Ludwig van Beethoven is labeled as an innovator and a rebel in the world of music. To paraphrase Bob Marley’s song, No Woman No Cry, “No Beethoven, no modern music.” Despite his growing and eventual deafness, he composed some of the world’s most memorable music. His association with nobility afforded him the financial stability to compose freely and ensured that he could forge a fresh path in music. He paved the way for generations of musicians and composers that followed him.
Beethoven’s Compositional Periods
One key to understanding Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is his three compositional periods. Within each period, Beethoven showcased a unique style and development of his technique as a composer. The periods listed below are rough estimates and not cast in stone.
Early Period (ca. 1792-1802)
Beethoven’s contemporaries Mozart and Haydn, who composed music in the Classical style, heavily influenced him. During this period, Beethoven’s aim was to master the Viennese compositional style.
His music during this period displays a strict adherence to the Classical forms and structures laid down by his predecessors. His emphasis was on creating works with balance, clarity, and elegance. His music has a light and playful side to it when compared to the more serious tone of his later periods.
Noteworthy examples include:
- Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: Composed between 1796 and 1800. The works display his adherence to the Classical forms while hinting at his future innovations.
- Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1: Composed between 1795 and 1796, and dedicated to mentor Franz Joseph Haydn. It reveals a budding young composer who understood the forms of his day but who would conquer the musical world with his innovative and personal style.
- String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 1 in F major: Composed in 1795 in the Classical Style. While the harmonic language of Haydn and Mozart is present, there are dramatic passages hinting at his unique personality. It also shows his experimentation with different textures, dynamics, and emotional expression, while showing his mastery over the string quartet form.
Middle Period (ca. 1802-1812)
During the middle period, Beethoven started breaking with the Classical convention through experiments with form, harmony, and the expression of his feelings. His style became more personal and innovative while he explored his own personal struggles as well as philosophical themes (as in Fidelio — his only opera).
His compositions became longer because he started exploring how musical forms can be expanded during the development section (where the initial musical ideas are explored and developed into further ideas). During this period Beethoven’s hearing loss started to emerge and he began coming to terms with the fact. By 1812, he could still hear some speech and music.
Noteworthy examples from the period include:
- Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: An icon of the Classical repertoire influencing countless composers and musicians across time. Noteworthy for its opening motif of only four notes—perhaps the most famous four notes—in music history.
- Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27, No. 2 in C-sharp Minor “Moonlight Sonata”: Showing Beethoven’s Romantic side, especially in the first movement, and his penchant for the dramatic in the final movement.
- Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61: In this composition, Beethoven demonstrates his mastery of the concerto form through a dynamic dialogue between the solo violin and the orchestra.
Late Period (ca. 1812-1827)
Beethoven’s late period was filled with experimentation but also his most profound work. His style grew even more individualistic, exploring philosophical themes and deep emotions. He composed his works while profoundly deaf relying on his imagination to hear what the works would sound like.
This work contains extreme contrasts in tempo, dynamics, and mood from one work to the next. His music became highly contrapuntal, and complex filled with his inner struggles and emotions.
Notable examples from his late period include:
- Symphony No. 9, Op. 125 “Choral Symphony”: This work holds a monumental place in music history. It was the first time that poetry was elevated to the concert hall — a tradition Wagner and Mahler would continue. It was also the first time a symphony included a chorus. Also, he may have borrowed a melody from Mozart’s Misericordias Domini, K. 222 (starting with the famous Ode to Joy passage found in Mozart).
- Große Fuge in B-Flat Major, Op. 133 “Great Fugue”: Composed in total deafness — Beethoven relied on the sounds in his imagination to “hear” the work.
- Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 “Hammerklavier”: Beethoven’s most challenging piano sonata pushes both the pianist and the instrument to their limits. It is characterized by a profound emotional depth and experimentation while pushing the boundaries of musical expression and form, all at once.
Understanding Beethoven in Five Compositions
Below are five compositions drawn from Beethoven’s output over the course of his compositional career.
Before reading on, non-musicians might like to brush up on their knowledge of what musical keys are and some terms that will appear throughout this article.
1. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19
Beethoven’s second piano concerto holds a significant place in his compositional development. The concerto was composed between 1787 and 1789 but underwent revisions until its publication in 1801. Mozart and Haydn’s influences are clearly visible; it shows an adherence to the Classical Style espoused by his contemporaries. On the surface it sounds “Mozartian,” but the sparks of drama, contrast, and innovation are already present.
The concerto introduced Beethoven to the Viennese public when he may have premiered it on March 29, 1795, as the soloist at the Burgtheater. Prior to his public debut, he performed in the private salons of the Viennese nobility. His performance not only introduced him to the Viennese public but established him as a household name. It secured important contacts and elevated his profile with music publishers.
The first movement marked Allegro con brio (lively with fire/passion begins at 01:09 in the video above) is the most energetic movement filled with technical demands. From the lively orchestral opening to contrasting themes, it establishes the overall mood for the concerto.
The middle or slow movement (starting at 15:27) follows the established ternary form ABA. The opening section (A) introduces the themes leading to the development (B) where he explores and expands the initial ideas. The closing section (A) returns to the initial themes and brings the movement to a close.
The final movement (starting at 25:10), Rondo: Molto allegro (rondo: very lively/excited) is written in a rondo form. A principal theme (A) is introduced and episodes (B, C, D, E, etc.) with contrasting material follow each iteration of the principal theme. The rondo form can come in many guises, but Beethoven opted for a simple ABACABA form.
2. In Questa Tomba Oscura (In This Dark Tomb), WoO 147
Beethoven is most famous for his symphonies, piano sonatas, and string quartets, however, he also made contributions to the German art song (Lied) tradition.
This art song (composed around 1606-7) provides us with a different lens through which we can observe Beethoven — his skill for setting other languages to music and expressing emotions outside of his mother tongue.
This Lied is filled with darkness and is a deep contemplation on death and silence — a stark contrast to his works, which are usually filled with epic heroism and good triumphing over bad (in a philosophical and literal sense). In questa tomba oscura offers us a glimpse into the Classical tradition, and where Beethoven found his place among his contemporaries. The clear-cut melody and structure were hallmarks of the prevailing Classical Era’s attitude towards music. Yet, Beethoven uses chromaticism, notes outside the main key signature, to create a more dramatic effect.
Even though this is not one of his most famous pieces it deserves a mention because it foreshadows the greatness that was yet to come in works like the Eroica and Choral symphonies. It also adds another layer to our understanding of Beethoven as a composer.
3. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica”
Beethoven’s third symphony hails from his middle period, composed between 1802 and 1804. It is considered the first Romantic symphony with its emotional depth and innovative musical language. Initially, he dedicated the work to Napoleon Bonaparte but, after hearing that Napoleon had crowned himself the emperor of France, Beethoven scratched the dedication out in a fit of rage. It was renamed the Eroica, Italian for “heroic.”
While Beethoven adhered to the Classical four-movement symphony form, here he breaks the mold. Most symphonies from 1803 lasted around 25 minutes. A performance of the Eroica would take around 40 to 50 minutes depending on the tempo the conductor chooses. Almost double the established norm at the time!
It is highly recommended that you watch this introduction to the work by Inside the Score to understand the broader historical context and finer details of the symphony.
With its contrasting themes from the get-go, this symphony redefined what symphonies could become.
The first movement marked Allegro con brio (quick with fire i.e., quick and with passion) depicts the triumphs and struggles of the “hero.” It is a typical “Sturm und Drang” opening. We can wager who the hero might be — Beethoven himself or Napoleon, to whom he initially dedicated (and un-dedicated) the work. It could also be the common person who struggles through life but finally triumphs over his difficulties. The opening starts with the cellos with a sublime melody until it reaches, perhaps, the most famous C-sharp in music history (at 00:10 in the video above). The sudden switch from major to minor foretells an epic journey full of twists and turns.
When the listener thinks all hope is lost, the main theme returns in the recapitulation (the restatement of the exposition). Finally, the hero has triumphed over his adversary (at 10:49)! Snippets of the second theme try to overwhelm the main theme but, in the end, it is the heroic theme that ends the movement with a triumphant conclusion.
The rest of the symphony follows the same pattern filled with surprises along the way. This symphony proved that “old” forms could be used to great advantage and the composer’s only limit is their imagination. For an in-depth analysis, the Eastman School of Music offers a brilliant breakdown of the symphony.
4. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
Beethoven’s final piano sonata is one of his strangest compositions. Nobody is sure whether there was supposed to be a third movement or not. We do not know whether he intended to break the mold and condense the sonata form into only two movements. The first movement in C minor reaches into the darkest depths we would ever see Beethoven plunge into while the second movement stands in startling contrast filled with light and “fun” musical moments. If ever there was a work by Beethoven that defies conventions and conventional analysis this is the grand prize.
The first movement, Maestoso — Allegro con brio ed appassionato (“Majestically — Quick with fire and passion”) is the heart of the sonata. It opens with a lengthy introduction before it plunges the listener into the deep end. The actual theme that dominates this movement is the upward surge heard at 03:02 in the video above. You are not mistaken if it reminds you of the theme song from the cartoon Pinky and the Brain!
In contrast, the second movement (starting at 10:43), Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile (“Very slow [played] simply and in a singing style”), offers a ray of sunshine after the first movement’s “dark” mood. The opening is like a solemn hymn.
This movement, in C major, is some of Beethoven’s most delicate piano writing. The theme undergoes various variations while exploring different moods and textures. This movement culminates in a peaceful and introspective conclusion — as if saying farewell.
5. Bagatelle in G major Op 126, no. 5 (1824)
While the fifth Bagatelle is not the last in Beethoven’s set of six, it holds a significant place in the compositional career of Beethoven for several reasons. It was composed after the rousing success of his ninth and final symphony, Op. 125. It offers a glimpse into his late period which was filled with musical depth, experimentation, and introspection. Even today musicologists cannot firmly agree on the form of this bagatelle — some say it is a simple binary structure of parts A (main part) and B (contrasting material) arranged as AABA. Others see it as a more complex binary form of AABB’A (where B’ = variation of B-material). Through this ambiguity, we can see that Beethoven pushed the conventions to their breaking point, cracking open new possibilities for the composers that followed him.
While the piece sounds deceptively easy to play, it takes a pianist with great technical ability to bring out the different voices clearly. As Beethoven’s compositional style matured his works became increasingly more technical and demanding on the musicians.
Some musicologists suggest that this bagatelle in particular shares thematic material with the later String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat major, Op. 127. The potential connection hints that Beethoven took musical ideas from some compositions and explored them further in others — another hallmark of his late period.
While this work is brief, it contributes to our understanding of Beethoven’s late period and how he explored and expanded established forms, while writing music that is filled with the human condition in all its forms. The style of this composition also inspired Romantic Era composers like Mendelssohn (and others) to compose his Venetian Gondola Songs and Songs Without Words.
