In the history of human music, countless talented musicians have been produced throughout the ages. They rise like stars, forming the starry sky of music. When we look up at the starry sky, we will always find a few stars that are exceptionally bright and emit eternal light. Beethoven is one of them.

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. He was 38 years younger than Haydn and 14 years younger than Mozart. Beethoven's father was also a musician, but he was not as highly educated as Mozart's father. When his father discovered little Beethoven's musical talent, he just wanted to train the child into a Mozart-style prodigy and make money for him early to satisfy his bad habit of drinking. Therefore, little Beethoven received an inhumane and even cruel "education". It wasn't until he was 12 years old that he met a real teacher named Nie Fei, who gave him the necessary knowledge.

Beethoven was grateful to him throughout his life. Beethoven began working in music at the age of 13, while continuing to study. Among them, Bach and Handel had the greatest influence on him. The rapid growth of his piano playing and composition talents made him eager to go to Vienna to visit Mozart as his teacher. In Vienna, Mozart listened to the 17-year-old young man's improvisation and said: "This young man will soon become famous all over the world." Unfortunately, not long after, Beethoven returned to Bonn due to the death of his mother. In 1792, he became a student of Haydn in Vienna. Teachers and students soon discovered that they had different personalities and did not form a lasting teaching relationship. In addition to character, we must not forget that Haydn established the period of classical music, but Beethoven ended it. But they respected each other throughout their lives.

Before the age of thirty, Beethoven's hearing showed signs of illness. After the age of thirty, the condition continued to worsen, and later I completely lost my hearing ability. There is no more fatal blow to a musician than this. He attempted suicide several times and even wrote his last words. But after a painful and fierce ideological struggle, he finally defeated the ruthless blow of fate with extraordinary courage and superhuman perseverance. His great sense of artistic mission gave up the idea of ??death, and he wanted to devote all his blood and life to Continue to the sacred art of music. Many of his important works

were written after his deafness. When we enjoy the great spiritual power and sublime beauty from his infinitely magnificent music, we cannot but be moved by his Prometheus-like dedication.

Beethoven's later years were quite difficult, and he died in Vienna in 1827 in poverty. He left behind a large number of precious and rich musical creations for future generations. His symphonies, concertos, chamber music, piano music, etc., are and will always be reverberating in concert halls around the world.

Beethoven's piano music is no stranger to Chinese audiences. At least "Für Elise" (also known as "Für Elise"), written in 1810, has long been a household name. According to music researchers, this song was originally dedicated to his student Therese Malfati. When it was published, Therese was mistakenly written as Alice, and the name got its current name due to misinformation. However, this misunderstanding has no impact on our appreciation of this lovely and beautiful little song. This is a piece by Beethoven. There are many more of his sketches, dances, rondos, especially variations. One of the pieces, "Minuet in G Major" is also familiar to everyone. The tune is:

Most of these works have a single emotion, reflecting a certain state of mind or life interest. Only a few variations have a certain dramatic element. What truly represents the highest achievement of Beethoven's piano music and is a landmark in the history of piano music is his piano sonata.

"Piano Sonatas"

In the 27 years from 1795 to 1822, Beethoven wrote 32 piano sonatas, which accompanied him almost throughout his creative career. These sonatas, following the path opened by Haydn and Mozart, fully exploit the potential expressive power of this musical form, accommodating the exciting emotions in Beethoven's heart and his various thoughts on society, history, and nature. , thousands of feelings. The piano, an instrument, also displayed unprecedented power and truly became the "emperor" of the country of musical instruments. Therefore, echoing the fact that Bach's "Twelve Well-Tempered Clavier Pieces" is called the "Old Testament", Beethoven's "Thirty-two Piano Sonatas" is hailed as the "New Testament" and has become a centerpiece of piano art. Another classic.

The following is a brief appreciation of several of the works in order of the year they were produced.

No. 1, "Sonata in F minor", written in 1795, dedicated to Haydn, is the first of the "32"

Four movements, the first movement is sonata form, Allegro, the first theme:

Simple, jumping, serious expression. Second theme:

The smoothly descending line suddenly rises at the last note, and the F sound expresses the pain in the heart.

