Classical Questions
The opening of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
was associated with what during WW II?
Morse code for “V”, meaning victory.
Who wrote the “Ode to Joy” which was set by
Beethoven?
Schiller
Which of Beethoven’s symphonies uses the
“Ode to Joy”?
the 9th
Beethoven Questions
Beethoven substituted the________in place of
the minuet in his symphonies.
scherzo
How many symphonies did Beethoven write?
9
What makes were Beethoven’s last two
pianos?
Broadwood and Graf
Which of Beethoven’s pianos was strung with
4 strings per note?
the Graf
Beethoven’s Place in
the classical tradition
Called the culmination of the Classical era
The heir to Haydn and Mozart
Radical
Showing new possibilities for music
All composers must now consider
Beethoven’s accomplishments
Beethoven’s Life and Career
Born in Bonn in 1770
Musical talent at an early age
First public appearance in 1778
1787 went to Vienna to study with Mozart
Mother ill, could not return to Vienna until
1792 (Mozart was dead at this time)
Studied with Haydn
1790s made reputation in Vienna as a pianist
Gradually became known as a composer
Beethoven’s Career
End of decade was ready for the symphony
and string quartet
Career divided into three sections
early, middle and late
The middle period is called the heroic decade
began with the Eroica symphony of 1803
most famous works have a drive previously unknown
1813 - 1819 change from middle period to late
period
Suffered from a total loss of hearing and
withdrawal from social life
Beethoven’s Career
Works of great power
9th symphony
Hammerklavier sonata
All classical elements compressed into
compact forms
The music was misunderstood in his day
Now seen as some of the most imaginative
works of musical art
Musical Vienna
Capital of the Austrian Empire
The crossroads of musical influence
The modern concert series was just getting
started
Much of Beethoven’s music was heard in the
church as part of the service or in the homes
of wealthy aristocrats
Early public concerts
The middle class expressed interest in music
Musical Vienna
Concerts were very different than they are
today
3-4 hours long
variety was the order
a movement of a symphony, arias, solos, improvisations,
concertos, choral work, more symphony
Audiences consisted of aristocrats and
middle class
Pieces were not identified as they are today
Symphony No. 5 in C minor
While sketches of the 5th symphony date to 1804, it
was composed mostly in 1807.
The premiered took place on December 22, 1808, in
Vienna.
The all-Beethoven concert lasted from 6:30P.M.-
10:30P.M. and consisted of:
The 6th Symphony
The 5th Symphony
The 4th Piano Concerto
The Choral Fantasy
A concert aria Ah, perfido
Two movements from the Mass in C
E.T.A. Hoffmann reviewed the program. Hoffmann
viewed Beethoven as a colossal new figure in music.
Beethoven said “Thus Fate knocks at the door.”
Beethoven’s Orchestra
Strings:
Violins in two sections
Violas
Cellos
Double basses
Woodwinds in pairs:
Flutes (introduced the piccolo in the 5th)
Oboes
Clarinets (added in the 1780s)
Bassoons (introduced the contra bassoon in the 5th)
Brass
Horns
Trumpets
Trombones (introduced the trombone in the 5th)
Percussion
Timpani
Symphony No. 5 in C minor
1st mvt. - Beethoven achieves unity through the use of
a “motive” - the famous 4-note figure
2nd mvt. - For a change of pace and mood, Beethoven
alternates between variations of two themes
3rd mvt. - A scherzo - light and rapid - in A-B-A form
with a contrasting section called a “trio” (three
instruments?) this section leads into the finale
4th mvt. - A Sonata-Allegro form, Beethoven adds
trombones, piccolo and contrabassoon to the
orchestra, extending the range of sound while also
giving it weight and power
New Ideas
Virtually no introduction in the first movement
Economical thematic material (the 4-note motive) used
for the entire work gives it remarkable unity
Oboe cadenza in the re-capitulation of the 1st
movement
Extended coda
Two themes with variations
Scherzo and trio
Transition using material from the 4-note motive
Finale is in a major tonality rather than the key of the
piece (c minor)
Addition of piccolo, contrabassoon, trombone to the
orchestra
Symphony No. 5 in C minor,
Op. 67
Movement No. 1 - Allegro con brio
Movement No. 2 - Andante con moto
Movement No. 3 - Allegro
Movement No. 4 - Allegro
New Horizons in Music Appreciation
Beethoven Quiz 1
1. Which of Beethoven’s 9 symphonies is called the “Choral”
symphony?
