Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven - German composer, pianist (years of his life 1770 - 1827).
Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, the exact date of his birth is not known.

Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven - young years.
Ludwig van Beethoven became a composer not by chance - his father Johann van Beethoven and grandfather Ludwig were directly related to music. His father was a singer, he sang in the court chapel, and at first his grandfather also sang in the court chapel, and then was a bandmaster. Ludwig's mother, Mary Magdalene, was from the common people and had nothing to do with music - she worked as an ordinary cook. Ludwig Beethovin's father, Johann, dreamed that his son would be the second Mozart and with early childhood taught his son to play the harpsichord and violin. At the age of eight, Ludwig van Beethoven made his first public appearance. It was in Cologne. But the father saw that nothing much came of introducing the child to music, and then Johann van Beethoven instructed his colleagues to study music with his son, some of them taught Ludwig to play the organ, some the violin. When Ludwig was eight years old, the composer and organist, Christian Gottlieb Nefe, arrived in Bonn, who recognized the little Ludwig Beethoven musical talent. Thanks to studying music with Nefe, the first work of the future famous composer was published - a variation on the theme of Dressler's march. Beethoven was only twelve years old then. But at this time, Ludwig Beethoven was already working as an assistant to the court organist.
Like many great people, Beethoven, due to the difficult financial situation, was forced to leave school. It happened after the death of my grandfather. But, nevertheless, the biography of Beethoven remains as a biography of a highly educated person. He knew Latin and some foreign languages, including Italian and French. Beethoven devoted much of his time to reading books. His favorite authors were - Homer, Rogues, Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare. At this time, the future composer began to compose music, but many of his works remained unpublished, and after many years he himself revised them. From early works Beethoven's famous sonata "Marmot". Once Ludwig van Beethoven visited Vienna, then he was sixteen years old, Mozart, after listening to him, struck those around him with the following phrase: “He will make everyone talk about himself!”. Beethoven, due to family reasons (his mother became seriously ill and subsequently died, and he was forced to take care of his brothers) could not take lessons from Mozart and returned to Bonn. At the age of 17, Beethoven joined the orchestra as a violist. He especially liked the operas of Mozart and Gluck.
In 1789, Beethoven decided to listen to lectures at the university. At this time, a revolution began in France, and Ludwig Beethoven writes music to the verses of one of the university professors, praising the revolution. At this time, the famous composer Haydn noticed Beethoven, and Ludwig van Beethoven decided to take lessons from him, and in 1792 Beethoven went to Vienna. Lessons with Haydn quickly disappointed Beethoven. Yes, and Haydn cooled off to Beethoven, Music and spiritual mood of Beethoven was not understood by Haydn: too gloomy, too bold reasoning and views for those times. Then Beethoven's biography developed as follows: Haydn was forced to leave for England, and J. B. Schenk, J. G. Albrechtsberger, A. Salieri began to study with Beethoven. Ludwig van Beethoven became one of the most fashionable pianists in Vienna, a real virtuoso in his field. His debut as a pianist took place in 1795. By 1802, Beethoven was known as the creator of 20 piano sonatas, including Pathetique (1798), Moonlight (No. 2 of two "fantasy sonatas" in 1801), six 6 string quartets, eight sonatas for violin and piano, many chamber and ensemble compositions.
But in the late 1790s, Ludwig Beethoven began to progress a terrible disease for a musician - deafness. At this time, Beethoven was overcome by pessimism, and he even sent his brothers a document known in his biography as the Heiligenstadt Testament. But, being collected and strong man, Beethoven overcame the crisis in his soul and continued his work.

Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven - mature years.
Creative biography Beethoven between 1803 and 1812 is known as the new middle period composer's professional development. This period is marked by heroic notes in Beethoven's music. For example, the author’s subtitle of the Third Symphony is “Heroic” (1803), the piano sonata “Appassionata” (1805), the cycle of 32 variations in C minor for piano in 1806, Symphony No. Five (1808) with its famous “motif of fate ”, the opera Fidelio, the overture Coriolanus (1807), in 1810 - Egmont. Also filled with heroism, dynamism, tempo are Symphony No. 4 (1806), Symphonies No. 6 "Pastoral", No. 7 and No. 8, Concertos for Piano and Orchestra No. 4, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra and many other musical works. In the mid-1800s, Beethoven achieved universal respect and recognition. Due to hearing problems, in 1808 Beethoven gave his last concert. By 1814, Beethoven had become completely deaf.
In 1813-1814, Beethoven suffered apathy, which, of course, affected his work, he composed very little. In 1815, Beethoven took over the care of the son of his deceased brother. The nephew also had a complex character.
Started in 1815 new stage in the biography of the composer, or as he is also called the late period of creativity. During this period, eleven works of the great composer were published, among them: sonatas for piano and cello, piano Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Ninth Symphony, Solemn Mass, string quartets.
Beethoven's work late period distinguished by contrasts, his music of those times called for extreme actions, emotional experience and lyricism.
Ludwig van Beethoven died on March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria. say goodbye to famous composer about twenty thousand people came

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© Biography of the composer Beethoven. Biography of Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Biography of the great Austrian Beethoven.

In a family with Flemish roots. The composer's paternal grandfather was born in 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. His only son Johann, like his father, served in the chapel as a vocalist (tenor) and worked part-time giving violin and clavier lessons.

In 1767 he married Mary Magdalene Keverich, daughter of a court chef in Koblenz (residence of the Archbishop of Trier). Ludwig, the future composer, was the eldest of their three sons.

His musical talent showed up early. Beethoven's first music teacher was his father, and the musicians of the chapel also studied with him.

On March 26, 1778, my father organized the first public speaking son.

Since 1781, the composer and organist Christian Gottlob Nefe led the young talent. Beethoven soon became concertmaster of the court theater and assistant organist of the chapel.

In 1782, Beethoven wrote his first work, Variations for Clavier on a March by composer Ernst Dresler.

In 1787 Beethoven visited Vienna and took several lessons from the composer Wolfgang Mozart. But he soon learned that his mother was seriously ill and returned to Bonn. After the death of his mother, Ludwig remained the sole breadwinner of the family.

The young man's giftedness attracted the attention of some enlightened Bonn families, and his brilliant piano improvisations provided him with free entry to any musical gatherings. The von Breining family, which took custody of the musician, did a lot for him.

In 1789, Beethoven was a volunteer in the philosophy department of the University of Bonn.

In 1792, the composer moved to Vienna, where he lived almost without a break until the end of his life. His initial goal when moving was to improve his composition under the guidance of the composer Joseph Haydn, but these studies did not last long. Beethoven quickly gained fame and recognition - first as the best pianist and improviser in Vienna, and later as a composer.

In the prime of his creative powers, Beethoven showed tremendous capacity for work. In 1801-1812 he wrote such outstanding works, as Sonata in C sharp minor ("Moonlight", 1801), Second Symphony (1802), "Kreutzer Sonata" (1803), "Heroic" (Third) Symphony, sonatas "Aurora" and "Appassionata" (1804), opera " Fidelio" (1805), Fourth Symphony (1806).

In 1808 Beethoven completed one of his most popular symphonic works- The Fifth Symphony and at the same time the "Pastoral" (Sixth) Symphony, in 1810 - music for the tragedy of Johann Goethe "Egmont", in 1812 - the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies.

From the age of 27, Beethoven suffered from progressive deafness. A serious illness for the musician limited his communication with people, made it difficult for pianistic performances, which Beethoven eventually had to stop. Since 1819, he had to completely switch to communicating with his interlocutors using a slate board or paper and pencil.

In his later compositions, Beethoven often turned to the fugue form. The last five piano sonatas (Nos. 28-32) and the last five quartets (Nos. 12-16) are distinguished by their particularly complex and refined musical language requiring the greatest skill from the performers.

Later work of Beethoven for a long time caused controversy. Of his contemporaries, only a few were able to understand and appreciate him. recent compositions. One of these people was his Russian admirer, Prince Nikolai Golitsyn, who commissioned and dedicated quartets Nos. 12, 13 and 15. The Overture Consecration of the House (1822) is also dedicated to him.

