Beethoven: An Essay
This has been in the works for more than a little while and I would like to share my biographical findings with you, perhaps this is nothing new to some, but the way in which I have arranged it is absolutely charming. I refer to it as an essay for the simple fact that I am a Punk rebel with all of the usual cliche interests in Indie labels and politically liberal causes, now then, have an eyeful, yes?
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770. His musical training began under the tutelage of his father whom was a musical instructor of sorts, and his father’s father, whom he was named after, was a court musician. Johann Beethoven, Ludwig’s father, had the idea of molding his young son into a variation of the prodigal Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart of a few decades previous. Johann was a very harsh and often drunken taskmaster in relation Ludwig’s musical education.
Beethoven’s first real music instructor besides his difficult and abusive father was the opera composer Christian Gottlob Neefe. While still in his late teens, Beethoven had the opportunity to visit Vienna. He was actually lucky enough to receive brief instruction from his musical idol Mozart. His time spent in Vienna was unfortunately cut short when news of Magdalena Keverich van Beethoven’s death, his mother, reached him.
Upon his return home, it was then Beethoven’s responsibility to look after his two younger brothers, as his father’s worsening alcoholism deemed him ultimately unfit. A return to Vienna took place a handful of years later, but by this time, Mozart had passed on and he went about studying with the great Classical composer Joseph Haydn. Specifically, Beethoven was a pianist, and established himself as a great virtuoso rather quickly. His musical gifts granted him excellent pay amongst the Viennese aristocracy, and additional earnings were made with public performances, concerts, and as well as giving lessons.
The early period of Beethoven’s success was very much in the same vein as Mozart and Haydn, those two being key figures of the Classical era. In a few short years, however, Beethoven expanded upon the sounds of the Classical era and he found himself composing works ripe with emotional feeling. Part of this was due to his unfortunate luck of slowly going deaf. During this middle period of his career is when he composed his only opera in Fidelio.
Upon growing completely deaf during the latter part of his life as a musician and composer, Beethoven took to composition almost exclusively. Of this time period, his complex and intellectually profound 9th Symphony was born. Beethoven had broken much new ground even as poor health decreased his output. He was at the forefront of the Romantic era in classical music, saw to it that certain evolutions took place in piano construction and wrote open-ended symphonies that continued for great lengths yet maintained a great musical cohesion.
Beethoven died on March 26th, 1827 after a prolonged illness, and it was believed that potential lead poisoning could have been a contributing factor to his somewhat early death. A difficult childhood under a tyrannical father and a personal life in adulthood wracked with depression and a painful custody battle over his nephew mingled with all of the various physical health concerns may have very well contributed to some of the greatest and most emotionally intense music ever written. A slightly anti-social, eccentric and rather intense personality during his adult life, and with much sorrow in his own personal life, Beethoven died a bachelor.
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Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770. His musical training began under the tutelage of his father whom was a musical instructor of sorts, and his father’s father, whom he was named after, was a court musician. Johann Beethoven, Ludwig’s father, had the idea of molding his young son into a variation of the prodigal Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart of a few decades previous. Johann was a very harsh and often drunken taskmaster in relation Ludwig’s musical education.
Beethoven’s first real music instructor besides his difficult and abusive father was the opera composer Christian Gottlob Neefe. While still in his late teens, Beethoven had the opportunity to visit Vienna. He was actually lucky enough to receive brief instruction from his musical idol Mozart. His time spent in Vienna was unfortunately cut short when news of Magdalena Keverich van Beethoven’s death, his mother, reached him.
Upon his return home, it was then Beethoven’s responsibility to look after his two younger brothers, as his father’s worsening alcoholism deemed him ultimately unfit. A return to Vienna took place a handful of years later, but by this time, Mozart had passed on and he went about studying with the great Classical composer Joseph Haydn. Specifically, Beethoven was a pianist, and established himself as a great virtuoso rather quickly. His musical gifts granted him excellent pay amongst the Viennese aristocracy, and additional earnings were made with public performances, concerts, and as well as giving lessons.
The early period of Beethoven’s success was very much in the same vein as Mozart and Haydn, those two being key figures of the Classical era. In a few short years, however, Beethoven expanded upon the sounds of the Classical era and he found himself composing works ripe with emotional feeling. Part of this was due to his unfortunate luck of slowly going deaf. During this middle period of his career is when he composed his only opera in Fidelio.
Upon growing completely deaf during the latter part of his life as a musician and composer, Beethoven took to composition almost exclusively. Of this time period, his complex and intellectually profound 9th Symphony was born. Beethoven had broken much new ground even as poor health decreased his output. He was at the forefront of the Romantic era in classical music, saw to it that certain evolutions took place in piano construction and wrote open-ended symphonies that continued for great lengths yet maintained a great musical cohesion.
Beethoven died on March 26th, 1827 after a prolonged illness, and it was believed that potential lead poisoning could have been a contributing factor to his somewhat early death. A difficult childhood under a tyrannical father and a personal life in adulthood wracked with depression and a painful custody battle over his nephew mingled with all of the various physical health concerns may have very well contributed to some of the greatest and most emotionally intense music ever written. A slightly anti-social, eccentric and rather intense personality during his adult life, and with much sorrow in his own personal life, Beethoven died a bachelor.
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Watch this stuff:
Questions? Comments? Reactions?
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