Beethoven was born presumably on December 16 (only the date of his baptism is precisely known - December 17) 1770 in the city of Bonn in a musical family. From childhood, they began to teach him to play the organ, harpsichord, violin, flute.
For the first time, the composer Christian Gottlob Nefe became seriously involved with Ludwig. Already at the age of 12, Beethoven's biography was replenished with the first work of a musical orientation - an assistant organist at court. Beethoven studied several languages, tried to compose music.
The beginning of the creative path
After his mother's death in 1787, he took over the financial responsibilities of the family. Ludwig Beethoven began to play in the orchestra, listen to university lectures. Having accidentally encountered Haydn in Bonn, Beethoven decides to take lessons from him. For this, he moves to Vienna. Already at this stage, after listening to one of Beethoven's improvisations, the great Mozart said: "He will make everyone talk about himself!" After some attempts, Haydn sends Beethoven to study with Albrechtsberger. Then Antonio Salieri became Beethoven's teacher and mentor.
The heyday of a musical career
Haydn briefly noted that Beethoven's music was dark and strange. However, in those years, virtuoso piano playing brought Ludwig first glory. Beethoven's works differ from classical harpsichord playing. In the same place, in Vienna, well-known compositions were written in the future: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Pathétic Sonata.
Rude, proud in public, the composer was very open, friendly towards friends. Beethoven's work of the following years is filled with new works: the First, Second Symphonies, "The Creation of Prometheus", "Christ on the Mount of Olives". However, Beethoven's later life and work were complicated by the development of an ear disease - tinitis.
The composer retires to the city of Heiligenstadt. There he works on the Third - Heroic Symphony. Complete deafness separates Ludwig from the outside world. However, even this event cannot make him stop composing. According to critics, Beethoven's Third Symphony fully reveals his greatest talent. Opera "Fidelio" is staged in Vienna, Prague, Berlin.
Last years
In the years 1802-1812, Beethoven wrote sonatas with a special desire and zeal. Then whole series of works for piano, cello, the famous Ninth Symphony, Solemn Mass were created.
Note that the biography of Ludwig Beethoven of those years was filled with fame, popularity and recognition. Even the authorities, despite his frank thoughts, did not dare to touch the musician. However, strong feelings for his nephew, whom Beethoven took under guardianship, quickly aged the composer. And on March 26, 1827, Beethoven died of liver disease.
Many works by Ludwig van Beethoven have become classics not only for adults, but also for children.
About a hundred monuments around the world have been erected to the great composer.
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Hello dear Beethoven lovers. Today we will talk about the father of the great composer.
Date and place of birth
Johann van Beethoven- that was the name of the father of the great composer. In turn, Johann was the son (grandfather of the great composer) and his wife, Maria Josepha Ball.
He was born on November 14, 1740, most likely in the city of Mechelen (Flanders), like his father. However, there is an opinion among some Western biographers that Johann was not actually the biological son of Ludwig the Elder, but was adopted by him.
On the other hand, the number of biographers who put forward this hypothesis is negligible. Moreover, these biographers are based on, to put it mildly, dubious arguments, which we will not even talk about.
Therefore, it makes no sense for us to doubt that Johann was the biological son of Ludwig the Elder, exactly like the biological father of Ludwig the Younger (that same great composer).
Johann, by the way, was not the only child of Ludwig the Elder. Before him, Beethoven's grandfather had two more children, but they did not live long. The older sister Johanna lived only a year, and the date of the death of his older brother is generally unknown to us:
- Maria Ludovika Bernardine van Beethoven(August 27-28, 1734, Bonn - October 17, 1735, Bonn);
- Mark Joseph van Beethoven(April 24-25, 1736, Bonn - date and place of death unknown);
From childhood, Johann studied vocals under the guidance of his father, while simultaneously studying violin and viola. After attending elementary school, he spent a year or two at a Jesuit college.
Already in 1752, Johann sings (soprano) in the Bonn Chapel, though for free. Four years later (since March 25, 1756) he will officially work in the chapel for money. Probably, at that moment, his mutated voice had already dropped to the tenor register, which he would remain for the rest of his life. Moreover, Johann worked as a piano and vocal teacher at the same time.
How good a musician Johann was, we do not know. Some biographers claim that Ludwig's father had a wonderful voice, as, in turn, did his father, Ludwig the Elder. At the same time, other sources insist that Johann was a very mediocre musician, especially if you compare his vocal abilities with those of his father.
Unhappy family life
It is known that on May 12, 1767, Johann married a nineteen-year-old widow, who would later become the mother of the great composer, Beethoven. The wedding took place in the church of St. Remigius, where in 2.5 years their son Ludwig will be baptized.
Until now, biographers cannot answer (and are unlikely to answer) the question: under what circumstances exactly did the parents of the great composer meet. Most likely, Johann met Mary Magdalene during a trip to her homeland - in Ehrenbreitstein (Koblenz, Electorate of Trier).
It should also be noted that the cousin of Mary Magdalene was married to Johann Rovantini Johann's colleague in the Bonn Chapel. It is quite possible that Rovantini somehow contributed to the acquaintance of Beethoven's future parents, but this is not completely certain.
It is also worth noting that Ludwig the Elder was categorically against this marriage, although later he put up with it anyway, given that Mary Magdalene turned out to be a very good daughter-in-law.
For the first time after their marriage, Johann and Mary Magdalene lived in a house on the street Bongasse 515(now - Bongasse 20), where the great composer would later be born. At the same time, Ludwig the Elder, Johann's father, moved into an apartment located in a house on the same street - literally diagonally opposite Johann's house.
