Scott Petty

Professor Ferrin
Music 1010
6/18/2014
Biography of Beethoven
Beethoven is a music icon, so famous, that one cou! trave to the en!s of the earth an! very
possi"y never meet someone #ho hasn$t at east hear! of him% &'oh, (u!#ig) Many *no# him for his
"riiant symphonic masterpieces that he #rote, an! others *no# him more for his a"iity to overcome
a!versity through his ife an! sti "e #i!y successfu an! popuar% +hen the story of his ife is
e,amine! in greater !etai, it is inspiring, sa!!ening an! upifting% My hope is to give a thorough gui!e
of his ife, or at east attempt to cover much of it in !etai, not e,acty on a inear time ine, "ut to sho#
ho# magnificent his ife #as%
Beethoven$s ife "egan on the 1-
th
of .ecem"er in Bonn, /ermany in 1--0% this is *no#n
"ecause of his "aptism !ate "eing on that !ay% Beethoven #as the e!est of three chi!ren, an! #as aso
the ony one of the three to go on to fame ater in ife% Beethoven #as taught, at a very young age, to
pay the vioin an! aso the piano, "y his father% Beethoven$s father #as a musician an! a heavy !rin*er
#ho ove! to cause trou"e in the streets of Bonn, an! get in fights in "ars% Beethoven$s father notice!
right off that his son ha! a ton of taent for the instruments that he #as earning, #hich in turn cause!
his father to !eveop #i! e,pectations of his son% 0roun! that time a chi! pro!igy "y the name
+ofgang 0ma!eus Mo1art, a"out the same age as Beethoven, #as traveing 2urope an!
!emonstrating his taent on the piano% Beethoven$s father #ante! Beethoven to "e the ne,t Mo1art, "ut
#hie Beethoven #as very taente!, he #as not on the same taent eve as Mo1art% Beethoven$s father
#ou! sap, punch an! ye at him if he paye! the #rong notes an! he #ou! "e oc*e! in the cear if
he proteste! paying%
Beethoven #as a very shy an! unhappy "oy #ho ony #ante! to "e "y himsef, never trusting
his feo# stu!ents or #anting to get to *no# them, possi"y !ue to his vioent an! harsh up"ringing%
Beethoven #ou! stu!y on his o#n, an! he #as "ecoming e,tremey goo! on the piano% 0t age -, a
great pianist name! Pfeiffer, "ecame Beethoven$s teacher for a year, iving #ith him an! heping him in
his progress% Beethoven consi!ere! Pfeiffer one of his most infuentia teachers% By age 12 Beethoven
#as a very taente! an! promising *ey"oar! payer an! a pupi of Bonn court organist 3hristian
/otto" 'eefe% Beethoven impresse! 'eefe so much that 'eefe caime! Beethoven shou! trave to
4ienna, "ecause he #i no !ou"t "e the ne,t Mo1art% Beethoven travee! to 4ienna to see* out Mo1art
for essons an! re5ueste! an au!ience #ith Mo1art to sho# his improvisationa taent to him% 6n 1-8-,
after hearing Beethoven pay, Mo1art sai! 7Mar* that young man8 9ou #i hear of him one !ay:
;o#ever Mo1art #as preoccupie! an! cou! ony hear Beethoven very itte an! give ony a fe#
teachings to him%
+hie Beethoven #as in 4ienna see*ing Mo1art$s teachings, his mom "ecame i "ac* in Bonn
#ith tu"ercuosis, an! Beethoven returne! to home to ta*e care of his mother% &+agner, <ichar!)
