What musical direction is Beethoven a representative of? Romantic features in the work of Ludwig van Beethoven

“Music should strike fire from the human breast” – these are the words of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, whose works belong to the highest achievements of musical culture.

Beethoven's worldview took shape under the influence of the ideas of the Enlightenment and the freedom-loving ideals of the French Revolution. Musically, his work, on the one hand, continued the traditions of Viennese classicism, on the other hand, captured the features of the new romantic art. From classicism in the works of Beethoven, the sublimity of content, excellent mastery of musical forms, appeal to the genres of symphony and sonata. From romanticism bold experimentation in the field of these genres, interest in vocal and piano miniatures.

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn (Germany) in the family of a court musician. He began to study music from early childhood under the guidance of his father. However, the real mentor of Beethoven was the composer, conductor and organist K.G. Nave. He taught the young musician the basics of composition, taught him to play the clavier and organ. From the age of eleven, Beethoven served as an assistant organist in the church, then court organist, concertmaster at the Bonn Opera House. At the age of eighteen, he entered the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Bonn, but did not graduate from it and subsequently did a lot of self-education.

In 1792 Beethoven moved to Vienna. He took music lessons from J. Haydn, I.G. Albrechtsberger, A. Salieri (the largest musicians of that era). Albrechtsberger introduced Beethoven to the works of Handel and Bach. Hence the composer's brilliant knowledge of musical forms, harmony and polyphony.

Beethoven soon began to give concerts; became popular. He was recognized on the streets, invited to solemn receptions in the houses of high-ranking persons. He composed a lot: he wrote sonatas, concertos for piano and orchestra, symphonies.

For a long time, no one guessed that Beethoven was struck by a serious illness - he began to lose his hearing. Convinced of the incurability of the disease, the composer decided to die and in 1802. prepared a will, where he explained the reasons for his decision. However, Beethoven managed to overcome despair and found the strength to write music further. The way out of the crisis was the Third ("Heroic") Symphony.

In 1803-1808. the composer also worked on the creation of sonatas; in particular, the Ninth for violin and piano (1803; dedicated to the Parisian violinist Rudolf Kreutzer, therefore it was called "Kreutzer"), the Twenty-third ("Appassionata") for piano, the Fifth and Sixth symphonies (both 1808).

The sixth ("Pastoral") symphony is subtitled "Memories of Rural Life". This work depicts various states of the human soul, which is temporarily removed from internal experiences and struggle. The symphony conveys feelings arising from contact with the world of nature and rural life. Its structure is unusual - five parts instead of four. The symphony has elements of figurativeness, onomatopoeia (birds sing, thunder rumbles, etc.). Beethoven's finds were subsequently used by many romantic composers.

The pinnacle of Beethoven's symphonic work was the Ninth Symphony. It was conceived back in 1812, but the composer worked on it from 1822 to 1823. The symphony is grandiose in scale; the finale is especially unusual, which is something like a large cantata for choir, soloists and orchestra, written to the text of the ode “To Joy” by J.F. Schiller.

In the first part, the music is severe and dramatic: a clear and very large-scale theme is born out of the chaos of sounds. The second part - the scherzo in character echoes the first. The third part, performed at a slow pace, is the calm look of an enlightened soul. Twice, the sounds of fanfares burst into the unhurried flow of music. They remind of thunderstorms and battles, but they cannot change the general philosophical image. This music is the pinnacle of Beethoven's lyrics. The fourth part is the final. The themes of the previous parts float before the listener like the passing past. And here comes the theme of joy. The inner structure of the theme is amazing: trepidation and strict restraint, a huge inner strength released in a grandiose hymn to goodness, truth and beauty.

The premiere of the symphony took place in 1825. at the Vienna Opera House. The theatrical orchestra was not enough to implement the author's plan, and amateurs had to be invited: twenty-four violins, ten violas, twelve cellos and double basses. For a Viennese classical orchestra, such a composition was unusually powerful. In addition, each choral part (bass, tenor, alto and soprano) included twenty-four singers, which also exceeded the usual norms.

During Beethoven's lifetime, the Ninth Symphony remained incomprehensible to many; it was admired only by those who knew the composer closely, his students and listeners enlightened in music. Over time, the best orchestras in the world began to include the symphony in their repertoire, and it found a new life.

The works of the late period of the composer's work are characterized by restraint of feelings and philosophical depth, which distinguishes them from the passionate and dramatic early works. During his life, Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies, 32 sonatas, 16 string quartets, the opera Fidelio, Solemn Mass, 5 piano concertos and one for violin and orchestra, overtures, separate pieces for different instruments.

Surprisingly, the composer wrote many works (including the Ninth Symphony) when he was already completely deaf. However, his latest works - piano sonatas and quartets - are unsurpassed masterpieces of chamber music.

Conclusion

So, the artistic style of classicism arose in the 17th century in France, based on ideas about the laws and rationality of the world order. The masters of this style strove for clear and strict forms, harmonious patterns, the embodiment of high moral ideals. They considered the works of ancient art to be the highest, unsurpassed examples of artistic creativity, therefore they developed ancient plots and images.

The peak in the development of musical classicism was the work of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, who worked mainly in Vienna and formed the Viennese classical school in the musical culture of the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries. Note that classicism in music is in many ways not similar to classicism in literature, theater or painting. In music, it is impossible to rely on ancient traditions, since they are almost unknown. In addition, the content of musical compositions is often associated with the world of human feelings, which are not amenable to strict control of the mind. However, the composers of the Viennese classical school created a very harmonious and logical system of rules for constructing a work. Thanks to such a system, the most complex feelings were clothed in a clear and perfect form. Suffering and joy became for the composer the subject of reflection, not experience. And if in other types of art the laws of classicism already at the beginning of the 19th century. seemed outdated to many, then in music the system of genres, forms and rules of harmony developed by the Viennese school retains its significance to this day.

Once again, we note that the art of the Viennese classics is of great value and artistic significance for us.

List of used literature

1. Alshvang A.A. Ludwig van Beethoven. Essay on life and creativity. - M .: Soviet composer, 1971. - 558s.

2. Bach. Mozart. Beethoven. Meyerbeer. Chopin. Schumann. Wagner / Comp. "LIO Editor". - St. Petersburg: "LIO Editor", etc., 1998. - 576 p.

3. Velikovich E. Great Musical Names: Biographies. Materials and documents. Composer stories. - St. Petersburg: Composer, 2000. - 192 p.

4. Musical encyclopedic Dictionary/ Ch. ed. G.V. Keldysh. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1990. - 672 p.

5. Osenneva M.S., Bezdorodova L.A. Methods of musical education of younger students: Proc. allowance for students. early fak. pedagogical universities. - M .: "Academy", 2001. - 368s.

6. I know the world: Det. Encyclopedia: Music / Ed. A.S. Klenov. Under total ed. O.G. Hinn. - M.: AST-LTD, 1997. - 448s.

Viennese classics entered the world history of music as major reformers. Their work is not only unique in itself, it is also valuable because it determined the further development of musical theater, genres, styles and trends. Their compositions laid the foundation for what is now considered classical music.

General characteristics of the era

These authors are united by the fact that they worked at the turn of two major cultural and historical eras: classicism and romanticism. The Viennese classics lived in a time of transition when active search new forms not only in music, but also in fiction, painting, architecture. All this largely determined the direction of their activities and the problems of writings. The 18th - the first half of the 19th centuries were marked by serious political upheavals, wars that literally turned the map of Europe upside down and had a strong impact on the minds of the modern intelligentsia and educated circles of society. The Viennese classics were no exception. For example, it is a well-known fact that the Napoleonic wars greatly influenced the work of Beethoven, who, in his famous 9th symphony ("Choral"), held the idea of ​​universal unity and peace. It was a kind of response to all those cataclysms that shook the European continent at the time we are considering.