The two themes contrast with each other and are developed alternately in the development department. The entire structure is simple and rigorous. Although there are still influences from Haydn and Mozart, as the "first piece", it is already extraordinary and initially shows Beethoven's personality characteristics.

Second movement, F major, Adagio. The beautiful melody has already begun to show its Beethoven-like contemplative attitude:

The third movement, in F minor, is called a minuet. It is actually not as relaxed as a "dance" song.

The fourth movement, a very fast F minor, starts with the torrent of triplets in the left hand and the decisive rhythm of the right hand:

Except for the contrasting A in the middle section In addition to the major singing melody, the fast triplets and decisive rhythms are constantly intertwined, always maintaining a tense and exciting mood.

A music critic of that era wrote this impression after listening to Beethoven's performance: "I listened to the performance of the lovely Beethoven, one of the greatest pianists...I found that he In an attempt to open up a completely unique path, "Beethoven wrote this sonata at the age of 24, which can confirm the impression of that critic.

A few years later, in 1798, Beethoven published "Sonata No. 5 in C minor", three movements.

The nature of the first theme of the first movement is similar to the first theme of the previous first movement:

The dot rhythm produces a greater upward momentum, which is similar to the following " Sigh” tone provides a sharper contrast.

The second movement is also cantabile and meditative.

The drama of the whole work is more intense than that of "F minor", so it is called "Little Pathetique Sonata". His official "Pathétique Sonata" is Sonata No. 8 in C minor, written between 1798 and 1799.

The song is dedicated to a music-loving duke named Lishinov. Not only does this sonata completely step out of the shadow of Haydn and Mozart, it is a representative work of Beethoven's early piano music, and it is also the most outstanding part of all his works. The whole piece is divided into three movements, each of which has charming artistic charm.

Before the three movements, there is a slow and long introduction. As soon as the music begins, the strong main three chords in the middle and lower range of the minor key tightly capture the listener's heart: < /p>

The slow dots deepen the sense of heaviness; the dense dissonance of the sound expresses the inner pain; the contrast between strong and weak is like a puzzling question. Immediately afterwards, the music seems to keep asking questions, but it has never been solved. Finally, it turns into a series of top-down chromatic scales, staying on an unstable note, or a question mark. This constant inquiry-style question , generating a high degree of tension and expectation, laying the foundation for the development of the following three movements.

In the first movement, Allegro, the tremolo of the left hand is like the sound of thunder that is near and far away, setting off the ascending staccato double notes of the right hand. When the right hand reaches a high point, it begins to fall. At this time, the left hand Instead, it rises, forming a shocking momentum:

The second theme, the short sentence in the low tone and the extended response in the high tone, form a conversational progression, as if the inner nervous thinking and debate, just write The melody is as follows:

The second movement, Adagio. The nature of the music is similar to the second movement of "F minor" and "Little Pathétique" discussed earlier. But the second movement here exceeds the previous two second movements in terms of depth and scope of development. The theme is typical of Beethoven's affectionate and dignified style, and the lyricism always carries the magnanimity of a giant. The only melody listed is:

Those who have studied Beethoven's manuscripts have found that this tune has been passed through many times. Revise. The revision process mainly involves constantly deleting redundant parts, and finally this concise melody is formed, with each note containing infinite meaning. Many of Beethoven's themes were honed in this way.

The third movement returns to

c minor, allegro, rondo form, smooth and friendly melody, and accompaniment of decomposed chords, which adds a lot of relaxation. Some even think it is clear.

But I think this is a minor-key tone after all, as if the pain deep in my heart has not been washed away. Friends, you might as well taste it carefully to find out what the emotion is?

This is the main part of the rondo form. In the insert, the music enters the key of E major and A major, and the tension is greatly reduced, but it is only transitional and temporary. The image of the main part occupies a dominant position.

The name of this work "Pathétique" was chosen by Beethoven himself. This was the first time he named his sonata. It can be seen from this that he has begun to pay attention to the title of music, which foreshadows the rise of title music in the romantic music period.