In 1823, Beethoven completed the Solemn Mass, which he considered his the greatest work. This mass, designed more for a concert than for a cult performance, has become one of the milestone phenomena in the German oratorio tradition.

With the assistance of Golitsyn, the Solemn Mass was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg.

In May 1824, Beethoven's last benefit concert took place in Vienna, in which, in addition to parts from the Mass, his final, Ninth Symphony was performed with the final chorus to the words of "Ode to Joy" by the poet Friedrich Schiller. The idea of ​​overcoming suffering and the triumph of light is consistently carried through the whole work.

The composer created nine symphonies, 11 overtures, five piano concertos, a violin concerto, two masses, one opera. Chamber music Beethoven includes 32 piano sonatas(not counting six youthful sonatas written in Bonn) and 10 sonatas for violin and piano, 16 string quartets, seven piano trios, as well as many other ensembles - string trios, a septet for mixed composition. His vocal heritage consists of songs, over 70 choirs, canons.

On March 26, 1827, Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna from pneumonia, complicated by jaundice and dropsy.

The composer is buried in the Vienna Central Cemetery.

The traditions of Beethoven were taken up and continued by the composers Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich. As their teacher, Beethoven was also honored by the composers of the Novovensk school - Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Anton Webern.

Since 1889, a museum has been open in Bonn in the house where the composer was born.

In Vienna, three museum houses are dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven, and two monuments have been erected.

The Beethoven Museum is also open at Brunsvik Castle in Hungary. At one time, the composer was friendly with the Brunsvik family, often came to Hungary and stayed at their house. He was alternately in love with two of his students from the Brunswick family - Juliet and Teresa, but none of the hobbies ended in marriage.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

The message about Beethoven, summarized in this article, will tell you about the great German composer, conductor and pianist, a representative of Viennese classicism.

Report on Beethoven

Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 (this is an estimated date, since it is only known for sure that he was baptized on December 17) in musical family in the town of Bonn. From an early age, parents instilled in their son a love of music, giving him to learn to play the harpsichord, flute, organ, and violin.

At the age of 12, he was already working as an assistant organist at court. The young man knew several foreign languages ​​and even tried to write music. In addition to music, Beethoven was fond of reading books, he especially liked the ancient Greek authors Plutarch and Homer, as well as Friedrich Schiller, Shakespeare and Goethe.

After Beethoven's mother died in 1787, he began to provide for his family on his own. Ludwig got a job playing in the orchestra, and also went to university lectures. Acquainted with Haydn, he began to take private lessons from him. To this end future musician moves to Vienna. Once I heard his improvisations great composer Mozart, and predicted to him brilliant career and glory. Haydn, having given Ludwig several lessons, sends him to study with another mentor, Albrechtsberger. After some time, his teacher changed again: this time it was Antonio Salieri.

The beginning of a musical career

Ludwig Beethoven's first mentor noted that his music was too strange and dark. That is why he sent his student to another teacher. But this style musical works brought Beethoven first fame as a composer. Against the background of other performers classical music they differed favorably. While in Vienna, the composer wrote his famous works- "Pathetic Sonata" and "Moonlight Sonata". Then there were other brilliant works: "First Symphony", "Second Symphony", "Christ on the Mount of Olives", "Creation of Prometheus".

The further work and life of Ludwig Beethoven were overshadowed by sad events. The composer developed a disease of the auricle, as a result of which he lost his hearing. The composer decides to retire to Heiligenstadt, where he works on the Third Symphony. Absolute deafness separated him from the outside world. But he didn't stop making music. Beethoven's opera Fidelio was a success in Berlin, Vienna and Prague.

The period of 1802-1812 was especially fruitful: the composer created a series of works for cello, piano, the Ninth Symphony and the Solemn Mass. Fame, popularity and recognition came to him.

