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.
String Quartet in A major Op. 18 No. 5: III. Andante cantabile
Ludwig van Beethoven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Omoi hi no kioku wo
Kanashimi no iki no ne wo tometekure yo
Saa ai ni kogareta mune wo tsuranuke
Asu ga kuru hazu no sora wo mite
Mayou bakari no kokoro moteamashiteru
Katawara no tori ga habataita
Naa omae no se ni ore mo nosete kurenai ka
Soshite ichiban takai tokoro de
Okizari ni shite yasashisa kara toozakete
Kimi no te de kirisaite
Omoi hi no kioku wo
Kanashimi no iki no ne wo tometekure yo
Saa ai ni kogareta mune wo tsuranuke
Tori wo yuuyami ni miokutta
Chi wo hau bakari no ore wo kaze ga nazeru
Hane ga hoshii to wa iwanai sa
Semete chuu ni mau MELISSA no ha ni naritai
Mou Zuibun to tachitsukushite mita kedo
Tabun kotae wa nai no darou
Kono kaze ni mo iku ate nado nai you ni
Kimi no te de kagi wo kakete
Tamerai nado nai daro
Machigatte mo Nidoto aku koto no nai you ni
Saa Jou no ochiru oto de owarasete
Sukui no nai tamashii wa
nagasarete kieyuku
Kieteyuku shunkan ni wazuka hikaru
Ima Tsuki ga michiru yoru wo umidasu no sa
These lyrics are not actually from Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet in A major Op. 18 No.5, as this is a purely instrumental piece of music. It is possible that the lyrics were added later by another artist or that they are unrelated to this particular composition.
However, assuming these lyrics were meant to accompany the piece, they describe a sense of longing and sadness. The singer seems to be asking someone to help them forget their memories of a past love that brought them pain. They are looking forward to the future, but their heart is still stuck in the past. The image of a bird flying and finding light somewhere in the distance suggests the possibility of hope and new beginnings.
Throughout the lyrics, there are also references to nature, such as the sky, the wind, and the moon. These elements contrast with the singer's internal struggles and add a sense of beauty and poetry to the words.
Overall, if these lyrics were intended to go along with Beethoven's String Quartet, they add a layer of emotion and storytelling to the piece that the music alone may not have conveyed.
Line by Line Meaning
Kimi no te de kirisaite
With your hand, tear apart
Omoi hi no kioku wo
The memories of the past
Kanashimi no iki no ne wo tometekure yo
Make the sighs of sadness stop
Saa ai ni kogareta mune wo tsuranuke
Pierce through the heart longing for love
Asu ga kuru hazu no sora wo mite
Looking at the sky that tomorrow should bring
Mayou bakari no kokoro moteamashiteru
A heart that is filled with confusion
Katawara no tori ga habataita
A bird flew from the side
Doko ka hikari wo mitsukerareta no ka na
I wonder if it found light somewhere
Naa omae no se ni ore mo nosete kurenai ka
Hey, can't you carry me on your back too?
Soshite ichiban takai tokoro de
Then, at the highest place
Okizari ni shite yasashisa kara toozakete
Leave me behind, and move away from kindness
Tori wo yuuyami ni miokutta
The bird disappeared into the darkness
Chi wo hau bakari no ore wo kaze ga nazeru
The wind messes with me who just crawls on the ground
Hane ga hoshii to wa iwanai sa
I won’t say I want wings
Semete chuu ni mau MELISSA no ha ni naritai
I want to become leaves that dance in the air like Melissa
Mou Zuibun to tachitsukushite mita kedo
I’ve already tried standing firm for quite some time, but
Tabun kotae wa nai no darou
There’s probably no answer
Kono kaze ni mo iku ate nado nai you ni
Like there’s no direction the wind is going to
Kimi no te de kagi wo kakete
Secure the lock with your hand
Tamerai nado nai daro
There’s no hesitation, right?
Machigatte mo Nidoto aku koto no nai you ni
Even if we are mistaken, let us never be evil
Saa Jou no ochiru oto de owarasete
Now, end it with the sound of the castle falling
Sukui no nai tamashii wa
A soul without salvation
nagasarete kieyuku
Drifting away and fading out
Kieteyuku shunkan ni wazuka hikaru
Shining just a little at the moment it disappears
Ima Tsuki ga michiru yoru wo umidasu no sa
Now, it brings forth the night that the moon becomes full
Contributed by Zachary N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Caleb Kepley
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