Shorty after his return to Bonn his mother passe! a#ay= Beethoven #as !eepy sa!!ene! "y her !eath%
Beethoven$s father #as in a very "a! #ay after she passe! an! he too* to !rin*ing even heavier an!
cou!n$t contro himsef any onger% Beethoven #atche! over his father an! his si"ings, often "rea*ing
up his fathers fights an! escorting him home from the tavern or heping him off of the streets #here he
#as ma*ing a !run*en foo of himsef% Beethoven$s eary ife taught him ho# to han!e a!versity an!
ho# to !ea #ith a#fu pro"ems that may present himsef, an! he !i!n$t resent his up"ringing in Bonn%
;is ife in Bonn hepe! mo! him into the man he #as, his father pushing him to greatness an! shaping
his personaity, having to care for his famiy on his o#n, Beethoven may not have "een the great artist
he #as #ithout the strugges of his ife in Bonn%
6n 1->2 Beethoven returne! to 4ienna an! stu!ies un!er the famous composer ?oseph ;ay!en,
an! he aso turne! to the teachings of esser artists for instruction% &+agner, <ichar!) From 1-84 to
1->6 an! "eyon!, in Bonn an! 4ienna, Beethoven #rote various #or*s !e!icate! to various peope,
t#o of #hich are ost, they are a funera cantata on the !eath of ?oseph 66 &1->0) an! one for (eopo! 66
&1->2)% Beethoven #as an un!erachiever "y the stan!ar!s Mo1art set for compete! #or*s aroun! the
same time frame as Beethoven, "ut Beethoven ha! many more !istractions in his ife% Beethoven
"ecame highy sought after "y many, in 1808 he #as offere! a position as music !irector in @assa,
/ermany% 0 arge group of "ac*ers #as forme! in 4ienna to *eep Beethoven there, an! Beethoven
"ecame one of the first musicians in history to ive soey on his music income%
0roun! 1->6 Beethoven, in his ate 20$s, Beethoven "egan to ose his hearing% 6t is sai! that he
#as so concerne! #ith his art an! his genius in creating that he #ou! negect his physica heath, an!
his hearing oss cou! "e a conse5uence of that% ;is *no#n temper "ecame even greater #hen he
starte! going !eaf, an! he ha! itte patience% ;is #or*s #here very compicate! to pay, an! some
neary impossi"e, an! musicians #ou! even as* him if he cou! ma*e them a "it more simpe, to
#hich he #ou! repy in anger% Beethoven$s #or*s #here ma!e purey for the isteners Aoy, an! the
!ifficuty of the composition to pay #as never given a thought%
Beethoven ha! many oves, an! #ith them, many heart "rea*s% Beethoven #as a very short
man, #ith #i! hair an! a !ar* compe,ion, often he #as referre! to as the Siciian% Beethoven #ent
after the highest cass, most "eautifu #omen, sometimes #ho #ere area!y "eing courte! "y high
society men, #hich cou! account for Beethoven$s many faie! attempts at a reationship% 'ever the
ess, his heart #as "ro*en many times an! he ha! a very har! time #ith his faie! ove attempts% ;e
#rote the famous Moonight Sonata for one of his pupis an! oves the 3ountess /iuietta /ucciar!i%
Beethoven$s symphonies are thought to "e some of the most famous #or*s "y any musician in
history% Beethoven starte! #riting his first symphony in1->> an! it first premiere! in 1800 in 4ienna% 6t
#as one of Beethoven$s most tame symphonies, "ut the au!ience #as shoc*e! "y it "eing on !issonant
chor!% 0u!iences #ere use! to the purey cassica styes of Mo1art an! ;ay!en% ;is secon! symphony
#as compete! in 1802 an! is hearing #as !iminishing more aroun! this time% 6t is "eieve! that the
7sunny: nature of the symphony #as Beethoven$s persona #i to overcome his pro"em% Beethoven
#as neary suici!a !ue to his hearing oss% Beethoven$s 2roica, symphony BC premiere! in 4ienna in
180D, an! #as not as #e receive! as Beethoven #ou! have i*e!% Many in 4ienna #ere !ivi!e! on it,
some thin*ing it #as a masterpiece an! others feeing it ac*e! originaity% ;is fourth symphony #as
commissione! "y Siciian count, Eppers!orff% 6t #as one of his ighter symphonies% Beethoven$s fifth
symphony premiere! in 4ienna$s theater an !er #ein on .ecem"er 22, 1808% 6t is the most #e *no#n
symphony ever ma!e, an! it$s first four notes are the most #e *no#n notes of any symphony% ;is
si,th symphony 7Pastora: #as a"ee! as 7recoection of country ife: in the program of it$s premier%
Fhe au!ience #as not happy #ith it #hen it #as preforme!, even though it is thought to "e some of his
most "eautifu #riting% Symphony no% - premiere! in the Gniversity of 4ienna, vie#e! as a syphony of
!ance% Symphony no% 8 #as his shortest an! most overoo*e! symphony% 6t #as first compose! in 1812
an! premiere! t#o years ater% ;is >
th
an! fina symphony, 73hora:, Premiere! in 1824 #hen he #as
competey !eaf% 0t the en! of the symphony Beethoven #as sai! to sti "e con!ucting even though it
ha! en!e!, the soprano sooist then turne! Beethoven aroun! so he cou! vie# the au!ience$s appause%
&+agner, <ichar!)
