BEETHOVEN
A BRIEF HISTORY ON THE COMPOSER
Beethoven in the Stars
AUGUST 22ND, 2021
It's incredible … that Beethoven didn't make our first top 12 list.
He's one of our favorite composers, and his music is frequently played today, this past year, especially since it was his 250th anniversary. Unfortunately, when reviewing his music, he didn't have many works under the 10-minute mark. If he did have one, we didn't believe it was any better than the ones selected.
Today though, we will dedicate an entire post to give you a glimpse into this very famous composer. He is a composer who has stood the test of time and continues as one of the most beloved and well-known composers in history, as he once said, "Of Beethoven, there is only one." He may not have been a perfect man, but his music made him a legend.
Additionally, we'll provide thoughts on some of his most important and beloved works, as well as give a few recommendations on further readings if you choose to delve deeper.
Brief Overview and History
After Mozart and Haydn, who would take over as the preeminent composer? Fortunately, a new star was born in 1770, and his name was Ludwig van Beethoven. Naturally, it wasn't a simple passing of the torch, and many found his music during the time to be too complicated. However, his music eventually grew in reputation and favorability, cementing his place as one of Vienna's great people.
Beethoven, born in Bonn, Germany, wasn't a quick child prodigy like Mozart. His father wanted to mold him into another Mozart, a prodigy that he could exploit and feature around town to the aristocrats. He wanted his son to help the families finance and possibly buy a few extra bottles of wine. Little Beethoven was very talented. However, his genius would take time to cultivate; his teachers (the first being his father) weren't at the same level as Mozart's father, who taught him.
The slower speed could also have been attributed to the harsh treatment Beethoven received from his father, abuse that grew as his father descended further into alcoholism. As a boy, there were nights when his father came home drunk and woke Beethoven up in the middle of the night to force him to play and entertain him and whatever friend came with him.
Fortunately, Beethoven did eventually acquire quality teachers, the most important one being Christian Neefe. He became a pivotal figure in the young boy's life, teaching him piano (by first introducing him to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier), providing lessons in compositions, getting his first work published, introducing the boy to a wealth of literature from German composers, having Beethoven sub for him as the court organist frequently (one of the important positions in town), and petitioned for Beethoven to be paid a salary. Neefe also helped shape Beethoven's attitudes and philosophies as a man of the Enlightenment. With Neefe as a teacher, Beethoven improved his playing and composing at a rapid pace.
Additionally, Beethoven acquired friends in high places, such as the Breuning family. The family's mother was crucial in shaping Beethoven into a more learned, proper gentleman of the time. These friends, benefactors, patrons, and supporters would champion Beethoven and eventually convince the current elector, an important official, to pay for a meeting between Beethoven and Mozart. This opportunity, unfortunately, was cut short and not what was anticipated. Beethoven's mother fell sick during his trip to Vienna, which prompted the young man to travel back to Bonn. There is one story of this particular meeting between two of history's most well-known composers. After Beethoven played and improvised for Vienna's current number one, Mozart supposedly went to another room where a few friends were to share that they should watch Beethoven as he would become someone to talk about.
Though Beethoven never formally studied under Mozart, upon his return to Vienna after a few years, he began to receive lessons directly from Haydn, one of the most accomplished composer in Vienna. Haydn was charged with passing on the voice of Mozart onto Beethoven. However, Beethoven wasn't the most receptive student, challenging Haydn and at times not listening to the master's advice. Beethoven even went behind Haydn's back to study with other composers, like Scarlatti and Albrechtsberger.
This tenacious spirit and hot-tempered personality was an essential characteristic of Beethovens. It possibly helped him prove his skills as a virtuoso on the piano. During his younger years in Vienna, he was known as one of the leading pianists. He was pitted against other pianists, from the area or other cities, in a sort of piano duel. However, Beethoven hated and detested being put up for show by aristocrats. Beethoven won most of these duels and often humiliated his opponents, sending them packing back to their hometown.
