Abstract This paper is account of Mahler's "Fourth Symphony" as a response and commentary to Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony". It looks at Mahler's adoption of the theme of joy in Beethoven's symphony and his grafting it on to a vocal arrangement.
From the Paper "In the chapter titled Ambivalent, Elysium Bonds develops the idea that Mahler's Fourth Symphony is a response to and commentary on Beethoven's Ninth. Whereas Beethoven's Ninth is dense and complex Bondargues Mahler's Fourth is ostensibly spare from an ..."
Abstract This paper defines romanticism and romantic music, describes Beethoven's contribution to music and his innovations, and the ways in which his music linked with romanticism. Examples of some of his major works that depict romanticism are also discussed.
Contents
Romanticism
Beethoven and his Music
Early Music and Loss of Hearing
Early Influences
Different Phases of Beethoven's Music
The Eroica - Beethoven's Third Symphony
Beethoven's Sixth Symphony
The Ninth Symphony
Conclusion
From the Paper "Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in the late 18th century as a revolt against "classicism" (and to a lesser extent against ?rationalism.?) It stressed strong emotion, feeling and imagination rather than correctness in form. Romanticism rejected order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization, and rationality that typified Classicism and the 18th century Neoclassicism. The movement took its inspiration in part from the libertarian and egalitarian ideals of the French Revolution. ("Romanticism"-Columbia Encyclopedia, 2000)
In Romantic Music emotion and expression of feelings is given more importance than formal balance and internal order. It became the dominant musical trend in classical music during the 19th century and period between 1800 and 1900 is often referred to as the Romantic Period. While Beethoven is thought to be the first romantic composer, other notable composers who used romanticism in their music include Chopin and Wagner."
Abstract This paper critically examines Maynard Solomon's portrayal, in his biography "Beethoven", of Ludwig van Beethoven's battle for custody of his nephew Karl. It argues that although Solomon delves into Beethoven's psychology and his motives for pursuing custody, the author fails to objectively depict the custody battle. The paper explains that, instead, Solomon's coverage is uneven and his perspective skewed, and he glosses over certain facts that might have shown Beethoven in a more unfavorable light.
From the Paper "In the chapter "Beethoven and his Nephew," Maynard Solomon makes insightful observations about Beethoven's motives for fighting to gain custody of his nephew Karl, and about Beethoven's feelings toward both Karl and his mother Johanna. He examines Beethoven's psychology in depth, and forms interesting connections between Beethoven's actions and previous events in his life. Overall, however, Solomon does not succeed in accurately depicting the conflict. Despite his thorough analysis of Beethoven's psyche, Solomon glosses over how Beethoven's extreme actions affected Karl's development. He rarely mentions Beethoven's cruelty toward Karl and does not treat the boy as a full-blown character in the saga. As if this omission weren't enough, Solomon also attempts to excuse Beethoven's cruel and unethical actions regarding Karl and Johanna. Because of these shortcomings, Solomon fails to appropriately convey the gravity of the conflict; he neglects to devote an appropriate amount of space to Karl himself, and tries to soften the harsh facts of Beethoven's cruelty."
Abstract In this article, the writer looks at the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, who by the time of his death in 1827, was already recognized as one of the greatest musical talents of his era. At the end of reading the biographies of both Geck and Jones, the writer notes that one is left with an impression of Beethoven that often confirms the stereotype of the Romantic genius at odds with his era. But, as both biographers point out, this is a notion that Beethoven played a major role in fostering. The writer discusses that as an emblematic figure of Romanticism, Beethoven not only composed some of the most important music of all time; he also gave rise to common beliefs about the myth of artistic genius. The writer concludes that ultimately, it may be impossible for a truly "objective" account of Beethoven's life to ever emerge, owing to the fact that mythology and reality are inextricable when considering the legacy of this great man - and the music that continues to live on, all these years later.
From the Paper "At the same time, Geck shows the ways in which Beethoven fostered many of the myths surrounding his genius during his own lifetime. Geck admits early on that there continues to be some confusion regarding Beethoven's exact birth date, for example. Much of this confusion arises from the fact that Beethoven was not the first-born son of his parents - but he was the first-born son to survive. Two years prior to Beethoven's birth, they had had another son who was also named Ludwig, but who died in infancy. For this reason, Beethoven believed that he had been born in 1772, rather than 1770, as has commonly been believed.
"If there is a problem with Geck's biography, it is a structural one."
Abstract This paper explains that Beethoven studied under Joseph Haydn, the "father of the string quartet," who inspired Beethoven's first six string quartets, including Opus 18/6, written for two violins, a viola, and a cello. The author points out that, because of his troubled personal life, his music often depicts a theme of struggle followed by triumph as is evident in Beethoven's first six string quartets, which were composed before he went deaf. The paper describes each of the four distinct movements of String Quartet Number 6, Opus 18/6: 1. Allegro con brio; 2. Adagio ma non troppo; 3. Scherzo: Allegro; and 4. La Malincona Adagio-Allegretto quasi Allegro. A listening chart for the First Movement is included.
From the Paper "Beethoven began composing string quartets in his so-called "early period," the time of his musical career in which he was exploring different styles and primarily emulating his teacher Joseph Haydn. Moreover, Beethoven's "early period" is also the time before he began to go deaf, around age 30. When Beethoven began losing his hearing, his impending deafness led the musician into deep mental depression. His social life deteriorated and he became suicidal as well. Music written during Beethoven's "middle period" is characteristically grand, expressing "heroism and struggle.""
Abstract This paper examines various psychological factors within the behaviors and biographies of Ludwig Van Beethoven and Vincent Van Gogh. The psychological concept of "nature versus nurture" is examined to reveal the innate and behavioral aspects of Beethoven and Van Gogh's creative genius in music and art. It looks at how, although both artists often conveyed innate "natural" abilities, both artists were often supported through societal influences that provided them with the tools to create masterworks in their fields. In essence, the psychological aspects of "nature versus nurture" are analyzed, revealing the behavioral influences that nurtured the creative genius of Beethoven and Van Gogh.
From the Paper "The life of Ludwig Van Beethoven is one that is wrought with a father's obsession to control his son's musical talents. When Beethoven was young, he was often forced by his father to practice the study of music and instrumentation. The psychological ramifications of nature versus nurture are very much a conflicting issue in Beethoven's early musical development. Although there is now way to gauge the innate talent of Beethoven, he certainly appears to be "naturally gifted" in the mind of his father."
Abstract This paper compares the works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach. The paper points out that both musicians were great and influential men, but their styles and the way they conducted their lives and their music varied greatly. The works compared and contrasted are the first movement of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5", belonging to the classical genre of music, and the first movement of Bach's "Brandenburg Concert No. 5", belonging to the late Baroque style. The paper also addresses the composers' tragic lives. To conclude, the author of the paper praises both composers, but ultimately prefers Beethoven's works.
From the Paper "The Brandenburg Concertos were written by Johann Sebastian Bach between the years of 1715 and 1721. There are six different concertos, all of which individually call for a diverse group of soloists in the concertino. In the first movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, which was written in 1720 and lasts for a period of nine minutes and forty-one seconds, a brilliant use of the harpsichord can be heard by the listener. Bach's intent in writing the Brandenburg Concertos was to show off his ability to write challenging music for any instrument, which he does illustrate greatly in the first movement of the fifth concerto, as well as in all of the others. Johann Sebastian Bach lived from 1685 to 1750 and it is said that everything he did, everything that he wrote was for the glory of God. Bach's tragic life was not unlike Beethoven's in that Bach and his wife Anna had twelve children and eight of them died before they reached the age of five. This was not exactly uncommon for the time, but tragic nonetheless. Bach was the master of counterpoint, which means that he essentially mastered polyphony and the harmonious opposition of two or more independent musical lines. In this first movement of the fifth Brandenburg Concerto, the full orchestra is in competition for the attention of the listener with the concertino."
Tags: concertino, counterpoint, harmony, baroque, romantic, classical, music
A critical analysis of Beethoven's and Tchaikovsky's compositions. A critical analysis is taken of Beethoven's and Tchaikovsky's compositions, and how the people during the Romantic period viewed them.
1,320 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 12 sources, 1999, $ 44.95
Abstract A critical analysis is taken of Beethoven's and Tchaikovsky's compositions, and how the people during the Romantic period viewed them. The author aims at a greater understanding of music, how it affects us, and why some musical pieces can stand the test of time.
From the Paper "Today we have MTV, music videos, and many other ways in which music is interpreted for us. Once upon a time, however, during the Romantic period, people would listen to musical pieces such as Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or view and hear Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and come up with their own interpretations for music. These musical compositions could stand-alone and each person could awaken to their own dreams and realizations of the music when they heard it. An in depth look is to be taken of the above compositions, their composers, and how the people during the Romantic period viewed them. By doing this it is hoped that a greater understanding of music, how it affects us, and why some musical pieces can stand the test of time."
Abstract This paper discusses the early works of Beethoven using an interview format for a bogus magazine, considering the works of the early period up to about 1801 and considsering the influence of Haydn and Mozart and the way Beethoven developed as a composer.