In total, Johann and Mary Magdalene had seven children, of which only three survived, marked in yellow in the picture below. Among them is the future great composer:
As you can see, Johann's family life was fruitful, but absolutely unhappy, since the loss of four children in infancy (however, as in any other age) would be an unbearable loss for any person.
It is worth noting that for Mary Magdalene this was already the second unsuccessful marriage - in the first she lost not only her husband, but also a child, also in infancy. And the mother of the great Beethoven herself called her marriage to Johann "chain of sorrows".
Was Beethoven's father an alcoholic?
Unfortunately, Johann, unlike his respected father Ludwig and no less respected son (also Ludwig), was a complete disappointment for his family, primarily due to problems with alcoholism.
We do not know what exactly caused Johann to abuse alcohol. Perhaps bad genes played a role - his mother, Maria Josepha Ball(she is also the grandmother of the great Beethoven), was also obsessed with alcoholism, for which her husband, Ludwig the Elder, was forced to send her to a monastery for the rest of her life.
Given that Ludwig the Elder, in addition to working as a bandmaster, was engaged in the wine trade, there was always wine in their house. And this, of course, added fuel to the fire, both in the case of Johann's mother, who sold this wine, and in his own case.
On the other hand, the catalyst for Johann's dependence on alcohol could be his psychological weakness associated with a series of failures and family tragedies. However, most biographical sources indicate that even before the death of his first son, Johann abused alcohol. Moreover, some biographers even admit that it was Johann's alcoholism that became one of the reasons for such a low survival rate of his children.
However, there are biographers who even doubt that Johann van Beethoven has any signs of alcoholism.
In particular, the musicologist Joseph Schmidt-Georg claimed that Johann drank no more and no more often than any average resident of Bonn at that time.
However, the vast majority of biographers still claim the opposite, calling Johann an incorrigible alcoholic.
Moreover, the alcohol addiction of Johann is evidenced by the fact that in 1789 the nineteen-year-old Ludwig (the son of Johann and the future great composer) filed solicitation with a request to force his father to pay his children half his salary.
The point was that at that time Mary Magdalene, Johann's wife and Ludwig's mother, had already died, and according to biographers, after this incident, Johann completely drank himself and could not support his family, and young Ludwig's salary (he also worked in the chapel) was not enough to support two younger brothers.
Although Johann at that time had already lost his singing voice and practically did not work in the choir, according to the laws of that time, he still had to be paid a certain salary for the rest of his life, like any other chapel musician. Therefore, Ludwig asked the elector to exile Johann from Bonn and withhold half of his salary in favor of the children - that is, himself and his younger brothers. However, Ludwig soon changed his mind about sending Johann and left in the petition only that part of the request that concerned the salary.
elector Maximilian Franz approved Ludwig's request, and as a result, Johann remained in Bonn. By the way, he received his salary personally in his hands and, oddly enough, unconditionally paid half of his income to Ludwig, as his eldest and most capable son. And Ludwig, in turn, rationally used this money, helping his younger brothers.
In fact, after the death of his mother, Ludwig became the head of his family, since Johann was no longer fully capable.
How do we remember Johann?
Johann was a failure in many respects at once. He did not have any family happiness or a career. There is no doubt that Johann dreamed of taking the place of his father-kapellmeister after his death. However, when Ludwig the Elder died (1773, on Christmas Day), another musician was appointed to his position, because probably all of Bonn already knew about Johann's bad habit.
After the death of Ludwig the Elder, the financial situation of Johann and his family as a whole also worsened, since his father helped him in every possible way during his lifetime. Of course, Ludwig the Elder left some kind of inheritance to Johann, but he is slowly selling it off and drinking it away. In turn, Mary Magdalene, while still alive, worked part-time by sewing the clothes of acquaintances and neighbors, but this could not be called a serious income.
On the other hand, Johann could have provided himself and his family with a good financial condition, if not for his bad habit. In particular, according to Fisher(the owner of the house where the Beethovens lived for some time), Johann often gave piano and vocal lessons to the sons and daughters of very wealthy and influential residents of Bonn, as well as some diplomats. Consequently, he could well become more successful financially. But his bad habit still took its toll.
Johann was often pitied only out of respect for his father. In particular, during the life of Mary Magdalene, an ugly incident occurred when Johann, in need of money, tried to deceive the heirs of the late count Caspar Anton von Belderbusch(1722-1784) - the first minister of the elector, masterfully forging his signature in the will.
The most offensive and ethically wrong thing was that the late count treated Johann very well during his lifetime and, moreover, a few years before his death, he became the godfather of his son (1774-1815), the younger brother of Ludwig.
And yet, Johann, according to the testimony of some biographers, really did such a mean thing to his already deceased friend and patron. But even in this case, the exposed Johann was pitied and no legal action was taken against him.
In the last years of his life, the father of the great Ludwig van Beethoven (then not so popular) became something of a tragicomic figure in Bonn. Once, during a drunken conflict, Johann was detained by law enforcement officers, and his son Ludwig was forced to pull him out of custody. Some biographers say that even Johann was not expelled from the chapel only out of respect for his past merits and for the merits of his father.
Unfortunately, we also have no idea about Johann's appearance, with the exception of one of the portraits that you saw at the beginning of the article.
One of the neighbors described Johann as "a tall and handsome man who powdered his hair in the last years of his life".
Another wrote that Johann was "of medium height, with an elongated face, a broad forehead, a round nose, broad shoulders, serious eyes, he had few scars and a thin pigtail".
