Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 - March 26, 1827) was a
classical composer. Many people believe he was the single greatest composer
of all time. He is undoubtedly one of the best known and most loved. His
most famous works include his 5th Symphony, 9th Symphony, the piano piece
"FŸr Elise", the "Path�tique" Sonata and the "Moonlight" Sonata.

Biography

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany). His
mother was Magdalena Keverich and his father was Johann Beethoven. They
named their son after his grandfather. Beethoven's musical talent manifested
itself early, and his father attempted, unsuccessfully, to exploit the boy
as a prodigy.

Beethoven moved to Vienna when he was 22, where he studied under Franz
Joseph Haydn. In Vienna he earned a reputation as a piano virtuoso and
improvisor, and began publishing his own compositions soon after. By the
early 1800s he had established his reputation as a great and daring composer.

Beethoven began to lose his hearing at least by 1801. He continued composing
nonetheless, and his 9th Symphony, amongst many other works, was composed
after he had become totally deaf. His hearing problems were accompanied by a
severe form of tinnitus. The cause of his deafness is not known for certain,
but has been attributed to syphilis, lead poisoning, a chill he caught in
1796 which lead to a disease believed to be typhus, or possibly even his
habit of immersing his head in cold water to stay awake.

Musical style and innovations

Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the Classical and
Romantic eras of musical history. Above all, his works distinguish
themselves from those of any prior composer through his creation of large,
long architectonic structures characterized by the extensive development of
musical material, themes, and motifs, usually by means of "modulation" (key
change) through a variety of keys or harmonic regions. This expanded
harmonic realm creates a sense of a vast musical and experiential space
through which the music moves, and the development of musical material
creates a sense of unfolding drama in this space. In this way Beethoven's
music parallels the simultaneous development of the novel in literature, a
literary form focused on the life drama and development of one or more
individuals through complex life circumstances, and of contemporaneous
German idealism's philosophical notion of self, mind, or spirit that unfolds
through a complex process of contradictions and tensions between the
subjective and objective until a resolution or synthesis occurs in which all
of these contradictions and developmental phases have been resolved or
encompassed in a higher unity. Whereas the development section of a sonata
movement by Mozart or Haydn, Beethoven's major immediate predecessors and
influences, is usually at most a few measures to a few minutes long,
Beethoven's development sections may last as long as ten minutes. The first
movement alone of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony is as long as an entire
typical several-movement Mozart symphony.

Although Beethoven wrote many beautiful and lyrical melodies, another
radical innovation of his music, compared especially to that of Mozart and
Haydn, is his extensive use of forceful, marked, and even stark rhythmic
patterns throughout his compositions and, in particular, in his themes and
motifs, some of which are primarily rhythmic rather than melodic. Some of
his most famous themes, such as those of the first movements of the 3d, 5th,
and 9th Symphonies, are primarily non-melodic rhythmic figures consisting of
notes of a single chord, and the themes of the last movements of the 3d and
7th Symphonies could more accurately be described as rhythms than as
melodies. This use of rhythm was particularly well suited to the primacy of
development in Beethoven's music, since a single rhythmic pattern can more
easily than a melody be taken through a succession of different, even remote
keys and harmonic regions while retaining and conveying an underlying unity.

He continued a trend towards larger orchestras that has persisted through
the history of classical music. In his 5th Symphony he introduced a striking
motif in the very opening bar, which he echoed in various forms in all four
movements of the symphony, and also ran the third movement into the fourth
without interruption. Both features were innovations. His 9th Symphony
included a chorus in the 4th movement for the first time.

He wrote one opera, Fidelio. It has been said that he wrote beautiful choral
music without regard for the limitations of human singers, treating the
voice as if it were a symphonic instrument.

Beethoven's development and works are typically divided into three periods:
an early, youthful period in which his works show especially the influence
of Mozart and Haydn; a middle, mature period in which he developed his
distinctive individual, mature style, sometimes characterized as "heroic";
and a late period, in which he wrote works of a highly evolved,
individuated, sometimes fragmented and unorthodox style sometimes
characterized as "transcendent" and "sublime".

