It’s quite possible that Beethoven is the greatest composer ever. His symphonies, string quartets and piano sonatas are amongst the best (probably the best) examples of each genre. His music divides into three periods:
·
Early – where his music shows the influence of
Classical composers like Haydn and Mozart
·
Middle – where, perhaps because of his
sympathies with revolutionary politics, his music becomes more powerful and
full of extreme emotions, signalling the beginning of the Romantic period
·
Late – where, perhaps as his deafness became
worse, his music becomes more inward-looking and spiritual and looks forward to
a world of sound many years ahead of its time
Beethoven’s music is full of rhythmic vitality and often
uses short ideas (motivic development) to bind his structures and give them a
logical inevitability. Many works seem to have a sense of struggle being
overcome by a united humanity. His only opera, Fidelio, tells of people,
unjustly imprisoned, being released into light and freedom.
Want to read something while you listen? Try these:
Victor Hugo: Les Misérables – this is a long book but it
really captures the spirit of Beethoven in its story of struggles against
poverty, revolutionaries and love
Goethe: The Sorrows of Young Werther – a coming of age novel
from 1774, one which began the Romantic period
Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities – an exciting story about the
French Revolution