Cultural life

The Viennese classics lived in a period when the baroque faded into the background, and a new direction began to play a leading role. It strove for harmony of forms, unity of composition, and therefore abandoned the magnificent forms of the previous era. Classicism began to determine the cultural image of many European states. But at the same time, even then there was a tendency to overcome the rigid forms of this trend and create strong works with elements of drama and even tragedy. These were the first signs of the emergence of romanticism, which determined cultural development the entire 19th century.

Opera reform

The Viennese classics played a decisive role in the development of all musical genres of the period under review. Each of them, so to speak, specialized in one style or musical form, but all their achievements were included in the golden fund of world music. Gluck (composer) was the largest and one of the most famous composers of his time. It is difficult to overestimate his role in the development of the theater: after all, it was he who gave the genre of opera the finished form in which we know it now. The merit of Christopher Gluck is that he was the first to move away from the understanding of opera as a work for demonstration vocal abilities, but subordinated the musical principle to dramaturgy.

Meaning

Gluck is the composer who made the opera a real performance. In his works, as well as in the works of his followers, vocals began to depend largely on the word. The plot and composition, and most importantly - the drama, began to determine the development of the musical line. Thus, the opera ceased to be an exclusively entertaining genre, but turned into serious look a musical creation with a complex dramaturgy, interesting from a psychological point of view, characters, a fascinating composition.

Composer's works

The Viennese classical school formed the basis of the entire world musical theater. Much credit for this belongs to Gluck. His opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" was a breakthrough in this genre. In it, the author focused not on the virtuosity of performance, but on the drama of the characters, thanks to which the work received such a sound and is still being performed. Another opera - "Alceste" - was also a new word in world music. The Austrian composer again emphasized the development storyline owing to which the work received a powerful psychological coloring. The work is still performed on the best stages of the world, which indicates that the reform of the opera genre carried out by Gluck was of fundamental importance for the evolution of musical theater as a whole and determined the further development of opera in this direction.

The next stage of development

Austrian composer Haydn also belongs to the famous constellation of authors who have made a significant contribution to the reform of musical genres. He is best known as the creator of symphonies and quartets. Thanks to them, the maestro gained wide popularity not only in Central European countries, but also abroad. The most widely known are his works, which entered the world repertoire under the name "Twelve London Symphonies". They are distinguished by a sense of optimism and cheerfulness, which, however, is characteristic of almost all the works of this composer.

Features of creativity

A characteristic feature of the works of Joseph Haydn was their connection with folklore. In the works of the composer, one can very often hear song and dance motifs, which made his work so recognizable. This reflected the attitude of the author, who imitated Mozart in many ways, considering him the best composer in the world. From him, he borrowed joyful light melodies, which made his work unusually expressive and bright in sound.

Other works of the author

Haydn's operas are not as widely popular as his quartets and symphonies. Nevertheless, this musical genre occupies a prominent place in the work of Austrian composer, therefore, a number of his works of this kind should be mentioned, especially since they are a noticeable stage in his creative biography. One of his operas is called The Apothecary and was written for the opening of a new theatre. Haydn also created several more works of this kind for the new theater buildings. He wrote mainly in the style of the Italian buffa opera and sometimes combined comic and dramatic elements.

Most famous writings

Haydn's quartets are rightly called the pearl of world classical music. They united the main principles of the composer: elegance of form, virtuosity of performance, optimistic sound, thematic diversity and an original way of performance. One of the well-known cycles is called “Russian”, since it is dedicated to Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, the future Russian Emperor Paul I. Another group of quartets is intended for the Prussian king. These compositions were written in a new manner, as they were distinguished by their extraordinary flexibility in sound, the richness of contrasting musical shades. With this kind musical genre the name of the composer has received worldwide significance. It should also be noted here that the author often resorted to the so-called "surprises" in his compositions, making unexpected musical passages in those places where the audience least expected it. Among these unusual compositions Haydn's "Children's Symphony"

General characteristics of Mozart's work

This is one of the most famous authors of music, who still enjoys extraordinary popularity among classical fans and is loved all over the world. The success of his writings is due to the fact that they are distinguished by logical harmony and completeness. In this regard, many researchers attribute his work to the era of classicism. However, others believe that the Viennese composer became a harbinger of romanticism: after all, in his works there has already been a clear tendency to depict strong, extraordinary images, as well as a deep psychological study of characters (we are talking about opera in this case). Be that as it may, the maestro's works are distinguished by their depth and, at the same time, their extraordinary ease of perception, drama and optimism. They are easy and accessible to everyone, but at the same time very serious and philosophical in their content and sound. This is precisely the phenomenon of his success.

Composer's operas

The Viennese classical school played a decisive role in the development of the operatic genre. A huge merit in this belongs to Mozart. Performances staged to his music are still very popular and loved not only by true music lovers, but also by the mass public. Perhaps this is the only composer whose music is somehow known to everyone, even if they have the remotest idea of ​​​​his work.

Perhaps the most famous opera is Le nozze di Figaro. This is probably the most cheerful and at the same time unusually funny work of the author. Humor sounds in almost every party, which provided him with such popularity. The famous aria of the protagonist the very next day became a real hit. Mozart's music - bright, playful, playful, but at the same time unusually wise in its simplicity - immediately won universal love and recognition.

Another one famous opera author - "Don Juan". In terms of popularity, it is perhaps not inferior to the aforementioned one: productions of this performance can be seen in our time. Significant is the fact that quite complex history the composer presented this man in a very simple and at the same time serious form, thereby once again demonstrating his deep understanding of life. In this, the genius managed to show both dramatic and optimistic components, which are inextricably linked in all his works.

In our time, the opera is no less famous. magical flute". Mozart's music reached its apogee in its expressiveness. In this composition, it is light, airy, cheerful and at the same time unusually serious, so that one can only wonder how the author managed to convey an entire philosophical system in such simple, harmonious sounds. Other operas by the composer are also known, for example, at the present time you can periodically hear "The Mercy of Titus", both in the theater and in concert. Thus, the opera genre occupied one of the main places in the work of the brilliant composer.

Selected works

The composer worked in various directions and created a large number of musical works. Mozart, whose "Night Serenade", for example, has long gone beyond concert performances and gained wide popularity, wrote in a very simple and accessible language. Perhaps that is why he is often called the genius of harmony. Even in the tragic works there was a motive of hope. In "Requiem" he expressed his thoughts on a better future life, so that, despite the tragic tone of the music, the work leaves a feeling of enlightened peace.

Mozart's concerto is also distinguished by harmonious harmony and logical completeness. All parts are subject to a single theme and are united by a common motif that sets the tone for the whole work. Therefore, his music is listened to in one breath. In this type of genre, the main principles of the composer's work were embodied: a harmonious combination of sounds and parts, a light and at the same time virtuoso sound of the orchestra. No one else could so harmoniously build his musical composition like Mozart. The composer's "Night Serenade" is a kind of standard for the harmonious combination of different sounding parts. Cheerful and loud passages are very rhythmically replaced by barely audible virtuoso parts.

Separately, it should be said about the masses of the author. They occupy a prominent place in his work and, like other works, are imbued with a sense of bright hope and enlightened joy. Also worth mentioning is the famous "Turkish Rondo", which has gone beyond concert performances, so that it can often be heard even in television advertisements. But the greatest sense of harmony, perhaps, is possessed by Mozart's concerto, in which the principle of logical completeness has reached its highest degree.

