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Ludwig van Beethoven
December 16, 1770 - March 26, 1827
born in Bonn, Germany, composed during the Romantic period
born in Bonn, Germany, composed during the Romantic period
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. ~ All Music Guide, Rovi
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. ~ All Music Guide, Rovi
Selected Discography
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Track List: A Beethoven Piano Weekend
Title: Piano Sonata No. 14 In C Sharp Minor ("Moonlight"), Op. 27/2
Title: Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor ("Appassionata"), Op. 57
Title: Ecossaises (6) For Piano, WoO 83 (spurious)
Title: Rondo A Capriccio For Piano In G Major ("Rage Over A Lost Penny"), Op. 129
Title: Rondo For Piano In C Major, WoO 48
Title: Rondo For Piano In G Major, Op. 51/2
Title: Bagatelle For Piano In A Minor ("Für Elise"), Woo 59
Title: Andante For Piano In F Major ("Andante Favori") Woo 57
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Track List: A Perspective Of Beethoven-Pianoforte
Title: Variations (32) On An Original Theme For Piano In C Minor, Woo 80
Title: Bagatelles (6) For Piano, Op. 126
x
Track List: Adagio Beethoven
x
Track List: Beethoven
Title: Piano Sonata No. 3 In C Major, Op. 2/3
Title: Piano Sonata No. 21 In C Major ("Waldstein"), Op. 53
Title: Andante For Piano In F Major ("Andante Favori") Woo 57
Title: Rondo A Capriccio For Piano In G Major ("Rage Over A Lost Penny"), Op. 129
x
Track List: Beethoven - Symphonies 1-9 · Overtures / London Classical Players · Sir Roger Norrington
Disc 1
Title: Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21
Title: Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major ("Eroica"), Op. 55
Title: Die Geschöpfe Des Prometheus (The Creatures Of Prometheus), Ballet, Op. 43
Disc 2
Title: Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36
Title: Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93
Title: Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Title: Egmont, Incidental Music, Op. 84
Disc 3
Title: Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major, Op. 60
Title: Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92
Disc 4
Title: Symphony No. 5 In C Minor ("Fate"), Op. 67
Title: Symphony No. 6 In F Major ("Pastoral"), Op. 68
Disc 5
Title: Symphony No. 9 In D Minor ("Choral"), Op. 125
x
Track List: Beethoven Lieder
Title: Songs (8) For Voice & Piano, Op. 52
Title: Songs (6) For Voice & Piano, Op. 75
Title: Songs (3) (Goethe) For Voice & Piano, Op. 83
Title: Songs (6) For Voice & Piano, Op. 48
Title: Adelaide, Song For Voice & Piano, Op. 46
Title: Andenken, Song For Voice & Piano, Woo 136
Title: Songs (6) For Voice & Piano, Op. 75
Title: Lied Aus Der Ferne ("Als Mir Noch Die Träne"), For Voice & Piano, Woo 137
Title: Sehnsucht ("Die Stille Nacht Undunkelt"), Song For Voice & Piano, Woo 146
Title: Der Wachtelschlag, Song For Voice & Piano ("Ach, Mir Schallt's Dorten"), Woo 129
Title: An Die Hoffnung (II), Song For Voice & Piano, Op. 94
Title: Der Kuss (The Kiss), Arietta For Voice & Piano, Op. 128
Title: Songs (8) For Voice & Piano, Op. 52
Title: Abendlied Unterm Gestirnten Himmel, Song For Voice & Piano, Woo 150
Title: Resignation ("Lisch Aus, Mein Licht"), Song For Voice & Piano, Woo 149
Title: Zärtliche Liebe, Song For Voice & Piano, Woo 123
Title: In Questa Tomba Oscura, Arietta For Voice And Piano (Or Orchestra), Woo 133
x
Track List: Beethoven Rarities
Title: Adagio For Piano & Mandolin In E Flat Major, Woo 43/2
Title: Sonatina In C Major Woo 44 No. 1
Title: Sonatina In C Minor Woo 43 No. 1
Title: Andante And Variations For Mandolin & Piano In D Major, Woo 44/2
Title: National Airs (6) With Variations For Flute/violin & Piano, Op. 105
Title: German Dances (6) For Violin & Piano, Woo 42
x
Track List: Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Piano Concerto No. 4
Title: Symphony No. 5 In C Minor ("Fate"), Op. 67
Title: Piano Concerto No. 4 In G Major, Op. 58
x
Track List: Beethoven Violin Concerto - Kreutzer Sonata
Disc 1
Title: Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 61
Disc 2
Title: Sonata For Violin & Piano No. 9 In A Major ("Kreutzer"), Op. 47
x
Track List: Beethoven for All - Music of Power, Passion & Beauty
Disc 1
Title: Symphony No. 5 In C Minor ("Fate"), Op. 67
Title: Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major ("Eroica"), Op. 55
Title: Piano Concerto No. 5 In E Flat Major ("Emperor"), Op. 73
Title: Piano Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Op. 15
Title: Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor ("Appassionata"), Op. 57
Title: Symphony No. 6 In F Major ("Pastoral"), Op. 68
Title: Piano Concerto No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 37
Title: Piano Concerto No. 4 In G Major, Op. 58
Disc 2
Title: Piano Sonata No. 14 In C Sharp Minor ("Moonlight"), Op. 27/2
Title: Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93
Title: Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor ("Pathétique"), Op. 13
Title: Symphony No. 6 In F Major ("Pastoral"), Op. 68
Title: Piano Concerto No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 37