1. #3
2. #5
3. #6
4. #9
2. Which of Beethoven’s pianos was strung with 4 strings per note?
1. Broadwood
2. Steinway
3. Graf
4. Beckstein
3. An unusual feature of Beethoven’s 5th symphony is
1. There is no pause between the 3rd and 4th movements
2. There are two minuets
3. It does not use the sonata-allegro form
4. The introduction to the 1st movement is very long
4. Beethoven’s 5th symphony starts in C minor and
1. Ends in C minor
2. Ends in C major
3. Ends in a giant fugue
4. Ends iin G major
Beethoven and the Piano
Until 1794 Beethoven was supported by the Elector at
Bonn
He found patrons among the music-loving Viennese
aristocracy and enjoyed success as a piano virtuoso,
where he played in private houses and palaces rather
than in public
Beethoven’s public debut was in 1795
1802 was a year of crisis for Beethoven as he realized
his hearing was impaired (he had noticed this for
some time)
It was incurable and only got worse
Beethoven on Beethoven’s
Pianos
The Broadwood piano
1815
Given to the composer by the London Philharmonic Society
Beethoven loved the instrument and used it so much that, at the time of
his death, the piano was ruined
Passed to various owners
Franz Liszt
Budapest Museum for Old Instruments
Sent to Bonn for the bicentenary of Beethoven’s birth -
December 16, 1970
Beethoven on Beethoven’s
Pianos
Bagatelle in E-flat Major, op. 126, No. 3
From Beethoven’s last collection of Bagatelles, Op. 126
Played on a Graf piano
In the collection of the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn
Presented to Beethoven by Conrad Graf
Graf tried to strengthen the sound with 4 strings in the
upper register
Beethoven was very happy with this piano
Graf also built pianos for the Schumanns,
Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schubert
Performances by Jorg Demus, December 16,
1970, in the Beethoven House in Bonn
The “Appassionata”
Piano Sonata No.23, Op.57 ("Appassionata") was
Composed 1804-05 in Vienna and dedicated to Count Franz von
Brunsvik
Beethoven's "van" in his name was not of noble origin
His sponsors were among others: Prince Karl
Lichnowsky (dedicated pianotrios, published as op.1),
count Franz von Brunsvik, count Rasumowsky
(Russian Ambassador in Vienna), prince Lobkowitz
(he dedicated 5. and 6.symphony to Rasumowsky
and Lobkowitz), prince Nikolaus Eszterházy
(Beethoven composed the mass in C major Op. 86
for him), duke Rudolph (composition pupil,
Beethoven composed the Missa solemnis
Op. 123 for him)
The “Appassionata”
Beethoven was once asked to explain the meaning of the Sonata in D Minor,
Op.31 no.2 and the Appassionata Sonata. His said "Read Shakespeare's Tempest.”
The "Appassionata" is so demanding for both the performer and the instrument,
so novel in structure that it was virtually incomprehensible at first
It went unplayed in public until more than three decades after Beethoven's death
Virtuoso passagework and display is an issue
Beethoven in 1804
The “Appassionata”
Movement I - Allegro assai (sonata form)
Movement II - Andante con moto (theme and
variations)
Movement III - Allegro non troppo; presto
(sonata form)
The last years
Beethoven in 1806
From 1819, Beethoven was completely deaf, his friends had left him and visitor's
communicated with Beethoven through writing
1821 he had jaundice
1824 his 9th symphony was first performed in Kaerntnertortheater, Beethoven
never heard it.
From 1825 Beethoven suffered from cirrhoses of the liver, pneumonia, dropsy,
leg swelling, four operations did not help.
The last years
On March 24, 1827 Beethoven received last rites and died on
March 26, 1827 around 5:45 P.M.
The painter Josef Danhauser made a death-mask
The funeral celebration took place three days later
Thousands of Viennese attended
Lead poisoning was assumed to be the cause of death
Scientists of the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and the
McCrone Research Institute in Chicago discovered this by doing
a hair analysis
The administrator of the estate Stephan of Breuning auctioned the
estate for 1,000 florins.
Beethoven Trivia
Beethoven's favorite food was macaroni and cheese.
He also loved strong coffee - exactly 60 coffee
beans per cup
Beethoven never married even though he did propose
to plenty of women. (who rejected him)
Beethoven’s Third Symphony was originally dedicated
to Napoleon but, when Napoleon proclaimed himself
Emperor, Beethoven went into a rage and destroyed
the title page
Beethoven composed his ninth symphony after he had
become totally deaf
Beethoven Quiz 2
1. Beethoven’s hearing aids were made for him by his friend,
1. Kreutzer
2. Maelzel
3. Schubert
4. Demus
2. The number is 32.
1. What is the meaning of life
2. What is the number of coffee beans Beethoven used per cup
3. What is the number of Piano Sonatas composed by Beethoven
4. What is the number of residences occupied by Beethoven in Vienna
3. Beethoven Symphony No. 9
1. What musical composition dictated the capacity of the compact disc
2. What composition did Leonard Bernstein conduce to celebrate the fall
of the Berlin Wall
3. What Beethoven orchestral work uses a text by Schuller
4. One, two, and three are all true
4. The most popular composition by Beethoven is
1. Symphony No. 9
2. The “Moonlight” sonata
3. The “Grosse Fugue” Quartet
4. Symphony No. 5