Briefly about the work of Beethoven

This composer belongs entirely to the era of the dominance of romanticism. If Johann Amadeus Mozart stands, as it were, on the threshold of classicism and a new direction, then Ludwig van Beethoven completely switched to the image strong passions, powerful feelings and outstanding personalities in their works. He became perhaps the most prominent representative romanticism. It is indicative that, referring to dramatic, tragic themes, he wrote only one opera. The main genre for him remained symphonies and sonatas. He is credited with reforming these works, just as Gluck in his time transformed the operatic performance.

A striking feature of the composer's work was that the main theme of his works was the image of the powerful, titanic will of the individual, who overcomes difficulties and all obstacles with a huge effort of will. Also, L. V. Beethoven devoted a lot of space in his compositions to the theme of struggle and confrontation, as well as to the motive of universal unity.

Some biography facts

He came from a family of musicians. His father wanted the boy to become a famous composer, so he worked with him, resorting to rather harsh methods. Perhaps that is why the child grew up gloomy and harsh by nature, which subsequently affected his work. Beethoven worked and lived in Vienna, where he studied with Haydn, but these studies very quickly disappointed both the student and the teacher. The latter drew attention to the fact that the young author was dominated by rather gloomy motives, which was not accepted at that time.

Beethoven's biography also briefly tells about the period of his passion for the liberation struggle. At first he accepted the Napoleonic Wars with enthusiasm, but later, when Bonaparte proclaimed himself emperor, he abandoned the idea of ​​​​writing a symphony in his honor. In 1796, Ludwig began to lose his hearing. However, this did not interrupt his creative activity. Already being completely deaf, he wrote his famous 9th symphony, which became a real masterpiece in the world musical repertoire. (it is impossible to talk about it briefly) also contains information about the maestro's friendship with prominent people of his time. Despite his reserved and harsh character, the composer was friends with Weber, Goethe and other figures of the Classical era.

The most famous works

It has already been said above that characteristic feature Creativity L. V. Beethoven was the desire to portray strong, emotional characters, the struggle of passions, overcoming difficulties. Among the works of this genre, “Appassionata” is especially distinguished, which, in terms of the intensity of feelings and emotions, is perhaps one of the strongest. When the composer was asked about the idea of ​​its creation, he referred to Shakespeare's play "The Tempest", which, according to him, served as a source of inspiration. The author drew a parallel between the motifs of titanic impulses in the playwright's work and his own musical interpretation of this theme.

One of the author's most popular works is the Moonlight Sonata, which, on the contrary, is imbued with a sense of harmony and peace, as if in opposition to the dramatic melody of his symphonies. Significantly, the very name this work given by the composer's contemporaries, perhaps because the music was reminiscent of sea overflows on a quiet night. It was these associations that arose in the majority of listeners when listening to this sonata. No less, and perhaps even more popular is the famous composition “To Elise”, which the composer dedicated to the wife of the Russian Emperor Alexander I, Elizabeth Alekseevna (Louise). This composition strikes with an amazing combination of light motives and serious dramatic passages in the middle. A special place in the work of the maestro is occupied by his only opera "Fidelio" (translated as "Faithful" from Italian). This work, like many others, is imbued with the pathos of love of freedom and a call for freedom. "Fidelio" still does not leave the stages of the hosts, although the opera received recognition, as it almost always happens, not immediately.

Ninth Symphony

This work is perhaps the most famous among the other works of the composer. It was written three years before his death, in 1824. The Ninth Symphony completes the composer's long and many years of searching for the creation of a perfect symphonic work. It differs from all previous ones in that, firstly, it introduced a choral part (to the famous "Ode to Joy" by F. Schiller), and secondly, in it the composer reformed the structure symphonic genre. The main theme is gradually revealed through each part of the work. The beginning of the symphony is rather gloomy, heavy, but even then a distant motive of reconciliation and enlightenment sounds, which grows as it develops. musical composition. Finally, in the very finale, a rather powerful choral vocal sounds, calling on all the people of the world to unite. Thus, the composer emphasized the main idea of ​​his work even more. He wanted his thought to be expressed as clearly as possible, so he did not limit himself only to music, but also introduced the performance of singers. The symphony was a resounding success: at the first performance, the audience gave the composer a standing ovation. It is indicative that L. V. Beethoven composed it, being already a completely deaf person.

Significance of the Viennese School

Gluck, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven became the founders of classical music, having a huge impact on all subsequent music. musical history not only Europe, but the world. The importance of these composers and their contribution to the reformation of the musical theater can hardly be overestimated. Working in a variety of genres, they created the backbone and form of works, on the basis of which their followers composed new works. Many of their creations have long gone beyond concert performances and have been widely heard in films and on television. "Turkish Rondo", "Moonlight Sonata" and many other works by these authors are known not only to music lovers, but even to those who are not familiar with classical music. Many researchers quite rightly call the Vienna stage in the development of the classics the defining one in the history of music, since it was during this period that the main principles for creating and writing operas, symphonies, sonatas and quartets were laid.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1771-1827) Biography. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 in Bonn. The exact date of birth has not been established, only the date of baptism is known - December 17th. His father Johann (Johann van Beethoven, 1740-1792) was a singer in the court chapel, his mother Maria Magdalena, before her marriage Keverich (Maria Magdalena Kewerich, 1748-1787), was the daughter of a court chef in Koblenz, they got married in 1767. Grandfather Ludwig (1712-1773) served in the same chapel as Johann, first as a singer, then as a bandmaster. He was from Holland, hence the prefix "van" in front of the surname. 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 of the boy 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 to play the organ, the other the violin. The beginning of the creative path. In the spring of 1787, a teenager dressed in the costume of a court musician knocked on the door of a small poor house on the outskirts of Vienna, where the famous Mozart lived. He modestly asked the great maestro to listen to his ability to improvise on a given theme. Mozart, absorbed in work on the opera Don Giovanni, gave the guest two lines of polyphonic exposition. The boy did not lose his head and did an excellent job with the task, striking the famous composer with his extraordinary abilities. Mozart said to his friends present here: “Pay attention to this young man, the time will come, the whole world will talk about him.” These words turned out to be prophetic. The music of the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven is really known to the whole world today. Beethoven's path in music. This is the path from classicism to the new style, romanticism, the path of bold experiment and creative search. Beethoven's musical heritage is huge and surprisingly diverse: 9 symphonies, 32 sonatas for piano, violin and cello, a symphonic overture to the drama Egmont by J. W. Goethe, 16 string quartets, 5 concertos with an orchestra, "Solemn Mass", cantatas, opera "Fidelio", romances, arrangements of folk songs (there are about 160 of them, including Russian ones). Beethoven at 30. Symphonic music by Beethoven. Beethoven reached unattainable heights in symphonic music, pushing the boundaries of the sonata-symphonic form. The Third "Heroic" Symphony (1802-1804) became a hymn to the resilience of the human spirit, to the assertion of the victory of light and reason. This grandiose creation, exceeding the symphonies known to that time in its scale, number of themes and episodes, reflects the turbulent era of the French Revolution. Initially, Beethoven wanted to dedicate this work to Napoleon Bonaparte, who became his true idol. But when the “general of the revolution” proclaimed himself emperor, it became obvious that he was driven by a thirst for power and glory. Beethoven crossed out the dedication from the title page, writing one word "Heroic". The symphony is in four movements. In the first, fast music sounds, conveying the spirit of the heroic struggle, the desire for victory. In the second, slow part, a funeral march is heard, full of sublime sorrow. For the first time, the minuet of the third movement has been replaced by a swift scherzo calling for life, light and joy. The final, fourth part is full of dramatic and lyrical variations. . The pinnacle of Beethoven's symphonic work is the Ninth Symphony. It took two years to create it - (1822-1824). Images of worldly storms, sorrowful losses, peaceful pictures of nature and rural life became a kind of prologue to an unusual finale, written on the text of the ode German poet I.F. Schiller (1759-1805). For the first time in symphonic music, the sound of the orchestra and the sound of the choir merged into one, proclaiming a hymn to goodness, truth and beauty, calling to the wealth of all people on earth. Beethoven writing his sixth symphony. Sixth "Pastoral" symphony. It was written in 1808 under the impression of folk songs and cheerful dance tunes. It was subtitled "Memories of rural life." The soloist cellos recreated the picture of the murmur of the stream, in which the voices of birds were heard: a nightingale, a quail, cuckoos, the stamping of dancers to a cheerful village song. But a sudden roll of thunder disrupts the festivities. Pictures of a storm and a thunderstorm that breaks out amaze the listeners' imagination. Sonatas by Beethoven. Beethoven's sonatas have also entered the treasury of world musical culture. Beethoven dedicated the Moonlight Sonata to Juliet Guicciardi. Last years of life. Beethoven was so great that, however, the popularity of the government did not dare to touch him. Despite the deafness, the composer continues to be aware of not only political, but also musical news. He reads (that is, listens with his inner ear) the scores of Rossini's operas, looks through the collection of Schubert's songs, gets acquainted with the operas of the German composer Weber " magic shooter"and" Evryanta. Arriving in Vienna, Weber visited Beethoven. They had lunch together, and Beethoven, usually not prone to ceremony, courted his guest. After the death of his younger brother, the composer took over the care of his son. Beethoven places his nephew in the best boarding schools and instructs his student Czerny to study music with him. His health deteriorated sharply. The composer develops a severe liver disease. Beethoven's funeral. Beethoven died on March 26, 1827. Over 20 thousand people followed his coffin Thank you for your attention! The presentation was made by: Sergeicheva Tatyana 10th class.