Relationship between father and son. Death of Johann.
Unfortunately, based on the data of most biographers, we remember the father of the great Beethoven as an alcoholic who terrorized his son Ludwig with violin and harpsichord lessons.
Of course, there would be nothing wrong with music lessons, if only Johann, who noticed the improvisational talent of little Ludwig, did not conduct them with particular cruelty, pursuing selfish goals, motivated primarily by an improvement in financial situation.
Johann, apparently, sought to repeat the success Leopold Mozart teaching his son Ludwig how to play musical instruments. However, unlike the father of the great Mozart, Johann van Beethoven conducted these lessons not with love, but with the goal of growing a “second Mozart” in order to cut down more money on his popularity.
In particular, in the picture below you see an invitation "notice", in which Johann clearly speculated, underestimating the age of his son by more than a year. Probably, Johann thus wanted to attract more public attention to the talent of his son:
In turn, the attitude of little Ludwig towards his father was appropriate. If great Mozart simply adored his father Leopold, calling him "Second to Himself after God" , then Ludwig, during the life of Johann, to put it mildly, did not like his alcoholic father.
Johann's life is over December 18, 1792- about a month after Ludwig's second departure for Vienna.
There is even evidence that Elector Maximilian Franz joked about the death of Johann that "After the death of Johann van Beethoven, the profits from the wine trade may suffer losses."
But, despite the disappointment in his father, according to contemporaries, his good-natured son, Ludwig van Beethoven, never insulted Johann in public and even got angry when something bad was said about his father.
Moreover, a handwritten copy of the ode Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach"Morgengesang am Schöpfungstage" or, if translated into Russian, "Morning Hymn to Creation (1783)". Johann personally rewrote these notes by hand. A little later Ludwig would write at the top of his father's manuscript in pencil: "Written by my dear father":
In any case, the music lessons that Johann gave little Ludwig, as well as the constant involvement of various teachers for his son, certainly influenced the formation of the personality of the great composer. Although Johann was a failure, he left us an amazing legacy in the person of his son, Ludwig van Beethoven.
Beethoven's music is known to all lovers of the classics. His name is considered iconic for those who dream of becoming a real musician. How did one of the most popular composers live and work?
Beethoven: childhood and youth of a little genius
The exact birth date of Ludwig van Beethoven is not known for certain. The year of his birth is 1770. December 17 is called the day of baptism. Ludwig was born in the German city of Bonn.
The Beethoven family was directly related to music. The boy's father was a famous tenor. And his mother, Maria Magdalene Keverich, was the daughter of a chef.
The ambitious Johann Beethoven, being a strict father, wanted to make a great composer out of Ludwig. He dreamed that his son would become the second Mozart. He put in a lot of effort to achieve his goal.
At first, he himself taught the boy to play various instruments. Then he passed the training of the child to his colleagues. From childhood, Ludwig mastered two complex instruments: the organ and the violin.
When the young Beethoven was only 10 years old, the organist Christian Nefe arrived in his city. It was he who became the true mentors of the boy, as he saw in him a great ability for music.
Beethoven was taught classical music based on the works of Bach and Mozart. At the age of 12, the talented child began his career as an assistant organist. When a tragedy occurred in the family, and Ludwig's grandfather died, the finances of the venerable family were greatly reduced. Despite the fact that the young Beethoven never completed his studies at school, he managed to master Latin, Italian and French. Throughout his life, Beethoven read a lot, was curious, intelligent and erudite. He easily understood any scholarly treatises.
The youthful works of the future composer were later revised by him. The sonata "Marmot" has reached our days unchanged.
In 1787, Mozart himself gave the boy an audition. The great contemporary of Beethoven was pleased with his playing. He highly appreciated the improvisation of the young man.
Ludwig wanted to learn from Mozart himself, but fate decreed otherwise. Beethoven's mother died that year. He had to return to his hometown to take care of his brothers. In order to earn money, he got a job in a local orchestra as a violist.
In 1789, Ludwig again begins to attend classes at the university. The revolution that broke out in the French state inspires him to create the Song of a Free Man.
In the autumn of 1792, another idol of Beethoven, composer Haydn, happened to be passing through Bonn, his hometown of Beethoven. Then the young man decides to follow him to Vienna to continue his music studies.
Beethoven's mature years
The collaboration between Haydn and Beethoven in Vienna can hardly be called fruitful. An accomplished mentor considered the creations of his student beautiful, but too gloomy. Haydn later left for England. Then Ludwig van Beethoven found himself a new teacher. It turned out to be Antonio Salieri.
Thanks to Beethoven's virtuoso playing, a piano style of playing was created, where extreme registers, loud chords and the use of a pedal on the instrument became the norm.
This style of playing is fully reflected in the composer's popular Moonlight Sonata. In addition to innovation in music, Beethoven's lifestyle and character traits also deserved considerable attention. The composer practically did not look after his clothes and appearance. If in the hall during his performance someone dared to talk, Beethoven refused to play and went home.
With friends and relatives, Ludwig van Beethoven could be harsh, but he never refused them the necessary assistance to relatives. During the first decade that the young composer worked in Vienna, he managed to write 20 sonatas for classical piano, 3 full-fledged piano concertos, many sonatas for other instruments, one oratorio on a religious theme, as well as a full-fledged ballet.
The tragedy of Beethoven and his later years
The fateful year 1796 for Beethoven becomes the most difficult in life. The famous composer begins to lose his hearing. Doctors diagnose him with chronic inflammation of the inner ear canal.