6n his mi! forties after his "rother !ie! Beethoven rage! a five year court "atte for the
custo!y of his nephe#, even though his "rother$s #i state! the "oys mother shou! have custo!y%
Beethoven !i!n$t *no# the first thing a"out "eing a father, "ut #ante! to "e the father he !i!n$t have,
an! his sefishness too* a toe on his reputation #hen he finay #on the "atte% Beethoven an! his
nephe# !i!n$t have a goo! reationship after that ha! ha! a "a! home ife% Beethoven *ept to himsef in
his room or roame! the streets !run*% 6n his fifties he #rote many great #or*s an! pue! himsef up
again to #rite many great #or*s, "ut ha! a terri"e shoc* #hen he foun! out his nephe# trie! to *i
himsef an! #as ta*en to his mother, instea! of Beethoven% Fhe guit #as too much for him an! he
"egan to have severe stomach pains, ma!e #orse "y terri"e an,iety% 6n 182- a priest gave Beethoven
his ast rights, an! five !ays ater #hie a #i! storm rage!, Beethoven raise! his fist in the air then
coapse! !ea!% &+or! Biography) ;e eft everything to his nephe#, an! his funera !re# 20,000
peope%
Scott Petty
Music 1010
Professor Ferrin
6/18/2014
3omposition ;istory
Beethoven$s symphony no% 6, F MaAor, op% 68 7pastora:
Beethoven$s si,ths symphony #as #rote amost simutaneousy #ith his fifth symphony, "ut
they are much !ifferent themes% Beethoven$s fifth symphony !eas #ith the Aoy of victory, #hie his
si,th symphony 7Pastora: e,presses his fon!ness for nature% &0 /ui!e to Beethoven$s > Symphonies%)
6n Beethoven$s etter to Fherese Mafatti, he #rote 7;o# happy am 6 to "e a"e to #a* among the
shru"s, the trees, the #oo!s, the grass an! the roc*s8 For the #oo!s, the trees an! the roc*s give man
the resonance he nee!s:% +hen Beethoven foun! refuge in the heart of the natura #or!, he #ou!
#rite music the #ay he hear! nature, such as a tri of the "ir!s singing% ;is ove for nature an! the
!eight he too* in stroing through the #oo!s of ;eiigensa!t hepe! ea! to the creation of this
symphony% 6n my opinion it is one of his greatest #or*s, 6 thin* it is very rea,ing an! meo#, an!
