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Beethoven Family
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era. His early period, during which he forged his craft, is typically considered to have lasted until 1802. From 1802 to around 1812, his middle period showed an individual development from the styles of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is sometimes characterised as heroic. During this time, Beethoven began to grow increasingly deaf. In his late period, from 1812 to 1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and expression. Born in Bonn, Beethoven displayed his musical talent at a young age. He was initially taught intensively by his father, Johann van Beethoven, and later by Christian Gottlob Neefe. Under Neefe's tutelage in 1783, he published his fir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beethoven With The Manuscript Of The Missa Solemnis
''Beethoven with the Manuscript of the Missa Solemnis'' is a portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, completed in 1820. It shows Beethoven holding a manuscript of his ''Missa solemnis (Beethoven), Missa solemnis''. The painting is held by the Beethoven-Haus in Germany. Variations on the portrait were produced by, among others, Josef Kriehuber and Andy Warhol. Description The portrait is in oil on canvas and shows Beethoven in a deep blue frock coat with a large white collar and red scarf. His grey hair is "unruly, essentially uncombable". He holds the manuscript of his ''Missa solemnis (Beethoven), Missa solemnis'' and appears to be writing. In the background is a grape arbor (garden), arbour. The portrait is .Be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opus Number
In music, the opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a musical composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's publication of that work. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among compositions with similar titles; the word is abbreviated as "Op." for a single work, or "Opp." when referring to more than one work. Opus numbers do not necessarily indicate chronological order of composition. For example, posthumous publications of a composer's juvenilia are often numbered after other works, even though they may be some of the composer's first completed works. To indicate the specific place of a given work within a music catalogue, the opus number is paired with a cardinal number; for example, Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor (1801, nicknamed ''Moonlight Sonata'') is "Opus 27, No. 2", whose work-number identifies it as a companion piece to "Opus 27, No. 1" ( Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major, 1800 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late String Quartets (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's late string quartets are: :*Opus 127: String Quartet No. 12 in E major (1825) :*Opus 130: String Quartet No. 13 in B major (1825) :*Opus 131: String Quartet No. 14 in C minor (1826) :*Opus 132: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor (1825) :*Opus 133: '' Große Fuge'' in B major (1825; originally the finale to Op. 130; it also exists in a piano four-hands transcription, Op. 134) :*Opus 135: String Quartet No. 16 in F major (1826) These six works are Beethoven's last major completed compositions. Extremely complex and largely misunderstood by musicians and audiences of Beethoven's day, the late quartets are now widely considered to be among the greatest musical compositions of all time, and have inspired many later composers. Overview Prince Nikolai Galitzin commissioned the first three quartets (12, 13 and 15) and in a letter dated 9 November 1822, offered to pay Beethoven "what you think proper" for them. Beethoven replied on 25 January 1823 with his price ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Choral Symphony
A choral symphony is a musical composition for orchestra, choir, and sometimes solo (music), solo vocalists that, in its internal workings and overall musical architecture, adheres broadly to symphony, symphonic musical form. The term "choral symphony" in this context was coined by Hector Berlioz when he described his ''Roméo et Juliette (Berlioz), Roméo et Juliette'' as such in his five-paragraph introduction to that work."Avant-Propos de l'auteur", Reiter-Biedermann's vocal score (Winterthur, 1858), p. 1. As quoted in The direct antecedent for the choral symphony is Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven), Ninth Symphony. Beethoven's Ninth incorporates part of the ode ''An die Freude'' ("Ode to Joy"), a poem by Friedrich Schiller, with text sung by soloists and chorus in the last movement. It is the first example of a major composer's use of the human voice on the same level as instruments in a symphony. A few 19th-century composers, notably Felix Mendelssohn and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Missa Solemnis (Beethoven)
The Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123, is a Solemn Mass composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819 to 1823. It was first performed on 7 April 1824 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, under the auspices of Beethoven's patron Prince Nikolai Golitsyn; an incomplete performance was given in Vienna on 7 May 1824, when the Kyrie, Credo, and Agnus Dei were conducted by the composer. It is generally considered one of the composer's supreme achievements and, along with Bach's Mass in B minor, one of the most significant Mass settings of the common practice period. Written around the same time as his Ninth Symphony, it is Beethoven's second setting of the Mass, after his Mass in C major, Op. 86. The work was dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of Austria, archbishop of Olomouc, Beethoven's foremost patron as well as pupil and friend. The copy presented to Rudolf was inscribed "Von Herzen—Möge es wieder—Zu Herzen gehn!" ("From the heart – may it return to the heart!") History Comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fidelio
''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly. The opera premiered at Vienna's Theater an der Wien on 20 November 1805. The following year, Beethoven's friend Stephan von Breuning (librettist), Stephan von Breuning rewrote the libretto, shortening the work from three acts to two. After further work on the libretto by Georg Friedrich Treitschke, a final version was performed at the Theater am Kärntnertor, Kärntnertortheater on 23 May 1814. As these libretto revisions were going on, Beethoven was also revising some of the music. By convention, only the final version is called ''Fidelio'', and the others are referred to as ''Leonore''. The libretto tells how Leonore, disguised as a prison guard named "Fidelio", Rescue opera, rescues her husband Florestan from death ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Piano Sonatas (Beethoven)