The emergence of "Pathétique Sonata" marks that classical piano sonata has entered the peak period of full maturity. This is not the only work in his peak period. Let's talk about another equally great work, which is "Moonlight Sonata".

In the order of Beethoven's sonatas, this is No. 14, #c minor, inscribed to one of his female students, written in 1801, already in the 19th century.

There are many beautiful legends circulating about the title "Moonlight", which I won't repeat here. Today we know for sure that "Moonlight" was not the name given by Beethoven. Beethoven himself annotated the text as "Fantasy Wind Sonata". Interestingly, for more than a hundred years, people still prefer to use the name "Moonlight", which was not Beethoven's original intention and seems not accurate enough, instead of the original name "Sonata Fantasy". Why is this? Of course, if you shout for too long, you can no longer change it, and this factor is included. But I think there may be some connection between "moonlight" and "fantasy". That is to say, both words have romantic overtones. "Fantasy wind" gives us the freedom of imagination, and "moonlight" is also the ideal object of fantasy. The music itself (especially the first two movements) is very beautiful, and "Moonlight" (and its related stories: the lake shining with moonlight; the blind girl under the moonlight, etc.) is also beautiful.

Is it these direct and indirect connections that make people prefer to use the "should not have" name "Moonlight"?

The original meaning of fantasy style refers first to the first movement. Usually, the first movement of a multi-movement sonata suite is allegro in sonata form. This work goes against the norm and puts all the sonata-style Allegro into the last movement. The first movement instead uses an adagio, a free form of music. Like many of Beethoven's Adagios,

the music is about concentration and quiet contemplation. The difference is that there is no heaviness here. Accompanied by the slow accompaniment of light triplets, the concise melody has a detached charm, maybe this is the fantasy style:

The second movement, Allegro minor, in D major. Liszt described this movement as "a flower between two abyss". Some people also say that it is like a delicate flower that is opening but feels shy. In short, it is very cute:

The second movement is the transition to the third movement. The third movement, Allegro, #c minor, sonata form. The speed and violence of the first theme are very rare. Some say it is a "wild storm at night", some say it is a "masterpiece with fiery expressions", and others say it is a "burning rock flow". Indeed, it is a violent impact and outbreak:

The second theme is sad in tone, but this is the sadness of the resolute - this is Beethoven, who is also strong in pain:

There are significant developments in the second theme itself, so much so that some suggest there is a third or even fourth theme here. This also shows that Beethoven is no longer satisfied with just contrasting two themes.

When the first part of the sonata ends, the music switches directly to the unfolding middle part without any interruption. This is not only not found in the works of Haydn and Mozart, but also not even in Beethoven's own previous works. . This also shows how turbulent the waves of emotion are, which have washed away the usual gaps between the various parts of the traditional musical form.

Another special feature is that the ending is very huge. This is obviously due to the overwhelming emotions and the inability to end the chapter at the right moment. Therefore, first the first theme reappears, leading to the rolling diminished seventh chord. This is a highly dramatic expression technique, and then The second theme reappears in the bass area. The sixteenth note is handed over to the right hand, and then a wave of arpeggios is introduced. After the top-down cadenza, the music pauses temporarily on two long bass notes. . But this is not the end. The bass sixteenth note in the left hand is like the rumbling thunder coming from far and near again, and once again bursts into unstoppable arpeggios, and the music ends powerfully.

It is unprecedented for the ending to be expanded into a part with such great artistic weight.

Drama, pathos, tenacious will to struggle, and indomitable motivation are like a dazzling red line connecting some of Beethoven's piano music. The "Tempest" I will talk about next is also a work on this line.

This is Piano Sonata No. 17, in D minor, written in 1801-1802 and dedicated to one of her female students. At that time, someone asked Beethoven what the content of this work was, and Beethoven replied:

"Please read Shakespeare's "The Tempest"!" The name of "The Tempest Sonata" comes from this.

Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is a late play by Shakespeare. It describes a story that happened on an island: witchcraft is prevalent there, and the Grand Duke who rules the island has been usurped of his rights, so he disguises himself as a wizard. activities, and eventually he regained his power. The main theme of the play is reconciliation. So, what does Beethoven’s sonata have to do with this story? This is a question that many researchers are interested in but have no consensus on. Since Beethoven asked people to read "The Tempest", this means that there must be some connection between the two; but they also believe that stories cannot be simply used to match each note. Let’s take a brief look at the music first.

