Ludwig Van Beethoven 12/17/1770-3/26/1827 Power point Presentation by: Jen Powell

Biography of Beethoven- Highlights Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on or around December 16, 1770 to Johann Beethoven and Maria Magdalena Beethoven’s exact date and time of birth is not known, but his baptism was recorded on December 17, 1770, so it has been accepted that his actual birthday was December 16 th. Ludwig was the eldest of 3 surviving children. His other four siblings did not survive beyond early childhood.

Beethoven at age 13 About Young Beethoven Beethoven’s father began teaching him violin and piano at a very young age. He dropped out of traditional school when he was only ten years old and began to study music full time. He also wrote and published his first piano composition named “Kurfurst” at the age of twelve. Biography Highlights

Young Beethoven Cont’d. Teenage Beethoven was sent to Vienna to study with Mozart- only to return home shortly after because of his mother’s illness and subsequent death. Beethoven became the head of household for his family and spent the next few years caring for his younger brothers. At 19 years old he composed “Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II” in memory of the Roman Emperor Joseph II.

Beethoven became well known as a pianist in his early 20’s. He published a very successful series of piano trios and composed his first symphony. He was also rapidly losing his hearing and eventually became totally deaf.

Biography Highlights Cont’d Beethoven had reached his musical ‘high’, known as his “heroic period” or “middle period” at the turn of the century. He composed several pieces one after another, including six string quartets, a ballet titled “The Creatures of Prometheus”, Symphonies 2-9, and several piano concertos. Beethoven fell ill, and was bedridden for a few months. He died March 26, 1827, at the age of 56

The Legacy of Ludwig Van Beethoven Ludwig Van Beethoven was a lonely, depressed, and angry man but a brilliant composer who arguably published some of the most famous classical music in history. Some of his work, such as his Moonlight Sonata and Symphony 9, Ode to Joy are still popular today and are recognized by people of all ages. In all, Beethoven published 138 pieces of music, including 9 symphonies, 5 Piano Concertos, several string quartets, and others.

History of the Moonlight Sonata

Quick Facts The original title of the piece was Sonata Number 14 in C sharp minor, ‘Sonata quasi una fantasia’ Opus 27, Number 2. It was written by Beethoven in the summer of The Sonata is more often recognized in name and referred to as “The Moonlight Sonata”, named by poet Ludwig Rellstab in 1832 on a moon lit night by a lake known as Lake Lucerne.

The Three Parts of the Moonlight Sonata

Movement 1: the Adagio Sostenuto. A slow tempo that comes across very mellow and relaxed. Probably the most recognized of the 3 parts. Movement 2: Allegretto. The middle. Much denser, by far the shortest of the three. Basically a bridge between the other 2 movements. Movement 3: Presto Agitato. This part is twice as long as the other parts and has been compared to the likes of a storm.

Love? Frustration? Some say it was written for his student, Countess Giulietta Guiccardi, who he was in love with and wanted to marry. Others say this was his way of expressing how he felt about going deaf. What was Beethoven’s motivation behind this piece?

Listening Guide to The Moonlight Sonata

Movement 1 0:00- Adagio Sostenuto begins very quiet and slow. Imagine afternoon rain fall. Very simple melody and narrow range. 1: 37- Tempo slows even more and lower notes are brought in to the melody, reaching the lowest point at 1:54 melody goes up and down steps, reaching it’s highest point at 3:00 and begins to descend to 3:28 3:30 Melody starts over 5:16 Melody becomes more intense and louder and it climbs up and down steps ending Movement 1 at 6:00

Movement 2 6:00 Movement two begins. The pace is quicker and lighter/more airy. Played progressivly louder. The music has a happy feel to it and seems to skip as it goes along. 7:00 Melody starts to mellow down. It is played slightly slower and more quietly. 7:32 Melody repeats. 8:04 Movement 2 ends.

Movement 3 8:06 Part 3 begins fiercely! It is very fast and climbs up the scale over and over 5 times. Every time the top of the scale is reached, the top note is played twice. 8:18 The piano goes wild- constant high note in the background while the melody is playing and then an abrupt drop to a low note at 8:27, where it starts to climb again before the melody starts again. The melody is all over the place with sudden random high pieces, then back to the melody, and grows louder and louder. Imagine a thunder storm at it’s most wild part.

Movement 3 Cont’d 9:40 Climbs up the scale begin again 10:01 Melody repeats and the climbs up the scale begin again. 11:00 Seems to start to settle down a little. It is not played as loudly for the most part- storm is still going but is winding down. There is no more thunder and lightening, just a steady down pour.

Movement 3 Cont’d 12:19 Thunder and Lightning comes back. Melody is loud and persistent- like a second wind. 13:08 same melody over and over- seems frustrated. 14:09 music becomes louder and more significant leading to… 14:13 desending steps begin. Huge ascending- it sounds like every piano key is struck at 14:22. Once the melody peaks, it slowly goes all the way back down.

Movement 3 Cont’d 14:40 Melody begins again, but changes at 14:50 to begin what seems like the grand finale. 14:56 Moonlight Sonata abruptly ends.

Link to Moonlight Sonata: