Ludwig van Beethoven - Essay Example

Beethoven Table of contents Introduction 2. Beethoven's creative life A. First period B. Middle period C. Last period 3. The influence of Beethoven's interests, beliefs and personal life on his music career 4. Conclusion 1. The idea and opinion that childhood and early years of adolescence usually determine future preferences and interests, including professional is rather controversial. This issue is increasingly important in this age of numerous approaches to the problem of the role of age, psychological development and biographic features in professional life and career. Many people believe that all life periods are important for personal development and that there is no need to indicate some particular periods, but these people overlook the fact that there are many historical examples which indicate that there are some periods in life and biography, some events which help to shape future professional career. Furthermore, as a rule, namely childhood and early years of adolescence determine future preferences and interests, especially in case of creative people and their careers. In this essay, I will argue that there are some significant events in Beethoven's life which predetermined his musical career and that the most important period of his becoming as a musician was the period of childhood and early years of adolescence, as well as the beginning of his middle period. 2. A. The most significant feature of Beethoven's early years is the fact that he was educated and developed by his father in great strictness: "Beethoven's first music teacher was his father, a musician in the Electoral court at Bonn and an alcoholic who beat him and unsuccessfully attempted to exhibit him as a child prodigy like Mozart" (From Wikipedia). How did it affect his future career as a musician His mother died when he was seventeen, and all his education and development was under his father's strict supervision. After that young Beethoven had no any possibility to turn to another sphere of education - his father decided that he would be a musician, and the boy couldn't leave this path. In spite of his father's strictness, soon Beethoven drew other people's attention to his musical talent. In addition to that, his music teacher in Bonn was a famous German composer Christian Neefe - it gave young Beethoven a good incentive for future education and training using his initial musical knowledge: "Neefe used the music of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach as a cornerstone of instruction, and he later encouraged his student to study with Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom Beethoven met briefly in Vienna in 1787" (Kindermann, 2005). His father's methods partially predetermined his move to Vienna where he could create his career by himself, without the father's influence. In 1792 Beethoven went to Vienna and stayed there till the end of his life. He met there with the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn and Johann Albrechtsberger that dramatically influenced his own life and musical career. These events led to his musical career success: "He made his first appearances in Vienna in 1795 playing his Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, and was soon established as the city's leading pianist" (From Victoria Station). In his first period Beethoven created such remarkable works as the first and second symphonies, the first six string quarters, the famous Moonlight and Pathetique, and others. B. Beethoven's middle period began in 1802 when the crisis for his career and health took place. Beethoven's illness of deafness was progressing, and it influenced his further life and musical career. He struggled with his illness and tried to do his best in music: "But he came through with his determination strengthened and entered a new creative phase, generally called his 'middle period'. It is characterized by a heroic tone, evident in the Eroica Symphony, in Symphony no.5, and in his opera Fidelio" (Classical Music Pages). Beethoven even made some attempts of suicide - his anguish and struggle with his illness were reflected in his music: in his middle period Beethoven revolutionized classical music; he added new themes and plots which weren't heard in music before. There are many heroic themes in Beethoven's works which are also connected with his anguish and struggle with illness and his inner personal contradictions. His progressing deafness didn't prevent his success as a musician, especially in his middle period, the period of his triumph: "However, Beethoven's compositional achievements did not suffer from his hearing loss but instead gained in richness and power over the years" (Kindermann, 2005). C. The last period of Beethoven's life (1813-1827) is remarkable by his illness progressing. In addition to that, in 1812 he met Goethe - it impressed him very much. In his last period there were some difficulties in his life which were connected with his nephew Karl. He was affected to him, but there were some misunderstandings between them. Nevertheless it didn't prevent Beethoven to create wonderful music: "Notwithstanding these difficulties, between 1818 and 1826 Beethoven embarked upon a series of ambitious large-scale compositions, including the Sonata in B-flat major, the Missa Solemnis in D major, the Thirty-Three Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli in C major, the Symphony No. 9 in D minor and his last string quartets" (Kindermann, 2005). These works reflected his mood and spiritual depth of his music. They were very contrasted and full of emotions and inner struggle: "For Beethoven, the act of composition had always been a struggle, as the tortuous scrawls of his sketchbooks show; in these late works the sense of agonizing effort is a part of the music" (Classical Music Pages). All Beethoven's way of musical life led to his popularity far outside Vienna. People admired his music style and his works, although the tendencies in European classical music soon became biased to light music and easy songs: "Yet the Viennese were conscious of Beethoven's greatness: they applauded the Choral Symphony even though, understandably, they found it difficult, and though baffled by the late quartets they sensed their extraordinary visionary qualities" (Classical Music Pages). 3. While analysing Beethoven's music, one can pay attention to some personal beliefs which influenced his works. Beethoven was much impressed by French Revolution and by liberty and romanticism which became symbols of the political changes in Europe that time. He was also influenced by Napoleon and his democratic conversions - it was reflected in his music: "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" (From Wikipedia). The ideas of humanity, equality, love and brotherhood can be seen in many of his works. Some scholars argue whether Beethoven was romantic or not. But it is clear that romanticism, as well as classicism, was inherent for some of his works in different periods of his life: "Both Classical and Romantic tendencies co-exist in Beethoven's music. In the case of Beethoven at least, it would be more appropriate to see Classicism and Romanticism as concurrent tendencies rather than consecutive periods" (Tevfik Dorak, 2003). His love for nature was reflected in his Symphony no.6 in F major where a listener can hear thunderstorm, bird songs and brook murmur1. In addition to that, his personal life much affected his musical themes and expressions. His love for an unattainable woman and depression connected with this fact resulted in his low musical productivity in 1812-1816. As contemporaries noted, "Beethoven quarrelled, often bitterly, with his relatives and others; he frequently treated other people badly. He moved often and had strange personal habits, such as wearing filthy clothing even as he washed compulsively. He often had financial troubles" (From Wikipedia). 4. I have argued that there were some significant events in Beethoven's life which predetermined his musical career and that the most important period of his becoming as a musician was the period of childhood and early years of adolescence. In addition to that, many events which took place in other periods of his life influenced Beethoven's musical career that is reflected in his wonderful works. Nevertheless I suppose that namely in childhood and in the first period of his life he was basically formed as a musician. The influence of his father, Beethoven's meetings with the most significant musicians and composers of that time, which mostly occurred in his first period, affected Beethoven as one of the most remarkable composers in the world. The most significant European political events which started such progressive ideas as liberalism, democracy, humanity, brotherhood and freedom took place in the end of the 18th century - the beginning of the 19th century; these events formed Beethoven's basic interests and beliefs in his musical career. All his life is a bright example of great talent, devotion to his vocation and struggle for his ideas and thoughts. Sources Kindermann W. Ludwig Van Beethoven. (2005). MSN Online Encyclopedia Encarta. (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551951/Beethoven_Ludwig_van.html) Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827). Classical Music Pages. Extracted with permission from The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. (http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/beethoven.html) Ludwig Van Beethoven. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven) Ludwig Van Beethoven. The Internet Public Library. (http://ipl.si.umich.edu/div/mushist/clas/beethoven.htm) Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827). Victoria Station. (http://www.victorianstation.com/musicbeethoven.htm) Tevfik Dorak M. Beethoven. (2003). (http://dorakmt.tripod.com/music/beeth.htm) Read More