The music is divided into three movements. The general speed layout is Allegro, Adagio, and Allegro. The three movements are all written according to the principles of sonata form.

There is an introduction at the beginning of the first movement. Here there is a contrast between slow, solemn, and calling tones and anxious, restless, and hurriedly speaking tones, and a dramatic atmosphere is created: < /p>

This piece of music goes through modulations and transitions and directly enters the first theme, Allegro:

The bass is majestic, corresponding to the high notes, sad and weak, and the triplet in the middle provides Unquiet background. These tones are hinted at in the introduction.

The dramatic atmosphere becomes more and more intense, leading to the second theme, the tone is anxious and urgent:

Based on the above theme tones, after careful development, it enters the beginning of the reproduction. part. At this time, a single-note recitative is inserted between the solemn tones and anxious tones in the reproduced introduction. This is very creative and achieves an extremely charming artistic effect:

< p>This is after an intense dramatic experience, the scene suddenly quieted down, and all other scenery and characters disappeared, as if there was only one singing heart left in the entire universe, and how sad and lonely this song was!

The end of the first movement gradually disappears in the extension of the d minor chord. The sound extends, weakens, and becomes calmer. The dullness of the minor chord makes me feel that "things are not over yet." At this time, the second movement Adagio begins with the warm BB major chord. The arpeggio playing of the chords brings a sense of happiness in the chicness:

In this movement, the contradictions and uneasiness in the first movement are temporarily forgotten, and Beethoven comes to the embrace of nature. Nature is what he always feels intimate, sacred and beloved; the endless source of his creative inspiration and the solace his traumatized soul longs for can always be obtained from nature.

The third movement seems to be a new state of mind created after the "purification" of the soul in the second movement. It is woven from 16 notes in 3/8 time from beginning to end, and the music It is fluid, and there are also heated moments, but overall it is mainly elegant and delicate. There are many modulations, mainly minor keys, which inevitably creates a sense of anticipation. After a long period of twists and turns, the music disappeared on a single note D, ending the third movement and the entire "Tempest".

We can see that this work has a somewhat different temperament from previous "pathos"-type works. It seems like more active thinking, "self-argument", sometimes like inner monologue. The final conclusion, although reluctant, was in favor of reconciliation. Is there a connection between this and Shakespeare's The Tempest?

It was during this period that Beethoven's ear disease worsened, and he encountered many difficulties and setbacks in his personal life. He even wrote his last words, thinking about life, art, ideals, and reality at the moment of death. They must be topics that he has thought about a lot and deeply. From this point of view, his "The Tempest" is not so much connected with Shakespeare as it is fundamentally connected with himself.

In 1805, Beethoven published two sonatas, No. 19 "Sonata in G minor" and No. 20 "Sonata in G major".

According to research, these two works were actually written between 1795 and 1798. They are both two-movement works with simple piano techniques. Therefore, they have been included in the "Sonata Collection" and are familiar and loved by the majority of piano beginners. Here is just a reminder of the beginning of "Sonata in G major", in G major:

Easy piano skills do not mean poverty of art. On the contrary, the two works are rich in emotion. Any adult can play them. They will all fall in love with it. After Beethoven had written a series of "heavy" works, he still published them and included them in the sonata series, which shows that Beethoven did not underestimate them.

Another "heavy" work during this period is "Sonata in C Major" No. 21, also known as "Dawn Sonata", completed between 1803 and 1804. Because it was inscribed to Count Waldstein, who respected his talent very much and gave him great long-term support both spiritually and materially, this piece is also famous as the Waldstein Sonata.

This "heavy" work is not "heavy" in the "pathos" category. On the contrary, the oppressive fog of dullness, grief, anger, sadness, etc. is swept away; instead, it is cheerful, open, and hearty. Clear Sky, some people say that this is a "white sonata", so I don't know who gave this work the nickname "Dawn". This work is said to be "heavy" because of its grand length, rich colors like symphonic poetry, and unprecedented brilliant piano skills.