Ludwig van Beethoven suffered greatly from his illness. In addition to pain, he was haunted by ringing in his ears. On the advice of doctors, he goes to live in the small and quiet town of Heiligenstadt. But the situation with his illness is not changing for the better.
Over the years, Beethoven increasingly despised the power of emperors and princes. He believed that equal human rights were the ideal good. For this reason, Beethoven decided not to dedicate one of his works to Napoleon, calling the Third Symphony simply "Heroic".
During the period of hearing loss, the composer withdraws into himself, but continues to work. He writes the opera Fidelio. Then he creates a cycle of musical works called "To a Distant Beloved".
Progressive deafness did not become an obstacle to Beethoven's sincere interest in what is happening in the world. After the defeat and exile of Napoleon, a strict police regime was introduced in the Austrian lands, but Beethoven, as before, continued to criticize the government. Perhaps he guessed that they would not dare to touch him and throw him in jail, because his fame had become really grandiose.
Little is known about Ludwig van Beethoven's personal life. It was rumored that he wanted to marry one of his students, Countess Juliette Guicciardi. For some time, the girl reciprocated the composer, but then she preferred another. His next student Teresa Brunswick was a devoted friend of Beethoven until her death, but the true context of their relationship is shrouded in mystery and is not known for certain.
When the composer's younger brother died, he took custody of his son. Beethoven tried to instill in the young man a love of art and science, but the guy was a gambler and a reveler. Once losing, he tried to commit suicide. This upset Beethoven greatly. On nervous grounds, he developed liver disease.
In 1827 the great composer died. The funeral procession included over 20,000 people. The famous musician was only 57 years old when he passed away and was buried in the Vienna cemetery.
The content of the article
BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG WAN(Beethoven, Ludwig van) (1770–1827), German composer, who is often considered the greatest creator of all time. His work is attributed to both classicism and romanticism; in fact, it goes beyond such definitions: Beethoven's compositions are primarily an expression of his genius personality.
Origin. Childhood and youth.
Beethoven was born in Bonn, presumably December 16, 1770 (baptized December 17). In addition to German, Flemish blood also flowed in his veins: the composer's paternal grandfather, also Ludwig, was born in 1712 in Malin (Flanders), served as a chorister in Ghent and Louvain, and in 1733 moved to Bonn, where he became a court musician in the chapel of the Elector-Archbishop of Cologne . He was an intelligent man, a good singer, a professionally trained instrumentalist, he rose to the position of court bandmaster and was respected by those around him. His only son Johann (the rest of the children died in infancy) sang in the same chapel from childhood, but his position was precarious, because he drank heavily and led a hectic life. Johann married Maria Magdalena Lyme, the daughter of a cook. They had seven children, of whom three sons survived; Ludwig, the future composer, was the eldest of them.
Beethoven grew up in poverty. My father drank away his meager salary; he taught his son to play the violin and piano in the hope that he would become a child prodigy, the new Mozart, and provide for his family. Over time, the father's salary was increased based on the future of his gifted and hardworking son. For all that, the boy was uncertain about the violin, and on the piano (as well as on the violin) he liked to improvise more than to improve his playing technique.
Beethoven's general education was as unsystematic as his musical education. In the latter, however, practice played a big role: he played the viola in the court orchestra, performed on keyboard instruments, including the organ, which he quickly mastered. C. G. Nefe, from 1782 the Bonn court organist, became the first real teacher of Beethoven (among other things, he went with him all Well-Tempered Clavier J.S. Bach). Beethoven's duties as court musician expanded considerably when Archduke Maximilian Franz became Elector of Cologne and began to take care of the musical life of Bonn, where his residence was located. In 1787, Beethoven managed to visit Vienna for the first time - at that time the musical capital of Europe. According to the stories, Mozart, having listened to the young man's play, highly appreciated his improvisations and predicted a great future for him. But soon Beethoven had to return home - his mother lay near death. He remained the sole breadwinner of the family, which consisted of a dissolute father and two younger brothers.
The young man's talent, his greed for musical impressions, his ardent and receptive nature attracted the attention of some enlightened Bonn families, and his brilliant piano improvisations provided him with free entry to any musical gatherings. Especially the Breuning family did a lot for him, who took custody of the clumsy but original young musician. Dr. F. G. Wegeler became his friend for life, and Count F. E. G. Waldstein, his enthusiastic admirer, managed to convince the Archduke to send Beethoven to study in Vienna.
Vein. 1792–1802
In Vienna, where Beethoven came for the second time in 1792 and where he remained until the end of his days, he quickly found titled patrons of the arts.
People who met the young Beethoven described the twenty-year-old composer as a stocky young man, prone to panache, sometimes brash, but good-natured and sweet in dealing with friends. Realizing the insufficiency of his education, he went to Joseph Haydn, the recognized Viennese authority in the field of instrumental music (Mozart had died a year earlier), and for some time brought counterpoint exercises to him to check. Haydn, however, soon cooled off towards the obstinate student, and Beethoven, secretly from him, began to take lessons from I. Shenk and then from the more thorough J. G. Albrechtsberger. In addition, wanting to improve in vocal writing, he visited the famous opera composer Antonio Salieri for several years. Soon he joined a circle that united titled amateurs and professional musicians. Prince Karl Likhnovsky introduced the young provincial to his circle of friends.
