Ludwig van Beethoven (16 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German pianis… Read Full Bio ↴Ludwig van Beethoven (16 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German pianist and composer of the transitional period between the late Classical and early Romantic eras. He is often regarded as one of the most brilliant, prolific and influential composers of all time.
Beethoven is widely regarded as a master of musical construction, sometimes sketching the architecture of a movement before he had decided upon the subject matter. He was one of the first composers to systematically and consistently use interlocking thematic devices, or 'germ-motives', to achieve unity between movements in long compositions. (Some insight into the meaning of the germ-motive device is given at the end of this bio.) Equally remarkable was his use of source-motives', which recurred in many different compositions and lent some unity to his life’s work. He made innovations in almost every form of music he touched. For example, he diversified even the well-crystallised form of the rondo, making it more elastic and spacious, which brought it closer to sonata form. He was mostly inspired by the natural course of nature, and liked to write songs describing nature.
Beethoven composed in a great variety of genres, including symphonies, concerti, piano sonatas, other instrumental sonatas (including for violin), string quartets and other chamber music, masses, lieder, and one opera.
Beethoven's compositional career is usually divided into Early, Middle, and Late periods:
In the Early (Classical) period, he is seen as emulating his great predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while concurrently exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second symphonies, the first six string quartets, the first three piano concertos, and the first twenty piano sonatas, including the famous "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" sonatas.
The Middle (Heroic) period began shortly after Beethoven's personal crisis centering around his encroaching deafness. The period is noted for large-scale works expressing heroism and struggle; these include many of the most famous works of classical music. Middle period works include six symphonies (numbers 3 to 8), the fourth and fifth piano concertos, the triple concerto and violin concerto, five string quartets (numbers 7 to 11), the next seven piano sonatas (including the "Waldstein" and the "Appassionata"), and Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio.
Beethoven's Late (Romantic) period began around 1816. The Late-period works are characterised by intellectual depth, intense and highly personal expression, and formal innovation (for example, the Op. 131 string quartet has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement). Works of this period also include the Missa Solemnis, the last five string quartets, and the last five piano sonatas.
Deconstructing the sonata form, both in the overall schema (movements, tempos) and in the micro-form, Beethoven began to use germinal ideas propelling the whole melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic progression. In the first quartet of the group (E flat major, Op.127 – February 1825), the Adagio has five variations (in this case, a source-theme becomes the backbone of the tempo). That same year, in July, Quartet in A minor, Op.132, features a first movement with the traditional two themes, but without contrast; they display and disseminate sub-sections and ‘germs’ in a circular frame, interlocking with each other. Beethoven's germ-motive is like a Bach choral, summoning the other voices around itself.
The last quartet, Op. 135 in F major, was composed in a downplayed form, going back to a more traditional four-tempo structure. But internally one finds the same frozen micro-structure: the first movement is harmonically ambiguous, whereas the scherzo sounds like Bartók, and in the finale, the canon ‘Es muss sein’ plays a joyful role. A terrible grave comes in afterward, to dissolve into a soft pizzicato: adieu music, adieu life . It was never heard by the now deaf Beethoven, and he died shortly afterward.
Beethoven is widely regarded as a master of musical construction, sometimes sketching the architecture of a movement before he had decided upon the subject matter. He was one of the first composers to systematically and consistently use interlocking thematic devices, or 'germ-motives', to achieve unity between movements in long compositions. (Some insight into the meaning of the germ-motive device is given at the end of this bio.) Equally remarkable was his use of source-motives', which recurred in many different compositions and lent some unity to his life’s work. He made innovations in almost every form of music he touched. For example, he diversified even the well-crystallised form of the rondo, making it more elastic and spacious, which brought it closer to sonata form. He was mostly inspired by the natural course of nature, and liked to write songs describing nature.
Beethoven composed in a great variety of genres, including symphonies, concerti, piano sonatas, other instrumental sonatas (including for violin), string quartets and other chamber music, masses, lieder, and one opera.
Beethoven's compositional career is usually divided into Early, Middle, and Late periods:
In the Early (Classical) period, he is seen as emulating his great predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while concurrently exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second symphonies, the first six string quartets, the first three piano concertos, and the first twenty piano sonatas, including the famous "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" sonatas.
The Middle (Heroic) period began shortly after Beethoven's personal crisis centering around his encroaching deafness. The period is noted for large-scale works expressing heroism and struggle; these include many of the most famous works of classical music. Middle period works include six symphonies (numbers 3 to 8), the fourth and fifth piano concertos, the triple concerto and violin concerto, five string quartets (numbers 7 to 11), the next seven piano sonatas (including the "Waldstein" and the "Appassionata"), and Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio.