This work has only two movements. The first movement, the vigorous Allegro, the first theme:

This refreshing "rustle" naturally reminds people of the sound of everything waking up in the morning. The high pitch sounds like the joyful chirping of a bird. Later, there was a chorus of birds, and the earth became lively. The tonality and intensity are constantly changing, like the shining sunshine.

The second theme uses an unusual key of that period, E major with a third degree relationship (C and E are three degrees apart). The joyful melody and harmony are synchronized to produce the timbre of a pipe organ, which can also be imagined as the wind of nature singing, showing the intoxication in the beautiful nature:

Both themes are colorful and fascinating. After the development, it ended powerfully.

Although this sonata has only two movements, there is a longer introduction before the second movement, Adagio, in the key of F major. This fragment has exceeded the weight of a general introduction and has independent artistic content. Some people think that it is an independent movement. Regarding the understanding of this piece of music, some say that it is like "an angel's smile is suddenly covered by dark clouds"; some say that it expresses a mysterious and unrealistic atmosphere; some say that it is the expectation of dawn, etc., in short , is deep and quiet, which will make future movements more dazzling

.

The final movement is a rondo with a grand structure. Slightly Allegro, C major. People describe this movement like this: "The vast and boundless wilderness is filled with sunshine... It's like a summer day. There will never be enough days like this!" The melody of the main theme is in the style of a German folk song, decomposed in the warm key of C major Accompanied by three chords, it was sung charmingly and happily in the clear high-pitched area, and a picture of a clear sky emerged:

After a period of development of this theme, a long period of high-pitched D appeared in the right hand. A bright vibrato is played, and then the main melody is played extremely brightly in a higher treble area on this sustained vibrato. At the same time, the left hand plays the ascending legato 32nd note and the descending skipping 16th note scale. It is the excitement of joy. In this way, the music forms a three-dimensional combination of three levels: the mid-bass area is the fast scale, the mid-high area is the vibrato, and the higher area is the main melody. The three levels complement each other to form an extremely brilliant and gorgeous symphonic picture

:

In terms of performance skills, this texture is a technically difficult passage. However, pianists are willing to overcome technical difficulties due to the inspiration of the extremely glorious and beautiful artistic image.

The main part of the rondo is repeated many times, with new contrasting music inserted between each repetition.

When the main part appears for the last time, the music turns to Allegro, the emotion reaches a climax, and finally ends brilliantly and magnificently.

Beethoven wrote such music without any clouds under the fatal blow of fate. What a great personality he had! How strong is his extraordinary will!

"Dawn Sonata" is Beethoven's joy and intoxication in nature. He temporarily put aside all misfortunes and only felt the light and beauty in life.

However, personal misfortune and social darkness cannot be escaped after all. In another sonata we are going to talk about next, Beethoven returned to his thinking and struggle against fate. This is the famous "Appassionata".

This is unanimously recognized as the greatest solo piano piece.

If we compare the outstanding series of piano works to the Himalayas, then "Passion" is Mount Everest. According to the memories of Beethoven's students, Beethoven himself considered this to be his best piano music. Readers must have heard that Lenin sighed after listening to "Enthusiasm": "I don't know what else is better than "Enthusiasm". I am ready to listen to her amazing and superhuman music every day. I am even proud Maybe I thought naively: Look, what kind of miracles people can create!"

In the writing of Russian writer Turgenev, he once described the mood of listening to "Enthusiasm": Music At the beginning, "I felt that kind of daze, that kind of chill, and the joy that captured my soul for a moment, which made people feel sweet panic. At this time, beauty suddenly invaded my heart, and I remained motionless from beginning to end. I didn't want to nor dare to breathe. "

The artistic image of "Passion" is so full and profound that it is difficult to describe it in words. Moreover, the appeal of music is so strong that researchers are excited as soon as they listen to the music, making it difficult for them to conduct calm analysis. The description of the famous French writer Romain Rolland is widely recognized. He said that "Passion" is "a torrent of flames in a granite river." "Granite river" refers to a high degree of rationality and strict logic. "Torrents of fire" refers to burning passion. In other words, "Passion"

is a highly perfect combination of reason and emotion.

