The Early Music of Beethoven

1
Chapter 49

• The Early Music of Beethoven

2
Lecture Overview

• Europe from 1770 to 1800
• Beethovens life (1770-1827)
• Beethovens works of the first period (1792-1802)
• Representative works
• Piano Sonata in C Minor (Pathétique), Op. 13,
  movement 1
• Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, movement 3
• Review

3
Beethovens World

• Beethoven was born in 1770 the city of Bonn, on
  the Rhine River, in the northwest corner of what
  is now Germany. From the age of 21, he lived in
  Vienna, the capital of Austria and seat of
  government of the far-flung lands ruled by the
  Hapsburg kings. At this time, the
  German-speaking states of Europe were members of
  a loose alliance called the Holy Roman Empire,
  whose emperor was the Hapsburg king. The most
  powerful German state was Prussia, in the
  northeast part of Europe.

4
Beethovens Life

• 1770 born in Bonn
• 1792 moves to Vienna and studies with Haydn
• 17921802 first compositional period
• 1802 despair over deafness, Heiligenstadt
  Testament
• 1802-c1814 second compositional period
• 18141815 Congress of Vienna
• c18141827 third compositional period
• 1827 death in Vienna

5
Beethovens Principal Compositions

• Orchestra 9 symphonies, overtures, concertos
  (including 5 for piano and 1 for violin)
• Chamber music 16 string quartets, 7 trios,
  sonatas for instruments and piano
• Piano 32 sonatas, variations
• Opera and ballet Fidelio (opera), Creatures of
  Prometheus (ballet)
• Chorus 2 masses, oratorio Christ on the Mount
  of Olives, finale of Symphony No. 9

6
The Youthful Beethoven

• Beethovens appearance made an impression on
  virtually all who met him. He was very short,
  and an acquaintance from his youth remembered his
  broad shoulders, short neck, large head, round
  nose, and dark brown complexion. The French
  composer Luigi Cherubini compared him to an
  unlicked bear cub.

7
Beethovens Principal Music of his First Period
of Composition (17921802)

• Piano Sonatas Nos. 120
• Symphonies Nos. 12
• Piano Concertos Nos. 12
• String Quartets Nos. 16 (Op. 18)
• Violin Sonatas Nos. 15
• Trios (violin-cello-piano) Nos. 14

8
Beethoven, Piano Sonata in C Minor (Pathétique),
1798, movement 1
Sonata form
9
Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, 1795,
movement 3
Sonata-rondo form
10
Review Key Terms

• Christian Neefe
• Ferdinand Waldstein
• WoO numbers
• French Revolution
• improvisation
• Carl Czerny
• fantasia
• sonata-rondo form
• episode (in a rondo form)