This
year commemorates Ludwig van Beethoven's 250th birthday. According to Biography, he was born in Bonn, Germany, on
December 16, 1770, and died on March 26, 1827. His mother, Maria Magdalena van
Beethoven, was a very religious woman, while his father, Johann van Beethoven,
was a mundane court singer who was known better for his alcoholism. Later in
Beethoven's career, specifically in 1801, he exposed that he was going deaf in
a letter to his friend Franz Wegeler; most of his most popular works were written
during this time. That being said, continue to the list below to see which of
this revolutionary pianist's pieces to listen to in order to best commemorate
his birthday.
Für Elise
Click
here to listen to Beethoven's notable
piano masterpiece. According to an article by Classic FM, Für Elise was not released until 1867, which was 40
years after Beethoven's death. The title directly translates to "For Elise" in
German; however, Beethoven intended for the title to be "Für Therese," and his
handwriting was simply misread. The iconic beginning of this piece only
consists of E and D#.
Fifth Symphony in C Minor
Click
here to listen to this timeless classic.
In an article by WRTI, it is
explained that the first four short notes on this iconic piece spells V in
Morse Code, which Beethoven intended to stand for victory. Because of this, BBC
radio broadcasted the beginning of this symphony during World War II. Beethoven
began working on this work in 1804, three years after he wrote the letter to
Franz Wegeler, acknowledging that he was losing his hearing.
Piano Sonata No. 14
This famous sonata is also commonly
known as "Moonlight Sonata." An article by Portland
Piano Lab states that Ludwig Rellstab, a German music critic, actually
created the name "Moonlight Sonata" in 1802 (five years after Beethoven's
death) because the first movement made him think about the moon's reflection on
Lake Lucerne. This sonata is one of the first pieces Beethoven wrote that had
not been commissioned; this was one of his initial statement pieces as an
independent musician.
Symphony No. 7
Click
here to listen to Beethoven's iconic
piece. According to an article by NPR, the
concert premiering this symphony was a charity concert for soldiers who were
wounded in the battle of Hanau. Beethoven wrote this symphony from 1811-1812
and held the concert on December 8, 1813. This symphony had positive motifs,
such as celebration and victory—perfect for soldiers who just finished a war.
Sonata No. 8 in C Minor
This sonata, No. 8, is also referred to
as the "Pathétique." An article by BBC UK
explains that this piece was revolutionary during the Classical period; it
helped to pave the way for the Romantic period, which was filled with
emotionally charged music. Beethoven, due to his experimental nature in both
the Classical and Romantic eras, is often referred to as a Classical Romantic
composer. Similar to his Fifth Symphony, he wrote this piece around the time he
was losing his hearing, which explains the frustration and overwhelming emotion
found in the piece.