L.Karankova

1. Characteristics of Beethoven's creative style.

L. V. Beethoven - German composer, representative of the Viennese classical school (born in Bonn, but spent most of his life in Vienna - since 1792).

Beethoven's musical thinking is a complex synthesis:

the creative achievements of the Viennese classics (Gluck, Haydn, Mozart);

the art of the French Revolution;

new emerging in the 20s. 19th century artistic direction - romanticism.

Beethoven's compositions bear the imprint of the ideology, aesthetics and art of the Enlightenment. This largely explains the logical thinking of the composer, the clarity of forms, the thoughtfulness of the entire artistic conception and individual details of the works.

It is also noteworthy that Beethoven showed himself most fully in the genres of the sonata and symphony (genres characteristic of the classics). Beethoven was the first to spread the so-called. "conflict symphonism", based on the opposition and collision of brightly contrasting musical images. The more dramatic the conflict, the more complex the process of development, which for Beethoven becomes the main driving force.

The ideas and art of the French Revolution left their mark on many of Beethoven's works. From Cherubini's operas there is a direct path to Beethoven's Fidelio.

In the composer's works, appealing intonations and chiseled rhythms, broad melodic breathing and powerful instrumentation of the hymns of songs, marches and operas of this era found their embodiment. They transformed Beethoven's style. That is why the composer's musical language, although associated with the art of the Viennese classics, at the same time was profoundly different from it. In the works of Beethoven, in contrast to Haydn and Mozart, exquisite ornamentation, smooth rhythmic pattern, chamber, transparent texture, balance and symmetry of musical themes are rarely found.

Composer of a new era, Beethoven finds other intonations to express his thoughts - dynamic, restless, sharp. The sound of his music becomes much more saturated, dense, and dramatically contrasting. His musical themes acquire hitherto unprecedented conciseness, severe simplicity.

Listeners brought up on the classicism of the 18th century were stunned and often misunderstood by the emotional power of Beethoven's music, manifested either in stormy drama, or in grandiose epic scope, or in penetrating lyrics. But it was precisely these qualities of Beethoven's art that fascinated romantic musicians. And although Beethoven's connection with romanticism is indisputable, his art in its main outlines does not coincide with him. It does not entirely fit into the framework of classicism. For Beethoven, like few others, is unique, individual and multifaceted.

Beethoven's themes:

The focus of Beethoven's attention is the hero's life, which takes place in an unceasing struggle for a wonderful future for everyone. The heroic idea runs like a red thread through all of Beethoven's work. Beethoven's hero is inseparable from the people. In serving humanity, in winning freedom for it, he sees the purpose of his life. But the path to the goal lies through thorns, struggle, suffering. Often a hero dies, but his death is crowned with a victory that brings happiness to liberated humanity. Beethoven's attraction to heroic images and the idea of ​​struggle is due, on the one hand, to the warehouse of his personality, difficult fate, the fight against it, the constant overcoming of difficulties; on the other hand, the impact on the worldview of the composer of the ideas of the Great French Revolution.

The richest reflection was found in the work of Beethoven and the theme of nature (6th symphony "Pastoral", sonata No. 15 "Pastoral", sonata No. 21 "Aurora", 4th symphony, many slow parts of sonatas, symphonies, quartets). Passive contemplation is alien to Beethoven: the peace and quiet of nature help to comprehend the exciting questions more deeply, to collect thoughts and internal forces for the struggle of life.

Beethoven penetrates deeply into the sphere of human feelings. But, revealing the world of the inner, emotional life of a person, Beethoven draws all the same hero, capable of subordinating the spontaneity of feelings to the requirements of reason.

The main features of the musical language:

Melodica. The fundamental principle of his melody is in trumpet signals and fanfares, in invocative oratorical exclamations and march turns. Movement along the sounds of the triad is often used (G.P. "Heroic Symphony"; theme of the finale of the 5th symphony, G.P. I part 9 of the symphony). Beethoven's caesuras are punctuation marks in speech. Beethoven's fermata are pauses after pathetic questions. Musical themes Beethoven's pieces often consist of contrasting elements. The contrasting structure of themes is also found in Beethoven's predecessors (especially Mozart), but in Beethoven this is already becoming a pattern. The contrast within the theme develops into a conflict between G.P. and P.P. in sonata form, dynamizes all sections of the sonata allegro.

Metrorhythm. Beethoven's rhythms are born from the same source. Rhythm carries a charge of masculinity, will, activity.

Marching rhythms are extremely common

Dance rhythms (in pictures of folk fun - the finale of the 7th symphony, the finale of the Aurora sonata, when, after long suffering and struggle, a moment of triumph and joy comes.

Harmony. With the simplicity of the chord vertical (chords of the main functions, laconic use of non-chord sounds) - a contrast-dramatic interpretation of the harmonic sequence (connection with the principle of conflict dramaturgy). Sharp, bold modulations in distant keys (in contrast to the plastic modulations of Mozart). In his later works, Beethoven anticipates the features of romantic harmony: polyphonized fabric, an abundance of non-according sounds, exquisite harmonic sequences.

The musical forms of Beethoven's works are grandiose constructions. “This is the Shakespeare of the masses,” V. Stasov wrote about Beethoven. "Mozart was responsible only for individuals ... Beethoven, on the other hand, thought about history and all of humanity." Beethoven is the creator of the form of free variations (the finale of the piano sonata No. 30, variations on a theme by Diabelli, parts 3 and 4 of the 9th symphony). He is credited with introducing variational form into a large form.

musical genres. Beethoven developed most of the existing musical genres. The basis of his work is instrumental music.

