0
Ludwig van Beethoven
Questions about the famous Classical-Romantic composer Ludwig van Beethoven, his music and his personal life.
1,178 Questions
Why Did Beethoven want to be a musician?
The main reason why Beethoven became a composer was because of his father's influence. Gifted already, the young Beethoven was forced into a strict regimen of practice, but it did not kill his love of music. He was a passionate and emotional man, who found expression through composition more than just through playing the music others had composed.
Did Beethoven play the guitar?
piano violin and the organ
Beethoven is known for his playing of music when he's deaf. He plays the piano. To hear the music, he feels the vibration through the top and bottom of the piano. That is how you always here a piano in a piece of music of his, or you watch him play it in old time movies.
violins ,and trumpets
Beethoven played mostly piano, organ and violin; whilst it is not as well known, he also played the viola. He also dabbled with other keyboard instruments like harpsichord and clavier.
When was beethoven's fifth symphony written?
the piece was composed from 1804 to 1808 and was first perfomred in
in Vienna's theater an der Wien December of 1808
Ludwig van Beethoven is noteworthy in the field of what?
Beethoven like to talk about Politics and conversation about the news of the day,he read the newspaper and smoked a pipe, he enjoyed other things outside of music aswell, he rode horses, took to the country and liked nature.He enjoyed eating out, his favorite food was fish. His adult life was not spent in all music, it seemed at times he would get burnt out, just like the rest of us,
What is the best piano song ever by Beethoven?
Beethoven best piano piece would not exist. Each piano piece he spent months to even years to perfect. Each one shows the signs of Beethoven expression. Nobody truly understands Beethoven. The suffering he went threw. I am Beethoven. Im Beethoven II because i am the only person who understands him.
When did Beethoven stop performing all around?
Beethoven didn't stop playing piano until the day he died :) Actually, on his death bed, he said to his wife, "Bring me a piano, that I may play one more tune before I pass on to the other side." And she did, so he was literally playing piano as he died.
The question of Beethoven's ethnicity began with the Nazis, who wanted to be certain the composer's music was "the essence of Germanic and Aryan strength." They did extensive research into birth records and found him "pure." However, modern writers have made the claim that Beethoven was, in fact, Mulatto, and many books have been written on the subject.
To begin the question of Beethoven's ethnicity, we must look at his parents and grandparents. Proponents of the "Beethoven was Black" concept point out that the composer was Flemish, and Flanders had been occupied by Spain for 200 years. It's true that Spain was home to a number of Moors (people, usually Muslims, of North African descent), but it does not mean everyone under the Spanish flag was Moorish. Beethoven's ancestry is well-documented. His father Johann was half Flemish, half German. His mother, Maria Magdalena Keverich, was the daughter of Heinrich Keverich, chief overseer of the kitchen at the palace of the Elector of Treves at Ehrenbreitstein, in Germany. Beethoven was only 1/4 Flemish. The rest of his family, including his mother, from whom proponents claim his African ancestry originated, were German and of well-to-do stock. The Flemish connection only means there is a possibility of Spanish and/or Moorish influence. A small chance. Less than a quarter.
There is the argument of Beethoven's features. His teacher, Haydn, was famously called a "blackamoor," yet portraits show he had only a red tinge to his pockmarked cheeks. Alexander W. Thayer, one of the foremost authorities on Beethoven says, "Beethoven had even more of the Moor in his features than his master, 'Haydn.'"
Beethoven's contemporaries described him as having "thick, bristly coal-black hair," a "flat, thick nose," large mouth, and what is described as alternately "ruddy" or "swarthy" complexion. In the middle of Teutonic Germany and Austria, where the average citizen had light skin, blue eyes, and blond hair, he must have made a striking, memorable presence. But what constitutes "swarthy" amongst such a population might not be what modern people consider "negroid." It just meant he was darker than the pale-skinned Germans. A Californian with a tan would have been classified as "swarthy."
It's obvious from the documented ancestry and many paintings that Beethoven was not "out of Africa," but there are some who claim his mother's family was from the Caribbean, where black slaves and Natives worked in the oversea trades. However, there is absolutely no evidence toward this claim, let alone a blood connection to African slaves. Although there is some credence to the argument that portraits were idealized, ancestral documents could have been faked, and the African and Arabic presence in Europe was suppressed by the Inquisition, a lack of undeniable evidence does not immediately prove the opposite.
The question was brought to modern science, but recent DNA evidence was inconclusive. For more information, please refer to the related link from the Washington Post.
The research team also said that future DNA analysis might answer lingering questions about Beethoven's ethnicity. As a young man, the dark-complexioned Beethoven sometimes was called "the Moor," and some historians have questioned whether he had African blood. Walsh said his analysis of the hair strands showed "no wrinkles or bends" typical among people of African descent, but that more tests may be conducted.
All that can be concluded about the matter of Beethoven's ethnicity is that the master of music was indeed "exotic" in looks. He might have been darker than his contemporaries, but calling Beethoven "Black" would be extremely misleading. In that day, even most people claiming to be "Moors" had lived in Europe for hundreds of years and only had darker hair to prove their ancestry. If you can call a person numerous generations removed from an African ancestor "Black," then maybe--maybe--Beethoven was Black. Just as a person whose family has lived in America for 500 years, but had an ancestor who sailed over as an African slave on a Dutch frigate, might call themselves Black.
There is an obvious bias to the contributors perspective on the ethnicity and Racial origins of Beethoven. One need only look at representations of Jesus Christ (blonde and blue eyed) and then read the Bible's description in Revelations describe him as having: hair like "white wool", feet that of "burnished bronze". St.Martin de Porres who lived in the 1500s was Black but today his likeness is often depicted with straight hair and white skin. Many things to consider when we speak about the perception and negation of our Race and identity.
