Ludwig van Beethoven was born into a musical family in Bonn, Germany, in 1770. From an early age, his father had high expectations for him to bring fame to his family’s name. Little Ludwig began strict musical practice at home. Not surprisingly, the young Beethoven said, “Music comes to me more readily than words.”
Beethoven learned fast and showed complete dedication, yet he always kept a sense of individualism and improvisation. Beethoven created music to accommodate his muse. At age 12, he developed a set of nine variations for piano in C minor, which was an unusual key to use at that time.
His use of C minor reoccurred in many of his later works, which were known for their heroic and intense themes. This made them very difficult to play, which is another characteristic of his repertoire.
Challenging Compositions
Beethoven developed many challenging compositions that had unexpected keys striking at far distances from each other, with beats on and off the bar, leaving the player and listener to ride a dramatic train of thought. This can also be seen in his writing for the timpani, where his percussion notes burst into startling energy.
Within 20 years, he surpassed his predecessors Mozart and Haydn, both of whom had instructed him. He flourished in Vienna, the art renaissance capital of Europe at the time, and became a piano virtuoso. His Symphony No. 7 was so well-received it was performed three times in 10 weeks. The second movement of this piece was immensely popular and is still famous today.
Bridging Musical Eras
Beethoven’s brilliant symphonies bridge the Classical and Romantic eras. Many people still argue about this transition and how much each era’s style dominates his pieces in succeeding years. As you pinpoint this for yourself, you may consider how his personal experiences affected his artistry.
Beethoven kept a diary of his day-to-day activities when he moved to Vienna in 1792. His personal letters give you a glimpse into his life circumstances. When his hearing started to decline, he wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament letter, where he professed his grievances to his brothers, lamenting his deafness and pronouncing his determination to overcome his difficulties. He then went on to create his most imaginative and prolific work, which resonated fully with the new mood of the Romantic period.
Schmitt Music
Beethoven turned his emotional struggles into extraordinary masterpieces. His accomplishments are a great historical example of perseverance that can keep today’s kids encouraged as they are taking musical instrument lessons at Schmitt Music. Integrating material about his life and work creates inspiration for the music masters of tomorrow.
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