Abstract This paper will examine the early musical works of Ludwig van Beethoven. By realizing the concepts of these early musical works, we can see why he wrote them, and how they were constructed in this period of time. By analyzing the period from 1790 to 1810, the affects of Beethoven's music was generally getting off the ground, but the genius was coming through at a tremendous rate.
Abstract This paper looks at how Beethoven brought to the art of music new depths of expressiveness that were not known before his time and also brought new richness of speech to every instrument for which he wrote his symphonies and other musical pieces. In essence, it explains how Beethoven was highly influential in bringing modernity to the art of music and could definitely be seen as a heroic figure in Western music due to his bravery and desire to explore new musical domains.
From the Paper "Beethoven's artistic career seems to have greatly expanded during his second period of creativity. Between 1803 and 1804, a period accentuated by his deafness which seems to have affected his musical output very little, Beethoven produced sonatas for violin and piano and the famous Eroica Symphony, not to mention composing the Fourth, the Fifth and the Pastoral symphonies, the opera Fidelio, the Rasumovsky Quartets, the Fourth and Fifth piano concertos and the Violin concerto. With these works, the musical form was raised to its highest point of development, but more importantly, Beethoven had refined and enriched his own music to where it was now imbued with lyrical poetry, much like the heroic motifs in such poems as "Don Juan" and "Manfred" by Lord Byron. As George R. Marek notes, Beethoven's music during this second period "was marked by heroic elements that were sonorous, pure and simple, but also contained abstract ideas that made it possible for the further development of harmonic music" (58)."
Abstract This paper examines the great impact that Beethoven's Choral Symphony had on the genre of the classical symphony. The paper explains how, despite of all the criticisms of the Choral Symphony that continue to this day, in writing it Beethoven helped the genre of classical symphony evolve, translating it from the Classical to the Romantic.
From the Paper "In addition, recent studies on the sketches have been difficult, as some sketches were lost, sold, or found to be out of their original order (Levy 19). It is evident from what has been found and deciphered that Beethoven's original intention was to write two separate symphonies, and the Ninth is what resulted from his simultaneous work on both. Evidently, he intended his two symphonies to consist of a London symphony, which would be instrumental; and a German symphony, setting Schiller's "An die Freude" to a different tune than the one he finally used in the Ninth (Cook 13-14)."
Abstract The paper reveals that many consider Beethoven to be the greatest composer in the Western music tradition. The paper discusses Beethoven's earlier and later years and describes his famous nine symphonies.
Outline:
Early Life
First Works
Leaves for Vienna
Struggles with Deafness
Last Days
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 7
Symphony No. 8
Symphony No. 9
From the Paper "Beethoven (1770-1827) is considered by many as the greatest composer in the Western music tradition. His stature among music composers is such that his name is familiar even to people who do not listen to classical music, while he is also held in the highest esteem by the most discerning connoisseurs of Western classical music. The wide range of his music composition encompasses a variety of genres, including symphonies, concertos, sonatas, string quartets, chamber music and opera, forming a bridge between the classical and romantic eras of musical history."
Abstract The paper describes how Beethoven lived in a European society that was undergoing profound economic turbulence, political upheaval and violent warfare. The paper compares Beethoven to Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and then discusses his difficult background and personal tragic events in his life that affected his music. The paper then shows how the French Revolution caused turbulent inner passions that were reflected in his music.
From the Paper "The French Revolution had a profound impact on the music of Beethoven. It is difficult for us in 2006 to imagine what life was like in Europe under the Ancien Regime, and the economic and social conditions in which Beethoven emerged. What is crucially important to understand is that throughout his musical career Beethoven lived in a European society that was undergoing profound economic turbulence, political upheaval and violent warfare. No understanding of his music is possible without an appreciation of these basic facts. It is useful in analyzing Beethoven's life and music to compare him briefly with Haydn and Mozart, two other musical giants who were born within fifty years of Beethoven's time, and who shared his Central European environment in the vicinity of Vienna."
Abstract This paper discusses the life of musician, Ludwig van Beethoven. It discusses his family background, his childhood and his development as a musician. It describes where he studied music and his relationships with his family and his teachers. The paper specifically focuses on the aspects of Beethoven's tragic life and the torment of losing his hearing.
From the Paper "At the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he had to be turned around to see the monstrous applause, hearing nothing. Realizing the extent of his hearing problem, he began to cry. Beethoven made many attempts to heal his deafness. Seeking help from numerous doctors, he received many different treatments. Much of what the doctors told him would be considered nonsense today. Unable to cure his hearing, Ludwig had no choice but to adapt. He used a rod attached to the sound board of his piano which he bit to feel the vibrations of the instrument. By the year 1814, Beethoven was fully deaf, though in his last year he felt as though he could sometimes slightly hear things."