Despite who his ancestors were, one only has to listen to the symphonies and concertos, music the deaf composer probably never heard except in his own mind, to know that he was a genius who, to this day, transcends time, age, gender, and ethnicity. Listen, don't look. Music is colorblind.
Music is an instrument but people are not nor are they color blind. Rather they are often biased towards anyone challenging socially accepted standards and Race is one factor that upholds certain privileged groups over others.
What are some of the titles of Ludwig van Beethoven?
Piano sonatas - No. 8 - Pathetique No. 12 - Funeral March No. 14 - Moonlight No. 15 - Pastorale No. 17 - Tempest No. 21 - Waldstein No. 23 - Appassionata No. 26 - Les Adieux No. 29 - Hammerklavier
What jobs did Ludwig van Beethoven have?
In 1833 he began as a choral directorin Wurzbur, Germany. Also in 1833 he wrote his 1st opera Die Feen (The Faries) and it was not shown until he died. In 1836 he got married to Minna Planner and she was a actress and singer. Altogether he made 13 operas and here are a few; Das Liebesverbot, Rienzi, Gotterdammerung and Dir Feen.
Who composed the piano concerto in A major k 488?
Most likely Mozart ... especially since the letter "k" is in the question. "K" stood for Koechel, the person who cataloged every piece Mozart wrote and assigned each composition its own unique number.
What is the third movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony theme called?
Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, is the third symphony written by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was originally entitled "Napoleon" because Beethoven admired Napoleon Bonaparte as a liberator of the oppressed and a great hero. Beethoven eventually recognised Bonaparte for what he was and changed the name to "Eroica" (A Great Man). Full title is - Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op. 55 "Eroica" "Op" is short for opus. Opus means work, so it is his 55th work. ---- == == Beethoven's Third Symphony was originally written in honor of Napoleon, but when Napoleon had himself crowned "Emperor," Beethoven was disgusted and changed the name to Eroica (Heroic). Beethoven's Third represents the beginning of his middle period, where he begins to understand and come to grips with his impending deafness. For some, Beethoven's Third also represents the end of the Classical period and the beginning of the Romantic period.
Changes in music from the late Renaissance to the late Baroque period?
By the late Baroque period instrumental music was commonplace and there was an emphasis on depicting string emotions but with strict rhythmic, dynamic, and metric rules. All of those things had just begun to develop in the late Renaissance. Also, the Baroque period had Opera.
Did Beethoven die of tuberculosis?
No. Tests have recently confirmed that Beethoven died as a result of lead poisoning. This was attested to by the fact that he suffered from stomach ailments for much of his life, another sign of lead poisoning.
It is not known what caused Beethoven's exposure to lead poisoning for so much of his life. There is speculation that, because he was a fairly heavy drinker, he perhaps drank from lead cups. Another alternative is that, because he had consulted so many doctors for his various ailments, lead exposure may have come from the many medical treatments he received which, in his time, were often laced with heavy metals.
Controversy continues over this. Some ideas are that he died from the complications of a chill, kidney failure, and lead poisoning. The latter theory is receiving much attention with new testing procedures possible on Beethoven's hair.
What instruments are used in symphony 2 by Beethoven?
Symphony 2 in D major, Opus 36 was composed between 1801-02. This symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, two horns in D and E, two trumpets in D, timpani and strings. It doesn't include piccolo flute or contrabassoon as in his later symphonies.
What is Beethoven doing in his grave?
False! Unlike Mozart, who was buried in a common grave (as was the custom at the time), 20,000 Viennese citizens lined the streets at Beethoven's funeral on 29 March 1827. Franz Schubert was a torch bearer. Beethoven was buried in the Währing cemetery, west of Vienna. His remains were moved in 1888 to Vienna's Zentralfriedhof
Beethoven's temperament could be best described as?
Words to describe Beethoven's temperament:
- volatile
- passionate
- erratic
Did beethoven wrote Requiem for a dream?
No, he did not. You can often hear that "Requiem for a dream" soundtrack is in fact "Summer Overture" written by Mozart but in fact there is no such Mozart's composition like "Summer Overture." Soundtrack for "Requiem for a dream" was composed by Clint Mansell.
And no, it also is NOT remix of any Richard Wagner piece. "Requiem for a dream theme," "Lux aeterna," "Summer overture" or whatever you call it was composed in the late 90's by CLINT MANSELL.
What was the name of Beethoven's girl friend?
It was rumoured that Ludwig van Beethoven dated and/or slept with Johanna Reiss, a prostitute who later married Ludwig's younger brother, Caspar-Carl. It has sometimes even been suggested that Ludwig fathered his brother's son, Karl which was the reason why he was so desperate for custody after his brother's death.
What nickname was given to Beethoven's fourth symphony?
Unlike several other of Beethoven's symphonies, his 4th did not have a nickname.
Beethoven was handicapped because?
Beethoven overcame his disability by remembering music and notes from before he became deaf. He was a famous pianist and a respected composer before the deafness set in.
Mozart is remembered today as?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was a composer of classical music.
Romantic.
The answer given doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the Symphony's complexity. It is both Classical and Romantic. It maintains some of the Classical disciplines that dictate how one may compose a symphony, but it also abandons some of these disciplines and pushes the boundaries greatly on the Classical Style and intent so that Beethoven is better able to express his innermost feelings.
What was Beethoven's father name?
Beethoven's father was not well known as a musician. He was employed as a musician in the court of the Elector of Cologne, as had Beethoven's grandfather who was very talented. Neither of them achieved what would be considered fame.
Beethoven's father has achieved more notoriety through his allegedly cruel and domineering behavior towards his young son, whose talent he tried to exploit. Beethoven's father was a court musician, an alcoholic, and he tried to exploit his son's talent.
