Ludwig van Beethoven reviews, music, news

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Ludwig van Beethoven

Classical

The events of Beethoven's life are the stuff of Romantic legend, evoking images of the solitary creator shaking his fist at Fate and finally overcoming it through a supreme effort of creative will. Born in the small German city of Bonn on or around December 16, 1770, he received his early training from his father and other local musicians. As a teenager, he earned some money as an assistant to his teacher, Christian Gottlob Neefe, then was granted half of his father's salary as court musician from the Electorate of Cologne in order to care for his two younger brothers as his father gave in to ...read more

The events of Beethoven's life are the stuff of Romantic legend, evoking images of the solitary creator shaking his fist at Fate and finally overcoming it through a supreme effort of creative will. Born in the small German city of Bonn on or around December 16, 1770, he received his early training from his father and other local musicians. As a teenager, he earned some money as an assistant to his teacher, Christian Gottlob Neefe, then was granted half of his father's salary as court musician from the Electorate of Cologne in order to care for his two younger brothers as his father gave in to alcoholism. Beethoven played viola in various orchestras, becoming friends with other players such as Antoine Reicha, Nikolaus Simrock, and Franz Ries, and began taking on composition commissions. As a member of the court chapel orchestra, he was able to travel some and meet members of the nobility, one of whom, Count Ferdinand Waldstein, would become a great friend and patron to him. Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 to study with Haydn; despite the prickliness of their relationship, Haydn's concise humor helped form Beethoven's style. His subsequent teachers in composition were Johann Georg Albrechtsberger and Antonio Salieri. In 1794, he began his career in earnest as a pianist and composer, taking advantage whenever he could of the patronage of others. Around 1800, Beethoven began to notice his gradually encroaching deafness. His growing despondency only intensified his antisocial tendencies. However, the Symphony No. 3, "Eroica," of 1803 began a sustained period of groundbreaking creative triumph. In later years, Beethoven was plagued by personal difficulties, including a series of failed romances and a nasty custody battle over a nephew, Karl. Yet after a long period of comparative compositional inactivity lasting from about 1811 to 1817, his creative imagination triumphed once again over his troubles. Beethoven's late works, especially the last five of his 16 string quartets and the last four of his 32 piano sonatas, have an ecstatic quality in which many have found a mystical significance. Beethoven died in Vienna on March 26, 1827.Beethoven's epochal career is often divided into early, middle, and late periods, represented, respectively, by works based on Classic-period models, by revolutionary pieces that expanded the vocabulary of music, and by compositions written in a unique, highly personal musical language incorporating elements of contrapuntal and variation writing while approaching large-scale forms with complete freedom. Though certainly subject to debate, these divisions point to the immense depth and multifariousness of Beethoven's creative personality. Beethoven profoundly transformed every genre he touched, and the music of the nineteenth century seems to grow from his compositions as if from a chrysalis. A formidable pianist, he moved the piano sonata from the drawing room to the concert hall with such ambitious and virtuosic middle-period works as the "Waldstein" (No. 21) and "Appassionata" (No. 23) sonatas. His song cycle An die ferne Geliebte of 1816 set the pattern for similar cycles by all the Romantic song composers, from Schubert to Wolf. The Romantic tradition of descriptive or "program" music began with Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony No. 6. Even in the second half of the nineteenth century, Beethoven still directly inspired both conservatives (such as Brahms, who, like Beethoven, fundamentally stayed within the confines of Classical form) and radicals (such as Wagner, who viewed the Ninth Symphony as a harbinger of his own vision of a total art work, integrating vocal and instrumental music with the other arts). In many ways revolutionary, Beethoven's music remains universally appealing because of its characteristic humanism and dramatic power. « hide

LPs

String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135
1826

4
14 Votes

String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132
1825

4.7
21 Votes

String Quartet No. 13 in B♭ major, Op. 130
1825

4.6
16 Votes

String Quartet No. 14 in C♯ minor, Op. 131
1825

4.4
27 Votes

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
1824

4.6
522 Votes

String Quartet No.12 E-flat Major,Op127
1824

3.8
13 Votes

Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120
1823

4.3
9 Votes

Missa solemnis, Op. 123
1823

4
15 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
1822

4.3
21 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 31 in A♭ major, Op. 110
1821

3.9
19 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
1820

4
20 Votes

"Hammerklavier" Piano Sonata No. 29 in B♭ major, Op. 106
1818

4.5
25 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101
1816

3.6
13 Votes

Violin Sonata No. 10, Op. 96
1816

4
1 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
1815

4.1
17 Votes

Fidelio, Op. 72
1814

3.6
9 Votes

Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93
1814

4
66 Votes

Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
1813

4.4
147 Votes

Mass in C Major, Op. 86
1812

3.3
3 Votes

Piano Trio, Op. 97
1811

4.3
9 Votes

"Serioso" String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95
1810

4.2
10 Votes

"Les Adieux" Piano Sonata No. 26 in E♭ major, Op. 81a
1810

3.8
12 Votes

Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 "Emperor"
1809

4.3
50 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 24 in F♯ major, Op. 78
1809

3.7
11 Votes

Piano Trios, Op. 70
1809

4
5 Votes

String Quartet No.10 E-flat Major, Op.74
1809

4
8 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major, Op. 79
1809

3.5
10 Votes

"Pastoral" Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68
1808

4.4
113 Votes

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
1808

4.5
252 Votes

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
1808

4.1
18 Votes

Symphony No. 4 in B♭, Op. 60
1807

3.8
48 Votes

"Appassionata" Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57
1807

4.5
40 Votes

String Quartet No.8 E Minor, Op.59, No.2
1806

4.1
8 Votes

String Quartet No.7 F Major, Op.59, No.1
1806

4.1
9 Votes

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
1806

4.4
17 Votes

String Quartet No.9 C major, Op.59, No.3
1806

4.1
8 Votes

Symphony No. 3 in E♭ “Eroica” Op. 55
1805

4.3
103 Votes

Piano Sonata No.19 G Minor, Op.49, No.1
1805

3.1
7 Votes

Piano Sonata No.20 G Major, Op.49, No.2
1805

3
7 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Op. 54
1804

3.7
11 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53
1804

4.3
24 Votes

Christus am Ölberge, Op. 85
1804

3.5
4 Votes

Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56
1804

3.6
9 Votes

Piano Concerto No.3 in C Minor, Op.37
1803

3.9
14 Votes

Violin Sonata No.9 in A major, Op.47
1803

4.5
12 Votes

Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36
1803

3.5
55 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31-No.1
1802

3.7
8 Votes

Violin Sonata No.6-7-8, Op.30 No.1-2-3
1802

4
5 Votes

Piano Sonata Nos. 16-18, Op. 31
1802

4.1
7 Votes

Piano Sonata No.17 D Minor, Op.31, No.2
1802

4.3
9 Votes

Piano Sonata No18 E-flat Major,Op.31,No3
1802

3.5
7 Votes

"Pastorale" Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28
1801

3.7
11 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 13 in E♭ major, Op. 27, No. 1
1801

4
15 Votes

Piano Sonata No14 C-sharp minor,Op.27No2
1801

4.5
246 Votes

Piano Sonata No.12 A-flat major, Op.26
1801

4
10 Votes

The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43
1801

3.4
6 Votes

Piano Concerto No. 2 in B♭ major, Op. 19
1801

3.4
10 Votes

Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
1800

3.7
71 Votes

String Quartet No. 6 in B♭ major, Op. 18, No. 6
1800

3.4
7 Votes

String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18, No. 5
1800

3
7 Votes

String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4
1800

3.1
7 Votes

String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18, No. 3
1800

3.1
7 Votes

String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18, No. 2
1800

2.7
7 Votes

String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18, No. 1
1800

3.4
9 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 11 in B♭ major, Op. 22
1800

3.4
9 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14, No. 2
1799

3.4
9 Votes

Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20
1799

3.5
4 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14, No. 1
1799

3.7
13 Votes

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
1798

3.7
19 Votes

"Pathétique" Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13
1798

4.3
90 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10, No. 3
1798

3.7
11 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10, No. 2
1798

3.4
10 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10, No. 1
1798

3.6
28 Votes

Three String Trios, Op. 9
1798

3.9
5 Votes

String Trio No.2 in D major, Op.8
1797

2.9
5 Votes

"Grand" Piano Sonata No. 4 in E♭ major, Op. 7
1797

3.7
15 Votes

Piano Trio, Op. 11
1797

2.7
5 Votes

Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16
1796

3.2
6 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, No. 3
1795

3.8
27 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2, No. 2
1795

3.3
29 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1
1795

3.4
35 Votes

Piano Trio No. 1-2-3, Op.1
1795

3.3
3 Votes

String Trio No. 1 in E♭ major Op. 3
1794

3.3
6 Votes

Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II, WoO 87
1790

3.1
5 Votes

WoO 88: Cantata - Accession of Emperor Leopold II
1790

3.1
4 Votes

EPs

Große Fuge, Op. 133
1825

4.6
25 Votes

Bagatelles, Op. 126
1825

4.1
7 Votes

Bagatelles, Op. 119
1823

3.9
7 Votes

Die Weihe des Hauses, Op.124
1822

3.5
3 Votes

Fugue for String Quintet in D major, Op. 137
1817

2.3
4 Votes

Cello Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1
1815

3.9
4 Votes

Cello Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2
1815

4.5
4 Votes

Wellington's Victory, Op. 91
1813

2.7
10 Votes

The Ruins of Athens
1811

3.5
1 Votes

Egmont, Op. 84
1810

3.9
9 Votes

Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor "Für Elise", WoO 59
1810

3.9
45 Votes

Fantasia in G minor, Op. 77
1809

3.4
4 Votes

Variations on the "Turkish March" Op. 76
1809

2.9
5 Votes

Choral Fantasy, Op. 80
1808

4.1
6 Votes

Cello Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69
1808

3.9
4 Votes

Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
1807

4
1 Votes

32 Variations in C Minor, WoO 80
1806

3.7
6 Votes

Leonore Overture No. 2, Op. 72a
1805

3.5
1 Votes

Violin Romance No. 2 in F major, Op. 50
1805

3.3
6 Votes

Violin Romance No. 1 in G major, Op. 40
1803

3.4
5 Votes

Bagatelles, Op. 33
1803

3.7
5 Votes

6 Variations on an Original Theme in F, Op.34
1802

3.9
4 Votes

Eroica Variations Op. 35
1802

3.6
4 Votes

Violin Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
1801

3.9
4 Votes

Violin Sonata No.5 in F major, Op.24
1801

4.1
7 Votes

Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12, No. 1
1798

3.4
5 Votes

Violin Sonata No.2 A Major, Op.12, No.2
1798

3.1
5 Votes

Violin Sonata No. 3 in E♭ major, Op.12, 3
1798

3.4
5 Votes

Rage Over a Lost Penny in G Major, Op. 129
1798

3.3
5 Votes

Sonata for Piano, Four Hands in D major Op. 6
1797

3
4 Votes

WoO 43/44: Sonatina for mandolin and harpsichord
1796

3.1
4 Votes

Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2, Op. 5
1796

3.6
6 Votes

Piano Sonata No. 19 in G Major, Op. 49
1796

3.5
1 Votes

Three piano quartets, WoO 36
1785

3.4
5 Votes

Three Early Piano Sonatas, WoO 47,
1783

3.1
5 Votes

Nine Variations on a March by Dressler, WoO 63
1782

3
5 Votes

Compilations

Very Best of Beethoven
2005

3.8
3 Votes

Herbert von Karajan: The Nine Symphonies
1963

4.8
5 Votes

Complete Piano Sonatas
1858

4.5
5 Votes

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