heps the istener e,perience nature through music% +hen Beethoven$s 6
th
symphony premiere! it #as a
gran! symphony #ith hours of ne# #or* from Beethoven, incu!ing his fifth symphony% But their #as
a pro"em for the au!ience #ith it "eing such a ong concert% Fhe au!ience gre# a itte "ore! #ith the
concert an! it #as not very #e receive! "ecause of that% 2ven though this is consi!ere! to "e some of
Beethoven$s most "eautifuy #ritten music, it #as not thought of very highy at the time of it$s premier%
0t the time there #ere other #or*s #ritten to 7paint: a picture of nature, farman!s, vaeys, forests,
animas an! a other forms of nature, "ut Beethoven aso #rote Pastora to e,press ho# it fees to "e in
nature, he #as the first to !o that% Fhe symphony has five movements, my favorite of the five is the
first movement% Fhe first movement is a"out first entering the country si!e an! having the #arm
feeing of arriving% Fhe first movement is 0egro, 70#a*ening of cheerfu feeings upon arriva in the
country:% Fhe secon! is 0n!ante 7scene at the stream:, it gives the picture an! feeing of ho# !eicate
nature is% Fhe thir! movement is 0egro 7;appy gathering of country fo*:, this is a a"out the Aoys of
the peasants, their aughter an! happiness% Fhe fourth movement is 0egro 7Fhun!erstorm:, this is a
!ramatic part #ith ou! crashing to sho# the nature of the thun!erstorm% 0egretto is the fifth
movement an! cae! 7feeings of Aoy an! gratitu!e after the storm:% 0fter the 7storm: is gone an! it
goes into the fifth movement there is no pause "et#een the t#o% Fhe fifth movement is a"out the
animas coming out after the storm an! a the fear is gone, the genera peacefu feeing returns an! it is
a cam part of the symphony%
Scott Petty
Music 1010
Professor Ferrin
6/18/2014
(istening gui!e
Beethoven$s symphony no% 6, F MaAor, op% 68, 7Pastora: movement 1
&0H00) I &0H08) Motif A= 4ioins pay a very softy #ith a so# tempo that is conAunct #ith a narro#
range the ea!s up to theme 6%
&0H08) J &1H0-) 4ioins an! ceos pay a consonance theme I #ith the fute coming in ater% 6t is piano
#ith a narro# range an! so# tempo% Fhe intro!uctory music is very ight an! peacefu giving the
istener a goo! preparation for #hat the symphonies purpose is% 6t "ui!s in crescen!o an! Strings an!
horns com"ine to pay the same meo!y "ut forte% 6t is a mi, of very !ynamic strings #ith tris on the
fute to possi"y give the impression of "ir!s singing in nature% 6n this part of the symphony there is an
ascen!ing contour%
&1H0-) J &1H24) Motif B "rea*s the peacefu moo! for an instant an! to get rea!y for theme 66% 6t ta*es
turns "et#een seven notes paye! "y horns an! then a vioin paying o# then high pitch in sma
intervas% 6t goes "ac* an! forth "et#een the instruments% Fhere is an arch to the contour in this section
of the music%
&1H24) J &1HD>) Theme II starts #ith very peacefu vioins paying a soft meo!y #ith the fute Aoining
in #ith it a "ui!ing up in crescen!o an! aso in an ascen!ing contour% Fhis part of the song reay
e,pores the i!ea of nature "eing very peacefu, "ut aso e,citing an! une,pecte!% Fhis part has a
narro# range an! a so# tempo an! is paye! #ith a harmony "et#een strings an! horns an! is
conAunct%
&1HD>) J &2H28) Phrase I is first paye! "y !ynamic strings #ith a #i!e range an! goes to ighty paye!
strings an! fute #ith a narro# range an! "ac*, finishing #ith very softy paye! meo!y that is then
ta*en over "y a !ynamicay paye! vioins an! ceos in an ascen!ing contour% Fhis part seems to
reenforce the peacefu si!e of nature%
&2H28) J &2HDC) 0 ca!ence is paye! that "rings the music to a stan! sti for the time at the en! of phrase
6% Fhis is paye! "y vioins an! ceos that are paying a harmony an! is !iminuen!o% Party paye! in a
so# tempo an! party in faster tempo%
&2HDC) J &CH06) Motif A
&CH06) J &4H06) Theme I
&4H06) J &4H2C) Motif B
&4H2C) J &4HD-) Theme II
&4HD-) J &DH2-) Phrase I
&DH2-) J &DHD2) 3a!ence of phrase 6 is paye!%
&DHD2) J &6H12) 0 variation on motif 0 is "eing paye! ea!ing up to a change of pace for the symphony
to "egin% Fhis section uses vioins an! futes #ith a narro# range an! piano meo!y an! is very
conAunct% Fhis is in an! ascen!ing contour an! it starts off soft an! "ecomes forte in a !ynamic en!ing
to the section%
&6H12) J &6H48) 0 first section of the "ri!ge is paye! here to give a "rea* from the origina themes an!
