Myrsha LazarreA Great Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
May 29th 2008 01:25
A portrait of Beethoven at work
Ludwig van Beethoven is best known for daring to defy the norms of classical music. He was the first great composer to make a living as a freelance artist rather than depending on the aristocracy for employment as a court musician. He broke the barriers for composing during the era known as the classical period. Beethoven's works demonstrate a genuine sense of power, magnificence, and brilliance. The piano has eighty-eight keys today as a result of his constant demands for higher or lower pitches. Prior to his arrival, the instrument ranged from seventy to seventy-five keys. Today's musicians whether they are composers, arrangers, or performers are indebted to Beethoven for his wilingness to think outside the box and diverge from the status quo. Otherwise, there would be so many rules and restrictions that composing or performing music would be a practical joke or Herculean task. Who knows, perhaps musicians would still be having to find grace in the sight of the aristocrats! Thanks to the great maestro, the world of music as a whole continues to expand throughout the modern society.
Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany into a musical family. His grandfather earned a career as an opera singer in the Archbishop of Cologne's choir. Johann, Beethoven's father, also earned his profession in the archibishop's choir. The family was well-renowned and affluent until the grandfather's death in 1773. Johann then turned to alcoholism, squandering his family's income at the local tavern. He would often come home late after heavy alcohol consumption, and violently awaken young Beethoven, demanding a violin performance for his colleagues. As a result of his father's brutal discipline and chronic alcoholism, Beethoven had quite a difficult childhood and adolescence. After hearing talk of the young prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann attempted without success to pass his son off as a wonder-child as well. Beethoven is said to have given his first public performance at the age of seven, yet his father often lied about his age when he gave recitals, stating that he was a year younger than he actually was.
The following year Beethoven took lessons with Christian Gottlob Neefe, the instructor who would have the greatest influence on his composing techniques. Beethoven already had a publication under his name at the age of 10. It was entitled Nine Variations for Piano in C minor.
In 1784, at the age of 14, Beethoven performed for Mozart and his friends. Mozart was highly impressed with Beethoven's keen improvisation skills and remarked that one day he would have a great name in the world. This prophetic statement of course became a reality. At age 18, Beethoven was already receiving the fervent support of numerous wealthy patrons. The most loyal of them was Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, to whom Beethoven dedicated his Sonata in C Major Op. 53.
A few years later in 1792, Beethoven continued in his musical studies with Franz Joseph Haydn, distinguished composer and father of the symphony. Their relationship was quite a turbulent one. Haydn insisted on taming Beethoven's "wild" talent, but the young mastermind would not relent, and left his tutor. He later claimed that he did not learn anything from Haydn. Later that year Beethoven made the decision to leave Bonn to go to Vienna, where he was superstar giving dazzling performances and awing massive crowds of people. He was especially admired by the nobility. During these performance Beethoven would have sudden outbursts flailing his hands in the air like a madman, grunting, playing extremely rapid arpeggios, and flamboyantly showing off his improvisational skills.
Beethoven's career as a virtuoso pianist was soon to come to an end, however, as his hearing began to fail. In the summer of 1802, his doctor sent him to Heiligenstadt, a village outside of Vienna with hopes that the serenity of the countryside would ease Beethoven's ailment. By autumn, Beethoven's spirits were so low that he felt as if his death were near; it was during this period that he wrote the famous document known as the Heiligenstadt Testament.
In December 1804, Beethoven received news that Napoleon Bonaparte had proclaimed himself emperor of France. In a rage, he walked over to a copy of the score for the symphony he was going to dedicate to him, and violently scratched off the title "Bonaparte", instead naming it "Eroica," in memory of the man who once used to represent his view of an ideal society in which all inhabitants of the earth coexisted as equals with no ursurpation of power.
Beethoven went on to create an immense volume of works. These include some of his greatest masterpieces: Wellington's Victory, the Emperor Concerto, Fur Elise, the Pathetique Sonata, and the world-famous Ninth Symphony. This final work was completed in 1823, when he was totally deaf. Beethoven insisted on conducting his own piece at the performance, despite receiving several offers from his friends to do the task. After the concert, the audience went into a frenzy of applause. Beethoven received a standing ovation, yet he was not aware that the performance had come to an end. He continued to conduct until one of the musicians turned him around so that he could see the audience applauding for himself.
Beethoven's final moment on this Earth was quite a melodramatic one. He was bed-ridden as a result of a terrible case of pneumonia. At 5:45 p.m. on March 26, 1827 as a violent thunderstorm took place, Beethoven's room was suddenly filled with light and shaken with with thunder. Beethoven opened his eyes wide, lifted his right fist in the air, and shook it around vigorously. After his fist fell back down, his eyes were half-closed. Afterwards, he did not utter another word, nor produce another heartbeat. Three days later, 20,000 people attended Beethoven's funeral in Zentralfriedhof in Vienna, which is a large resting place for the musicians. His body lies next to that of Franz Schubert, his good friend, and another great composer.
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