Beethoven's life and career in Vienna can be summarized as one of ups and downs. He reached high points on his ride through life with periods of abundant writing and lows with his personal life, relationships with family and friends, performances of his music, and ailments. His biggest challenge was his growing deafness. It was a gradual loss of hearing that started in his late twenties. Though it was incredible that a musician of his caliber would receive such an ailment that would destroy most musicians, he did not let it affect his music. His music was the only thing that kept him moving forward, preventing him from ending his life. Beethoven knew, instinctually or through some other feeling or higher power, he still had so much to offer to the world with his music, and he did have so much more to write.
He had three compositional periods in life, early, middle, and late. As you'll see below, these periods were defined by his style and progression as a composer, with the peak of his compositional maturity reaching late in life with his most adventurous works. He challenged musicians to play at new levels that they didn't think possible. He challenged audiences of the time with eccentric, advanced, and, at times, lengthy programs. Even with performance challenges and unfavorable reviews from critics, many still recognized his music as masterworks. We're glad he received a win near the end of his life with his famous 9th Symphony. The work received encores and great cheers from the audience; though he couldn't hear the cheers during this time as his hearing was practically all gone, one of the soloists needed to physically turn him around after completing the final movement to show him the cheers.
Beethoven was difficult, temperamental, prideful, and sometimes he would be considered a joke. However, he was still beloved by the city that cared for him. At his funeral, thousands gathered to pay respect to this genius of a composer and bid him farewell.
There's still so much to learn about Beethoven. Suppose you want to learn more and go into further details of his life. In that case, we recommend the following books and documentaries:
Books:
Beethoven: The Man Remembered by John Suchet
The Life of Beethoven by Alexander Wheelock Thayer
Remembering Beethoven by his personal friends (Franz Wegeler & Ferdinand Ries)
We have not personally read it, but we would love to get our hands on it one day to see how his personal friends (those who spent many years with him and knew him best) saw him.
Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph by Jan Swafford
Documentaries
In Search of Beethoven (included on Amazon Prime)
The Genius of Beethoven (BBC Documentary available on Youtube)
Thoughts on His Music
You can learn more and more about Beethoven and some of his crazy stories; maybe one day we'll go deep into some of the bad of this great composer, such as the story with his nephew (not a bright time in Beethoven's life that mainly was primarily caused by him). However, Beethoven's music is what has landed him his unique place in time. You can listen to it all day on repeat and never get bored.
His Symphony's dominate orchestra's repertoire, and why you may ask, does his music pop up in concert programs so frequently? The answer is quite elementary. His Symphonies are just that darn good; forgive the term.
More eloquently, you can say Beethoven evolved the genre from the previous two masters, Haydn and Mozart, and made it his own. He advanced the form in ways other composers never thought. Many composers after him were timid to write Symphonies. Beethoven left too strong of an impression.
Naturally, Beethoven wrote more than just Symphonies. His other most well-known genre was the piano sonata. Many of us know Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor (commonly known as Für Elise) and the Moonlight Sonata, but Beethoven's works for sonatas go far beyond and push today's piano as the dominant keyboard instrument. Beethoven was known to speak with piano makers to complain … I mean critique their construction, trying to find a piano that suited his preference of extremes in loud louds and quiet quiets. However, this also could have been due to his gradual loss of hearing, which made hearing the piano difficult for Beethoven as years went by.
Below, we created a list of pieces from each period that you should listen to once in your life with a brief description of the work and what we enjoy most about it.
Early Period (1795 -1802)
From the time he wrote his first opus to the day he wrote his contemplation of suicide, Beethoven's early periods were heavily influenced by the classical masters Haydn and Mozart. He was only entering into the world of composition, so Beethoven was still creating a name for himself. It made sense to emulate the styles of those who were already popular to gain more familiarity and popularity in his early years. Beethoven still didn't know what path he would take and how he would rise above those from the past. He wrote many of his smaller pieces during this time (tinkering bit by bit with form, harmony, and melody construction). Still, he did have some notable works that have lived on for many years.
