Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Intro

Beethoven was a celebrated German composer and pianist from 1770 to 1827, known for his influential contributions to Western music. His career is divided into three periods: early, middle, and late. During his early period, he worked on improving his craft until 1802. In his middle period, from around 1802 to 1812, Beethoven's style became more unique, drawing inspiration from Haydn and Mozart, while he also experienced progressive hearing loss. In his late period from 1812 to 1827, Beethoven continued to innovate and expand on his earlier works.

The Early Years

Beethoven's first period began when he arrived in Vienna in 1792. Despite composing less during his early residency, he became proficient in the Viennese style of music, exemplified by Haydn and Mozart. Beethoven's style incorporated large-scale structures, innovative techniques like the scherzo, and dramatic uses of dynamics, tempo, and harmony. His works were sometimes considered challenging, even by other composers such as Haydn, who found Op.1's third trio too difficult for most listeners. During this period, Beethoven expanded the scope and ambition of his works, including the first and second symphonies, Opus 18, the first two piano concertos, and the famous Pathetique sonata, Op. 13.

The Middle Period

Beethoven's middle period began after he faced a personal crisis caused by his increasing deafness. During this time, he created large-scale works that conveyed a sense of heroism and struggle. This period saw the creation of his six symphonies (Nos.3-8), the last two piano concertos, the Triple Concerto, the violin concerto, five string quartets (Nos.7-11), several piano sonatas, the Kreutzer violin sonata, and his only opera, Fidelio. However, some scholars argue against the use of the term "heroic" to describe this period, as not all works fit this description. For example, while the Third and Fifth Symphonies are easily characterized as heroic, the Sixth Symphony and Piano Sonata No. 24 are not.

The Late Period

In the 1810s, Beethoven's late period began, during which he revisited the works of Palestrina, Bach, and Handel, who he considered to be the greatest composer of all time. His later works incorporated Baroque techniques, such as polyphony , as seen in The Consecration of the House (1822). He also returned to the keyboard , creating his first piano sonatas in almost a decade, and produced works such as the Diabelli Variations, the last two sonatas for cello and piano, the late string quartets, and two large-scale works: the Missa Solemnis and the Ninth Symphony. These works are characterized by their intellectual depth, formal innovations, and intense expression, such as the String Quartet, Op. 131 with its seven linked movements and the Ninth Symphony's addition of choral forces in the final movement.