meo!ies% Fhis is a very interesting section #ith "ris* ceo paying "ehin! vioins an! futes "eing
paye! #ith a reativey #i!e range an! a "it faster tempo an! is in an ascen!ing contour% Fhe su"te
notes paye! give a far more moo!y fee to the piece that offers a "rea* from the pace of the music so
far%
&6H48) J &-H0-) Motif C is a "rea* in "et#een the t#o sections of the "ri!ge paye! #ith "ac* an! forth
notes from horns an! strings% 0n! harmoni1ing conAunct meo!y that prepares for the secon! section of
the "ri!ge% Fhe contour is in an upsi!e !o#n arch shape starting high, going to a o#er pitch meo!y
an! going "ac* to high to finish the section%
&-H0-) J &-H42) Fhe secon! section aso has "ris* ceo in the "ac*groun! #ith vioins an! futes
paying the main meo!y in the foregroun!% Fhis part of the "ri!ge is more !ynamic than the first part%
(ou! chor!s "ring this to an en!%
&-H42) J &8H0C) Motif C
&8H0C) J &8HD6) 0 variation on theme 6 is paye! here #ith "ris* ceo in the "ac*groun!, restating the
moo! from the "ri!ge an! a!!ing it "ac* into the origina meo!y #ith a caming meo!y paye! at
first% Fhere are hints of the origina theme pus a "it of !ifferent note paye! near the en! of the section
that a!! a !ar*er tim"re an! mystery to the music% 6t is in the shape of an upsi!e !o#n arch for it$s
contour%
&8HD6) J &>HC0) Fhis part consists of su"te changes to the "eginning of theme 6, #ith a more repetitive
nature in a crescen!o% Fhere are changes to #hat the vioin pays from the main theme 6 "ut there a "its
an! pieces of it%
&>HC0) J &>HD0) Fhe ou!er part theme 6 is revisite! after the first part of theme 6 #as paye! in a
variation in the previous section%
&>HD0) J &10H1C) Motif B
&10H1C) J &10H4-) Theme II
&10H4-) J &11H1>) Phrase I
&11H1>) J &11H4D) Fhe ca!ence of phrase 6
&11H4D) J &11HDD) Fhe variation on Motif 0 is revisite!
&11HDD) J &1CH0>) Fhis is the "eginning of the 3o!a section of the symphony #ith a variation on phrase
6 an! aso it$s foo#ing ca!ence to "egin% 6t is more !ynamic than the origina section an! it is pieces of
the origina meo!y thro#n in #ith ne# notes%
&1CH0>) J &1CHC0) Motif D #ith !ynamic horns an! strings for the "ac*groun! an! a fute to pay a
consonance in the foregroun!%
&1CHC0) J &14H1C) Fo en! the there is another variation on theme 6 using softy paye! strings at first
horns from a o# pitch to a higher pitch in an ascen!ing contour%

+or*s 3ite!
K0 /ui!e to Beethoven$s > Symphonies%K About.com Classical Music% '%p%, n%!% +e"% 1> ?une
2014%
'oh, (u!#ig, 18C1I188D% (ife of Beethoven% 3hicagoH 0%3% Mc3urg, Print% 1>>01880%
+agner, <ichar!, 181CI188C% Beethoven% BostonH (ee L Shepar!, Print% 18-2%
K+or! Biography%K Ludwig Van Beethoven Biography% '%p%, n%!% +e"% 20 ?une 2014%