Notable mentions:
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor Pathétique
Not only beautifully somber, but Beethoven's sonata Pathétique was also successful commercially, becoming famous and selling quite well to pianists and composers alike. The work is a beautiful introduction to the style and character of Beethoven, using emotionally driving harmonies, dramatic changes in dynamics, recurring figures, full use of the range of the piano, and his experimentation and use of keys. Though it is entitled Pathétique, this Beethoven work can't be described as "pathetic."
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor Moonlight Sonata
Beethoven's most famous work was dedicated to a woman he was very fond of; Beethoven had a habit of writing works for women he loved though many never returned his emotions. If they did feel love for the great composer, they often turned him down due to differences in status; Beethoven usually went for ladies of a higher class than himself. Besides this piano sonata being his most well-known, most recognizable, and famous work, it has always confused us. If he wrote this for one he loved, why write such a challenging and demanding third movement, which could have been too complicated for his loved one to play? It seems counterintuitive to express your love so ferociously. Still, he is Beethoven, and this could have been the trouble that plagued him all his life with love, being too ferocious and dynamic.
Symphony No. 2 in D Major
Out of the nine Beethoven Symphonies, his first and second tries at this grand form are not his most memorable. The first two symphonies are Beethoven's introduction to the Symphony, a work that employs the whole orchestra from violin to clarinet to percussion and so on. Beethoven's first two Symphony's model the masters, Haydn and Mozart, so these two works have more similarities to the old masters than the Beethoven who would take the world by storm with his future works. However, his Second Symphony was the start of his experimentation. It has the traditional sound you would expect from Mozart or Haydn, but you begin to notice the Beethoven characteristics slightly more in this work. In the beginning, you'll hear his intensity in using significant dynamic contrast, starting with a very loud marking and dramatically dropping to a soft level. His use of a rocket melody also is made use of in this work. By rocket melody, we mean how he escalates from a low pitch to a higher one, something often found in his works.
It's also hard not to point out a specific idea, a musical element he later uses in one of his most famous works, the Ninth Symphony. Pay close attention to around the two-minute mark in the Second Symphony, the first movement. Afterward, listen to the beginning of his Ninth Symphony. You might hear something familiar.
String Quartet No. 4 in C minor
It didn't make sense not to include a string quartet by Beethoven. Haydn, his teacher, was known as the father of the string quartet in his time, and as his protégé, Beethoven had a lot to prove. Like many of his others works, he not only follows the examples of the old masters, Beethoven makes it his own. He pushed the genre beyond what those of his era expected.
It was challenging to choose which string quartet of Beethoven to recommend. His last three of his early period are all great, but we only wanted to choose one. Thus, we decided on his 4th string quartet, mainly because the first and final movements were very memorable and fun to listen to. This is partly due to the continued rhythmic pulse that's pushed through the movement and Beethoven's use of strong dynamic contrast, changing rapidly from soft softs to powerful louds. Also, this string quartet moves very quickly. It doesn't have a traditional slower movement. It continues a brisk to fast pace throughout, making it an easy listen for new listeners.
Middle Period (1802 -1812)
Get ready! Some of Beethoven's most potent and well-known works were written during his "middle period," this was a particular time when Beethoven's voice starts to shine through his music. He is moving beyond the examples of his masters and creating his style and sound. His path is set, and he's walking forward at full force.
In this period, he was heavily influenced by the era of revolution, which could be heard in many of his works. His Third Symphony was written for Napolean … before the infamous leader declared himself emperor. Beethoven was passionate about the ideas of freedom for all men, equality for all, the rights of humans, freedom of expression, democracy, and more, which made the early years of Napolean before his rise in power appealing to a young adult Beethoven.