Beethoven's Late (Romantic) period began around 1816. The Late-period works are characterised by intellectual depth, intense and highly personal expression, and formal innovation (for example, the Op. 131 string quartet has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement). Works of this period also include the Missa Solemnis, the last five string quartets, and the last five piano sonatas.
Deconstructing the sonata form, both in the overall schema (movements, tempos) and in the micro-form, Beethoven began to use germinal ideas propelling the whole melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic progression. In the first quartet of the group (E flat major, Op.127 – February 1825), the Adagio has five variations (in this case, a source-theme becomes the backbone of the tempo). That same year, in July, Quartet in A minor, Op.132, features a first movement with the traditional two themes, but without contrast; they display and disseminate sub-sections and ‘germs’ in a circular frame, interlocking with each other. Beethoven's germ-motive is like a Bach choral, summoning the other voices around itself.
The last quartet, Op. 135 in F major, was composed in a downplayed form, going back to a more traditional four-tempo structure. But internally one finds the same frozen micro-structure: the first movement is harmonically ambiguous, whereas the scherzo sounds like Bartók, and in the finale, the canon ‘Es muss sein’ plays a joyful role. A terrible grave comes in afterward, to dissolve into a soft pizzicato: adieu music, adieu life . It was never heard by the now deaf Beethoven, and he died shortly afterward.
Piano Sonata No. 18 in Eb Op. 31 No. 3: I. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Ludwig van Beethoven:
"An die Hoffnung" Op. 94 LUDWIG VcN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) cn die Hoffnung op.94 (aus…
1 Joyful, joyful, we adore You, God of glory, Lord of love; He…
9th Symphony Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, wir bet…
Ah perfido Ah! perfido, spergiuro, Barbaro traditor, tu parti? E son qu…
Ah perfido! Op.65 Ah! perfido, spergiuro, Barbaro traditor, tu parti? E son qu…
Ah! perfido Op. 65: "Ah! perfido" Ah! perfido, spergiuro, Barbaro traditor, tu parti? E son qu…
Ah! perfido Op. 65: "Per pietà non dirmi addio" Ah! perfido, spergiuro, Barbaro traditor, tu parti? E son qu…
Ah! perfido! Op. 65 Ah! perfido, spergiuro, Barbaro traditor, tu parti? E son qu…
An die Hoffnung op. 32 LUDWIG V. BEETHOVEN (1770-1882) cn die Hoffnung op. 32 Tex…
An die Hoffnung Op. 32 LUDWIG V. BEETHOVEN (1770-1882) cn die Hoffnung op. 32 Tex…
An die Hoffnung Op. 94 LUDWIG VcN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) cn die Hoffnung op.94 (aus…
Joyful Joyful Joyful, joyful, we adore You, God of glory, Lord of love; He…
Moonlight Sonata Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven We Love You All…
Presto Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, wir bet…
String Quartet in A major Kimi no te de kirisaite Omoi hi no kioku wo Kanashimi no…
String Quartet in A major Op. 18 No. 5: III. Andante cantabile Kimi no te de kirisaite Omoi hi no kioku wo Kanashimi no…
Symphony No. 2 in D Major I saw you standing on the corner You looked so big…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Ashish Xiangyi Kumar
Kovacevich:
00:00 – Mvt 1
07:39 – Mvt 2
12:33 – Mvt 3
16:11 – Mvt 4
Biret:
20:37 – Mvt 1
29:19 – Mvt 2
34:23 – Mvt 3
39:17 – Mvt 4
Kovacevich is one of the very, very, few pianists that can play the first movement of this sonata with the kind of lightness that you need: just listen to how the second theme takes off at 3:00, or the bass drum-strokes in the development. He sometimes also deviates from the score in rather nice ways: the extra LH accents at 3:31, for example. He does this too in his beautifully taut, punchy account of the second movement: at 10:41 there is an extra trill, and in the passage immediately after he takes the quasi-glissandi at a flat mf dynamic, creating a long-term anticipation of the wonderfully perky passage leads back into the recapitulation. The minuet is taken at a quick(-ish) tempo, and the last movement is broad and vigorous.
Biret brings a certain magic to this sonata: listen to how she articulates the theme at 24:22, with those chirp-like slurs, compared to Kovacevich at 5:57, who plays them straight (this is an unresolved point of interpretive uncertainty, it seems: Schnabel and Schiff also exaggerate the slurs). The trills are also handled amazingly well: listen to them in the first theme, or at 24:34. And you might notice how the chromatically descending middle voice emerges 21:11. In the second movement she shows off some stunning staccato technique in the bass and at 31:25 (and similar) – in the latter it’s kind of miraculous how those huge chords, punched out like that, die away so fast. The tempo is slower than Kovacevich’s in both the second and third movements, but there’s a certain earthiness to the interpretation that’s pretty compelling, and a unexpected tenderness in the third movement in particular. The last movement is taken with very little pedal, and a beautifully sharp, focused attack, especially in the development.
