Beethoven the great symphonist

BEETHOVEN

THE GREAT SYMPHONIST

In the words of John P. Blackburn, Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 to 1827) "was a pivotal musical genius who played one of the most important roles in the evolution of Western music than any other composer in history" (87), with Johann Sebastian Bach being the exception. Undoubtedly, Beethoven stood at the crossroads of Western music and single-handedly changed older classical forms into new avenues of expression, especially with his piano compositions and symphonies and as a composer of some of the most brilliant and beautiful music ever put on paper, Beethoven was responsible for completely transforming a musician's ability to express the entire range of human emotions via a musical instrument, particularly when brought together in the form of a symphonic orchestra.

Although Beethoven's musical repertory covers a vast amount of different styles, themes and genres, it is his magnificent symphonies that remain the most complex and endearing to all lovers of classical music. In 1802, while attempting to endure the continuing loss of his hearing, Beethoven composed his Eroica Symphony (no. 3) and Symphony no. 5 in which "the somber mood of the c Minor first movement... ultimately yields to a triumphant C Major finale with piccolo, trombones and percussion added to the orchestra" (Ludwig Van Beethoven," Internet). By 1805, Beethoven had composed his Pastoral Symphony (no. 6) which "conjures up his feelings about the countryside which he loved," Symphony no. 7, and Symphony no. 8 and between 1822 and 1824, Beethoven composed his most famous piece known as Choral or Symphony no. 9, Op. 125 with its familiar opening line in d Minor ("Ludwig Van Beethoven," Internet).

Most Western music scholars agree that Beethoven's musical output hit a high point between the creation of the Second Symphony and his E-flat Symphony, opus 55, also known as Eroica which exhibits "rare nobility and grandeur and stands as a musical milestone when the symphonic form came into its own" at the hands of Beethoven (Morrison, 165). This symphony was originally to be called the "Bonaparte Symphony," due to Beethoven seeing Napoleon Bonaparte as a true liberator of the people and the instigator of the French Revolution. As a piece of music designed for the pleasure of an audience, Eroica offered to the public "a radically new creation that was part symphony and part oratorio, a hybrid that proved puzzling to his less daring observers" and listeners of the time ("Ludwig Van Beethoven," Internet).

This symphony premiered in the city of Vienna, Austria on April 7th, 1805 and in 1809, Beethoven himself conducted the work at a charity concert at the Theatre an der Wien. Most certainly, the audience at this premier must have been stunned to hear such beautiful music, for at the time, most symphonic audiences were "accustomed to the image of music being purely for entertainment" but were "suddenly faced with a radical new idea....a symphony which could present its creator's image of the world," a concept which "lay at the heart of the Romantic revolution" and through which Beethoven "first brought Romanticism into Western music ("Ludwig Van Beethoven," Internet).

Of course, it is Beethoven's momentous and magnificent Symphony no. 9, the Choral, which continues to thrill music lovers all over the world. This incredible piece of music stirs up a galaxy of human emotions, ranging from sadness to joy and exhilaration to melancholia. The first eight notes are the most powerful and memorable and possibly symbolize the greatest opening lines in the history of Western music. One story about Beethoven and this particular symphony is quite moving. On May 7th, 1824 in Vienna, even though he was stone deaf, Beethoven managed to successfully conduct the orchestra at the premier of this symphony and when it was over, it is said that a member of the chorus "turned him around so that he could see the thunderous cheers that were resounding through the hall" ("Ludwig Van Beethoven," Internet).