This period of music is almost known as the audiences Beethoven. The music many individuals, whether you know or don't know, have heard come from the composer whose music is still played in the concert hall after 250 years. It's his complete move away from the old masters. His revolution on music, though he would never call it a revolution himself, made great leaps from the traditional classical genre.
The one thing we don't see which most master composers would delve into more is the opera. The opera challenged Beethoven. It was a genre he struggled with. He wrote only one (or two if you count different versions of the same story as separate works). Whether political issues or issues from warring countries or trouble with musicians unable to perform his work, he didn't find success in the opera, but fortunately, we have an ample amount of Symphony's to adore from the great composer.
Notable Mentions:
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major
As mentioned, Beethoven's Third Symphony was dedicated to Napolean for a brief time before Beethoven strongly scratched out the name in what Beethoven would consider "Napolean's Betrayal." This work represented the spirit of revolution and was a symphony that took a turn from the classics. It was bigger, longer, and grander. During its premiere, it bewildered the audience. Many of them were accustomed to the style of Haydn and Mozart, but Beethoven was beyond these masters with his third Symphony. Imagine listening to new works written today. Typically, it would sound strange and sometimes un-understandable. Your preconception of music would almost dictate your feelings toward the new work, and it may lead you not to like it. Well, this is how many aristocrats and patrons of the arts in the 19th century felt. Beethoven crossed a line in their eyes.
Listening to the work now, you most likely won't be appalled by it. It will sound familiar to the other classical works you heard with Beethoven's drama, tension, and drive.
This work started a new Beethoven, a Beethoven who would make his name known in history.
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor
We will make a bold claim now. You have heard this Symphony. Even if not wholly, you have most likely heard its iconic door knocking, fate knocking, noisy neighbor knocking theme (whatever you want to call it). The Symphony's first theme is famous, used countlessly in movies, commercials, popular music, and disco. What else can be said about a symphony so well known, talked about, and often used?
Well … it may be best to not go into the work with any research or any preconception. Since it's so often played and spoken on, the work may lose some of its luster and be relegated to what you read or saw it related to (even disco). We won't share any of our thoughts on the work. Listen to this work without any influence. Let Beethoven guide you through his music and imagine what he may try to be saying. You may find something new that others missed.
Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral) in F major
The best way to listen to this work (no shame here on influencing with this work):
Pre-load this Symphony on your phone through Spotify or any other music app you use
Book a trip to Vienna, Austria (make sure to take off from work as well)
Rent a car or hire a tour guide to drive you through the country (whatever you feel most comfortable)
Start your drive and leave the main city
Once you arrive in the countryside, start playing Beethoven's Symphony No. 6
Suppose you don't want to do all of the above due to budget concerns, time, etc. In that case, you can alternatively find some photos of the countryside near Vienna, Austria, and listen to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony (pseudonym of his sixth). The work was written with a pastoral setting in mind. Beethoven ensured that this was the case with his publisher when he intentionally gave it this name, something he did not often do. Get ready to hear the flowing sounds of water, birds chirping and singing, the sound of a wind blowing by, and anything else you could imagine to find in nature. Beethoven loved nature and enjoyed his walks through the beautiful country. This Symphony is what he heard and saw, so enjoy a trip back to the 19th century country of Austria as you listen to this appropriately named Symphony.
Symphony No. 7 in A Major
Another bold claim: Beethoven Symphony No. 7 might be one of his best. It's a sophisticated work that builds on Beethoven's experience with this classical form. Still, it becomes the penultimate piece of music representing the symphonic classical style. Afterward, what has to follow is another revolution on the Symphony and the form, which did occur as Beethoven innovated the style further (influencing many composers of the Romantic era). Even Beethoven himself called it his "most excellent symphony."
While the fifth Symphony showed us what Beethoven could do with a simple idea and the sixth Symphony gave us Beethoven's view of the Austrian countryside, the seventh Symphony demonstrates Beethoven's proficiency with writing melody. Almost all the themes in the seventh are ones you can find yourself humming to after listing to a performance. They are pleasant earworms that you won't be annoyed with; you'll welcome them.
