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Author
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827: German)
- father was a singer and abusive alcoholic
- moved to Vienna in 1792, studied under Haydn
- functioned under a modified patronage system: he did not work for a specific family of aristocracy, but rather was supported by the aristocracy as a whole
- went deaf later in life
- Wikipedia Article
About the Piece
(much of the description comes from elements that were brought out by Forney and Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music, and the accompanying DVD)
First Movement:
- exposition is introduced with the "four most famous notes in history"
- first four notes establish a motive for the rest of the piece
- first theme is fiery, intense, and in C major
- second theme is sweet, lyrical and in E-flat major
- second theme builds into closing theme
- closing theme is energetic, faster, but still in E-flat major
- the entire exposition is then repeated
- Development plays with the established motive
- motive decreases from 4 notes to three to two to finally 1, and then reestablishes the familiar 4 note motive to lead into the recap
- recapitulation includes an unexpected solo cadenza
- this time the second theme is in C major
- new theme added in recap, still in C major
- ends with an extremely long coda
Second Movement
- smooth and soothing first theme with mostly strings opens the movement
- theme two has more "tension" before it "bursts" in the middle
- a quiet transition leads back into the smoothness of theme 1
- Beethoven plays with rhythm and timbre in the first variation
- 2nd variation is embellished with 32nd notes, lots of "filled in" movement
- theme 2 does not appear in the second variation
- transition to 3rd variation follows
- theme 2 then appears with its second half first
- then theme 2's second half is repeated quieter and in a minor key
- finally a more triumphant variation of theme 1 before the long coda
Third Movement
- rising theme (Scherzo) on the lower strings gives way to rhythmic pattern from first movement
- scherzo gives way to fugal texture, c major, more quick movement on lower strings
- sherzo returns, resulting in a ternary form, ABA
- timpani leads low thumping transition into triumphant first theme of movement 4
Forth Movement
- first theme is strong and brilliant, in C major and G major
- second theme is similar in brilliance, contains more triplet rhythms
- development begins with a key change
- short-short-short-long throughout development (as well as both themes)
- recap avoids exposition's modulation between C major and G major
- long coda finishes this movement again
- coda gains energy and builds to a triumphant, staccato ending
Purpose
Reflections
Listening to this piece gave me the clear impression that I was hearing one of the greatest works of music of all time. The interplay of emotions between loud and soft parts is stunning, and the variety of instruments used demonstrates that finally, in Beethoven's era, the symphony seems to have arrived. Beethoven almost never does exactly the same thing twice, which captivates the listener's attention. The interplay between the four movements makes for an altogether coherant and beautiful piece.