Classical period was a short but influential musical era occurred approximately between 1750 to 1820. Symphony was a common musical form from the Classical period, regardlessly has a compositional structure of four different movements. Nonetheless, an individual piece of symphony can be characteristically various depends on the style and the intention to compose of the musician. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven were the intelligent symphony-composers from the Classical period in history. During the age of thirty-two, both of the composers Mozart and Beethoven composed one of their Symphonies, Symphony No. 41 in C major (K. 511), and Symphony No. 2 in D Major (Op. 36) respectively. Firstly, both of the symphonies have a typical
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Despite that Mozart and Beethoven composed their symphony with similar structures, we can still distinguish the differentiation between both composers by examining their timbres. Pitches and dynamics can be found in greater ranges from Beethoven’s than in Mozart’s, which the two pieces doubtlessly generate two different moods to the audience. Nevertheless, the different moods that were produced between Mozart and Beethoven’s symphonies can be explained by their intention of composing due to their different personal backgrounds. Thus, this thesis will discuss how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart differs from Ludwig van Beethoven in composing symphonies while both musicians were at the same age during the classical period. Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 are two great pieces that exemplified the typical classical symphony. To begin with, Mozart and Beethoven’s selections of instruments are almost exactly the same. The two symphonies …show more content…
Comparing Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, the mood in Beethoven’s is always more intensified than Mozart’s does, which was caused by the different compositions in pitches and dynamics. When listening to Mozart’s melodic lines from every movement of the symphony, the intervals between the notes are in small distances, which prompts his music to be very easy to listen. However, the melodic lines found in Beethoven’s Symphony sometimes consist of large intervals between notes. For example, instead of going from A to B like Mozart did, Beethoven went from A to F, which it sounds like there were some missing notes inside the melodies especially in the Scherzo movement. Also, the dynamics appear in both pieces are slightly different as well. The dynamics in Mozart’s symphony are very clear, the transition of loud and soft are from measures to measures, where the crescendos and diminuendos end on the downbeats. Although sometimes there are accidentals phrases appear in the first movement as well as the last movement, those phrases happens on the downbeat likewise. Yet, the dynamics in Beethoven’s symphony seems a bit more chaotic then Mozart’s does. For instance, lots of syncopations can be found throughout the entire piece, where accidentals were in upbeats.
Despite that Mozart and Beethoven composed their symphony with similar structures, we can still distinguish the differentiation between both composers by examining their timbres. Pitches and dynamics can be found in greater ranges from Beethoven’s than in Mozart’s, which the two pieces doubtlessly generate two different moods to the audience. Nevertheless, the different moods that were produced between Mozart and Beethoven’s symphonies can be explained by their intention of composing due to their different personal backgrounds. Thus, this thesis will discuss how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart differs from Ludwig van Beethoven in composing symphonies while both musicians were at the same age during the classical period. Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 are two great pieces that exemplified the typical classical symphony. To begin with, Mozart and Beethoven’s selections of instruments are almost exactly the same. The two symphonies …show more content…
Comparing Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, the mood in Beethoven’s is always more intensified than Mozart’s does, which was caused by the different compositions in pitches and dynamics. When listening to Mozart’s melodic lines from every movement of the symphony, the intervals between the notes are in small distances, which prompts his music to be very easy to listen. However, the melodic lines found in Beethoven’s Symphony sometimes consist of large intervals between notes. For example, instead of going from A to B like Mozart did, Beethoven went from A to F, which it sounds like there were some missing notes inside the melodies especially in the Scherzo movement. Also, the dynamics appear in both pieces are slightly different as well. The dynamics in Mozart’s symphony are very clear, the transition of loud and soft are from measures to measures, where the crescendos and diminuendos end on the downbeats. Although sometimes there are accidentals phrases appear in the first movement as well as the last movement, those phrases happens on the downbeat likewise. Yet, the dynamics in Beethoven’s symphony seems a bit more chaotic then Mozart’s does. For instance, lots of syncopations can be found throughout the entire piece, where accidentals were in upbeats.