Do you like dancing? You may also find yourself dancing to the music in Beethoven's seventh. The second movement verges on feeling like a slow, seductive tango morphed into a waltz, then back to tango. Also, chances are you've heard the second movement of this Symphony. It makes its way into the popular culture often.
A lot more can be said about Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, but it's better to go and listen to it for yourself. We don't want to spoil too much of this great work.
Violin Concerto in D Major
A rare concerto since it was the only one for Violin that Beethoven wrote. It also has an exciting story, which also reveals a lot about the character of Beethoven and how he wrote and kept writing through the deadlines imposed. The story behind this work tested the speed of Beethoven's writing, especially since he wrote it in a span of a few weeks. What's worst is it would be performed shortly after being completed. The violinist didn't have too much time to rehearse. Some tales say the violinist was standing and practicing over Beethoven's shoulder as he wrote the work. It was also noted that they had to sight-read most of the work during the premier in concert, but they partook in some improvisation since part of the work was still incomplete when it was finally performed; there were sketches but nothing completely written. It was a fiasco of a first performance, but the audience did take it well.
You would think a Violin Concerto so rushed wouldn't be a significant work. Still, the risks Beethoven made in the work confirmed its place in the standard orchestra repertoire. Like his many other works in this period, he pushed the genre to its limits. He used his Beethoven finesse. He develops his ideas fully. Also, he challenges the musicians, which at the time bothered many. Only musicians of the highest quality, like those who commissioned the work, could perform this virtuosic work of the violin repertoire.
Overture to Fidelio
You would think the story of the Violin Concerto couldn't be beaten, but it can. Fidelio, Beethoven's only opera, set the stage for drama, conflict, tragedy, and intense emotions. We're not speaking about the opera itself; these characteristics describe the upbringing of Beethoven's grand opera.
We'll start at the beginning when the opera was initially titled Leonore. The work was clever and beautiful, and, in brief, it told the story of a woman who saves her imprisoned husband. However, like many of his pieces, many musicians confronted Beethoven on its difficulty and length. The work also premiered at the worst possible time; the French of the Napoleon wars rolled into Vienna, scaring many of Beethoven's generous audience to flee. During the premiere, the theater was only half full. The final straw for Beethoven was when a few of his friends came to plead for revisions of the work to shorten and simplify some of the more challenging parts for the musicians. He was outraged at the "intervention," and Beethoven declined to make any changes. Ultimately, he took the opera away from the theater, probably angrily called out the theater manager, and locked the work away from the public for almost ten years.
Eventually, he reworked the opera, revised the music, and made it shorter. Thus, it became Fidelio. The opera Beethoven is known for today. Whether he liked this version better than the old, we will never honestly know. We can surmise, but we can't be sure. The overture to Fidelio is a beautiful work. It was the fourth overture he wrote (he originally wrote three different versions of the overture for Leonore). Still, you can catch a glimpse of Beethoven's only opera through this exquisite overture.
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major
A masterwork of a concerto that when premiered was performed alongside Beethoven's 5th Symphony and 6th Symphony; one could call this quite a full program, but Beethoven didn't care; he wanted to premier and jam-pack this incredibly long performance with these works plus some. Many describe Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto as a conversation between soloist and orchestra; they talk, interject, talk over each other at times, and sit quietly in the same room. Unlike other Beethoven works, the piano concerto didn't have Beethoven's usual dramatic power than his other work; it was more lyrical and expressive. It was affectionate and tender. Beethoven was careful with each idea, treating it as a mother would hold her baby. However, the work still contained Beethoven's usual difficulty that musicians of the time would abhor. Beethoven found it hard to find a pianist who would perform as the soloist, so he did what he usually did; he performed the work himself. Though he did not know at the time, this would be the last of his piano concertos that he would perform himself.