The question of how much the environment and the spirit of the times influence creativity is ambiguous. Beethoven read the works of FG Klopstock, one of the forerunners of the Sturm und Drang movement. He was familiar with Goethe and deeply revered the thinker and poet. The political and social life of Europe at that time was alarming: when Beethoven arrived in Vienna in 1792, the city was agitated by the news of the revolution in France. Beethoven enthusiastically accepted revolutionary slogans and sang of freedom in his music. The volcanic, explosive nature of his work is undoubtedly the embodiment of the spirit of the times, but only in the sense that the character of the creator was to some extent shaped by this time. A bold violation of generally accepted norms, a powerful self-affirmation, a thunderous atmosphere of Beethoven's music - all this would have been unthinkable in the era of Mozart.
Nevertheless, Beethoven's early compositions largely follow the canons of the 18th century: this applies to trios (strings and piano), violin, piano and cello sonatas. The piano was then the closest instrument for Beethoven, in piano works he expressed the most intimate feelings with the utmost sincerity, and the slow parts of some sonatas (for example, Largo e mesto from Sonata op. 10, No. 3) were already imbued with romantic languor. pathetic sonata op. 13 is also an obvious anticipation of Beethoven's later experiments. In other cases, his innovation has the character of a sudden intrusion, and the first listeners perceived it as a clear arbitrariness. Published in 1801, six string quartets op. 18 can be considered the greatest achievement of this period; Beethoven was clearly in no hurry to publish, realizing what lofty examples of quartet writing left Mozart and Haydn. Beethoven's first orchestral experience was connected with two concertos for piano and orchestra (No. 1, in C major and No. 2, in B flat major), created in 1801: he, apparently, was also not sure of them, being well acquainted with the great Mozart's achievements in this genre. Among the best-known (and least provocative) early works is the septet op. 20 (1802). The next opus, the First Symphony (published at the end of 1801), is Beethoven's first purely orchestral composition.
The approach of deafness.
We can only guess to what extent Beethoven's deafness influenced his work. The disease developed gradually. Already in 1798, he complained of tinnitus, it was difficult for him to distinguish high tones, to understand a conversation conducted in a whisper. Terrified at the prospect of becoming an object of pity - a deaf composer, he told about his illness to a close friend - Carl Amenda, as well as doctors, who advised him to protect his hearing as much as possible. He continued to move in the circle of his Viennese friends, took part in musical evenings, composed a lot. He was so good at hiding his deafness that, until 1812, even people who often met him did not suspect how serious his illness was. The fact that during the conversation he often answered inappropriately was attributed to a bad mood or absent-mindedness.
In the summer of 1802, Beethoven retired to a quiet suburb of Vienna - Heiligenstadt. A stunning document appeared there - the "Heiligenstadt Testament", a painful confession of a musician tormented by illness. The will is addressed to the brothers of Beethoven (with instructions to read and execute after his death); in it, he speaks of his mental suffering: it is painful when “a person standing next to me hears a flute playing from afar, which is not audible to me; or when someone hears a shepherd singing and I can't make out a sound." But then, in a letter to Dr. Wegeler, he exclaims: “I will take fate by the throat!”, And the music that he continues to write confirms this decision: in the same summer, the bright Second Symphony, op. 36, magnificent piano sonatas op. 31 and three violin sonatas, op. thirty.
Second period. "New way".
According to the "three-period" classification, proposed in 1852 by W. von Lenz, one of the first researchers of Beethoven's work, the second period approximately covers 1802-1815.
The final break with the past was more a realization, a continuation of the tendencies of the early period, than a conscious "declaration of independence": Beethoven was not a theoretical reformer, like Gluck before him and Wagner after him. The first decisive breakthrough towards what Beethoven himself called "the new path" occurred in the Third Symphony ( Heroic), work on which dates back to 1803–1804. Its duration is three times that of any other symphony written before. The first movement is music of extraordinary power, the second is a stunning outpouring of grief, the third is a witty, whimsical scherzo, and the finale - variations on a jubilant, festive theme - far exceeds in its power the traditional rondo-form finales composed by Beethoven's predecessors. It is often claimed (and not without reason) that Beethoven first dedicated heroic Napoleon, but upon learning that he had proclaimed himself emperor, he canceled the consecration. “Now he will trample on the rights of man and satisfy only his own ambition,” were the words of Beethoven, according to the stories, when he tore the title page of the score with the dedication. In the end Heroic was dedicated to one of the patrons - Prince Lobkowitz.
Works of the second period.
During these years, brilliant creations came out from under his pen one after another. The main works of the composer, listed in the order of their appearance, form an incredible stream of brilliant music, this imaginary sound world replaces for its creator the world of real sounds leaving him. It was a victorious self-affirmation, a reflection of the intense work of thought, evidence of the musician's rich inner life.
We will be able to name only the most important works of the second period: Violin Sonata in A major, op. 47 ( Kreutzer, 1802–1803); Third Symphony, op. 55 ( Heroic, 1802–1805); oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, op. 85 (1803); piano sonatas: Waldshteinovskaya, op. 53; in F major, op. 54, Appassionata, op. 57 (1803–1815); Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, op. 58 (1805–1806); Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, op. 72 (1805, second edition 1806); three "Russian" quartets, op. 59 (dedicated to Count Razumovsky; 1805–1806); Fourth Symphony in B flat major, op. 60 (1806); violin concerto, op. 61 (1806); Overture to the Tragedy of Collin Coriolanus, op. 62 (1807); Mass in C major, op. 86 (1807); Fifth Symphony in C minor, op. 67 (1804–1808); Sixth Symphony, op. 68 ( pastoral, 1807–1808); cello sonata in A major, op. 69 (1807); two piano trios, op. 70 (1808); Piano Concerto No. 5, op. 73 ( Emperor, 1809); quartet, op. 74 ( Harp, 1809); piano sonata, op. 81a ( Parting, 1809–1910); three songs on poems by Goethe, op. 83 (1810); music for Goethe's tragedy Egmont, op. 84 (1809); quartet in F minor, op. 95 (1810); Eighth Symphony in F major, op. 93 (1811–1812); piano trio in B flat major, op. 97 ( Archduke, 1818).