The number of "Passionate" is "Sonata in F minor" No. 23, written between 1804 and 1806. Inscribed to another Count, his lifelong friend and infinite admirer of his genius. Published 1807. It is said that on one occasion, because Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, Beethoven had to perform for the French generals and left the table in the rain. As a result, the score of "Enthusiasm" he carried with him was soaked in many places by the rain. The name "Enthusiasm" was later added by a German publisher and has been affirmed and used ever since. It can be seen that although publishers name untitled music to expand

marketability, they can sometimes come up with good names that are approved by music experts.

"Passion" consists of three movements. First movement, F minor, 12/8 time, sonata form, Allegro. The first theme begins like this:

It begins with the unison of the two hands playing weakly 16 degrees apart, creating a vast and far-reaching association. The minor key brings a tragic atmosphere. First downward, then upward, the solemn emotion began to turbulence, followed by the vibrating sound of the right hand with an alert look. These few sections alone already foreshadow the vast fight. The music then imitates the bG major key a semitone higher, moving forward a step, and is suddenly interrupted by the "fate motive" in the bass range. These four weak notes are enough to bring an ominous and eerie feeling: < /p>

The music is very weak, but the tension is increasing. Finally, the top-down forte decomposes the diminished seventh chord and pours down along the curve. From this, it’s as if the vista begins to zoom out and the potential begins to emerge. After a dramatic transition, the second theme appears:

This tune is very lyrical. The powerful bass accompaniment makes people feel that this is the singing of a giant with a broad mind.

These two themes and the musical materials that connect them show the contrasts and conflicts in the grand background. It is a kind of historical drama that lays the foundation for the magnificent development that follows. When the music develops to a climax, the first theme appears again, but the intensity becomes weaker and weaker, and finally disappears in the extension of a very pianissimo main chord. The music fell silent. But it feels like the silence of a battlefield where the smoke has not dispersed. In the silence, the thoughtful second movement begins.

Second movement, D major, 2/4 time, Andante, variation form. The theme uses concise sounds. Isn’t it true that every word in literature is extremely important? The sounds here are extremely important and the music is solemn:

In the first phrase of the theme here, only two notes are used in the upper melody part! The entire theme consists of four repeated sentences. Through changes in rhythm and texture in the variations, the music gradually flows and becomes active. The music turns to the high-pitched area, and the bright and gorgeous brilliance gradually rises and expands, and the listener is brought into a beautiful and bright realm.

With a series of 32nd-note scales flowing downward, the music returns to the solemn and contemplative theme at the beginning of the movement. But when the theme finally ends, it falls on an extremely unstable diminished seventh chord, and the tension suddenly rises, and the music suddenly turns into the stormy third movement.

The third movement, F minor, 2/4 time, Allegro, sonata form. The fierceness of the struggle is announced at the beginning of the movement, which is the striking of dissonant seventh chords on a powerful rhythm.

This is the introduction, which initially leads to fragments of sixteenth notes, and soon merges into a continuous sixteenth note. The first theme is also a sixteenth note:

< p>The contrasting second theme also maintains the rhythm of sixteenth notes. In short, sometimes single layer, sometimes double layer, rolling up and down, the endless flow of sixteenth notes is like a fighting whirlwind, sweeping through every corner of the emotional world, leaving you breathless. Only at the end of the expansion are there a few breaks. However, that was not the end of the struggle. A more violent storm followed. At the end, the speed shifts to a faster pace, the torrent of struggle is surging and in full swing, and the music reaches a white-hot climax. Finally, the music ends firmly and powerfully, showing invincible will and unswerving faith.

"Passion" pushed Beethoven's piano music to a historic peak, and European classical piano music also reached its peak. After "Appassionata", Beethoven wrote nine more sonatas, the last of which was written in 1821. All Beethoven's sonatas follow the classical tradition while constantly breaking through the norms of classical music. His later sonatas are even more innovative. With his death in 1827, the era of classical music came to an end. But romantic piano music did not start on the day of his death, because Beethoven himself had opened the door to romantic music long before his death.