The second movement is of a special note in this work. It's a pure contrasting conversation between the soloist and the orchestra. The piano is gentler, soft while the orchestra is more aggressive and dynamic. Two ideas go against each other in this movement. As the movement carries on, they resolve and find themselves together on the same page, continuing with the 3rd movement.
Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major
As mentioned above, the 4th piano concerto was the last one he performed himself. The 5th piano concerto was rare as it was the only one Beethoven did not perform; he couldn't perform it. By this point in his life, his hearing was far too gone, affecting his performance as a musician. He was a full-time composer by this point; his performance days were now gone after a slight mishap with a soiree performance where his playing was too loud or, at times, too soft; he couldn't hear how he was playing.
This is the last grand concerto of Beethoven, which was nicknamed the "Emperor." It's almost symphonic in size and performance. While Beethoven was a bit more gentle in his 4th piano concerto, the 5th utilized his usual dramatism and flair, with significant contrasts between powerful sections and soft sections; let's just say we can imagine a string or two from a piano may break from performing of this piece.
Late Period (1812 -1827)
Beethoven's late period can almost be described as his complete and utter movement away from classical convention. His music became grander, more chromatic, and intense, but it was still Beethovenian.
During this period, he practically could not hear anymore. He could have heard some buzzing, but it was a time when his deafness was at its worst, which makes his work written during this period all the more impressive since he most likely never heard his compositions.
These years were also filled with tremendous hard times, which led to him writing less than during his other periods. He battled court cases against his late brother's wife in these years, fighting for custody of his nephew – not one of his shining moments.
These were very troubling times for Beethoven, caused mainly by himself. However, he still wrote many great works. Many of these works are penultimate music for the various repertoires he wrote for.
Piano Sonata No. 29
Rightly named the Hammerklavier, this piano sonata is a "pounding" ride from start to end. The story goes that Beethoven wrote it entirely while "hammering" the piano due to not hearing much from the piano at this point in his life. He could only just barely hear if he banged on the piano loudly.
Though partially kidding, Beethoven did have other ways to hear while writing on the piano, by feeling the vibration or hearing the music in his head; by this time, he was a master composer, and the piece was etched into his mind from his many years of playing and composing. The work is immensely dense, taking full advantage of a pianist's flexibility, technique, and power.
Timid pianists need not apply when performing this torturous piano sonata. This great work excels as one of his major piano works of Beethoven's late period.
Diabelli Variations
Another excellent piano work directly from Beethoven, the Diabelli Variations, is a mammoth long piece at approximately one hour. To put the story of how this piece came to be, we will equate it to current generation understanding (just a fun challenge for us). Let's say you had a friend named Diabelli. Being a great man and friend, he compiled a birthday video to send to one of his best friends. He would, of course, be the one to put it all together and put together the first component. Still, being a clever man and all-around good person, he would allow all his other good friends to record a small segment to be included in the video. One of these friends would, of course, be Beethoven. As we all know, Beethoven doesn't' do small. He would gladly accept the challenge. However, Beethoven would decide instead of a small segment. He would record, edit, and produce an hour-long video that he would send instead of what was requested. During the full long year of staying home, we imagine many have participated in these kinds of birthday videos. For the most part, this is what happened with Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, except it was with written music, not video.
String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major
Beethoven's late string quartets, the last five he wrote, are known throughout the lands. They are hailed for their creativity and for Beethoven's dedication to making it his own, manipulating and crafting the future for string quartets which originally was fathered by his late master Haydn. Now, it was difficult to pick one from his late quartet to illustrate his masterpieces, but we still did. We recommend listening to them all, but if you had to choose one, we recommend No. 13. It's a very random work on how it all comes together. The six movements (yes, six, not four like usual) almost don't fit together, but they still do in a mixed bag sort of way. The first movement is the most traditional. The second is a high-speed ride, which we recommend that you keep your arms and legs inside at all times while listening.
