Ludwig van Beethoven, who worked in the era between classicism and romanticism, is considered one of the most important composers in the history of classical music.
He composed in all genres popular at that time and everywhere was a success, but nevertheless his best works are considered to be instrumental works.
Almost 200 years have passed since his death, but his music is still alive. It is difficult to describe in words the influence that Beethoven had on history, so we just remember his most famous works. Perhaps someone did not even know about them, but if you take the time and listen to the songs from our list, then your musical taste can change a lot.
List
- 10. Symphony No. 5, op. 67
- 9. Concert for violin and orchestra, op. 61
- 8. Concert for piano and orchestra No. 5, op. 73, The Emperor
- 7. "Egmont" ("Egmont"), op. 84
- 6. Sonata for piano No. 23, op. 57, Appassionata
- 5. Rondo Capriccio, op. 129, “Fury of a Lost Penniless”
- 4. Piano Sonata No. 8, op. 13, "Pathetic"
- 3. Sonata No. 9 for violin and piano, op. 47, The Kreutzer Sonata
- 2. Bagatel No. 25 in A Minor, WoO 59, “To Elise” (“Für Elise”)
- 1. Piano Sonata No. 14, op. 27 No. 2 or “Moonlight Sonata”
10. 67
Even if you are far from classical music and prefer to listen to Russian rap, the opening fragment of Beethoven’s 5th symphony will surely seem familiar to you.
It is still actively used in cinema, games, advertising, etc. The composer himself described it with a short, but very capacious phrase: "So fate knocks on the door."
The work was written between 1804 and 1808, when the premiere took place in Vienna. 4 years is a long time, therefore Beethoven’s contemporaries even talked about how he ran out of inspiration and he won’t finish the symphony.
Even then, he suffered from progressive deafness, which only added weight to the words of skeptics. December 22 at the Theater an der Win, from the first seconds they realized that they were mistaken.
9. 61
The uniqueness of the work is that it is Beethoven’s only completed violin concerto. He wrote it for his close friend Franz Clement, who in 1806 was not only a famous musician, but also the director of the Vienna Theater.
The concert was created in a hurry, so the composer finished the last batch just before Clement went on stage, because of which he had to read from a piece and play without rehearsal.
Perhaps this was the reason that the performance was quiet and imperceptible, without making a proper impression on the public.
The concert was forgotten and was remembered after Beethoven’s death, when in 1844 it was played by Joseph Joachim, a 12-year-old child prodigy. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was on stage with him, and was conducted by Felix Mendelssohn.
8. 73, The Emperor
Beethoven devoted many of his works to his friends and relatives, and the Emperor concert was no exception: he dedicated to his disciple and patron Archduke Rudolph of Austria.
The concert became one of the largest works in the career of a German, reflecting the whole range of emotions overwhelming him. Here tenderness borders on brute force, and power is intertwined with tranquility.
Interesting fact: the second part of the concert (Allegro), director Tom Hooper used in the credits of the film "King says", which in 2010 received an Oscar.
7. 84
The story of the brave commander Egmont was written by Johann Goethe in 1788, but they decided to stage a large-scale play on it only after 20 years.
The director of court theaters in Vienna decided to order music from Beethoven, who finished it in 1810 (2 years after the end of the Fifth Symphony).
The plot of the tragedy tells of a brave hero who found the courage to openly oppose the Inquisition, which in the 18th century burned people indiscriminately.
Unfortunately, in this tragedy, one in the field is not a warrior: Egmont was sent to prison and subsequently executed.. At this point, the music acquires funeral notes and becomes sad.
6. 57, "Appassionate"
The composer began to write one of his most famous sonatas in 1803, and finished in 1805-1806, devoting it to Count Franz Brunswick.
The work was very popular in the USSR, as it praised Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Maxim Gorky wrote in his essay that the “leader” listened to the “Appassionate” in the apartment of human rights activist Yekaterina Peshkova: “I don’t know the work better and am ready to listen to it every day,” Lenin said then.
5.19, “Rage over a Lost Penniless”
First, let’s explain what a “rondo-capriccio” is. Capriccio is a definition of arbitrariness at a musical pace, and rondo is a music format, a characteristic feature of which is alternating the main theme with different fragments. “Rage about a Penny Lost” is the most famous work combining these formats.
The composition was written in 1795, when Beethoven was 25 years old. The subtitle, quite comic, was invented by Anton Schindler, who was friends with the musician.
4. 13, "Pathetic"
Many eminent musicologists called this famous work "an aesthetic manifesto" and "an artistic declaration written with defiant demonstrativeness." If you ignore such exalted concepts and just listen, then you will simply enjoy it.
The composition is also remarkable in that at the time of its creation, Beethoven began to notice the first symptoms of developing deafness. At that time he was only 29 years old, and for the musician it was a big blow.
Rumor has it that he even wanted to end the music after the "Pathetic Sonata", but still found the strength to continue without departing from his plan even after the disease began to progress.
3. 47, “The Kreutzer Sonata”
The sonata was named in honor of Rudolf Kreutzer, to whom Beethoven dedicated it, however, according to the original idea, it should have been called differently.
The first performer was violinist George Bridgetower, who played it together with the composer in Vienna on May 24, 1803.
Music again was written in a hurry, due to which some of the notes were in a single copy, so Bridgetower during the performance had to look over Beethoven’s shouldersitting at the piano.
It was George who dedicated the German sonata, but then changed his mind. Why? There is no exact answer, but there are a couple of legends.
According to one, on the night after the premiere, the violinist insulted Beethoven’s acquaintance, which caused a major quarrel between them.
Another version says that Kreutzer was simply better known in those years. The funny thing is that the latter never performed a work dedicated to him, finding it extremely uncomfortable.
2.25 in A minor, WoO 59, “To Elise” (“Für Elise”)
The play bagatelle (a simple piece) can be compared with the Fifth Symphony in popularity, since its motif is known all over the world and is still used today.
It is not known exactly who the play is specifically dedicated to: it was discovered after the composer's death.
Despite the fact that the manuscript had the inscription “Eliza for a long memory”, there is a version that Ludwig Zero (Beethoven’s biographer) who found it simply misread the handwriting.
Therefore, some historians believe that music could be written for Theresa Malfatti, who studied with a German, or even for Elizabeth Alekseevna, the wife of Emperor Alexander I.
1. 27 No. 2 or "Moonlight Sonata"
Beethoven wrote the world famous “Moonlight Sonata” for Juliet Gvichchardi - 18-year-old countess (the composer was then 30), whom he gave music lessons and in love with.
Alas, the girl chose to marry Wenzel Gallenberg, also a composer. Although this love did not find development, it gave the world a truly great piece of music.