http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0YCWZnpoO0
Ludwig van Beethoven, Romance No.2 in F Major, op. 50, 1798, Vienna.
Lugwig van Beethoven was a magnificent composer in the late Classical era. Beethoven was responsible for bringing music from the classical era in to the romantic with many great composition in both eras. I feel that this piece, Romance No. 2, shows the grace of classical music without some of the harshness of many of the other composers of the time. Romance No. 2 was composed in what was thought to be Beethoven’s early period. period in the composers life, up to about 1802, had great influences from Mozart and Hayden, with whom he studied under and appreciated.
Every movement in this symphony has a fantastic flow into each other. I felt the highs were just high enough to be noticed without creating a different mood in the compostition. I love the soft flow, almost like water flowing, that is created in this piece.
While much of Beethoven’s earlier music was dedicated to his patrons, nobility in Vienna, he worked to provide music to the public. He made his first public performance in Vienna. “He captured the attention of, and astonished, Vienna, with his virtuosity and his improvisations on the piano” (1). Beethoven created syphonies that would not only include his own works but also featured those of Mozert and other young composers. By the end of the 18th century Beethoven’s music was in great demand from the middle classes as well as the upper classes which had been funding his work. In 1809, Beethoven had aquired enough money to work as a freelance composer. Bringing music to an even broader range of people.
Beethoven also appealed to the public masses with his personal triumphs over tragedy. He supported his family from a young age due to his father’s drinking and lost his mother at a young age. He was soon the financial provider for his family. He would continue to produce amazing music despite these tragedies.
Beethoven’s music would be a center for many artists in the future. His works eximplify the ideals of the Calssical era.
Works Cited:
1. http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Bio/BiographyLudwig.html
Thank you for posting such a lovely piece. You can hear the romance in every note. I find that listening to Beethoven’s music always draws some sort of emotion, and in this case, I felt myself calm and just let the music wash over me.
The history that you found on Beethoven was very interesting. I also posted a Beethoven piece, and knew that he eventually worked as a freelance composer, but did not connect that with his being able to bring his work to the masses. You mentioned his personal tragedies, and I am surprised that you did not specifically mention the onset of deafness in his twenties. With what you learned do you think that Beethoven enjoyed composing more for his original patrons or more for the common people that he later played for?
From the information I have read, Beethoven had not gone deaf when this piece was composed or introduced. I felt that the other events in his life had a profound effect on Beethoven’s compositions and needed to be noted. Thank you for adding that he did in fact go deaf. I feel this played a major role in his later compositions. He still managed to create magnificent works of art despite his hard life.
Great choice of music, I usually avoid classical music because of the tendency towards harshness that you spoke of. This piece definitely exemplifies a feeling of romance, you could imagine it being used for a romantic silent movie. The flow you spoke of is very smooth, it creates a very peaceful feeling even when you can feel the emotion building it isn’t a discordant feeling like some pieces. Like most I was aware of his eventual deafness, but had no previous knowledge of the hardships with his family. It’s amazing that someone could get through so many hurdles and still be inspired to create such beautiful music.
I think you did a great job on analyzing the piece and also a great job on finding interesting information on the composer. The composition was very smooth and flowing as you had described. Thank you for introducing me to a great piece of music.