Ludwig Van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven is viewed as one of the most influential figures in the history of classical music. Beethoven's music has remained among the most performed, discussed and reviewed. Beethoven was a German composer and the main musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. Brought up in a musical, though dysfunctional, family, his talent was recognized by the time he was 20 and in 1792 he was sent to study with Joseph. The young Beethoven was a great success in Vienna, managing to make a good living from concerts.

Beethoven music style was very typical in his period. Many early Beethoven works involve the principle of formal structure associated with the classical era techniques. In the Classical era the musical style was based on the idea of constantly changing texture, rapid changes between polyphony, homophony and even monophony creating a mixture texture. Beethoven constantly pushed music into new areas more than any other composer before him. Beethoven could take a simple idea and make it into a great piece. For example, “In his Fifth Symphony Beethoven introduced a striking motif, drawn from a late Haydn symphony, in the very opening bar, which he echoed in various forms in all four movements of the symphony.” His symphonies were louder, longer and more exciting than anything written by others composers at the time. In the Fifth Symphony we could notice how he expanded the notes in chords and provided a thickness that it wasn’t heard in music in that period.

Beethoven’s father, Johann, left many unpleasant memories in his son’s existence. As a child Beethoven father always claim that his son was a genius. When Beethoven’s father Becoming aware of his son’s amazing talent, Johann thought of turning Beethoven into the new Mozart. Beethoven learned his style from two of great composers Mozart and Joseph Haydn. In his first visit to Vienna Studied with Mozart but when his mother’s illness cause Beethoven to put on hold his new life in Vienna and to return to Bonn. In 1792, Beethoven returned to Vienna were he was taught by Haydn. After finishing his lessons with Haydn, the composer started to study with Johann-Georg Albrechtsberger, Johann Schenk, Alois Forster and Antonio Salieri. “Albrechtsberger taught him the art of counterpoint, which brought Beethoven his success. Salieri taught the Beethoven the artistic matters of the bourgeois musical tragedy. Alois Forster taught him the art of composition with quartets.”