Ludwig van Beethoven

German: Ludwig van Beethoven

Introduction

Ludwig?6? 1 Van? 6? 1 Beethoven (Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827), one of Germany's greatest musicians. Originally from the Netherlands (also known as Poland), he was born into a civilian family in Bonn, Germany. He showed his musical talent very early and began performing on stage at the age of eight. In 1792, he went to Vienna for further study and made rapid progress in art. Beethoven believed in harmony and admired heroes, and created a large number of outstanding works full of the flavor of the times, such as: the symphonies "Hero" and "Destiny"; the overture "Egmont"; the piano sonatas "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" ”, “The Tempest”, “Passion” and so on. He had a rough life and never established a family. He became deaf when he was twenty-six years old and became completely deaf in his later years. He could only talk to people through conversation books. But his lonely life did not make him silent or retreat. In the feudal restoration era when all progressive ideas were banned, he still adhered to the political belief of "freedom and equality" and worked hard for freedom and ideals through his speech and works. Scream and write the immortal masterpiece "Ninth Symphony". His works were influenced by the Enlightenment Movement of the 18th century and the German Sturm und Drang movement. They have distinctive personalities and have developed greatly compared with their predecessors. In terms of musical performance, he touched almost all musical genres at that time; he greatly improved the expressive power of the piano, giving it a symphonic dramatic effect; and made the symphony an important musical form that directly reflected social changes. Beethoven gathered the culmination of classical music and at the same time opened up the path for music in the Romantic period. He played a decisive role in the development of world music and was revered as the "Saint of Music".

Life

Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770. His father was a tenor singer in the local palace choir, moody and alcoholic; his mother was a cook, kind-hearted and gentle. The hard life deprived Beethoven of the right to go to school. The musical talent he showed at an early age gave his father the desire to make him a music prodigy and become his cash cow. He did not hesitate to beat and scold him, forcing Beethoven to practice the harpsichord and violin endlessly from the age of 4. Beethoven made his debut on stage at the age of 7 and achieved great success. He was called the second Mozart. After that, he studied under the organist Nifu and began to study composition. Published his first work "Piano Variations" at the age of 11. At the age of 13, he joined the palace band and served as organist and clavichord. In 1787, he went to Vienna and began to study composition with Mozart, Haydn and others. In 1800, after his first victory, a bright future opened before Beethoven. But for three or four years, a terrible thing kept tormenting him, and Beethoven found that his ears had become deaf. For a musician, there is nothing more terrifying than being deaf. One can thus understand this heartbreaking anguish in the slow movements of his early piano sonatas.

Beethoven was always filled with a fiery heart, but his enthusiasm was very unfortunate. He always alternately experienced hope and enthusiasm, disappointment and resistance, which undoubtedly became his A source of inspiration. In 1801, Beethoven fell in love with Giulietta?6?1Guichardier, and he dedicated the "Moonlight Sonata" to her. But the coquettish, childish and selfish Qili Aitai did not understand his noble soul. In 1803, he married the Earl of Galenborg. This was a desperate moment and he wrote a suicide note.

In 1803, he emerged from the gloom and wrote the bright and optimistic "Second Symphony". After that, more and better music continued to emerge from his pen. "Third Symphony" (Eroica), "Fifth Symphony" (Destiny), "Sixth Symphony" (Pastoral), as well as the beautiful and joyful Violin Concerto, and the colorful Piano Concertos and Sonatas .

In 1823, Beethoven completed his last masterpiece "Symphony No. 9" (Chorus). This work creates his ideal world. In December 1826, Beethoven suffered from a severe cold, which caused pulmonary edema. On March 26, 1827, Beethoven finally breathed his last breath due to liver disease.

Before he died, there was a sudden storm and thunder, and it seemed that even God was mourning the death of this great musician! Beethoven's funeral was very grand. More than 20,000 people followed the coffin automatically, and next to his tomb was Schubert's grave. . Never married. There was a funeral on the 29th, with 20,000 mourners, and the body was buried in St. Max Cemetery.

The composer only stayed on earth for 57 years and completed more than one hundred works in his lifetime. His major works include 9 symphonies; dozens of orchestral pieces ("Egmont Overture" is the most famous); 5 piano concertos, one violin concerto; 5 other concertos; and 32 piano sonatas (Passionate, Moonlight, Pathétique, Dawn, The Tempest, etc. are the most famous); 80 pieces of chamber music; 1 opera "Fidelio"; 1 oratorio; 2 masses, etc.