Ludwig van Beethoven - Delphi Masterworks of Ludwig van Beethoven (Illustrated)

Ludwig van Beethoven

(1770-1827)

Contents

Delphi Classics 2017

Version 1

Delphi Great Composers

Ludwig van Beethoven

By Delphi Classics, 2017

Delphi Great Composers - Ludwig van Beethoven

First published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by Delphi Classics.

Delphi Classics, 2017.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.

ISBN: 978 1 78656 121 3

Delphi Classics

is an imprint of

Delphi Publishing Ltd

Hastings, East Sussex

United Kingdom

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Bonn, a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia Beethovens birthplace

Beethovens birthplace at Bonngasse 20, now the Beethoven House museum

Beethoven's birth room in the Beethoven House, Bonn

Beethoven as a youth

In this section of the eBook there are concise introductions for Ludwig van Beethovens most celebrated works. Interactive links to popular streaming services are provided at the beginning and end of each introduction, allowing you to listen to the music you are reading about. The text is also accompanied with contextual images to supplement your reading and listening.

There are various options for streaming music, with most paid services charged competitively at the same rate and usually offering a similar range of albums. Various streaming services offer a free trial ( Google Play Music , Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music ) and Spotify offers a free service after you watch a short advertisement. Amazon Prime members can also enjoy a wide range of free content from Amazon Prime Music . If you do not wish to subscribe to a streaming service, we have included YouTube links for free videos of the classical pieces.

Please note: different eReading devices serve hyperlinks in different ways, which means we cannot always link you directly to your chosen service. However, the links are intended to take you to the best option available for the piece of music you are reading about.

High-resolution scores for the music would be too large in size to include in an eBook; however, we have provided links to free scores available at IMSLP , the International Music Score Library Project, which can be accessed from the SCORES links in each chapter.

Now, settle back and relax as you immerse yourself in the music and life of Beethoven...

AMAZON APPLE GOOGLE SPOTIFY YOUTUBE SCORES

A paramount figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic era, Ludwig van Beethoven remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, there is no authentic record of the date of his birth, though the registry of his baptism, in a Catholic service at the Parish of St. Regius on 17 December 1770, survives. As children were traditionally baptised the day after birth, most historians accept 16 December 1770 as Beethovens date of birth. His father was Johann van Beethoven (c. 1739-1792), a German musician and teacher, and his mother was Maria Magdalena Keverich (1746-1787), the daughter of the head chef at the court of the Archbishopric of Trier.

From an early age, the young Beethoven displayed musical talents, receiving lessons from his father first, before the services of other local teachers were enlisted, including the family friend Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer, who provided keyboard tuition. From his fifth year the tuition regime was harsh and intensive, often reducing the child to tears. Pfeiffer inflicted irregular late-night sessions, having the boy dragged from his bed to the keyboard. As Beethovens musical talent was evident from a young age, his father was keen to emulate the success of Leopold Mozarts education of Wolfgang and Nannerl. Johann wished to promote his son as a child prodigy, claiming that Beethoven was six, when in fact he was seven, on the posters for his first public performance in March 1778.

Some time after 1779, Beethoven began his studies with his most important teacher in Bonn, Christian Gottlob Neefe, the Courts Organist. Neefe opened Beethovens mind to the technique of composition, helping him to write his first published composition in 1783: a set of keyboard variations (WoO 63). Beethoven commenced work with Neefe as assistant organist, eventually becoming a paid employee of the court chapel, conducted by the Kapellmeister Andrea Luchesi. His first three piano sonatas, named Kurfrst (Elector) for their dedication to the Elector Maximilian Friedrich, were published in 1783. The Elector recognised the composers talent early and subsidised further musical studies.

Seized with the desire to meet Mozart, Beethoven travelled to Vienna in March 1787, in the hope of studying with the famed composer. The details of their relationship remain obscure we do not know for certain whether they even met. After two weeks, Beethoven learnt that his mother was dangerously ill and so returned to Bonn. She died shortly after, causing his father to lapse deeper into alcoholism. From now on Beethoven would be responsible for the care of his two younger brothers.

In 1789 he obtained a legal order by which half of his fathers salary was paid directly to him for support of the family. He also contributed further to the familys income by playing viola in the court orchestra, introducing him to a variety of operas. During this formative time he met Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, who became a lifelong friend and financial supporter. It was not long before he received his first commission. The municipal leaders in Bonn had commissioned cantatas to mark the occasion of the death of Franz Joseph II and the subsequent accession of Leopold II as Holy Roman Emperor.