In contrast to Mozart, he labored visibly over his work, leaving
intermediate drafts that provide considerable insight into his creative
process. Early drafts of his 9th Symphony used rough vertical marks on the
score in place of actual notes, to indicate the structure he had in mind for
the melody.

Personal beliefs and their musical influence

Beethoven was much taken by the ideals of the Enlightenment. He initially
dedicated his third symphony, the Eroica, to Napoleon in the belief that the
general would sustain the democratic ideals of the French Revolution, but
later crossed out the dedication as Napoleon's imperial ambitions became
clear. The fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony is a setting of Schiller's
ode An die Freude ("To Joy"), an optimistic hymn championing the brotherhood
of humanity.

Symphonies

Beethoven completed nine numbered symphonies. His first symphony, in C, is
reliant upon Haydn models. His Symphony No. 2 in D extends Beethoven's
understanding of the symphony. His first famous symphony was No. 3 in
E-flat, better known as the Eroica. Originally dediated to the French First
Consul, Napoleon, Beethoven angrily ripped off the dedication after the
Frenchman declared himself emperor.

The Symphony No. 4 in B-flat is a remarkable example of good humor. Even
more famous in Symphony No. 5 in C minor, which starts with a famous piece
which people say sounds like fate knocking at the door. The sixth symphony,
in F, is better known as the Pastoral. It is based on country life, and made
up of five movements, of which the most famous are the Andante molto mosso,
Scene by the Brook, and the first Allegro, Merry Gathering of Country Folk.

The seventh and eighth symphonies are more rhythmic, the second movement of
the eighth being based on the metronome, an invention by Beethoven's friend
Johann Maelzel. The final complete symphony is Symphony No. 9 in D minor,
composed in 1823 (and occasionally referred to as Choral), whose last
movement, as mentioned, was a setting of Schiller's poem celebrating joy. A
choir and four vocal soloists appear in this movement.

Beethoven also made sketches for a tenth symphony (Barry Cooper later made a
performing version of its first movement, though it is mainly conjecture).
He also composed the so-called "Battle Symphony", Wellington's Victory, work
in two movements commemorating the Duke of Wellington's defeat of Napoleon
in Spain. It is considered to be something of a pot-boiler, and less than
satisfactory.

List of works

Beethoven's greatest works are the 32 piano sonatas, the nine symphonies,
the five piano concertos, the violin concerto, the triple concerto and the
late string quartets.

The opus numbers of Beethoven's pieces were assigned by his publishers, and
follow the order in which his works were published, rather than the order
they were written. This is why, for example, the Wind Octet of 1792 can be
Opus 103, when Opus 102 and Opus 104 were written in 1815 and 1817
respectively. Everything on this list up to Opus 135 was published in
Beethoven's lifetime. The remaining items were published posthumously.