• He was the third person in the family to bear the name Ludwig van Beethoven. The first carrier was the composer's grandfather, a famous Bonn musician, and the second was his 6-year-old older brother.
• Beethoven left school at the age of 11 without learning division and multiplication.
• He was very fond of coffee, brewing 64 grains each time, no more and no less.
• His character was not simple: grumpy and friendly, gloomy and good-natured. Some remember him as a person with an excellent sense of humor, others as a person who is not pleasant in communication.
• He created the famous "Ninth Symphony" when he had already completely lost his hearing.

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Beethoven is greatest creator of all time, unsurpassed Master. Beethoven's works are difficult to describe using conventional musical terms- any words here seem not bright enough, too banal. Beethoven is a brilliant personality, an extraordinary phenomenon in the world of music.

Among the many names of the great composers of the world, the name Ludwig van Beethoven Van Beethoven) always stand out. Beethoven is the greatest creator of all time, the unsurpassed Master. People who consider themselves far from the world of classical music fall silent, enchanted, at the very first sounds of the Moonlight Sonata. Beethoven's works are difficult to describe using ordinary musical terms - any words here seem not bright enough, too banal. Beethoven is a brilliant personality, an extraordinary phenomenon in the world of music.

No one knows the exact date of birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. It is known that he was born in Bonnet, December 1770. Contemporaries who personally knew the composer in different years, noticed that he inherited his character from his grandfather - Louis Beethoven. Pride, independence, incredible diligence - these qualities were inherent in the grandfather - they also went to the grandson.

Beethoven's grandfather was a musician, served as a bandmaster. Ludwig's father also worked in the chapel - Johann van Beethoven. father was talented musician but drank a lot. His wife served as a cook. The family lived in poverty, but Johann nevertheless noticed early musical ability son. Little Ludwig was little taught music (there was no money for teachers), but he was often forced to practice by shouting and beatings.

By the age of 12, young Beethoven could play the harpsichord, violin, and organ. 1782 was a turning point in Ludwig's life. Director of the Bonn Court Chapel was appointed Christian Gottlob Nefe. This man showed interest in a talented teenager, became his mentor, taught him the modern piano style. In that year, the first musical compositions Beethoven, and an article about the "young genius" was published in the city newspaper.

Led by Nefe young musician continued to improve his skills, received and general education. At the same time, he worked a lot in the chapel to support his family.

The young Beethoven had a goal - to get acquainted with Mozart. To fulfill this goal, he went to Vienna. He achieved a meeting with the great maestro and asked to be examined. Mozart was amazed by his talent young musician. New horizons could have opened before Ludwig, but a misfortune happened - his mother fell seriously ill in Bonn. Beethoven had to return. Mother died, father died soon after.

Ludwig stayed in Bonn. He was seriously ill with typhus and smallpox, and worked hard all the time. He had long been a virtuoso musician, but did not consider himself a composer. In this profession, he still lacked skill.

In 1792, in the life of Ludwig, an happy change. He was introduced to Haydn. famous composer promised support to Beethoven and recommended him to go to Vienna. Again, Beethoven found himself in the "abode of music." He had about fifty works to his credit - in some ways they were unusual, even revolutionary for that time. Beethoven was considered a freethinker, but he did not deviate from his principles. He studied with Haydn, Albrechtsberger, Salieri- and teachers did not always understand his works, finding them "dark and strange."

Beethoven's work attracted the attention of patrons, and he was doing well. He worked out own style, was formed as an extraordinary innovative composer. He was invited to the highest circles of the Viennese aristocracy, but Beethoven did not want to play and create for the needs of a wealthy public. He maintained independence, believing that talent is an advantage over wealth and high birth.

When the maestro was 26 years old, a new misfortune occurred in his life - he began to lose his hearing. This was a personal tragedy for the composer, terrible for his profession. He began to avoid society.

In 1801, the composer fell in love with a young aristocrat Juliet Guicciardi. Juliet was 16 years old. The meeting with her changed Beethoven - he began to be in the world again, to enjoy life. Unfortunately, the girl's family considered a musician from the lower circles an unworthy party for her daughter. Juliet rejected the courtship and soon married a man of her circle - Count Gallenberg.

Beethoven was destroyed. He didn't want to live. Soon he retired to the small town of Heiligenstadt, and there he even wrote a will. But Ludwig's talent was not broken, and even at that time he continued to create. During this period he wrote brilliant works: « moonlight sonata» (Dedication to Giulietta Guicciardi), Third Piano Concerto, "Kreutzer Sonata" and a number of other masterpieces included in the world musical treasury.

There was no time to die. The master continued to create and fight. « Heroic symphony”, Fifth Symphony, “Appassionata”, “Fidelio”- Beethoven's efficiency bordered on obsession.

The composer again moved to Vienna. He was famous, popular, but far from rich. New failed love for one of the sisters Brunswick And material problems encouraged him to leave Austria. In 1809, a group of patrons awarded the composer a pension in exchange for a promise not to leave the country. The pension tied him to Austria, limited his freedom.

Beethoven still created a lot, but his hearing was actually lost. In society, he used special "conversational notebooks." Periods of depression alternated with periods of fantastic performance.

The apotheosis of his work was Ninth Symphony which Beethoven completed in 1824. It was performed on May 7, 1824. The work delighted the audience and the performers themselves. Only the composer did not hear his own music, nor the thunder of applause. The young choir singer had to take the maestro by the hand and turn her face to the audience so that he could bow.

After that day, the composer was overcome by illness, but he was able to write four more large and complex quartets. Once he had to go to his brother Johann to persuade him to write a will in favor of the sole right to custody of Ludwig's beloved nephew - Karl. The brother refused the request. Frustrated, Beethoven went home - on the way he caught a cold.

On March 26, 1827, the composer died. The Viennese, who had already begun to forget their idol, remembered him after his death. A crowd of thousands followed behind the coffin.

brilliant composer and great person Ludwig van Beethoven was always independent and adamant in his convictions. He walked proudly life path and left mankind many immortal creations.

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Biography

Origin

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770 in Bonn on December 16, baptized on December 17, 1770 in Bonn.

His father, Johann Beethoven (1740-1792), was a singer, tenor in the court choir. Mother, Mary Magdalene, before her marriage Keverich (1748-1787), was the daughter of a court chef in Koblenz. They married in 1767. Grandfather, Ludwig Beethoven (1712-1773), was from Mechelen (South Netherlands). He served in the same chapel as Johann, first as a singer, bass, and then as a bandmaster.

early years

The composer's father wanted to make a second Mozart out of his son and began to teach him to play the harpsichord and violin. In 1778, the first performance took place in Cologne. However, Beethoven did not become a miracle child, the father entrusted the boy to his colleagues and friends. One taught Ludwig the organ, the other the violin.

In 1780, the organist and composer Christian Gotlob Nefe arrived in Bonn. He became a real teacher of Beethoven. Nefe immediately realized that the boy had talent. He introduced Ludwig to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and the works of Handel, as well as to the music of older contemporaries: F. E. Bach, Haydn and Mozart. Thanks to Nefe, Beethoven's first composition, a variation on Dressler's march, was also published. Beethoven was twelve years old at the time and was already working as an assistant court organist.

After the death of my grandfather financial situation families worsened. Ludwig had to leave school early, but he learned Latin, studied Italian and French, and read extensively. Already becoming an adult, the composer admitted in one of his letters:

“There is no work that would be too learned for me; without claiming in the slightest degree to be learned in the true sense of the word, yet from childhood I strove to understand the essence of the best and the wisest people every era."

Beethoven's favorite writers include the ancient Greek authors Homer and Plutarch, the English playwright Shakespeare, German poets Goethe and Schiller.

At this time, Beethoven began composing music, but was in no hurry to publish his works. Much of what he wrote in Bonn was later revised by him. From the youthful works of the composer, three children's sonatas and several songs are known, including "Marmot".

Haydn soon left for England and handed over his student to the well-known educator and theorist Albrechtsberger. In the end, Beethoven himself chose his mentor - Antonio Salieri.