The second period includes the highest achievements of Beethoven in the genres of violin and piano concerto, violin and cello sonatas, operas; the piano sonata genre is represented by such masterpieces as Appassionata And Waldshteinovskaya. But even musicians were not always able to perceive the novelty of these compositions. It is said that once one of Beethoven's colleagues asked: does he really consider one of the quartets dedicated to the Russian envoy in Vienna, Count Razumovsky, to be music? “Yes,” the composer replied, “but not for you, but for the future.”
A number of compositions were inspired by the romantic feelings that Beethoven had for some of his high-society students. This may refer to the two sonatas "quasi una Fantasia", op. 27 (appeared in 1802). The second of them (later called "Lunar") is dedicated to Countess Juliette Guicciardi. Beethoven even thought of proposing to her, but realized in time that a deaf musician was not a suitable match for a coquettish secular beauty. Other ladies he knew rejected him; one of them called him "freak" and "half-crazy". The situation was different with the Brunswick family, in which Beethoven gave music lessons to two older sisters - Teresa ("Tezi") and Josephine ("Pepi"). The assumption that Teresa was the addressee of the message to the "Immortal Beloved", found in Beethoven's papers after his death, has long been discarded, but modern researchers do not exclude that this addressee was Josephine. In any case, the idyllic Fourth Symphony owes its design to Beethoven's stay at the Hungarian Brunswick estate in the summer of 1806.
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth pastoral) symphonies were composed in 1804–1808. The Fifth - probably the most famous symphony in the world - opens with a brief motif, about which Beethoven said: "Thus fate knocks at the door." In 1812 the Seventh and Eighth symphonies were completed.
In 1804, Beethoven willingly accepted an order to compose an opera, since in Vienna success on the opera stage meant fame and money. The plot in brief was as follows: a brave, enterprising woman, dressed in men's clothes, saves her beloved husband, imprisoned by a cruel tyrant, and exposes the latter before the people. To avoid confusion with the already existing opera on this plot - Leonora Gaveau, Beethoven's work was named Fidelio, by the name that the disguised heroine takes. Of course, Beethoven had no experience of composing for the theatre. The climaxes of the melodrama are marked by excellent music, but in other sections the lack of dramatic flair does not allow the composer to rise above the operatic routine (although he was very keen on this: in Fidelio there are fragments that have been remade up to eighteen times). Nevertheless, the opera gradually conquered listeners (during the life of the composer, three of its productions took place in different editions - in 1805, 1806 and 1814). It can be argued that the composer has not invested so much work in any other work.
Beethoven, as already mentioned, deeply revered the works of Goethe, composed several songs on his texts, music for his tragedy Egmont, but met Goethe only in the summer of 1812, when they ended up together at a resort in Teplice. The refined manners of the great poet and the sharpness of the composer's behavior did not contribute to their rapprochement. “His talent struck me extremely, but, unfortunately, he has an indomitable temper, and the world seems to him a hateful creation,” says Goethe in one of his letters.
Friendship with Archduke Rudolph.
Beethoven's friendship with Rudolf, the Austrian archduke and half-brother of the emperor, is one of the most interesting historical plots. Around 1804, the Archduke, then aged 16, began taking piano lessons from the composer. Despite the huge difference in social status, the teacher and the student had a sincere affection for each other. Appearing for lessons at the Archduke's palace, Beethoven had to pass by countless lackeys, call his student "Your Highness" and fight his amateurish attitude to music. And he did all this with amazing patience, although he never hesitated to cancel lessons if he was busy composing. By order of the Archduke, such works as the piano sonata were created Parting, Triple Concerto, the last and most grandiose Fifth Piano Concerto, solemn mass(Missa solemnis). It was originally intended for the ceremony of raising the Archduke to the rank of Archbishop of Olmutsky, but was not completed on time. The Archduke, Prince Kinsky and Prince Lobkowitz established a kind of scholarship for the composer, who made Vienna famous but did not receive support from the city authorities, and the Archduke turned out to be the most reliable of the three patrons. During the Congress of Vienna in 1814, Beethoven derived considerable material benefits for himself from communication with the aristocracy and kindly listened to compliments - he managed to at least partially hide the contempt for the court "brilliance" that he always felt.
Last years.
The financial situation of the composer improved markedly. Publishers hunted for his scores and commissioned works such as Grand Piano Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli (1823). His caring friends, A. Schindler, who was especially deeply devoted to Beethoven, observed the musician’s chaotic and deprivation lifestyle and heard his complaints that he was “robbed” (Beethoven became unreasonably suspicious and was ready to blame almost all persons from his environment for the worst ), could not understand where he put the money. They did not know that the composer was postponing them, but he was not doing it for himself. When his brother Kaspar died in 1815, the composer became one of the guardians of his ten-year-old nephew Karl. Beethoven's love for the boy, the desire to ensure his future came into conflict with the distrust that the composer had for Karl's mother; as a result, he only constantly quarreled with both, and this situation painted a tragic light on the last period of his life. In the years when Beethoven sought full custody, he composed little.
