Preview

How Did Beethoven Influence The French Revolution

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
331 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Did Beethoven Influence The French Revolution
The impressions of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) as a person, as discussed by Greenberg (2005), may lead one to believe he was a deeply troubled and conflicted individual, a great artist and. a product of his times. “There were, my friends, internal and external factors that shaped the development of Beethoven's music, personal issues on one hand, and societal issues on the other. He was, very simply, the right man at the right place at the right time. And his music gives voice and substance to that time, a rapidly changing revolutionary time, as very little else does” (L30, 14:48). An external factor that attributed to Beethoven’s situational influences was the French Revolution; “In 1789, when the French Revolution began, Beethoven was an impressionable, testosterone-filled eighteen and a half year old. Like so many young people of his generation, he was energized by the heady sense of change that the revolution engendered, and at …show more content…
He suffered abuse from his father and neglect from his mother thereby becoming a man with little respect for authority. During his late childhood, Beethoven became withdrawn from abuse; his musical talent notwithstanding was forcibly cultured in order for his father to take advantage of his prodigy. As an adult and no longer under his father’s control, Beethoven determinately cultivated his own talents. Beethoven’s contemporaries at the time considered him an arrogant ill-tempered genius. Inspired by his own emotional turmoil he went on to compose the most intense symphonies which sparked the beginning of the Romantic era. His anguish regarding his health and hearing loss caused him deep depression and suicidal thoughts. Deciding that he would somehow overcome his disability and go on living; he channeled his emotions and composed one of his most original and emotional pieces of music, which stands alone in its own category, his fifth

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Eroica movie describes Beethoven as an easily riled person who considers himself equal to the nobility of Austria and Hungary. It gives no hints of mental disorders or long periods of internal emotional conflict, beyond his amorous designs for the Countess. Solomon’s account provides more detail. At the Lobkowitz’s palace, the movie presents Count Dietrichstein as a reactionary naysayer, a pompous noble, who lacks an appreciation for Beethoven’s genius . However, Dietrichstein’s view is consistent with the standards of music that were widely held at the time. Looking back, it’s easy to judge someone for not recognizing a musical genius; however, no modern analyst spent their life inside the musical ecosystem of the eighteenth century.…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Beethoven had arrived in Vienna in 1792 to study composition with Haydn. Mozart and Hayden were the two most influential people on Beethoven’s musical style. In comparison Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven had a later start to writing symphony music at the age of…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although his music thrived during the Classical Age: he made great mistakes during his career that would leave several people in disbelief. His music was composed and performed so gracefully that it is almost impossible to mention the words “mistake” and “Beethoven” in the same sentence. As a result of acquiring fame at a young age Beethoven became so egotistic that he began to believe himself to be incapable of making mistakes, along with the rest of the world. Before he became exceptionally great he had mentors who were older that him who tried to teach him ways to become even more successful, but Beethoven ignored them. His arrogance and assumed superiority left Beethoven making the very mistake he thought he was incapable of. After ignoring the advice of his elders Beethoven continued to composed a series of unrevised string quartets that he played and was talked about for being “scandalous and incomprehensible” (Bergamini 48). This was a setback for him because it lowered his self-esteem and it took him a while to compose string quartets again. His downfall demonstrated that being a genius in certain areas does not make you a genius in all areas. He later revised the pieces and they became successful works of art. But, Beethoven had to learn from his mistakes to realize that he was capable of making…

    • 1282 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The greatest composer who ever lived was Ludwig van Beethoven. He knew music spoke to the heart, creating emotions, no other language could. Beethoven conveyed his feeling through the power of his music and wasn’t scared to enter unfamiliar territory when it came to his work. People weren’t used to the type of music he brilliantly composed during his time and succeeded against all odds when he lost his hearing. One of my favorite time periods was from 1803 through 1814 which was referred to as “the middle period”. This was a time period Beethoven experimented with his music leading him to change his composition style by incorporating more Romantic ideas leading him to compose songs like Symphony Number Three Eroica and One of my favorites Fifth Symphony.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ludwig von Beethoven: classical styles, orchestral arrangements, he became deaf but still played, composes nine…