List of Beethoven's compositions:

Orchestral music:

Symphonies - 9;

Overtures: "Coriolanus", "Egmont", "Leonora" - 4 versions for the opera "Fidelio";

Concertos: 5 piano, 1 violin, 1 triple - for violin, cello and piano.

Piano music:

32 sonatas;

22 variation cycles (including 32 c-moll variations);

Bagatelles (including "To Elise").

Chamber ensemble music:

Sonatas for violin and piano (including "Kreutzer" No. 9); cello and piano;

16 string quartets.

Vocal music:

Opera "Fidelio";

Songs, incl. the cycle “To a Distant Beloved”, arrangements of folk songs: Scottish, Irish, etc.;

2 Masses: C-dur and Solemn Mass;

oratorio "Christ on the Mount of Olives"

2. The life and work of Beethoven.

Bonn period. Childhood and youth.

Beethoven was born in Bonn on December 16, 1770. In addition to German, Flemish blood also flowed in his veins (on the paternal side).

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.

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. K.G. Nefe, the Bonn court organist, became Beethoven's first real teacher (among other things, he went through the entire "HTK" of S. Bach with him).

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 brilliant piano improvisations provided him free entrance to any music meeting. The Breuning family did a lot for him especially.

First viennese period (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, a recognized Viennese authority in the field instrumental music(Mozart died a year earlier) and for some time brought him to check exercises in counterpoint. 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.

Political and public life Europe of 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. The First Symphony (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 spoke 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 rotate in the circle of his Viennese friends, took part in musical evenings, wrote 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, magnificent piano sonatas op. 31 and three violin sonatas, op. thirty.

Period mature creativity. « New way"(1803 - 1812).

The first decisive breakthrough to what Beethoven himself called the "new way" occurred in the Third Symphony (Heroic, 1803-1804). Its duration is three times that of any other symphony written before. It is often asserted (and not without reason) that at first Beethoven dedicated the "Heroic" to Napoleon, but when he learned that he had proclaimed himself emperor, he canceled the dedication. “Now he will trample on the rights of man and satisfy only his own ambition,” were the words of Beethoven, according to 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.

During these years, brilliant creations came out from under his pen one after another. The main works of the composer form an incredible stream of brilliant music, this imaginary sound world replaces the world of real sounds that leaves him. It was a victorious self-affirmation, a reflection of the intense work of thought, evidence of the musician's rich inner life.

Works of the second period: violin sonata in A major, op. 47 (Kreutzerova, 1802-1803); Third Symphony, (Heroic, 1802-1805); oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, op. 85 (1803); piano sonatas: "Waldstein", op. 53; "Appassionata" (1803-1815); Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major (1805-1806); Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio (1805, second edition 1806); three "Russian" quartets, op. 59 (dedicated to Count Razumovsky; 1805-1806); Fourth Symphony (1806); Overture to the Tragedy of Collinus Coriolanus, op. 62 (1807); Mass in C major (1807); Fifth Symphony (1804-1808); Sixth Symphony (Pastoral, 1807-1808); music for the tragedy by Goethe Egmont (1809) and others.

A number of compositions were inspired by the romantic feelings that Beethoven had for some of his high-society students. The sonata, 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 and Josephine. 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 idea to Beethoven's stay at the Hungarian Brunswick estate in the summer of 1806.

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 subject - "Leonora" by Gaveau, Beethoven's work was called "Fidelio", after 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 were 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 Teplitz. Refined manners 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.

Beethoven's friendship with Rudolf, the Austrian archduke and half-brother of the emperor, is one of the most curious 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 compositions as the piano sonata "Farewell", the Triple Concerto, the last and most grandiose Fifth Piano Concerto, the Solemn Mass (Missa solemnis) were created. 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.

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). 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). Completely immersed in work on such compositions 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 generally seemed to be waging a mortal struggle with invisible adversary" (Schindler). Brilliant last quartets, five last 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 "For Joy", Beethoven stood next to the conductor. The hall was captivated by the powerful climax at the end of the symphony, the audience went wild, but the deaf 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 did the most receptive musicians begin to perform his last quartets and 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.

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

3. Beethoven's piano work

The legacy of Beethoven's piano music is great:

32 sonatas;

22 variation cycles (among them - "32 variations in c-moll");

bagatelles, dances, rondos;

many small essays.

Beethoven was a brilliant virtuoso pianist, improvising on any subject with inexhaustible ingenuity. In Beethoven's concert performances, his powerful, gigantic nature, the enormous emotional power of expression, very quickly revealed themselves. It was no longer the style of a chamber salon, but of a large concert stage, where the musician could reveal not only lyrical, but also monumental, heroic images, to which he passionately gravitated. Soon all this was clearly manifested in his compositions. Moreover, Beethoven's individuality was first revealed precisely in piano compositions. Beethoven began with a modest classical piano style, still largely associated with the art of harpsichord playing, and ended with music for the modern piano.

Innovative techniques of Beethoven's piano style:

expansion to the limit of the range of sound, thereby revealing hitherto unknown means of expression end registers. Hence - the feeling of a wide air space, achieved by comparing distant registers;

moving the melody to low registers;

the use of massive chords, rich texture;

enrichment of pedal technique.

Among Beethoven's extensive piano heritage, his 32 sonatas stand out. Beethoven's sonata became like a piano symphony. If the symphony for Beethoven was the sphere of monumental ideas and broad "all-human" problems, then in the sonatas the composer recreated the world of inner experiences and feelings of a person. According to B. Asafiev, “Beethoven's sonatas are the whole life of a person. It seems that there are no emotional states that would not find their reflection here in one way or another.

Beethoven refracts his sonatas in the spirit of different genre traditions:

symphonies ("Appassionata");

fantasies ("Lunar");

overture ("Pathetic").

In a number of sonatas, Beethoven overcomes the classical 3-part scheme, placing an additional part - a minuet or a scherzo - between the slow movement and the finale, thereby likening the sonata to a symphony. Among the late sonatas there are 2-part ones.

Sonata No. 8, "Pathetic" (c-moll, 1798).

The name "Pathetic" was given by Beethoven himself, having very accurately determined the main tone that dominates the music of this work. "Pathetic" - translated from Greek. - passionate, excited, full of pathos. Only two sonatas are known, whose names belong to Beethoven himself: "Pathetique" and "Farewell" (Es-dur, op. 81 a). Among Beethoven's early sonatas (before 1802), Pathetique is the most mature.

Sonata No. 14, "Moonlight" (cis-moll, 1801).

The name "Lunar" was given by Beethoven's contemporary poet L. Relshtab (Schubert wrote many songs on his poems), because. the music of this sonata was associated with silence, mystery moonlit night. Beethoven himself designated it "Sonata quasi una fantasia" (a sonata, as it were, a fantasy), which justified the rearrangement of parts of the cycle:

Part I - Adagio, written in free form;

Part II - Allegretto in a prelude-improvisational manner;

Part III - Finale, in sonata form.

The originality of the composition of the sonata is due to its poetic intention. A spiritual drama, the transitions of states caused by it - from mournful self-immersion to violent activity.

I part (cis-moll) - mournful monologue-reflection. Reminds me of a sublime chorale, a funeral march. Apparently, this sonata captured the mood tragic loneliness who owned Beethoven at the time of the collapse of his love for Juliet Guicciardi.

Often, the second part of the sonata (Des-dur) is associated with her image. Full of graceful motifs, the play of light and shadow, Allegretto differs sharply from the first movement and the finale. According to the definition of F. Liszt, this is "a flower between two abysses."