Beethoven's deafness became almost complete. By 1819, he had to completely switch to communicating with his interlocutors using a slate board or paper and pencil (the so-called Beethoven conversational notebooks have been preserved). Fully immersed in work on compositions such as the majestic solemn mass in D major (1818) or the Ninth Symphony, he behaved strangely, instilling alarm in strangers: he "sang, howled, stamped his feet, and in general it seemed that he was waging a mortal struggle with an invisible enemy" (Schindler). The ingenious last quartets, the last five piano sonatas - grandiose in scale, unusual in form and style - seemed to many contemporaries the works of a madman. Nevertheless, the Viennese listeners recognized the nobility and grandeur of Beethoven's music, they felt that they were dealing with a genius. In 1824 during the performance of the Ninth Symphony with its choral finale to the text of Schiller's ode To Joy (An die Freude) Beethoven stood next to the conductor. The hall was captivated by the powerful climax at the end of the symphony, the audience went on a rampage, but Beethoven did not turn around. One of the singers had to take him by the sleeve and turn him to face the audience so that the composer bowed.
The fate of other later works was more complicated. Many years passed after Beethoven's death, and only then the most receptive musicians began to perform his last quartets (including the Grand Fugue, op. 33) and the last piano sonatas, revealing to people these highest, most beautiful achievements of Beethoven. Sometimes Beethoven's late style is characterized as contemplative, abstract, in some cases neglecting the laws of euphony; in fact, this music is an inexhaustible source of powerful and intelligent spiritual energy.
Beethoven died in Vienna on March 26, 1827 from pneumonia complicated by jaundice and dropsy.
Beethoven's contribution to world culture.
Beethoven continued the general line of development of the genres of symphony, sonata, quartet, outlined by his predecessors. However, his interpretation of well-known forms and genres was distinguished by great freedom; we can say that Beethoven pushed their limits in time and space. He did not expand the composition of the symphony orchestra that had developed by his time, but his scores require, firstly, a larger number of performers in each part, and secondly, the performing skills of each orchestra member, incredible in his era; in addition, Beethoven is very sensitive to the individual expressiveness of each instrumental timbre. The piano in his compositions is not a close relative of the elegant harpsichord: the entire extended range of the instrument, all its dynamic possibilities are used.
In the areas of melody, harmony, rhythm, Beethoven often resorts to the technique of sudden change, contrast. One form of contrast is the juxtaposition of decisive themes with a clear rhythm and more lyrical, smoothly flowing sections. Sharp dissonances and unexpected modulations into distant keys are also an important feature of Beethoven's harmony. He expanded the range of tempos used in music and often resorted to dramatic, impulsive changes in dynamics. Sometimes the contrast appears as a manifestation of Beethoven's characteristically somewhat coarse humor - this happens in his frantic scherzos, which in his symphonies and quartets often replace a more sedate minuet.
Unlike his predecessor Mozart, Beethoven composed with difficulty. Beethoven's notebooks show how gradually, step by step, a grandiose composition emerges from uncertain sketches, marked by convincing logic of construction and rare beauty. Just one example: in the original sketch of the famous “motif of fate” that opens the Fifth Symphony, it was entrusted to the flute, which means that the theme had a completely different figurative meaning. A powerful artistic intellect allows the composer to turn a disadvantage into a virtue: Beethoven opposes Mozart's spontaneity, an instinctive sense of perfection, with unsurpassed musical and dramatic logic. It is she who is the main source of Beethoven's greatness, his incomparable ability to organize contrasting elements into a monolithic whole. Beethoven erases traditional caesuras between sections of the form, avoids symmetry, merges parts of the cycle, develops extended constructions from thematic and rhythmic motifs, which at first glance do not contain anything interesting. In other words, Beethoven creates musical space by the power of his mind, by his own will. He anticipated and created those artistic trends that became decisive for the musical art of the 19th century. And today his works are among the greatest, most revered creations of the human genius.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN AND THE IMMORTAL BELOVED OF THE GREAT DEAF
Ludwig van Beethoven considered a key figure in Western music in the period between classicism and romanticism. Even now he is one of the most performed composers in the world. An unsurpassed master of sonatas, although he wrote in all the genres that existed in his time, including opera, ballet, music for dramatic performances, and choral compositions. She is his first true love, to whom he dedicated a brilliant sonata. And although there were other women in the life of the great German composer, it is this young charmer who is called his immortal lover.
Ludwig van Beethoven's first teacher
One of the three "Viennese classics" was born in 1770 in the German city of Bonn. The years of childhood can be called the most difficult in the life of the future composer. It was difficult for a proud and independent boy to survive the fact that his father, a rude and despotic man, noticing his son's musical talent, decided to use him for selfish purposes. Forcing little Ludwig to sit at the harpsichord from morning till night, he did not think that his son needed childhood so much. At eight years old Beethoven earned his first money - he gave a public concert, and by the age of twelve the boy was playing the violin and organ freely. But along with success, isolation, the need for solitude and lack of sociability came to the young musician.
At this time in life Ludwig appeared Christian Gottlieb Nefe, his wise and kind mentor. It was he who instilled 
the boy had a sense of beauty, taught him to understand nature, art, to understand human life. Nefe trained Ludwig ancient languages, philosophy, literature, history, ethics. Subsequently, being a deeply and broadly thinking person, Beethoven became an adherent of the principles of freedom, humanism, equality of all people.