The late piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven usually refer to the last five piano sonatas the composer composed during his late period. * Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101 * Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 ''"Hammerklavier"'' * Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 * Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110 * Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 Some compilations may include Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 as one of Beethoven's late piano sonatas. Recordings Complete cycle: *Claudio Arrau ( Philips Classics) * Vladimir Ashkenazy ( Decca Classics) * Wilhelm Backhaus ( Decca Classics) *Daniel Barenboim (3 recordings: 2 on Deutsche Grammophon, 1 on EMI Classics) * Alfred Brendel (3 recordings: 2 on Philips Classics, reissued on Decca Classics; 1 earlier set on Vox, reissued by Brilliant Classics) * Annie Fischer (Hungaroton) * Claude Frank (Music and Arts) * Walter Gieseking * Seonuk Gim (Accentus Music) * Richard Goode (Nonesuch) * Glenn Gould (3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chamber Music
Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers, with one performer to a part (in contrast to orchestral music, in which each string part is played by a number of performers). However, by convention, it usually does not include solo instrument performances. Because of its intimate nature, chamber music has been described as "the music of friends". For more than 100 years, chamber music was played primarily by amateur musicians in their homes, and even today, when chamber music performance has migrated from the home to the concert hall, many musicians, amateur and professional, still play chamber music for their own pleasure. Playing chamber music requires special skills, both musical and social, that differ from the skills required for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Immortal Beloved
The Immortal Beloved (German "Unsterbliche Geliebte") is the addressee of a love letter which composer Ludwig van Beethoven wrote on 6 or 7 July 1812 in Teplitz (then in the Austrian Empire, now in the Czech Republic). The unsent letter is written in pencil on 10 small pages. It was found in the composer's estate following his death and is now in the Berlin State Library. Beethoven did not specify a year or a location. In the 1950s an analysis of the paper's watermark yielded the year, and by extension the place of the letter. Scholars disagree about the intended recipient of the letter. Two people favored by most contemporary scholars are Antonie Brentano and Josephine Brunsvik. (Other possibilities include Johanna van Beethoven, Julie ("Giulietta") Guicciardi, Therese Brunsvik, Amalie Sebald, Dorothea von Ertmann, Therese Malfatti, Anna Maria Erdődy, and Bettina von Arnim.) Text analysis After Schmidt-Görg (1957) published 13 then-unknown love letters by Beethov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heiligenstadt Testament
The Heiligenstadt Testament is a letter written by Ludwig van Beethoven to his brothers Carl and Johann at Heiligenstadt on 6 October 1802. It reflects his despair over his increasing deafness, even his contemplation of suicide, and his continued desire to overcome his physical and emotional ailments to complete his artistic destiny. Beethoven kept the document among his private papers and probably never showed it to anyone. It was discovered in March 1827, after Beethoven's death, by Anton Schindler and Stephan von Breuning, who had it published the following October. While Carl's name appears in the appropriate places, blank spaces are left where Johann's name should appear (as in the upper right corner of the accompanying image). There have been several suggestions for this, ranging from Beethoven's uncertainty as to whether Johann's full name (Nikolaus Johann) should be used on this quasi-legal document, to his mixed feelings of attachment to his brothers, to transference ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archduke Rudolf Of Austria
Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainier, Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Cardinal-Archbishop of Olomouc (8 January 1788 – 24 July 1831), was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine The House of Habsburg-Lorraine () originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Habsburg monarchy, Austria, later successively List of Bohemian monarchs, Queen ..., and an Austrian Empire, Austrian clergyman and noble. He was consecrated as List of bishops and archbishops of Olomouc, Archbishop of Olomouc (Olmütz) in 1819 and became cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal in the same year. Rudolph is known for his patronage of the arts, most notably as sponsor of Ludwig van Beethoven, who dedicated several of his works to him. Biography Born in the Pitti Palace in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Tuscany, he was the youngest son of Emperor Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold II and Maria Louis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piano Concerto No
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an action mechanism where hammers strike strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a chromatic scale in equal temperament. A musician who specializes in piano is called a pianist. There are two main types of piano: the grand piano and the upright piano. The grand piano offers better sound and more precise key control, making it the preferred choice when space and budget allow. The grand piano is also considered a necessity in venues hosting skilled pianists. The upright piano is more commonly used because of its smaller size and lower cost. When a key is depressed, the strings inside are struck by felt-coated wooden hammers. The vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a soundboard that amplifies the sound by coupling the acoustic energy to the air. When the key is released, a damper stops the string's vibration, ending the sound. Most not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