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    These two composers had an element of their personal emotions in their music that served as creative inspiration. Haydn was said to have been a very pleasant and humorous, yet emotionally expressive person which was reflective in his upbeat and humorous compositions. Beethoven was said to have been very arrogant and had shown his mentor Haydn very little respect. Beethoven gradually became deaf and deeply depressed. In 1819, Beethoven’s deafness was total, yet he continued composing brilliant pieces of music. His scores have large amounts of corrections and changes; unfortunately his deafness forced him to rely on his memory of sound. As stated by Greenberg (2011): “We hear Haydn’s personality in his music: his joie de vivre, his emotional balance, and especially his marvelous sense of humor” (p 133). Ludwig Van Beethoven “an unhappy man of genius whose investment in the status quo-in the classical style-was minimal at best. Beethoven’s volcanic personal issues required an outlet, and that outlet was his music”…

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This paper provides insight to Beethoven’s own thoughts and an overview of information from many sources that overlap. In conclusion this paper nevertheless will show how Beethoven has been remembered…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    How Is Mozart Similar

    • 2389 Words
    • 10 Pages

    However, Beethoven’s anger sometimes got the best of him, and arguments would arise between his friends and himself. Beethoven was characterized as “often making honorable amends soon afterwards” (Hannah Salter, Beethoven Biography) Although Beethoven had friends or acquaintances in the musical realm, Beethoven preferred to be by himself with his music, or in nature. Beethoven was withdrawn and liked solitude early on in his life. Beethoven was also close to his two brothers.…

    • 2389 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Beethoven Accomplishments

    • 1541 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Accounts where provided by the neighbors of the small boy weeping while he played the clavier. Standing atop a footstool to reach the keys of the piano, his father would beat him for every time he had a hesitation or a small mistake. Beethoven was flogged, locked in the cellar and got deprived of sleep so he could more practice in, and this was on a daily basis. He also studied the violin and studied the clavier with his father, and had additional lessons from the organists around the town. Because or in spite of the fathers draconian methods, Beethoven was a talented musician from the early days and showed flashes of the creative imagination that would reach him farther than any of composer’s before or ever…

    • 1541 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Well said Nicholas, I have to say this particular case was a bit challenging for me. I personally did not mention his abusive parents that much in supporting the identification of his questionable mental health disorder, but I think that was brilliant to do so. In fact, it seemed that Beethoven began to act very similar to his abusive father, in his aggressive attitude, his substance abuse, and the poor relationships that he had created. It was also interesting how you incorporated the idea of Beethoven having schizophrenia, because that usually deals with an individual’s erratic way of thinking. Although, he did express erratic behavior which had me as well deciphering this diagnosis and lead me to the thought that manic or hypomanic episodes…

    • 188 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Beethoven Accomplishments

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Beethoven demonstrates his intense preoccupation with thinking artistically and intelligently about his music. His thought process would help mitigate man’s suffering by presenting man with musical artworks that could illuminate him, to become educated enough to pull himself out of his misery. He felt immediate, extreme haughtiness…

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Classical Music Era

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages

    He was born in Bonn, Germany in December of 1770, to a father that expected him to be like Mozart, his father was even known to be violent at times. His grandfather was a prosperous musician and a role model for young Beethoven. Beethoven wrote many popular Sonatas, Symphonies, Concertos, and other pieces for piano and orchestra. As Beethoven grew older, he became deaf, but still wrote music while growing deaf. Some of Beethoven’s most famous pieces include Moonlight Sonata or Quasi una fantasia, Fur Elise, Symphony no. 9 or Ode to Joy, and the very popular, Symphony no.5. Beethoven lived partly in the Classical period and partly in the romantic period. He died before he finished his 10th Symphony on March 26,…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Deaf Informative Speech

    • 1719 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Some say that his father beaten him in the head which caused him to lose his hearing. Beethoven says “My hearing has grown steadily worse over the last three years, which was said to e caused by the condition of my belly”. For two years, he avoided social gatherings because it seemed impossible for him to say ‘I am Deaf’. After a while, he accepted his deafness. His deafness did not stop him from creating the greatest symphonies in the world.…

    • 1719 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    performance practice

    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beethoven was widely known as a classical period composer, but he also regarded as a great adventure and a predecessor to Romantic period. His compositional career is usually divided into Early, Middle, and Late periods and the late period was from about 1815 till his death, and also undoubtedly recognized as a transition period from Classical period to Romantic period. This is a magic period that Beethoven created a great transition, like what he did in his composition for the next generation.…

    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ludwig Van Beethoven

    • 2104 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Beethoven's first music teacher was his father. Although tradition has it that Johann van Beethoven was a harsh instructor, and that the child Beethoven, "made to stand at the keyboard, was often in tears,"…

    • 2104 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays