Ludwig van Beethoven
Pianist, Composer
(c.1770-1827)
This paper will focus on the structure, form, and compositional techniques of Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op.21. Beethoven was a German composer and the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. He was widely considered the greatest composer of all time. He was an innovator, widening the scope of the sonata, symphony, concerto and quartet, and combining vocals and instruments in a new way. His personal life, was marked by the struggle against deafness. During his last 10 years of his life, he composed his most important pieces when he was quite unable to hear. He died in 1827 at the age of 56. Beethoven’s first …show more content…
In the next two bars Beethoven modulate to G major. However, he introduces the F# in bars three and four. In the remaining bars of the introduction, he plays around a little with the melody. In bar five, it has G and G7 harmonies, which resolves to the C major chord in bar six, which is weakened by being in the 1st inversion. In bars eight through ten, Beethoven head towards a C major chord. Also in bar eight, on beat one, there is a C major chord, and the chord progression suggests a II7. V7 cadential 6/4 progression in bar nine but with G#s in the bass, which leads to an A minor chord on beat one of bar ten, instead of C major. This is followed by a chord of F major in bar ten on beat three and a chord of C major in bar eleven on beat one (Teacher Resource Bank, 2013) . The key of C major is not firmly established until bar thirteen with the 1st …show more content…
(Teacher Resource Bank, 2013) The opening four bar phrase is followed by another four bar phrase with an emphasis on beat three in the strings (m. 57-58) and a cadence in the dominant in measure 60 for the woodwind and strings. This is also repeated in measures 61-68, with the woodwind melody is now shared between the violins, oboe, and flute in G major. In bars 74–88, the music modulates initially consecutive bars from G major, by fattening the B to produce G minor and then moving to chords C minor and F7 to effect a modulation to Bb major. From this point, the bass rises chromatically through C minor and F major to D7 and onto G minor and then a chord which can be seen as an A minor chord with a diminished or as C minor with an added sixth, to A 7 and onto D, which in turn leads to E
Pianist, Composer
(c.1770-1827)
This paper will focus on the structure, form, and compositional techniques of Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op.21. Beethoven was a German composer and the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. He was widely considered the greatest composer of all time. He was an innovator, widening the scope of the sonata, symphony, concerto and quartet, and combining vocals and instruments in a new way. His personal life, was marked by the struggle against deafness. During his last 10 years of his life, he composed his most important pieces when he was quite unable to hear. He died in 1827 at the age of 56. Beethoven’s first …show more content…
In the next two bars Beethoven modulate to G major. However, he introduces the F# in bars three and four. In the remaining bars of the introduction, he plays around a little with the melody. In bar five, it has G and G7 harmonies, which resolves to the C major chord in bar six, which is weakened by being in the 1st inversion. In bars eight through ten, Beethoven head towards a C major chord. Also in bar eight, on beat one, there is a C major chord, and the chord progression suggests a II7. V7 cadential 6/4 progression in bar nine but with G#s in the bass, which leads to an A minor chord on beat one of bar ten, instead of C major. This is followed by a chord of F major in bar ten on beat three and a chord of C major in bar eleven on beat one (Teacher Resource Bank, 2013) . The key of C major is not firmly established until bar thirteen with the 1st …show more content…
(Teacher Resource Bank, 2013) The opening four bar phrase is followed by another four bar phrase with an emphasis on beat three in the strings (m. 57-58) and a cadence in the dominant in measure 60 for the woodwind and strings. This is also repeated in measures 61-68, with the woodwind melody is now shared between the violins, oboe, and flute in G major. In bars 74–88, the music modulates initially consecutive bars from G major, by fattening the B to produce G minor and then moving to chords C minor and F7 to effect a modulation to Bb major. From this point, the bass rises chromatically through C minor and F major to D7 and onto G minor and then a chord which can be seen as an A minor chord with a diminished or as C minor with an added sixth, to A 7 and onto D, which in turn leads to E