The finale of the sonata is a storm that sweeps away everything in its path, a raging element of feelings. The finale of the Lunar Sonata anticipates the Appassionata.

Sonata No. 21, "Aurora" (C-dur, 1804).

In this work, a new face of Beethoven is revealed, far from violent passions. Here everything breathes with primordial purity, shines with dazzling light. No wonder she was called "Aurora" (in ancient Roman mythology - the goddess of the dawn, the same as Eos in ancient Greek.). "White Sonata" - Romain Rolland calls it. Images of nature appear here in all their splendor.

Part I - monumental, corresponds to the idea of ​​a royal picture of the sunrise.

Part II R. Rolland designates as "the state of Beethoven's soul among peaceful fields."

The finale is a delight from the unspeakable beauty of the surrounding world.

Sonata No. 23, "Appassionata" (f-moll, 1805).

The name "Appassionata" (passionate) does not belong to Beethoven, it was invented by the Hamburg publisher Kranz. The fury of feelings, the raging stream of thoughts and passions of truly titanic power, are embodied here in classically clear, perfect forms (passions are restrained by an iron will). R. Rolland defines "Appassionata" as "a fiery stream in a granite rudder." When Beethoven's student, Schindler, asked his teacher about the content of this sonata, Beethoven replied, "Read Shakespeare's The Tempest." But Beethoven has his own interpretation of Shakespeare's work: for him, the titanic combat of man with nature acquires a pronounced social coloring (the struggle against tyranny and violence).

Appassionata is V. Lenin's favorite work: “I don't know anything better than Appassionata, I'm ready to listen to it every day. amazing, inhuman music. I always proudly, perhaps naively, think: these are the miracles people can do!

The sonata ends tragically, but at the same time the meaning of life is acquired. Appassionata becomes Beethoven's first "optimistic tragedy". The appearance in the code of the finale of a new image (an episode in the rhythm of a ponderous mass dance), which has the meaning of a symbol in Beethoven, creates an unprecedented contrast of hope, a rush to the light and gloomy despair.

One of the characteristic features of the "Appassionata" is its extraordinary dynamism, which expanded its scale to colossal proportions. The growth of the sonata allegro form occurs due to the development that penetrates into all sections of the form, incl. and exposure. The development itself grows to gigantic proportions and without any caesura turns into a reprise. The coda turns into a second development, where the culmination of the whole part is reached.

The sonatas that arose after the "Appassionata" marked a turning point, marking a turn towards a new - late style of Beethoven, which in many respects anticipated the works of romantic composers of the 19th century.

4. Symphonic works of Beethoven.

Beethoven was the first to give the symphony a public purpose, elevated it to the level of philosophy. It was in the symphony that the revolutionary-democratic worldview of the composer was embodied with the greatest depth.

Beethoven created majestic tragedies and dramas in his symphonic works. Beethoven Symphony, addressed to huge human masses, has monumental forms. Thus, the I part of the "Heroic" symphony is almost twice the size of the I part of the largest of Mozart's symphonies - "Jupiter", and the gigantic dimensions of the 9th symphony are generally incommensurable with any of the previously written symphonic works.

Until the age of 30, Beethoven did not write a symphony at all. Any symphonic work Beethoven - the fruit of the longest work. So, the "Heroic" was created 1.5 years, the Fifth Symphony - 3 years, the Ninth - 10 years. Most of the symphonies (from the Third to the Ninth) fall on the period of the highest rise of Beethoven's creativity.

I symphony sums up the quest early period. According to Berlioz, "this is no longer Haydn, but not yet Beethoven." In the Second, Third and Fifth - images of revolutionary heroics are expressed. The fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth - are distinguished by their lyrical, genre, scherzo-humorous features. In Beethoven's Ninth Symphony last time returns to the theme of tragic struggle and optimistic life-affirmation.

Third symphony, "Heroic" (1804).

The true flowering of Beethoven's work is associated with his Third Symphony (the period of mature creativity). The appearance of this work was preceded by tragic events in the life of the composer - the onset of deafness. Realizing that there was no hope for recovery, he plunged into despair, thoughts of death did not leave him. In 1802, Beethoven wrote his will to his brothers, known as the Heiligenstadt.

It was at that terrible moment for the artist that the idea of ​​the 3rd symphony was born and the mental fracture, from which the most fruitful period in Beethoven's creative life begins.

This work reflected Beethoven's fascination with the ideals of the French Revolution and Napoleon, who personified in his mind the image of the true folk hero. After finishing the symphony, Beethoven called it "Buonaparte". But soon the news came to Vienna that Napoleon had changed the revolution and proclaimed himself emperor. Upon learning of this, Beethoven was furious and exclaimed: “This one is also an ordinary person! Now he will trample on all human rights with his feet, follow only his own ambition, will put himself above all others and become a tyrant! According to eyewitnesses, Beethoven went to the table, grabbed the title page, tore it from top to bottom and threw it on the floor. Subsequently, the composer gave the symphony a new name - "Heroic".

With the Third Symphony, a new new era began in the history of world symphony. The meaning of the work is as follows: in the course of a titanic struggle, the hero dies, but his feat is immortal.

Part I - Allegro con brio (Es-dur). G.P. - the image of a hero and struggle.

Part II - funeral march (c-moll).

III part - Scherzo.

Part IV - Finale - a feeling of all-encompassing folk fun.

Fifth Symphony, c-moll (1808).

This symphony continues the idea of ​​the heroic struggle of the Third Symphony. “Through the darkness - to the light”, - this is how A. Serov defined this concept. The composer did not give this symphony a name. But its content is associated with the words of Beethoven, said by him in a letter to a friend: “There is no need for rest! I don't recognize any other rest than sleep... I'll grab fate by the throat. She won’t be able to bend me at all.” It was the idea of ​​fighting fate and fate that determined the content of the Fifth Symphony.

After a grandiose epic (Third Symphony), Beethoven creates a laconic drama. If the Third is compared with Homer's Iliad, then the Fifth Symphony is compared with the classicist tragedy and Gluck's operas.

The 4th part of the symphony is perceived as 4 acts of tragedy. They are interconnected by the leitmotif with which the work begins, and about which Beethoven himself said: “Thus fate knocks at the door.” Extremely succinctly, like an epigraph (4 sounds), this theme is outlined with a sharply knocking rhythm. This is a symbol of evil, tragically invading a person's life, as an obstacle that requires incredible efforts to overcome.

In Part I, the theme of rock reigns supreme.

In Part II, sometimes her “tapping” is alarmingly alarming.

In the third part - Allegro - (Beethoven here refuses both the traditional minuet and the scherzo ("joke"), because the music here is disturbing and conflicting) - sounds with new bitterness.

In the finale (holiday, triumphal march), the rock theme sounds like a memory of past dramatic events. The finale is a grandiose apotheosis, reaching its climax in a coda expressing the victorious jubilation of the masses seized with a heroic impulse.

Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral" (F-dur, 1808).

Nature and merging with it, a sense of peace of mind, images of folk life - such is the content of this symphony. Among Beethoven's nine symphonies, the Sixth is the only program symphony; has a common title and each part is titled:

Part I - "Joyful feelings upon arrival in the village"

II part - "Scene by the brook"

Part III - "A Merry Gathering of Villagers"

IV part - "Thunderstorm"

Part V - “Shepherd's song. Song of gratitude to the deity after a thunderstorm.

Beethoven strove to avoid naive figurativeness and in the subtitle to the title emphasized - "more an expression of feeling than painting."

