Ludwig van Beethoven
From Conservapedia
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 - March 26, 1827) was a German composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras.
Widely considered to be among the greatest, if not the greatest composer of Western music, he was also an accomplished pianist. His compositions include some of the most famous and enduring music ever written.
Contents |
Early Life
His early musical training was with the violin, and later in composition and keyboards. At first he was taught by his father, Johann, and then by C.G. Neefe, a court organist. At 11 he is recorded as filling in for Neefe as an organist; at 12 he had some early compositions published. In 1787 he went to Vienna, but quickly returned on hearing that his mother was dying. In 1792 he went back to Vienna, where he then settled. He pursued his studies, first with Joseph Haydn, and later with contemporaries Johann Schenk, Johann-Georg Albrechtsberger and Antonio Salieri
The "Middle Period"
The most remarkable thing about Beethoven is that he completely lost his hearing, yet continued to compose music despite the fact that he could not even hear himself play. In fact, some of his greatest works were composed after he had fallen deaf, including the famous Ninth Symphony.
His works include nine symphonies, sixteen string quartets, 32 piano sonatas, five piano concertos, a violin concerto, an opera (Fidelio), the Missa Solemnis, and numerous other pieces, including chamber music, overtures, incidental music, and songs.
Some of his most popular compositions include the piano bagatelle "Fur Elise" and the Moonlight Sonata. (a title not actually attributed to Beethoven), opus 27 no. 2.
Beethoven and Religion
There is some dispute between scholar's over Beethoven's religious stance, as his letters and the accounts of friends provide conflicting evidence. While he was raised a Roman Catholic and made several well-documented references to his faith, it is known that he never attended religious services. His teacher, the great composer Franz Joseph Haydn, thought Beethoven was an atheist. His friend and biographer Anton Schindler considered him a deist. Furthermore, Beethoven's choice of text in the choral movement of his ninth symphony indicates at least an interest (if not a belief) in Pantheism.
Trivia
- Beethoven was the teacher of Carl Czerny, who in turn taught Franz Liszt, commonly considered to be the greatest pianist of all time.
- The first recording of all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonatas was made by pianist Artur Schnabel, a major accomplishment repeated by few pianists, including Murrah Perrahia, Alfred Brendel (3 times), Daniel Barenboim, and Ursula Oppens.
- Beethoven described the piano as "the god of all instruments" and wrote more for piano than for any other instrument, including 5 piano concertos, 32 piano sonatas, 10 sonatas with violin and piano, 5 sonatas with cello and piano, many piano variations, and a number of miscellaneous short pieces, such as "Fuer Elise."