Already in the first years of his life in Vienna, Beethoven won fame as a virtuoso pianist. His playing amazed the audience.

Beethoven boldly opposed the extreme registers (and at that time they played mainly in the middle), widely used the pedal (it was also rarely used then), and used massive chordal harmonies. In fact, he created piano style, far from the exquisitely lace manner of harpsichordists.

This style can be found in his Piano Sonatas No. 8 "Pathetique" (the title given by the composer himself), No. 13 and No. 14. Both have the author's subtitle Sonata quasi una Fantasia("in the spirit of fantasy"). The poet L. Relshtab subsequently called Sonata No. 14 "Lunar", and although this name is suitable only for the first movement, and not for the finale, it was assigned to the entire work.

Beethoven also stood out for his appearance among the ladies and gentlemen of that time. Almost always he was found casually dressed and unkempt.

Beethoven was extremely blunt. One day when he was playing public place, one of the guests started talking to the lady; Beethoven immediately interrupted the performance and added: I will not play with such pigs!". And no amount of apology and persuasion helped.

On another occasion, Beethoven was visiting Prince Lichnovsky. Likhnovsky respected the composer very much and was a fan of his music. He wanted Beethoven to play in front of the audience. The composer refused. Likhnovsky began to insist and even ordered to break down the door of the room where Beethoven had locked himself. The indignant composer left the estate and returned to Vienna. The next morning, Beethoven sent a letter to Likhnovsky: "Prince! What I am, I owe to myself. There are and will be thousands of princes, but Beethoven is only one!”

However, despite such a harsh character, Beethoven's friends considered him rather kind person. So, for example, the composer never refused to help close friends. One of his quotes:

Beethoven's compositions began to be widely published and enjoyed success. During the first ten years spent in Vienna, twenty sonatas for piano and three piano concertos, eight violin sonatas, quartets and other chamber compositions, the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, the ballet Creations of Prometheus, the First and Second Symphonies.

In 1796, Beethoven begins to lose his hearing. He develops tinnitus, an inflammation of the inner ear leading to ringing in the ears. On the advice of doctors, he retires for a long time in small town Heiligenstadt. However, peace and quiet do not improve his well-being. Beethoven begins to realize that deafness is incurable. In these tragic days he writes a letter that will later be called the Heiligenstadt testament. The composer talks about his experiences, admits that he was close to suicide:

In Heiligenstadt, the composer begins work on a new Third Symphony, which he will call Heroic.

As a result of Beethoven's deafness, unique historical documents: "conversation notebooks", where Beethoven's friends wrote down their lines for him, to which he answered either orally or in response.

However, the musician Schindler, who had two notebooks with recordings of Beethoven's conversations left, in all likelihood burned them, since “they contained the most rude, fierce attacks against the emperor, as well as the crown prince and other high-ranking officials. This, unfortunately, was Beethoven's favorite theme; in conversation, Beethoven constantly resented the powers that be, their laws and regulations.

Later years (1802-1815)

When Beethoven was 34 years old, Napoleon despised the ideals of the Great French Revolution and declared himself emperor. Therefore, Beethoven abandoned his intention to dedicate his Third Symphony to him: “This Napoleon also ordinary person. Now he will trample on all human rights with his feet and become a tyrant.” On title page manuscript of the "Pathetic" one can see the dedication crossed out by the author. At the same time, Beethoven called his Third Symphony "Heroic".

IN piano work the composer's own style is already noticeable in early sonatas, but in symphonic maturity came to him later. According to Tchaikovsky, it was only in the third symphony that “for the first time all the immense, amazing power was revealed. creative genius Beethoven".

Due to deafness, Beethoven rarely leaves the house, loses sound perception. He becomes gloomy, withdrawn. It was during these years that the composer, one after another, creates his most famous works. In the same years, Beethoven was working on his only opera, Fidelio. This opera belongs to the horror and rescue opera genre. Success for Fidelio came only in 1814, when the opera was staged first in Vienna, then in Prague, where the famous German composer Weber conducted it, and finally in Berlin.