Nature, as it were, reconciles Beethoven with life: in his adoration of nature, he seeks to find oblivion from sorrows and anxieties, a source of joy and inspiration. Deaf Beethoven, secluded from people, often wandered in the forests on the outskirts of Vienna: “Almighty! I am happy in the forests where every tree speaks of you. There, in peace, I can serve you.”

The "pastoral" symphony is often considered a harbinger musical romanticism. The "free" interpretation of the symphonic cycle (5 parts, at the same time, since the last three parts are performed without a break - then three parts), as well as the type of programmatic, anticipating the works of Berlioz, Liszt and other romantics.

Ninth Symphony (d-moll, 1824).

The ninth symphony is one of the masterpieces of world musical culture. Here Beethoven again turns to the theme of the heroic struggle, which takes on a universal, universal scale. In terms of the grandeur of the artistic conception, the Ninth Symphony surpasses all the works created by Beethoven before it. No wonder A. Serov wrote that “all the great activity of the brilliant symphonist was leaning towards this“ ninth wave ”.

The sublime ethical idea of ​​the work - an appeal to all mankind with a call for friendship, for the fraternal unity of millions - is embodied in the finale, which is the semantic center of the symphony. It is here that Beethoven introduces the choir and soloists for the first time. This discovery of Beethoven was used more than once by composers of the 19th-20th centuries (Berlioz, Mahler, Shostakovich). Beethoven used lines from Schiller's Ode to Joy (the idea of ​​freedom, brotherhood, the happiness of mankind):

People are brothers among themselves!

Hug, millions!

Merge in the joy of one!

Beethoven needed a word, because the pathos of oratory has an increased power of influence.

In the Ninth Symphony there are features of programming. In the finale, all the themes of the previous parts are repeated - a kind of musical explanation of the idea of ​​the symphony, followed by a verbal one.

The dramaturgy of the cycle is also interesting: first, two fast parts with dramatic images follow, then the third part - slow and final. Thus, all continuous figurative development is steadily moving towards the final - the result of the life struggle, various aspects of which are given in the previous parts.

The success of the first performance of the Ninth Symphony in 1824 was triumphant. Beethoven was greeted with five applause, while even the imperial family, according to etiquette, was supposed to be greeted only three times. The deaf Beethoven could no longer hear the applause. Only when he was turned to face the audience, he was able to see the delight that seized the listeners.

But, with all this, the second performance of the symphony took place a few days later in a half-empty hall.

Overtures.

In total, Beethoven has 11 overtures. Almost all of them arose as an introduction to an opera, ballet, theater play. If earlier the purpose of the overture was to prepare for the perception of a musical and dramatic action, then with Beethoven the overture develops into an independent work. With Beethoven, the overture ceases to be an introduction to the subsequent action and turns into an independent genre, subject to its own internal laws of development.

Beethoven's best overtures are Coriolanus, Leonore No. 2, Egmont. Overture "Egmont" - based on the tragedy of Goethe. Its theme is the struggle of the Dutch people against the Spanish enslavers in the 16th century. Hero Egmont, fighting for freedom, perishes. In the overture, again, all development moves from darkness to light, from suffering to joy (as in the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies).

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Bagatelle (French - “trinket”) is a small piece of music that is not difficult to perform, mainly for keyboard instrument. The name was first used by Couperin. Beethoven, Liszt, Sibelius, Dvorak wrote bagatelles.

There are 4 Leonora overtures in total. They were written as 4 versions of the overture to the opera Fidelio.

Beethoven was lucky enough to be born in an era that perfectly suited his nature. This is an era rich in great social events, the main of which is the revolutionary upheaval in France. The Great French Revolution, its ideals had a strong impact on the composer - both on his worldview and on his work. It was the revolution that gave Beethoven the basic material for comprehending the "dialectics of life."

The idea of ​​a heroic struggle became the most important idea of ​​Beethoven's work, although by no means the only one. Efficiency, an active desire for a better future, a hero in unity with the masses - this is what the composer puts forward to the fore. The idea of ​​citizenship, the image of the protagonist - a fighter for republican ideals, make Beethoven's work related to the art of revolutionary classicism (with the heroic paintings of David, Cherubini's operas, revolutionary marching song). “Our time needs people with a powerful spirit,” said the composer. It is significant that he dedicated his only opera not to the witty Susana, but to the courageous Leonora.

However, not only social events, but also the personal life of the composer contributed to the fact that the heroic theme came to the fore in his work. Nature endowed Beethoven with an inquisitive, active mind of a philosopher. His interests have always been unusually broad, they extended to politics, literature, religion, philosophy, natural sciences. A truly immense creative potential was opposed by a terrible ailment - deafness, which, it would seem, could forever close the path to music. Beethoven found the strength to go against fate, and the ideas of Resistance, Overcoming became the main meaning of his life. It was they who "forged" the heroic character. And in every line of Beethoven's music we recognize its creator - his courageous temperament, unbending will, intransigence to evil. Gustav Mahler formulated this idea as follows: “The words that Beethoven allegedly said about the first theme of the Fifth Symphony - “So fate knocks at the door” ... for me far from exhaust its enormous content. Rather, he could say about her: "It's me."

Periodization of Beethoven's creative biography

• I - 1782-1792 - Bonn period. The beginning of the creative path.
• II - 1792-1802 - Early Viennese period.
• III - 1802-1812 - Central period. Time for creativity.
• IV - 1812-1815 - Transitional years.
• V - 1816-1827 - Late period.

Childhood and early years of Beethoven

Beethoven's childhood and early years (until the autumn of 1792) are connected with Bonn, where he was born in December 1770 of the year. His father and grandfather were musicians. Close to the French border, Bonn was one of the centers of German enlightenment in the 18th century. In 1789, a university was opened here, among the educational documents of which Beethoven's grade book was later found.

IN early childhood Beethoven's professional education was entrusted to frequently changing, "accidental" teachers - acquaintances of his father, who gave him lessons in playing the organ, harpsichord, flute, and violin. Finding a rare musical talent son, his father wanted to make him a child prodigy, the "second Mozart" - a source of large and constant income. To this end, he himself, and his friends in the chapel invited by him, took up the technical training of little Beethoven. He was forced to practice the piano even at night; however, the first public performances of the young musician (in 1778, concerts were organized in Cologne) did not justify his father's commercial plans.

Ludwig van Beethoven did not become a child prodigy, but he discovered his talent as a composer quite early. He had a great influence Christian Gottlieb Nefe, who taught him composition and playing the organ from the age of 11, is a man of advanced aesthetic and political convictions. Being one of the most educated musicians of his era, Nefe introduced Beethoven to the works of Bach and Handel, enlightened him in matters of history, philosophy, and, most importantly, brought him up in the spirit of deep respect for his native German culture. In addition, Nefe became the first publisher of the 12-year-old composer, publishing one of his early works - Piano Variations on Dressler's March(1782). These variations became Beethoven's first surviving work. Three piano sonatas were completed the following year.

By this time, Beethoven had already begun to work in the theater orchestra and held the position of assistant organist in the court chapel, and a little later he also worked as music lessons in aristocratic families (due to the poverty of the family, he was forced to enter the service very early). Therefore, he did not receive a systematic education: he attended school only until the age of 11, wrote with errors all his life and never comprehended the secrets of multiplication. Nevertheless, thanks to his own perseverance, Beethoven managed to become an educated person: he independently mastered Latin, French and Italian, constantly read a lot.