Grosse Fuge
The original last movement to Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13 was so long and incredibly diverse from the rest of the work that the publisher persuaded Beethoven to write a new last movement and publish the Grosse Fuge on its own. Also, it was not an easy movement. Beethoven pushed musicians again to play at a level beyond they believe they could. When you look at it from a traditional perspective, this made sense. It was a strong curveball that came far off from the plate. However, most of the work was diverse, so it still fits the piece's theme, a jumble of movements.
The Grosse Fuge itself is a mammoth fugal work that utilized Beethoven's knowledge, creativity, and spontaneity. It has a recognizable theme that by the end of the work, you'll be playfully humming. Beware: at times, the work may have a complexity that may make you feel overwhelmed, but let it happen. Let its intensity engulf you and carry to its ultimate end.
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor
Finally, we've reached the apex of Beethoven's work, the Symphony that praises, celebrates brotherhood and unity for all. If you were to compare this Symphony to a living animal, it would undoubtedly be compared to the Blue Whale. The Symphony is one+ hour long. Beethoven wrote for many musicians, including chorus, which had never been done in any Symphony before this one. This work also created the myth of the ninth Symphony, where composers later feared to write a 9th Symphony in fright of potential death.
The work set Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy" in its last movement, something Beethoven had wanted to do since he first read the poem in the late 1780s – early 1790s. It nearly took half a century for Beethoven to set this poem finally. When he did, he did it the only way he could, a massive, monumental, Beethovenian setting that sets fireworks off on stage during the Symphony's final movement (not set literal fireworks off, more figuratively). Also, it wouldn't be a Beethoven masterpiece without trouble from musicians. Musicians and vocalists of the day criticized Beethoven for its complexities; they were in disdain with him conducting it (at this point, Beethoven couldn't hear anything). The vocalist complained that Beethoven wrote terribly for the voice.
However, the Symphony did have its premiere, though there was another conductor. The only way to cure the friction between the orchestra and choir not wanting to follow Beethoven and Beethoven's insistence that he be the director was to allow Beethoven to pretend to be director while another conductor truly led the orchestra through the Symphony. It's almost a ridiculous solution, something you would do to accommodate a child with an awful temper tantrum. Unlike some of Beethoven's other works, many stories go that the performance was a fantastic success with crowds cheering. Even more, recounts claim that Beethoven continued to "conduct" the orchestra after its completion; it took a singer to turn Beethoven around to see all the applause and realize that it was finished and that it was a great success.
Incredibly, the composer never heard this great work. By this point, Beethoven was completely deaf. It's possible he heard some buzzing, but most likely, he couldn't hear a thing. The only way he listened to what we continue to hear today is in his mind, which who knows could have sounded even better than what we hear.
There's a reason why this work has persisted through time, why it was programmed in the first concert in Berlin after the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and why Symphony's around the world today continue to have massive audiences when they program this work. Take a listen for yourself or find a concert hall near you that may have it programmed in its season.
Last thoughts and Remarks on The Composer
Out of the great classical composers, Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn, we prefer Beethoven … primarily for his instrumental music. If we were strictly speaking opera, Mozart would win hands down.
When listening to Beethoven's music, especially his middle and late period works, you can hear how he pushed the genre away from the more strict classical style. From creating more drama, writing works that pushed the limits of instrumentalists, building the Symphony, and composing his famous four-note motif (fate knocking at the door), Beethoven made himself one of the great composers. He is known as a bridge into the more romantic era of music where composers such as Wagner, Schubert, Berlioz, and many others followed his example to continue pushing the limits.
In life, Beethoven did make some mistakes. He was sometimes seen as a crazy man, spouting nonsense on the streets. He was untidy and didn't care for his appearance. He even went to great lengths to take his nephew from the boy's mother.
Ludwig van Beethoven lived a complicated life and one which was challenged by growing deafness that worsened with age. He was a man with many faults, but he showed the world his artistry, imagination, and authentic voice through his music. If you see his name on a program, head to the concert. Without a doubt, you won't regret it.