Shortly before his death, the composer handed over the manuscript of "Fidelio" to his friend and secretary Schindler with the words: “This child of my spirit was brought into the world in more severe torment than others, and gave me the greatest grief. Therefore, it is dearer to me than all ... "

Last years (1815-1827)

After 1812 creative activity the composer falls for a while. However, after three years, he begins to work with the same energy. At this time, piano sonatas from the 28th to the last, 32nd, two cello sonatas, quartets, vocal cycle"To a distant lover" A lot of time is devoted to processing folk songs. Along with Scottish, Irish, Welsh, there are Russians. But the main creations of recent years have been two of Beethoven's most monumental works - "The Solemn Mass" and Symphony No. 9 with Chorus.

The ninth symphony was performed in 1824. The audience gave the composer a standing ovation. It is known that Beethoven stood with his back to the audience and did not hear anything, then one of the singers took his hand and turned to face the audience. People waved handkerchiefs, hats, hands, welcoming the composer. The ovation lasted so long that the police officials who were present immediately demanded that it be stopped. Such greetings were allowed only in relation to the person of the emperor.

In Austria, after the defeat of Napoleon, a police regime was established. Frightened by the revolution, the government suppressed any "free thoughts". Numerous secret agents penetrated all strata of society. In Beethoven's conversational notebooks, there are warnings every now and then: "Quiet! Watch out, there's a spy here!" And, probably, after some especially bold statement of the composer: "You will end up on the scaffold!"

However, Beethoven's popularity was so great that the government did not dare to touch him. Despite his deafness, the composer continues to be aware of not only political, but also music news. He reads (that is, listens with his inner ear) the scores of Rossini's operas, looks through a collection of Schubert's songs, gets acquainted with operas German composer Weber's "Magic Shooter" and "Euryant". Arriving in Vienna, Weber visited Beethoven. They had lunch together, and Beethoven, usually not prone to ceremony, courted his guest.

After death younger brother the composer took over the care of his son. Beethoven places his nephew in the best boarding schools and instructs his student Karl Czerny to study music with him. The composer wanted the boy to become a scientist or an artist, but he was attracted not by art, but by cards and billiards. Entangled in debt, he attempted suicide. This attempt did not cause much harm: the bullet only slightly scratched the skin on the head. Beethoven was very worried about this. His health deteriorated sharply. The composer develops serious disease liver.

Ludwig van Beethoven died on March 26, 1827, at the age of 57. Over twenty thousand people followed his coffin. During the funeral, Beethoven's favorite Requiem Mass in C Minor Luigi Cherubini was performed. A speech was made at the grave, written by the poet Franz Grillparzer:

Causes of death

Ertman was famous for her performances of Beethoven's works. The composer dedicated Sonata No. 28 to her. Upon learning that Dorothea's child had died, Beethoven played for her for a long time.

At the end of 1801, Ferdinand Rees arrived in Vienna. Ferdinand was the son of a Bonn Kapellmeister, a friend of the Beethoven family. The composer accepted the young man. Like other students of Beethoven, Rees already owned the instrument and also composed. One day, Beethoven played him an adagio just completed. The young man liked the music so much that he memorized it. Rees went to Prince Likhnovsky's and played a play. The prince learned the beginning and, having come to the composer, said that he wanted to play his composition for him. Beethoven, who did not stand on ceremony with the princes, categorically refused to listen. But Likhnovsky still played. Beethoven immediately guessed about the trick of Rhys and was terribly angry. He forbade the student to listen to his new compositions and really never played anything to him again. Once Rhys played his march, passing it off as Beethoven's. The listeners were enthralled. The composer, who appeared immediately, did not expose the student. He just told him:

Once Rhys happened to hear a new creation of Beethoven. Once on a walk they got lost and returned home in the evening. Along the way, Beethoven growled a stormy melody. Arriving home, he immediately sat down at the instrument and, carried away, completely forgot about the presence of the student. Thus was born the finale of The Appassionata.