One last thing: I struggled a lot re whether or not I should place Kovacevich’s or Korstick’s account here, but you should definitely check out Korstick’s recording too. It’s more heavy-going than Kovacevich’s, but the contrasts are really satisfying.
eunsung kwon
Part of 1st movement sounds like Czerny 50 # 16.
E♭ Major (1st movement)
The key of love, of devotion, of intimate conversation with God.
A♭ Major (2nd movement)
Key of the grave. Death, grave, putrefaction, judgment, eternity lie in its radius.
E♭ Major (3rd movement)
The key of love, of devotion, of intimate conversation with God.
E♭ Major (4th movement)
The key of love, of devotion, of intimate conversation with God.
https://www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/courses/keys.html
Ashish Xiangyi Kumar
Kovacevich:
00:00 – Mvt 1
07:39 – Mvt 2
12:33 – Mvt 3
16:11 – Mvt 4
Biret:
20:37 – Mvt 1
29:19 – Mvt 2
34:23 – Mvt 3
39:17 – Mvt 4
Kovacevich is one of the very, very, few pianists that can play the first movement of this sonata with the kind of lightness that you need: just listen to how the second theme takes off at 3:00, or the bass drum-strokes in the development. He sometimes also deviates from the score in rather nice ways: the extra LH accents at 3:31, for example. He does this too in his beautifully taut, punchy account of the second movement: at 10:41 there is an extra trill, and in the passage immediately after he takes the quasi-glissandi at a flat mf dynamic, creating a long-term anticipation of the wonderfully perky passage leads back into the recapitulation. The minuet is taken at a quick(-ish) tempo, and the last movement is broad and vigorous.
Biret brings a certain magic to this sonata: listen to how she articulates the theme at 24:22, with those chirp-like slurs, compared to Kovacevich at 5:57, who plays them straight (this is an unresolved point of interpretive uncertainty, it seems: Schnabel and Schiff also exaggerate the slurs). The trills are also handled amazingly well: listen to them in the first theme, or at 24:34. And you might notice how the chromatically descending middle voice emerges 21:11. In the second movement she shows off some stunning staccato technique in the bass and at 31:25 (and similar) – in the latter it’s kind of miraculous how those huge chords, punched out like that, die away so fast. The tempo is slower than Kovacevich’s in both the second and third movements, but there’s a certain earthiness to the interpretation that’s pretty compelling, and a unexpected tenderness in the third movement in particular. The last movement is taken with very little pedal, and a beautifully sharp, focused attack, especially in the development.
One last thing: I struggled a lot re whether or not I should place Kovacevich’s or Korstick’s account here, but you should definitely check out Korstick’s recording too. It’s more heavy-going than Kovacevich’s, but the contrasts are really satisfying.
오오
그저 고맙고 감사합니다. ♡♡♡♡
belume
hey dude, we love your vids, is there a way to contact u dude ?
like, r u on discord or something
Tim Ward
@Nguyen Kien I think what's meant is 4 independent movements. The op. 110 has 4 movements, too, sorta, but 3rd (arioso) and 4th (fugue) are interleaved. Technically the op. 110 finale has 6 sub-movements if you really want to slice it finely (recitative, first arioso, first fugue, second arioso, second fugue, coda) but you'd never play any of them as independent movements.
Very Good
Thank you so much for doing this and sharing with the world!
Ashish Xiangyi Kumar
@Nguyen Kien Yeah, I really think of the Op.101 as having one big 3rd mvt!
Pantoleon Antonio
Fun fact: In Hungary we call this the "jó reggelt" sonata which means "good morning". The 1st movement's theme has a dum du dum rhythm which is the same as the rhythm as saying good morning In Hungarian. Also in my opinion it sounds like the break of dawn, where all the animals come out and the birds start chirping.
DGonzalez Tutoriales Unity en Español
You reminded me a old joke (only works in Spanish).
- Did you know Beethoven dedicated the 5th symphony to his father?
- Really?
- Yeah, that's why it goes "para papá, para papá"
(Para papá literally means "for my father" or "for dad")
Life Notes Before Bedtime
Fascinating! This is exactly the sort of comment I like in comment sections.
ligatura l
Actually, we call itt "jó napot!" instead of "jó reggelt!", try to pronounce it to the starting rhythm, and will discover why 😉 mármint mi, magyarok 😉😉😉 anyway, your interpretation of its mood is nice 👍