Dreaming of studying with Mozart, in 1787 Beethoven visited Vienna and met his idol. Mozart, after listening to the young man's improvisation, said: “Pay attention to him; he will someday make the world talk about him." Beethoven failed to become a student of Mozart: due to the fatal illness of his mother, he was forced to urgently return back to Bonn. There he found moral support in an enlightened the Braining family.

The ideas of the French Revolution were enthusiastically received by Beethoven's Bonn friends and had a strong influence on the formation of his democratic convictions.

Beethoven's talent as a composer did not develop as rapidly as Mozart's phenomenal talent. Beethoven composed rather slowly. For 10 years of the first - Bonn period (1782-1792) 50 works were written, including 2 cantatas, several piano sonatas (now called sonatins), 3 piano quartets, 2 trios. Most of the Bonn creativity is also made up of variations and songs intended for amateur music-making. Among them is the well-known song "Marmot".

Early Viennese period (1792-1802)

Despite the freshness and brightness of youthful compositions, Beethoven understood that he needed to study seriously. In November 1792, he finally left Bonn and moved to Vienna, the largest musical center in Europe. Here he studied counterpoint and composition with I. Haydn, I. Schenk, I. Albrechtsberger And A. Salieri . At the same time, Beethoven began to perform as a pianist and soon gained fame as an unsurpassed improviser and the brightest virtuoso.

The young virtuoso was patronized by many distinguished music lovers - K. Likhnovsky, F. Lobkowitz, the Russian ambassador A. Razumovsky and others, Beethoven's sonatas, trios, quartets, and later even symphonies sounded for the first time in their salons. Their names can be found in the dedications of many of the composer's works. However, Beethoven's manner of dealing with his patrons was almost unheard of at the time. Proud and independent, he did not forgive anyone for attempts to humiliate his human dignity. The legendary words thrown by the composer to the patron who insulted him are known: "There have been and will be thousands of princes, Beethoven is only one." Not fond of teaching, Beethoven was nevertheless the teacher of K. Czerny and F. Ries in piano (both of them later won European fame) and the Archduke Rudolf of Austria in composition.

In the first Viennese decade, Beethoven wrote mainly piano and chamber music: 3 piano concertos and 2 dozen piano sonatas, 9(out of 10) violin sonatas(including No. 9 - "Kreutzer"), 2 cello sonatas, 6 string quartets, a number of ensembles for various tools, ballet "Creations of Prometheus".

With the beginning of the 19th century, symphonic creativity Beethoven: in 1800 he completed his First symphony, and in 1802 - second. At the same time, his only oratorio "Christ on the Mount of Olives" was written. The first signs that appeared in 1797 incurable disease- progressive deafness and the realization of the hopelessness of all attempts to treat the disease led Beethoven to a spiritual crisis in 1802, which was reflected in the famous document - "Heiligenstadt Testament" . Creativity was the way out of the crisis: "... It was not enough for me to commit suicide," the composer wrote. - "Only it, art, it kept me."

Central period of creativity (1802-1812)

1802-12 - the time of the brilliant flowering of the genius of Beethoven. The ideas of overcoming suffering with the strength of the spirit and the victory of light over darkness, which he deeply suffered after a fierce struggle, turned out to be consonant with the ideas of the French Revolution. These ideas were embodied in the 3rd ("Heroic") and Fifth symphonies, in the opera "Fidelio", in the music for the tragedy of J. W. Goethe "Egmont", in the Sonata - No. 23 ("Appassionata").

In total, the composer created during these years:

six symphonies (from No. 3 to No. 8), quartets Nos. 7-11 and other chamber ensembles, the opera Fidelio, piano concertos 4 and 5, the Violin Concerto, as well as the Triple Concerto for violin, cello and piano and orchestra.

Transition years (1812-1815)

1812-15 years - a turning point in the political and spiritual life of Europe. The period of the Napoleonic wars and the rise of the liberation movement was followed by Congress of Vienna (1814-15), after which reactionary-monarchist tendencies intensified in the domestic and foreign policy of European countries. The style of heroic classicism gave way to romanticism, which became the leading trend in literature and managed to make itself known in music (F. Schubert). Beethoven paid tribute to the victorious jubilation by creating a spectacular symphonic fantasy "The Battle of Vittoria" and the cantata "Happy Moment", the premieres of which were timed to coincide with the Congress of Vienna and brought Beethoven an unheard of success. However, other writings of 1813-17 reflected the persistent and sometimes painful search for new ways. At this time, cello (No. 4, 5) and piano (No. 27, 28) sonatas were written, several dozen arrangements of songs of different nations for voice with an ensemble, the first vocal cycle in the history of the genre "To a Distant Beloved"(1815). The style of these works is experimental, with many brilliant discoveries, but not always as solid as in the period of "revolutionary classicism".

Late period (1816-1827)

The last decade of Beethoven's life was overshadowed both by the general oppressive political and spiritual atmosphere in Metternich's Austria, and by personal hardships and upheavals. The composer's deafness became complete; since 1818, he was forced to use "conversational notebooks", in which interlocutors wrote questions addressed to him. Having lost hope for personal happiness (the name of the "immortal beloved", to whom Beethoven's farewell letter of July 6-7, 1812 is addressed, remains unknown; some researchers consider her J. Brunswick-Deym, others - A. Brentano), Beethoven took on taking care of raising his nephew Karl, the son of his younger brother who died in 1815. This led to a long-term (1815-20) legal battle with the boy's mother over the rights to sole custody. A capable but frivolous nephew gave Beethoven a lot of grief.

The late period includes the last 5 quartets (Nos. 12-16), "33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli", piano Bagatelles op. 126, two cello sonatas op.102, fugue for string quartet, all these writings qualitatively different from all the previous ones. It lets you talk about style late Beethoven, which has a clear resemblance to the style of romantic composers. The idea of ​​the struggle between light and darkness, central to Beethoven, acquires in his later work emphatically philosophical sound . Victory over suffering is no longer given through heroic action, but through the movement of the spirit and thought.

In 1823 Beethoven finished "Solemn Mass", which he himself considered his greatest work. The Solemn Mass was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg. A month later, Beethoven's last benefit concert took place in Vienna, in which, in addition to parts from the mass, his final, Ninth Symphony with the final chorus to the words of "Ode to Joy" by F. Schiller. The ninth symphony with its final call - Embrace, millions! - became the composer's ideological testament to mankind and had a strong influence on the symphony of the 19th and 20th centuries.

About traditions

Beethoven is usually spoken of as a composer who, on the one hand, completes the classicist era in music, and on the other hand, paves the way for romanticism. In general, this is true, but his music does not fully meet the requirements of either style. The composer is so versatile that no stylistic features cover the fullness of his creative image. Sometimes in the same year he created works so contrasting with each other that it is extremely difficult to recognize commonalities between them (for example, the 5th and 6th symphonies, which were first performed in one concert in 1808). If we compare works created in different periods, for example, in the early and mature, or mature and late, then they are sometimes perceived as creations of different artistic eras.

At the same time, Beethoven's music, for all its novelty, is inextricably linked with the previous German culture. It is indisputably influenced by the philosophical lyrics of J.S. Bach, the solemnly heroic images of Handel's oratorios, Gluck's operas, works by Haydn and Mozart. The musical art of other countries also contributed to the formation of Beethoven's style, primarily France, its mass revolutionary genres, which are so far from the gallantly sensitive style of the 18th century. Ornamental decorations, detentions, soft endings typical of him are a thing of the past. Many fanfare-marching themes of Beethoven's compositions are close to the songs and hymns of the French Revolution. They vividly illustrate the strict, noble simplicity of the composer's music, who liked to repeat: "It's always easier."