   * Opus 1 no 1 (1795) Piano Trio No. 1 in E flat major
   * Opus 1 no 2 (1795) Piano Trio No. 2 in G major
   * Opus 1 no 3 (1795) Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor
   * Opus 2 no 1 (1796) Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor
   * Opus 2 no 2 (1796) Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major
   * Opus 2 no 3 (1796) Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major
   * Opus 3 (1794) String Trio No. 1 in E flat major
   * Opus 4 (1795) String Quintet in E flat major
   * Opus 5 no 1 (1796) Sonata for Piano and Violincello No. 1 in F major
   * Opus 5 no 2 (1796) Sonata for Piano and Violincello No. 2 in G minor
   * Opus 6 (1797) Piano Sonata for four hands
   * Opus 7 (1797) Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major
   * Opus 8 (1797) Serenade in D major for string trio
   * Opus 9 no 1 (1798) String Trio No. 2 in G major
   * Opus 9 no 2 (1798) String Trio No. 3 in D major
   * Opus 9 no 3 (1798) String Trio No. 4 in C minor
   * Opus 10 no 1 (1798) Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor
   * Opus 10 no 2 (1798) Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major
   * Opus 10 no 3 (1798) Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major
   * Opus 11 (1798) Piano Trio No. 4 in B flat major
   * Opus 12 no 1 (1798) Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major
   * Opus 12 no 2 (1798) Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major
   * Opus 12 no 3 (1798) Violin Sonata No. 3 in E flat major
   * Opus 13 (1799) Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathetique"
   * Opus 14 no 1 (1799) Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major
   * Opus 14 no 2 (1799) Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major
   * Opus 15 (1795) Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major
   * Opus 16 (1796) Quintet for Piano and Wind
   * Opus 17 (1800) Horn Sonata in F major
   * Opus 18 no 1 (1800) String Quartet No. 1 in F major
   * Opus 18 no 2 (1800) String Quartet No. 2 in G major
   * Opus 18 no 3 (1800) String Quartet No. 3 in D major
   * Opus 18 no 4 (1800) String Quartet No. 4 in C minor
   * Opus 18 no 5 (1800) String Quartet No. 5 in A major
   * Opus 18 no 6 (1800) String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major
   * Opus 19 (1795) Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major
   * Opus 20 (1799) Septet in E flat major
   * Opus 21 (1800) Symphony No. 1 in C major
   * Opus 22 (1800) Piano Sonata No. 11 in B flat major
   * Opus 23 (1801) Violin Sonata No. 4 in A minor
   * Opus 24 (1801) Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major "Spring"
   * Opus 25 (1801) Serenade in D major for Flute, Violin and Viola
   * Opus 26 (1801) Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major
   * Opus 27 no 1 (1801) Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major
   * Opus 27 no 2 (1801) Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor "Moonlight"
   * Opus 28 (1801) Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major
   * Opus 29 (1801) String Quintet in C major
   * Opus 30 no 1 (1803) Violin Sonata No. 6 in A major
   * Opus 30 no 2 (1803) Violin Sonata No. 7 in C minor
   * Opus 30 no 3 (1803) Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major
   * Opus 31 no 1 (1802) Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major
   * Opus 31 no 2 (1802) Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor "Tempest"
   * Opus 31 no 3 (1802) Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major
   * Opus 32 (1805) Song - An die Hoffnung
   * Opus 33 (1802) Seven Bagatelles for piano
   * Opus 34 (1802) Six variations for piano on an original theme, F major
   * Opus 35 (1802) Fifteen variations and a fugue for piano on an original
     theme, E flat major "Eroica"
   * Opus 36 (1803) Symphony No. 2 in D major
   * Opus 37 (1803) Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor
   * Opus 38 (1803) Piano Trio No. 8 (Arrangement of the Septet Opus 20)
   * Opus 39 (1789) Two Preludes through all twelve major keys for piano
   * Opus 40 (1802) Romance for Violin in G major
   * Opus 41 (1803) Serenade for Paino and Flute or Violin in D major
   * Opus 42 (1803) Notturno for Viola and Piano in D major
   * Opus 43 (1801) The Creatures of Prometheus* Overture and Ballet music
   * Opus 44 (1792) Piano Trio No. 10 (Variations on an original theme in E
     flat major)
   * Opus 45 (1803) 3 Marches for Piano, 4 hands
   * Opus 46 (1795) Song - Adelaide
   * Opus 47 (1802) Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major "Kreutzer"
   * Opus 48 no 1 (1802) Song - Bitten
   * Opus 48 no 2 (1802) Song - Die Liebe des NŠchsten
   * Opus 48 no 3 (1802) Song - Vom Tode
   * Opus 48 no 4 (1802) Song - Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur
   * Opus 48 no 5 (1802) Song - Gottes Macht und Vorsehung
   * Opus 48 no 6 (1802) Song - Bu§lied
   * Opus 49 no 1 (1792) Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor
   * Opus 49 no 2 (1792) Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major
   * Opus 50 (1798) Romance for Violin in F major
   * Opus 51 no 1 (1797) Rondo in C major for piano
   * Opus 51 no 2 (1798) Rondo in G major for piano
   * Opus 52 no 1 (1805) Song - Urians Reise um die Welt
   * Opus 52 no 2 (1805) Song - Feuerfab
   * Opus 52 no 3 (1805) Song - Das Liedchen von der Ruhe
   * Opus 52 no 4 (1805) Song - Maigesang
   * Opus 52 no 5 (1805) Song - Mollys Abschied
   * Opus 52 no 6 (1805) Song - Die Liebe
   * Opus 52 no 7 (1805) Song - Marmotte
   * Opus 52 no 8 (1805) Song - Das BlŸmchen Wunderhold
   * Opus 53 (1803) Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major "Waldstein"
   * Opus 54 (1804) Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major
   * Opus 55 (1805) Symphony No. 3 in E flat major "Eroica"
   * Opus 56 (1805) Triple Concerto in C major
   * Opus 57 (1805) Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor "Appassionata"
   * Opus 58 (1807) Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major
   * Opus 59 no 1 (1806) String Quartet No. 7 in F major "Rasumovsky 1"
   * Opus 59 no 2 (1806) String Quartet No. 8 in E minor "Rasumovsky 2"
   * Opus 59 no 3 (1806) String Quartet No. 9 in C major "Rasumovsky 3"
   * Opus 60 (1807) Symphony No. 4 in B flat major
   * Opus 61 (1808) Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major
   * Opus 62 (1807) Overture - Coriolan
   * Opus 63 (1806) Arrangement of String Quintet ( Opus 4) for Piano Trio
   * Opus 64 (1807) Arrangement of Piano Trio ( Opus 3) for Piano and Cello
   * Opus 65 (1796) Aria - Ah perfido!
   * Opus 66 (1796) Variations for Cello on Mozart's `Ein MŠdchen oder
     Weibchen'
   * Opus 67 (1808) Symphony No. 5 in C minor
   * Opus 68 (1808) Symphony No. 6 in F major "Pastoral"
   * Opus 69 (1808) Sonata for Piano and Violincello No. 3 in A major
   * Opus 70 no 1 (1808) Piano Trio No. 5 in D major "Ghost"
   * Opus 70 no 2 (1808) Piano Trio No. 6 in E flat major
   * Opus 71 (1796) Wind sextet in E flat
   * Opus 72a (1805) Opera - Leonore (with Overture Leonore No. 2)
   * Opus 72b (1806) Opera - Leonore (with Overture Leonore No. 3)
   * Opus 72c (1814) Opera - Fidelio
   * Opus 73 (1809) Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major "Emperor"
   * Opus 74 (1809) String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major "Harp"
   * Opus 75 no 1 (1809) Song - Mignon
   * Opus 75 no 2 (1809) Song - Neue Liebe, neues Leben
   * Opus 75 no 3 (1809) Song - Aus Goethes Faust* Es war einmal ein Kšnig
   * Opus 75 no 4 (1809) Song - Gretels Warnung
   * Opus 75 no 5 (1809) Song - An die fernen Geliebten
   * Opus 75 no 6 (1809) Song - Der Zufriedene
   * Opus 76 (1809) Six variations for piano on an original theme, D major
   * Opus 77 (1809) Piano Fantasia
   * Opus 78 (1809) Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major
   * Opus 79 (1809) Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major
   * Opus 80 (1808) Choral Fantasia
