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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
• 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.
Listen
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 His Life and Works. London: Pavilion, 1997. PrintWegeler, 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.