At the same time as Rhys, Carl Czerny began to study with Beethoven. Karl was probably only child among Beethoven's students. He was only nine years old, but he was already giving concerts. His first teacher was his father, the famous Czech teacher Venzel Czerny. When Karl first got into Beethoven's apartment, where, as always, there was a mess, and saw a man with a dark, unshaven face, wearing a coarse woolen vest, he mistook him for Robinson Crusoe.

Czerny studied with Beethoven for five years, after which the composer gave him a document in which he noted "the exceptional success of the student and his remarkable musical memory» . Czerny's memory was truly amazing: he knew by heart all the teacher's piano compositions.

Czerny started early pedagogical activity and soon became one of the best teachers in Vienna. Among his students was Theodor Leshetitsky, who can be called one of the founders of the Russian piano school. From 1858 Leshetitsky lived in St. Petersburg, and from 1862 to 1878 he taught at the newly opened conservatory. Here he studied with A. N. Esipova, later professor at the same conservatory, V. I. Safonov, professor and director of the Moscow Conservatory, S. M. Maykapar.

In 1822, a father and a boy came to Cherny, who had come from the Hungarian town of Doboryan. The boy had no idea about the correct fit or fingering, but experienced teacher I immediately realized that before him was an extraordinary, gifted, perhaps brilliant child. The boy's name was Franz List. Liszt studied with Czerny for a year and a half. His successes were so great that the teacher allowed him to speak to the public. Beethoven attended the concert. He guessed the boy's giftedness and kissed him. Liszt kept the memory of this kiss all his life.

Not Rice, not Czerny, but Liszt inherited Beethoven's style of playing. Like Beethoven, Liszt treats the piano like an orchestra. During his tour of Europe, he promoted the work of Beethoven, performing not only his piano works, but also the symphonies he adapted for the piano. In those days, Beethoven's music, especially symphonic music, was still unknown to a wide audience. In 1839 List came to Bonn. Here for several years they were going to erect a monument to the composer, but things were moving slowly.

Liszt made up the missing amount with the proceeds from his concerts. It was only thanks to these efforts that the monument to the composer was erected.

Students

• Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainer von Habsburg-Lorraine

Image in culture

In literature

Beethoven became the prototype of the main character - the composer Jean Christophe - in novel of the same name, one of the most famous works French author Romain Rolland. The novel was one of the works for which Rolland was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1915.

Life and creative way Beethoven is dedicated to the story of the Czech writer Antonin Zgorzh "One Against Fate". The book includes Beethoven's letters written by him in different years of his life.

In cinema

• Jan Hart played Beethoven in the film The Heroic Symphony.
• In the Soviet-German film "Beethoven. Days of Life" Beethoven was played by Donatas Banionis.
• The film Rewriting Beethoven tells about last year composer's life leading role Ed Harris).
• two-part Feature Film The Life of Beethoven (USSR, 1978, director B. Galanter) is based on the surviving memories of the composer by his close friends.
• Film "Lecture  21" (English) Russian(Italy, 2008), film debut Italian writer and musicologist Alessandro Baricco, dedicated to the "Ninth Symphony".
• Filmed by Bernard Rose (English) Russian"Immortal Beloved" the role of Beethoven was played by Gary Oldman.

In non-academic music

• American musician Chuck Berry wrote the song Roll Over Beethoven in 1956, which was included in the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time according to the version of Rolling Stone magazine.
• Split personality" of the Splin group.
• In 2000, the neoclassical metal band Trans-Siberian Orchestra released the rock opera "Beethoven's Last Night", dedicated to the last night of the composer.
• The composer is dedicated to the song "Beethoven" from the album "The Stranger" by the group "Picnic"

Artworks

Music fragments

Memory

Many monuments have been erected around the world in honor of Beethoven. The first monument to Beethoven was opened in the composer's homeland, in Bonn, on August 12, 1845, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of his birth. In 1880, a monument appeared in Vienna, a city closely associated with the musician's work. The author of the book "Images of Beethoven" art critic Zilke Betterman ( Silke Bettermann) notes that he managed to count about a hundred monuments in 54 cities on all five continents.