Biography of BeethovenScott Petty. Term project. Music 1010.

Born in 1770 in Germany

Had three siblings

Showed promise very early

Played piano and violin

He had a very demanding father

Beethoven wrote 9 famous symphonies among many other works

Beethoven's death

Beethoven died in 1827

About 20,000 people attended

He left all his belongings to his nephew

Composition History

Symphony no. 6, movement 1, “Pastoral”

Allegro is movement 1. Movement 1 is about entering a countryside All the warm feelings nature gives

Listening guide

(0:00) - (0:08) Motif A; Violins play a very softly with a slow tempo that is conjunct with a narrow range the leads up to theme I.

(0:08) – (1:07) Violins and cellos play a consonance theme I with the flute coming in later. It is piano with a narrow range and slow tempo. The introductory music is very light and peaceful giving the listener a good preparation for what the symphonies purpose is. It builds in crescendo and Strings and horns combine to play the same melody but forte. It is a mix of very dynamic strings with trills on the flute to possibly give the impression of birds singing in nature. In this part of the symphony there is an ascending contour.

(1:07) – (1:24) Motif B breaks the peaceful mood for an instant and to get ready for theme II. It takes turns between seven notes played by horns and then a violin playing low then high pitch in small intervals. It goes back and forth between the instruments. There is an arch to the contour in this section of the music.

(1:24) – (1:59) Theme II starts with very peaceful violins playing a soft melody with the flute joining in with it all building up in crescendo and also in an ascending contour. This part of the song really explores the idea of nature being very peaceful, but also exciting and unexpected. This part has a narrow range and a slow tempo and is played with a harmony between strings and horns and is conjunct.

(1:59) – (2:28) Phrase I is first played by dynamic strings with a wide range and goes to lightly played strings and flute with a narrow range and back, finishing with very softly played melody that is then taken over by a dynamically played violins and cellos in an ascending contour. This part seems to reenforce the peaceful side of nature.

(2:28) – (2:53) A cadence is played that brings the music to a stand still for the time at the end of phrase I. This is played by violins and cellos that are playing a harmony and is diminuendo. Partly played in a slow tempo and partly in faster tempo.

(2:53) – (3:06) Motif A

(3:06) – (4:06) Theme I

(4:06) – (4:23) Motif B

(4:23) – (4:57) Theme II

(4:57) – (5:27) Phrase I

(5:27) – (5:52) Cadence of phrase I is played.

(5:52) – (6:12) A variation on motif A is being played leading up to a change of pace for the symphony to begin. This section uses violins and flutes with a narrow range and piano melody and is very conjunct. This is in and ascending contour and it starts off soft and becomes forte in a dynamic ending to the section.

(6:12) – (6:48) A first section of the bridge is played here to give a break from the original themes and melodies. This is a very interesting section with brisk cello playing behind violins and flutes being played with a relatively wide range and a bit faster tempo and is in an ascending contour. The subtle notes played give a far more moody feel to the piece that offers a break from the pace of the music so far.

(6:48) – (7:07) Motif C is a break in between the two sections of the bridge played with back and forth notes from horns and strings. And harmonizing conjunct melody that prepares for the second section of the bridge. The contour is in an upside down arch shape starting high, going to a lower pitch melody and going back to high to finish the section.

(7:07) – (7:42) The second section also has brisk cello in the background with violins and flutes playing the main melody in the foreground. This part of the bridge is more dynamic than the first part. Loud chords bring this to an end.

(7:42) – (8:03) Motif C

(8:03) – (8:56) A variation on theme I is played here with brisk cello in the background, restating the mood from the bridge and adding it back into the original melody with a calming melody played at first. There are hints of the original theme plus a bit of different note played near the end of the section that add a darker timbre and mystery to the music. It is in the shape of an upside down arch for it's contour.

(8:56) – (9:30) This part consists of subtle changes to the beginning of theme I, with a more repetitive nature in a crescendo. There are changes to what the violin plays from the main theme I but there a bits and pieces of it.

(9:30) – (9:50) The louder part theme I is revisited after the first part of theme I was played in a variation in the previous section.

(9:50) – (10:13) Motif B

(10:13) – (10:47) Theme II

(10:47) – (11:19) Phrase I

(11:19) – (11:45) The cadence of phrase I

(11:45) – (11:55) The variation on Motif A is revisited

(11:55) – (13:09) This is the beginning of the Coda section of the symphony with a variation on phrase I and also it's following cadence to begin. It is more dynamic than the original section and it is pieces of the original melody thrown in with new notes.

(13:09) – (13:30) Motif D with dynamic horns and strings for the background and a flute to play a consonance in the foreground.

(13:30) – (14:13) To end the there is another variation on theme I using softly played strings at first horns from a low pitch to a higher pitch in an ascending contour.

References

"A Guide to Beethoven's 9 Symphonies." About.com Classical Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2014.

Nohl, Ludwig, 1831-1885. Life of Beethoven. Chicago: A.C. McClurg, Print.

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Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. Beethoven. Boston: Lee & Shepard, Print. 1872.

"World Biography." Ludwig Van Beethoven Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014.