   * Opus 81a (1809) Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major "Les Adieux"
   * Opus 81b (1795) Sextet in E flat
   * Opus 82 no 1 (1809) Song - Hoffnung
   * Opus 82 no 2 (1809) Song - Liebes-Klage
   * Opus 82 no 3 (1809) Duet - L'amante impatiente
   * Opus 82 no 4 (1809) Song - L'amante impatiente
   * Opus 82 no 5 (1809) Song - Lebens-Genu§
   * Opus 83 no 1 (1810) Song - Wonne der Wehmut
   * Opus 83 no 2 (1810) Song - Sehnsucht
   * Opus 83 no 3 (1810) Song - Mit einem gemalten Band
   * Opus 84 (1810) Egmont (Overture and Incidental Music)
   * Opus 85 (1804) Christus am …lberge
   * Opus 86 (1807) Mass in C major
   * Opus 87 (1795) Trio for two Oboes and English Horn in C major
   * Opus 88 (1803) Song - Das Gluck der Freundschaft
   * Opus 89 (1814) Polonaise in C major
   * Opus 90 (1814) Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor
   * Opus 91 (1813) Wellington's Victory ("Battle" Symphony)
   * Opus 92 (1813) Symphony No. 7 in A major
   * Opus 93 (1814) Symphony No. 8 in F major
   * Opus 94 (1815) Song - An die Hoffnung
   * Opus 95 (1810) String Quartet No. 11 in F minor "Serioso"
   * Opus 96 (1812) Violin Sonata No. 10 in G major
   * Opus 97 (1811) Piano Trio No. 7 in B flat major "Archduke"
   * Opus 98 (1816) Song Cycle - An die ferne Geliebte
   * Opus 99 (1816) Song - Der Mann von Wort
   * Opus 100 (1814) Song - Merkenstein
   * Opus 101 (1816) Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major
   * Opus 102no 1 (1815) Sonata for Piano and Violincello No. 4 in C major
   * Opus 102no 2 (1815) Sonata for Piano and Violincello No. 5 in D minor
   * Opus 103 (1792) Wind octet in E flat
   * Opus 104 (1817) String Quintet (arrangement of Piano Trio No. 3)
   * Opus 105 (1819) Six sets of variations for Piano and Flute
   * Opus 106 (1818) Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major "Hammerklavier"
   * Opus 107 (1820) Ten sets of variations for Piano and Flute
   * Opus 108 (1818) Twenty-Five Scottish Songs
   * Opus 109 (1822) Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major
   * Opus 110 (1822) Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major
   * Opus 111 (1822) Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor
   * Opus 112 (1815) Meeresstille und glŸckliche Fahrt (for chorus and
     orchestra)
   * Opus 113 (1811) Singspiel - Die Ruinen von Athen (The ruins of Athens)
   * Opus 114 (1822) March and Chorus - Die Weihe des Hauses
   * Opus 115 (1815) Overture - Zur Namensfeier
   * Opus 116 (1802) Vocal Trio with Orchestra - Tramte, empi tremate
   * Opus 117 (1811) Singspiel - King Stephen
   * Opus 118 (1814) Eligischer Gesang (for chorus and orchestra)
   * Opus 119 (1822) Eleven new Bagatelles for piano
   * Opus 120 (1823) Thirty-three variations for piano on a waltz by
     Diabelli, C major (Diabelli Variations)
   * Opus 121a (1803) Piano Trio No. 11 (Variations on `Ich bin der
     Schneider Kakadu')
   * Opus 121b (1822) Opferlied (for chorus and orchestra)
   * Opus 122 (1824) Bundeslied (for chorus and orchestra)
   * Opus 123 (1822) Mass in D major (Missa Solemnis)
   * Opus 124 (1822) Overture - Die Weihe des Hauses
   * Opus 125 (1824) Symphony No. 9 in D minor "Choral"
   * Opus 126 (1824) Six Bagatelles for piano
   * Opus 127 (1825) String Quartet No. 12 in E flat major
   * Opus 128 (1822) Song - Der Kuss
   * Opus 129 (1795) Rondo Capriccio for piano in G major (Rage over a lost
     penny)
   * Opus 130 (1825) String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major
   * Opus 131 (1826) String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor
   * Opus 132 (1825) String Quartet No. 15 in A minor
   * Opus 133 (1826) Gro§e Fuge in B flat major
   * Opus 134 (1826) Piano arrangement (4 hands) of Gro§e Fuge
   * Opus 135 (1826) String Quartet No. 16 in F major
   * Opus 136 (1814) Cantata - Der glorreiche Augenblick
   * Opus 137 (1817) String Quintet (fugue) in D major
   * Opus 138 (1807) Overture - Leonore 1

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