Cover Story

Cover Story Beethoven 250

About Beethoven Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in December 1770, making this year the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Musicians and orchestras around the world are celebrating this jubilee year with a blockbuster line-up of Beethoven-related performances and projects, under the umbrella of BTHVN250.

Beethoven sometimes signed off his scores as ‘Bthvn’ – omitting the vowels in his name. This is where the name ‘BTHVN250’ originated from.

Cover Story Beethoven 250

The Three Defining Periods Beethoven lived in both the classical and the romantic period, and is known as one of the pioneers of romanticism. The expressive compositions from the later period of his life set the tone for many Romantic period composers that followed. His works and life can be categorised into three defining periods:

EARLY PERIOD

Style: • Composed mostly for the piano in solo or chamber settings • Closely followed the characteristics of the classical era with balance and structure, but explored new directions and dynamics

Notable Works: • Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, “Pathétique” (1798) • String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18/3 (1800) • Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27/2, “Moonlight” (1801)

1792

Moving permanently to Vienna won him many patrons. He was known for his virtuosity and compositional prowess 1802

Grew increasingly troubled by his failing hearing. The despair drove him to resolve to continue living for, and through art

MIDDLE PERIOD (”HEROIC PERIOD”)

Style: • Colossal works that are dramatic, grand and powerful • Contained themes such as celebration, struggle and heroism

Notable Works: • Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47, “Kreutzer” (1803) • Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, “Waldstein” (1804) • Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, “Eroica” (1804) • Fidelio, Op. 72 (1805) • Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, “Emperor” (1811)

LATE PERIOD

Style: • Expressive and passionate music that is contemplative in nature

Notable Works: • Diabelli Variations, Op. 120 (1823) • Missa Solemnis in D major, Op. 123 (1823) • Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, “Choral” (1824) RIP

1810

As his ability to hear worsened, he became more depressed

and isolated

1827

Death at the age of 56

Cover Story Beethoven 250

Familiar Motifs

Fate motif

The opening of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (1808) is instantly recognisable due to the dramatic and ominous fate motif, the ‘short-short-short-long’ pattern that is said to be symbolic of fate knocking on the door. Think of it like the ‘rat-tat-tat-tat’ sound when knocking on a door – only if you hear the music, you might be able to tell that it carries a sense of dread too!

2 4

3 quick quavers

DUN DUN DUN DUUUUN

Sustained long note

This motif has not only been used by Beethoven and can be found in other compositions such as the prelude to Bizet’s 1875 opera, Carmen. The similarly ominous motif is played by low instruments over the strings playing tremolo, foreshadowing a tragic ending to the opera about love and jealousy.

3 4

Listen to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Listen out for the fate motif that appears in different ways throughout all four movements of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Compare it with the Andante Moderato section of the prelude to Carmen starting from 02:25!

Ode to Joy Beethoven’s last symphony, Symphony No. 9 (1824), was the first symphony to include a choir! At 70 minutes long, this colossal and epic composition set the standards for symphonies to follow, especially those by Mahler and Bruckner.

There’s a superstition that a composer’s last symphony would be their ninth, as he or she would be fated to die during or after composing their ninth symphony. While a few composers like Mahler and Shostakovich completed more than nine symphonies, some like Beethoven and Dvořák only completed nine – proving the superstition right!

The most recognisable theme from this symphony is Ode to Joy from the fourth movement. The lyrics are based on an ode by German poet Friedrich Schiller, that celebrates mankind’s aspirations towards universal brotherhood. You might have heard it as the European anthem, used as protest anthems, or even learnt how to play it on the recorder in school!

Freu-de, schö-ner Göt-ter – fun-ken, Toch-ter aud E ------ ly ----- si-um,

wir be–tre–ten feu–er–trun-ken, Himm-li-sche, dein Hei ----- lig-tum