NINE BEETHOVEN SYMPHONIES

Out of all musical artists known today, Ludwig Van Beethoven is right at the top of popularity and stardom. Though his life didn’t start this way, as did Mozart’s, Beethoven increased in knowledge and musical ablility as he was taught by some of the best composers of his time. Beethoven’s child life was not a very happy one in many circumstances. His father, Johann, even though being a singer in the Electoral Chapel in Bonn, Germany, where Beethoven was born, had a negative effect on Beethoven’s life because of his drunkenness. Johann, who learned of Mozart’s child stardom, pressed young Beethoven to practice relentlessly at the piano, hoping to make a few dollars. This did not to turn out to be such as a success as he wished.

As Beethoven grew older, his mother, who was his only source of compassion died and he left his father to go study with one of the most proclaimed composers of the time, Hayden. Beethoven would go on to study with many other teachers and finally established his own musical personality, which is shown throughout his music

Beethoven’s first symphony, written in 1800, just as his second symphony, resembles directly to Hayden and Mozart’s classical styles. Symphony No. 1 in C Major, which is dedicated to the Baron van Swieten, commences with a very short introductory movement, Adagio molto. Only consisting of twelve bars, merely serves as a prelude to the work. This leads into the Allegro, which princliple subject is six bars. The leading theme is three four-bar phrases in the strings, artfully protracted by two bars of wind instruments.

The second movement includes the Andante cantabile con moto, which contains an accompanamiant for kettle drums, piano, which appears nowadays as something very ordinary. This movement evolves full of charm, with a theme of grace, into the Menuetto e Trio, which is the third movement.

The Minuet and Trio form the most original portion of the work. Beethoven relayed the spirit of his predecessors in the minuet and increased the speed, while breaking through it’s formal and antiquated mould. This change is not very noticeable because he adhered to the old plan and measure of the old Minuet. The fourth movement, the Finale, is a bright, humorous passage, which never hesitates throughout the whole of the movement.

Word Count: 388