In 1787 Ludwig comes to Vienna. The city of theaters and cathedrals, street orchestras and love serenades under the windows won the heart of the young genius. But it was there that the young musician was struck by deafness: at first the sounds seemed muffled to him, then he repeated the unheard phrases several times, then he realized that he was finally losing his hearing. “I lead a bitter existence,” wrote Beethoven to my friend. - I'm deaf. With my craft, nothing can be more terrible ... Oh, if I got rid of this disease, I would embrace the whole world.
"And the sun in it - Juliet"
She appeared in his life suddenly. The young provincial countess, who arrived in the Austrian capital from Italy with her family in 1800, was charming. 
The daughter of a respectable family, sixteen-year-old Juliet, struck the composer at first sight. She soon wished to take lessons from the idol of the Viennese aristocracy, especially since Beethoven was close to her cousins and cousin, the young Hungarian counts of Brunswick. And, of course, he could not resist - he began to give the girl piano lessons, and completely free of charge. Juliet had good musical abilities and grasped all his advice on the fly. She was pretty, young, sociable and tirelessly flirted with her 30-year-old teacher.
He impressed Juliet with his popularity and even oddities. With all the severity of views, Beethoven was not indifferent to female beauty and never refused to give lessons to young beautiful girls. He didn't say no this time either. He did not take money from her, and she gave him shirts - under the pretext that she embroidered them for him with her own hands. During the lessons, the composer often got annoyed and even threw the notes on the floor, but, nevertheless, quickly succumbed to the charm of his student.
And just imagine: they are sitting very close in front of the instrument, so that they feel each other's breath… The music fills the space with romance, emotions and mystery… Evening creeps up. A candle illuminating the music sheets illuminates the faces of the teacher and student with a warm light... Beethoven gently takes the girl's hand to put it on the keyboard correctly, and his heart flutters with excitement ...
The gloomy and unsociable composer understands that he has fallen in love. I loved passionately, recklessly. He loved so much, with all his heart, that he was ready to give his life for his beloved without the slightest delay. Sweet, beautiful in spring, with an angelic face and a divine smile, eyes in which you wanted to drown - all Beethoven's thoughts were about Juliet Guicciardi. She became for him that straw, for which he tried with all his might to hold on. She seemed ready to reciprocate. Ludwig again felt a surge of strength, hope for recovery. Happiness was so close.
Beethoven writes to his friend of youth Franz Wegeler: “Now I am more often in society. 
This change was made in me by a sweet, charming girl who loves me and whom I love.
“You can hardly believe how lonely and sad I have spent the last two years: deafness, like some kind of ghost, appeared to me everywhere, I avoided people, seemed to be a misanthrope, which I have so little resemblance to. Previously, I was constantly ill, but now my bodily strength, and at the same time my spiritual strength, has been growing stronger for some time. You must see me happy. I will grab fate by the throat, it will not be possible to completely bend me. Oh, how wonderful it is to live a thousandfold life!” This letter was also written to Wegeler, but a few months later.
Beethoven fell in love for the first time, and his soul was full of pure joy and bright hope. He is not young! But she, as it seemed to him, was perfection and could become for him a consolation in illness, joy in everyday life and a muse in creativity. Beethoven is seriously considering marrying Juliet, because she is nice to him and encourages his feelings. But increasingly, the composer feels helpless due to progressive hearing loss, his financial situation is unstable, he does not have a title or "blue blood", and Juliet is an aristocrat!
Sonata time
Literally crushed in October 1802 Beethoven left for Heiligenstadt, where he wrote the famous "Heiligenstadt Testament".
Fear, the collapse of hopes give rise to thoughts of suicide in the composer. But Beethoven
gathered his strength, decided to start a new life and almost completely deaf created great masterpieces.
Several years passed, Juliet returned to Austria and came to the apartment to Beethoven. Crying, she recalled the wonderful time when the composer was her teacher, talked about the poverty and difficulties of her family, prayed for forgiveness and asked for help with money. Being a kind and noble man, the maestro gave her a significant amount, but asked her to leave and never appear in his house. Beethoven seemed indifferent and indifferent. But who knows what was going on in his heart. At the end of his life, the composer will write: “I was very loved by her and more than ever, was her husband ...”
Open, direct and honest, Beethoven was contemptuous of hypocrisy and servility, so he often seemed rude and ill-mannered. Often he expressed himself obscenely, which is why many considered him a plebeian and an ignorant boor, although the composer simply spoke the truth.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Last "Sorry"
Autumn 1826 Beethoven got sick. Exhausting treatment, three 
the most complex operations could not put the composer on his feet. Throughout the winter, without getting out of bed, he was completely deaf, tormented by the fact that ... he could not continue to work. In 1827, the genius died.
After his death, a letter "To the immortal beloved" was found in a desk drawer. Beethoven I titled the message myself. There were lines: "My angel, my everything, my me ...".
Then there will be disputes about who exactly the letter is addressed to. But a small fact points specifically to Juliet Guicciardi: next to the letter was kept a tiny portrait of her, made by an unknown master.
DATA
When Giulietta Guicciardi, while still a student of the maestro, and noticing that Beethoven's silk bow was not tied like that, tied it up, kissing him on the forehead, the composer did not take off this bow 
and did not change clothes for several weeks, until friends hinted at the not quite fresh look of his costume.
According to legend, the "Moonlight Sonata" was written in Hungary at the Brunswick estate of Korompa. The gazebo has been preserved there, in which the great composer created his brilliant work. That summer spent with Juliet was the happiest for the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Updated: April 13, 2019 by: Elena
