Development of Beethoven’s Compositions though his Piano Sonatas
The Flemish Pianist and Composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven (Dec.16, 1770- March.26, 1827) is perhaps regarded as the greatest composers who have ever lived. He is considered the transitional composer from Classical to Romantic period. Beethoven’s innovation’s through his lifetime has impacted the classical music remarkably. His genius can be traced down through all his compositions.
Unlike Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven’s keyboard works are considered if not majority, but most important works of his compositions. These 32 sonatas have been written over 40 years from 1782 to 1822. Although he was a great orchestrator and composed significant orchestral and chamber works, he used …show more content…
Beethoven’s creativity and innovations are expanded into these three periods, as he shows from the beginning the direction and the path of exploration that he was going.
The early period is roughly from 1782 to 1800. The works from this period is consisted of: Spring piano and violin sonata, symphony no.1 and 2, string quartets no.1 through 6, piano concerto no.1 and 2, and eleven piano sonatas op.2 to 22.
Prior to this time Beethoven was a professional performer. As a young virtuosic pianist and improviser, he was trying to establish himself as a composer during this era by composing in an existing musical style like Mozart and Haydn. However, he made some important changes, which signifies his absolute great sense of form and architecture in his compositions. He breaks the rule and adds the fourth movement to sonata form. His early sonatas are either in three movements or four. The Minuet sometimes has been replaced by the dance, Scherzo; placing it on third and expand the form to the fourth movement. Up to that time, the fourth movement was only being used in chamber music and symphonies. By pushing the form of the sonata, it allowed the composer to think and create a larger sonata …show more content…
Most of the sonatas in this period are in three movements. However, the two-movements sonatas were introduced during this time. The expositions are larger with more use of thematic materials, the developments are very modulatory, and sometimes the new motivic materials are being introduced. The recapitulations are also holds passages and materials that were not used in the expositions. In 2nd movements, Beethoven replaced the melodic cantabile lines that were used in Mozart or Haydn’s works, with some slow moving motivic gestures instead. The repeats in the Andante movement were taken out, however the Adagio movements could be very long sometimes. It is obvious that Beethoven was building all these movements towards the Finales. The last movements are either in sonata allegro form or rondo, normally larger, more serious, intense, and more weightiest of all. It needs to be mention that the developed Piano that was sent to him by John Broadwood, allowed his genius to process these innovative concepts and his imaginative mind. The sudden dynamic changes and accents, thick bass registers, use of damper pedal sometimes very long to create such intensity and sonorities, all and all creates the rich and powerful texture in his music that the new piano was able to do its justice.
Beethoven applies a very substantial device in his compositional technique, which unifies the whole
The Flemish Pianist and Composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven (Dec.16, 1770- March.26, 1827) is perhaps regarded as the greatest composers who have ever lived. He is considered the transitional composer from Classical to Romantic period. Beethoven’s innovation’s through his lifetime has impacted the classical music remarkably. His genius can be traced down through all his compositions.
Unlike Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven’s keyboard works are considered if not majority, but most important works of his compositions. These 32 sonatas have been written over 40 years from 1782 to 1822. Although he was a great orchestrator and composed significant orchestral and chamber works, he used …show more content…
Beethoven’s creativity and innovations are expanded into these three periods, as he shows from the beginning the direction and the path of exploration that he was going.
The early period is roughly from 1782 to 1800. The works from this period is consisted of: Spring piano and violin sonata, symphony no.1 and 2, string quartets no.1 through 6, piano concerto no.1 and 2, and eleven piano sonatas op.2 to 22.
Prior to this time Beethoven was a professional performer. As a young virtuosic pianist and improviser, he was trying to establish himself as a composer during this era by composing in an existing musical style like Mozart and Haydn. However, he made some important changes, which signifies his absolute great sense of form and architecture in his compositions. He breaks the rule and adds the fourth movement to sonata form. His early sonatas are either in three movements or four. The Minuet sometimes has been replaced by the dance, Scherzo; placing it on third and expand the form to the fourth movement. Up to that time, the fourth movement was only being used in chamber music and symphonies. By pushing the form of the sonata, it allowed the composer to think and create a larger sonata …show more content…
Most of the sonatas in this period are in three movements. However, the two-movements sonatas were introduced during this time. The expositions are larger with more use of thematic materials, the developments are very modulatory, and sometimes the new motivic materials are being introduced. The recapitulations are also holds passages and materials that were not used in the expositions. In 2nd movements, Beethoven replaced the melodic cantabile lines that were used in Mozart or Haydn’s works, with some slow moving motivic gestures instead. The repeats in the Andante movement were taken out, however the Adagio movements could be very long sometimes. It is obvious that Beethoven was building all these movements towards the Finales. The last movements are either in sonata allegro form or rondo, normally larger, more serious, intense, and more weightiest of all. It needs to be mention that the developed Piano that was sent to him by John Broadwood, allowed his genius to process these innovative concepts and his imaginative mind. The sudden dynamic changes and accents, thick bass registers, use of damper pedal sometimes very long to create such intensity and sonorities, all and all creates the rich and powerful texture in his music that the new piano was able to do its justice.
Beethoven applies a very substantial device in his compositional technique, which unifies the whole