reputation inspired — and in many cases intimidated — ensuing generations of composers, musicians, and audiences.^[2]

While primarily known today as a composer, Beethoven was also a celebrated pianist. Born in Bonn, Germany, he moved to Vienna, Austria, in his early twenties and settled there, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. Despite gradual hearing loss beginning in his twenties, Beethoven continued to produce notable masterpieces throughout his life, even when he was totally deaf. Beethoven was also one of the first composers to work freelance — arranging subscription concerts, selling his compositions to publishers, and gaining financial support from a number of wealthy patrons — rather than seek out permanent employment by the church or by an aristocratic court.

[edit] Biography

For more details on this topic, see Life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven.

[edit] Early life

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770, to Johann van Beethoven (1740–1792), one of a line of musicians of Flemish ancestry, and Maria Magdalena Keverich (1744–1787), whose father had been overseer of the kitchen at Ehrenbreitstein. Beethoven was one of seven children born to them, of whom only Beethoven and two younger brothers would survive infancy. Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770. Although his birthdate is not known for certain, his family (and later, his teacher Johann Georg Albrechtsberger) celebrated his birthday on December 16. Beethoven's first music teacher was his father, a tenor in the service of the Electoral court at Bonn, who was reportedly a harsh and unpredictable instructor. Johann later engaged a friend, Tobias Pfeiffer, to preside over his training, and it is said Johann and his friend would at times come home late from a night of drinking to pull young Ludwig out of bed to practice until morning. Beethoven's talent was recognized at a very early age, and by 1778 he was studying the organ, violin and viola in addition to the piano. His most important teacher in Bonn was Christian Gottlob Neefe^[3], who was the Court's Organist. Neefe helped Beethoven publish his first work: a set of keyboard variations. In 1787, the young Beethoven traveled to Vienna for the first time, where he played for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart^[4], who said that Beethoven would soon astonish the world. After his mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis, Beethoven was forced to return home. Beethoven's mother died on July 17, 1787, when Beethoven was 16.^[5] Due to his father's worsening alcohol addiction, Beethoven was responsible for raising his two younger brothers. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, where he studied for a time with Joseph Haydn, though he had wanted to study with Mozart, who had died the previous year. Beethoven received additional instruction from Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (Vienna's pre-eminent counterpoint instructor) and Antonio Salieri. By 1793, Beethoven established a reputation in Vienna as a piano virtuoso.^[6] His first works with opus numbers, a set of three piano trios, appeared in 1795. He settled into the career pattern he would follow for the remainder of his life: rather than working for the church or a noble court (as most composers before him had done), he supported himself through a combination of annual stipends or single gifts from members of the aristocracy; income from subscription concerts, concerts, and lessons; and proceeds from sales of his works.

[edit] Loss of hearing

Around 1796, Beethoven began to lose his hearing.^[7] He suffered a severe form of tinnitus, a "ringing" in his ears that made it hard for him to perceive and appreciate music; he would also avoid conversation. He left Vienna for a time for the small Austrian town of Heiligenstadt, where he wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament. He resolved to continue living for and through his art. Over time, his hearing loss became profound: there is a well-attested story that, at the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he had to be turned around to see the tumultuous applause of the audience; hearing nothing, he began to weep.^{[citation needed]} Beethoven's hearing loss did not affect his ability to compose music, but it made concerts — lucrative sources of income — increasingly difficult.

As an interesting side note, he used a special rod attached to the soundboard on a piano that he could bite, the vibrations would then transfer from the piano to his jaw to increase his perception of sound. A large collection of his hearing aids such as special ear horns can be viewed at the Beethoven House Museum in Bonn, Germany.

As a result of Beethoven's hearing loss, a unique historical record has been preserved: he kept conversation books (his friends would write in the book so that he could know what they were saying, and he would respond either verbally or in the book) discussing music and other issues, and giving an insight into his thoughts. Even today, the conversation books form the basis for investigation into how he felt his music should be performed and his relationship to art.

[edit] Character

[edit] Social difficulties

Beethoven's personal life was troubled. His encroaching deafness led him to contemplate suicide (documented in his Heiligenstadt Testament). He was attracted to "unattainable" women (married or aristocratic), and he never married. His only love affair with an identified woman began in 1805 with Josephine von Brunswick, young widow of the Graf von Deym. It is believed the relationship ended by 1807 due both to his own indecisiveness and the disapproval of Josephine's aristocratic family.^[8]

In 1812, Beethoven wrote a long love letter to a woman he identified only as "Immortal Beloved". Several candidates have been suggested, but the identity of the woman to whom the letter was written has never been proven. (The 1994 film Immortal Beloved was based on this.)

Beethoven quarreled, often bitterly, with his relatives and others (including a painful and public custody battle over his nephew Karl).

On 15 November 1815 Beethoven's brother Karl Van Beethoven died of tuberculosis leaving a son Karl who is known as Beethoven's nephew .Although Beethoven had shown little interest in the boy up to this point he now became totally obsessed with the possession of this nine year old child which he pursued with vigor and tunnel vision until the end of his life.

Virtually the whole of the later years of Beethoven's life were colored by this obsession which until now has been airbrushed out of history in deference to the great composer.

The fight for possession of his nephew bought out the very worst aspects of Beethoven's character and in the following lengthy court cases Beethoven stopped at nothing to ensure that he achieved this goal. For long periods Beethoven stopped composing.

At that period the Austrian court system had a court for nobility The Landsrechte and another, The Magistracy for the commoners. Beethoven deliberately disguised the fact that the Dutch "Van" in his name did not denote nobility as does the Germanic "Von"and so was able to ensure his case was tried in the Landsrechte and due to his influence with the court ensured a favourable outcome Beethoven was awarded sole guardianship.

