I mentioned earlier how lovely the dandelions are these days, so I thought I would share with you as well. The picture you see as my new header was taken yesterday in a field that is on the way to and from my husband's work and our grocery store. All the fields here look like this. It is really just amazing how picturesque it all is.
Yesterday, I asked the question about a specific German composer, so today we get to know a little more about one of the German greats: Beethoven. In my research, particularly when it comes to music, I continue to be surprised at how much contact the famous composers of the world had with each other. I play piano, so for years, I have sat upon the bench with Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Satie, etc. I love classical music and classical piano in particular. I am familiar with the music of Brahms, Haydn, Schubert, etc. But never before had I pictured these people alive, taking lessons and learning their craft, and meeting fellow composers for discussions and coffee. To me, it was always the music that was alive, not the people. So this has been a real eye-opener for me.
In classical music, some of the most well known composers come from a set of periods called the Classical period, a time beginning in the mid 1700s when simplistic structure was very important and to dance within the structure with your music was the challenge, to the Romantic period, when all structure (or almost) was tossed aside for musical expression and passion. Beethoven can be classified with the Classical composers, with which he had contact, such as Mozart, Schubert, and Haydn. But he served a greater purpose, in some people's opinion, in that he acted as a bridge between this more structured time and the Romantic composers to follow, beginning in the early 1800s. Schubert, being younger than Beethoven, also falls into both groups. Other great composers of the day for Romanticism were Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. Between the two groups, Germany and Austria represent a large portion of these great composers. Needless to say, it was a great time for music. Kids - pick one of the great composers from this time that is not Beethoven and see what you can find out about his life! Who all did he hang out with? Just how many were from Germany? Were there any from America?
Beethoven was born in December of 1770 in the city of Bonn, Germany. He was named after his grandfather, who was literally also named Ludwig van Beethoven. He was the oldest of the three surviving children of his parents. His family had been musical, so his first piano teacher was his father. Beethoven excelled and was able to perform at age nine. Like Mozart, Beethoven's father saw the opportunities financially in having a child prodigy, but his attempts at fame and fortune failed.
In 1787, others who took interest in his talents helped to send him to Vienna to study with Mozart. Due to family circumstances with his mother's death, Beethoven had to come home to care for his two younger brothers. After 5 years, though, he was able to return to Vienna, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. This time, he worked under the guidance of Haydn. Shortly thereafter, he was able to set up shop for himself, playing for the well to-do in Vienna. It was during this time that he wrote one of my favorite pieces that I played when I was in high school - Sonata Pathétique. A very important student, friend and patron of Beethoven was the Emperor's son, Archduke Rudolf. Beethoven wrote 14 pieces that were dedicated to him.
During all this time of creativity for Beethoven, though, he began to have a menacing problem that would plague him for the rest of his life. He had developed a ringing in his ears that would later develop into hearing loss. Although there is still much controversy surrounding the cause of this hearing loss, it is thought by some to be related to lead poisoning.
Although he still continued to create music, his ability to perform it was diminished, much to his financial detriment. His last performance was in 1811, where he could not successfully play his own music. It was a terrible blow for him. To continue writing his music, though, he used a metal rod, which he clamped with his teeth and that was attached to the piano, to feel the vibrations from his music. He also had quite a collection of hearing aids that were available at that time. By 1814, he was no longer able to carry on conversations, so he took to having people write their portion of the conversations down. Some of these conversations are still preserved today.
As stated before, he is often cited with being the link between the two periods. This came about as an attempt to find more satisfaction in his work. He began to write heroic symphonies along with other works in a similar style - a completely new idea at the time. The works were well received and helped him earn his living through their performance and to cement his name as one of the greatest composers of all time.
Tragedy and loneliness were also a part of his life. He never married and the few he courted were not permitted to marry him due to his not being a nobleman. He made an attempt to gain custody of his nephew after his brother died, allowing his hatred of the boy's mother to consume his life. In the end, his nephew chose to end his life rather than be with his uncle. Although the attempt was unsuccessful, Beethoven relented and allowed the boy to return to his mother. But Beethoven was not the same after the loss. It took quite some time before he would return to the piano and begin to compose again. This final phase of composition in his life is often seen as that final stage of his becoming a Romantic period composer, nor was it embraced by all who were not accustomed to the new style. It was also during this time that he completed the 9th Symphony, to be his last.
Today's look at Beethoven is based on yet another anniversary - the anniversary of the playing of that final symphony which debuted Friday, May 7, 1824 in the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna. Although he was completely deaf by the time this symphony was performed, he insisted on conducting it. At the completion of the performance, he had to turn around to see the audience for their reaction. He simply could not hear the applause. His health by this time was in significant decline, and he died just three short years later on March 26th, 1827.
The word for today is piano: das Klavier (klah veer).
The question for today is "Do Germans celebrate Mother's Day?"
Auf Wiedersehen,
Frau Spitzer