Karl's mother, Johanna, a commoner and widow with little money was not only refused access to her son, except under exceptional circumstances but Beethoven insisted that she pay for her son's education out of her inadequate pension.

Due to a fatal slip of the tongue when giving evidence to the Landsrechte Beethoven admitted inadvertently that he was not nobly born and the case was transferred to the Magistracy where he lost sole guardianship

Not to be deterred Beethoven fought on and won back on appeal. Not even an appeal for justice and human rights to the Emperor who like Pontius Pilate "washed his hands of the matter", could reunite mother and son. Both suffered not only years of separation but damage to their reputations which has taken centuries to repair. Beethoven stopped at nothing to blacken both their characters as can be read in the court papers that survive.

Eventually Beethoven's nephew could stand his tyrannical uncle no longer and on 31 July 1826 attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head. He failed and asked to be taken to his mother's house. This desperate action freed Karl from the bonds of his tormentor. Beethoven realizing at last that he had lost his nephew forever went into a decline that led to his death on 26 March 1827 during a thunderstorm. ^[9]

Beethoven frequently treated other people badly, and was believed to suffer from bipolar disorder.^{[citation needed]} Nonetheless, he had a close and devoted circle of friends all his life, all of whom are thought to have been attracted by his reputed strength of personality. Towards the end of his life, Beethoven's friends competed in their efforts to help him cope with his incapacities.^[10] and after his death destroyed many of the conversation books to protect his image.

Sources show he indulged a disdain for authority, and for those who outranked him socially. He stopped performing at the piano if the audience chatted among themselves, or failed to give him their full attention. At soirées, he refused to perform if suddenly called upon to do so. Eventually, after many confrontations, the Archduke Rudolph decreed that the usual rules of court etiquette did not apply to Beethoven.^[11]

[edit] Beliefs and their musical influence

Beethoven was attracted to the ideals of the Enlightenment and by the growing Romanticism in Europe. He initially dedicated his third symphony, the Eroica (Italian for "heroic"), to Napoleon in the belief that the general would sustain the democratic and republican ideals of the French Revolution. But in 1804, when Napoleon's imperial ambitions became clear, Beethoven took hold of the title-page and scratched the name Bonaparte out so violently that he created a hole in the paper. He later changed the title to "Sinfonia Eroica, composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grand Uomo" ("Heroic Symphony, composed to celebrate the memory of a great man"). The fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony features an elaborate choral setting of Schiller's Ode An die Freude ("Ode to Joy"), an optimistic hymn championing the brotherhood of humanity. Since 1972, an orchestral version of the fourth movement has been the official anthem of the European Union.

Scholars disagree on Beethoven's religious beliefs and the role they played in his work. For discussion, see Ludwig van Beethoven's religious beliefs. It has been asserted, but not proven, that Beethoven was a Freemason.^[12]

[edit] Music

For more details on this topic, see Beethoven's musical style and innovations.

Beethoven is acknowledged as one of the giants of Western classical music; occasionally he is referred to as one of the "three Bs" (along with Bach and Brahms) who epitomize that tradition. He was also a pivotal figure in the transition from 18th Century musical classicism to 19th Century romanticism, and his influence on subsequent generations of composers was profound.^[13]

[edit] Overview

Beethoven is regarded as one of the greatest masters of musical construction, sometimes sketching the architecture of a movement before he had decided upon the subject matter. He was one of the first composers to systematically and consistently use interlocking thematic devices, or "germ-motives," to achieve inter-movement unity in long compositions. Equally remarkable was his use of "source-motives," which recurred in many different compositions and lent some unity to his life's work. He made innovations in almost every form of music he touched. For example, he diversified even the well-crystallized form of the rondo, making it more elastic and spacious, which brought it closer to sonata form.

Beethoven composed in a great variety of genres, including symphonies, concerti, piano sonatas, other sonatas (including for violin), string quartets and other chamber music, masses, an opera, lieder, and various other genres. He is viewed as one of the most important transitional figures between the Classical and Romantic eras of musical history.

As far as musical form is concerned, Beethoven worked from the principles of sonata form and motivic development that he had inherited from Haydn and Mozart, but greatly extended them, writing longer and more ambitious movements.

[edit] The Three Periods

Beethoven's compositional career is usually divided into Early, Middle, and Late periods.^[14] His early period was from 1770-1802, the middle period was from 1803-1814, and the late period was from 1815 up to 1827. ^[15]

In the Early period, he is seen as emulating his great predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while concurrently exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second symphonies, the first six string quartets, the first three piano concertos, and the first twenty piano sonatas, including the famous "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" sonatas.

The Middle period began shortly after Beethoven's personal crisis centering around his encroaching deafness. The period is noted for large-scale works expressing heroism and struggle; these include many of the most famous works of classical music. Middle-period works include six symphonies (Nos. 3–8), the fourth and fifth piano concertos, the triple concerto and violin concerto, five string quartets (Nos. 7–11), the next seven piano sonatas (including the "Waldstein" and the "Appassionata"), and Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio.

Beethoven's Late period began around 1815. The Late-period works are characterized by intellectual depth; intense, highly personal expression; and formal innovation (for example, the String Quartet, Op. 131 has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement).^[16] Works of this period also include the "Missa Solemnis", the last five string quartets,including the massive "Gross fugue", and the last five piano sonatas, among of which the "Gross Sonate fur das hammeklavier" is the most well known.