Title: Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92
Title: Symphony No. 9 In D Minor ("Choral"), Op. 125
x
Track List: Beethoven: Bagatelles
x
Track List: Beethoven: Bagatelles & Dances, Vol. 3
Title: Rondo A Capriccio For Piano In G Major ("Rage Over A Lost Penny"), Op. 129
Title: Andante For Piano In F Major ("Andante Favori") Woo 57
Title: German Dances (2) In F Major & F Minor, For Piano, Hess 67
Title: Rondo For Piano In C Major, Op. 51/1
Title: Rondo For Piano In G Major, Op. 51/2
Title: Rondo For Piano In A Major, WoO 49
Title: Minuets (12) For Orchestra, Woo 7
x
Track List: Beethoven: Bagatelles Op.33, Op.119, Op.126
Title: Bagatelles (7) For Piano, Op. 33
Title: Bagatelles (11) For Piano, Op. 119
Title: Bagatelles (6) For Piano, Op. 126
x
Track List: Beethoven: Bagatelles and Dances, Vol. 2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Cello Sonatas Op. 5, Nos. 1 & 2
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Cello Sonatas Op. 69 & 102; Variations
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In G Major On Handel's "See, The Conqu'ring Hero Comes," WoO 45
x
Track List: Beethoven: Cello Sonatas Op. 69, Op. 102 Nos. 1 & 2
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Cellosonaten, Op. 5; Variations
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In F Major On Mozart's "Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen," Op. 66
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In E Flat Major On Mozart's "Bei Männern," WoO 46
x
Track List: Beethoven: Chamber Music
Disc 1
Title: Piano Quartet No. 1 In E Flat Major, Woo 36/1
Title: Piano Quartet No. 2 In D Major, Woo 36/2
Title: Piano Quartet No. 3 In C Major, Woo 36/3
Disc 2
Title: Trio For Piano, Flute & Bassoon In G Major, WoO 37
Title: Sonata For Horn & Piano In F Major, Op. 17
Title: Sextet For 2 Horns & String Quartet In E Flat Major, Op. 81b
Disc 3
Title: Quintet For Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn & Bassoon In E Flat Major, Op. 16
Title: Serenade For Flute, Violin & Viola In D Major, Op. 25
Title: Sonatina For Mandolin & Piano In C Minor, WoO 43/1
Title: Adagio For Piano & Mandolin In E Flat Major, Woo 43/2
Title: Sonatina For Mandolin & Piano In C Major, WoO 44/1
Title: Andante And Variations For Mandolin & Piano In D Major, Woo 44/2
Disc 4
Title: Trio for clarinet (or violin), cello & piano No. 4 in B flat major ("Gassenhauer"), Op. 11
Title: Septet For Strings & Woodwinds In E Flat Major, Op. 20
Title: Fugue For String Quintet In D Major, Op. 137
Disc 5
Title: String Quintet In C Major ("Storm"), Op. 29
Title: Prelude And Fugue For 2 Violins & Cello In E Minor, Hess 29
Title: Minuets (6) For 2 Violins & Double Bass, WoO 9
Title: Duo For Viola & Cello In E Flat Major ("With Two Eyeglasses Obbligato"), WoO 32
Title: Ländler (6) For 2 Violins & Double Bass, WoO 15
Title: Duet For 2 Violins In A Major, WoO 34
Title: Canon In 2 Parts In A Major, WoO 35
Disc 6
Title: National Airs (6) With Variations For Flute/violin & Piano, Op. 105
Title: National Airs (10) With Variations For Flute/violin & Piano, Op. 107
Title: Duo For 2 Flutes (or Flute & Violin) In G Major, WoO 26
x
Track List: Beethoven: Complete Music for Piano and Violoncello
Disc 1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In G Major On Handel's "See, The Conqu'ring Hero Comes," WoO 45
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2
Title: Sonata For Horn & Piano In F Major, Op. 17
Disc 2
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In F Major On Mozart's "Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen," Op. 66
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In E Flat Major On Mozart's "Bei Männern," WoO 46
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Title: Piano Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2/1
Title: Piano Sonata No. 2 In A Major, Op. 2/2
Title: Piano Sonata No. 3 In C Major, Op. 2/3
x
Track List: Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano & Cello
Disc 1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1
Disc 2
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In E Flat Major On Mozart's "Bei Männern," WoO 46
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In F Major On Mozart's "Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen," Op. 66
x
Track List: Beethoven: Complete Works for Piano & Cello
Disc 1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In F Major On Mozart's "Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen," Op. 66
Disc 2
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In G Major On Handel's "See, The Conqu'ring Hero Comes," WoO 45
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2
Title: Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1
Title: Variations For Cello & Piano In E Flat Major On Mozart's "Bei Männern," WoO 46
x
Track List: Beethoven: Dance
Title: Gratulations-Menuet For Orchestra In E Flat Major, WoO 3
Title: Contredanses (12) For Orchestra, Woo14
Title: Minuets (12) For Orchestra, Woo 7
Title: Musik Zu Einem Ritterballet (Music For A Ballet Of Knights), WoO 1
Title: German Dances (12) For Orchestra, Woo 8
Title: Triumphal March In C For "Tarpeja," For Orchestra, WoO 2a
x
Track List: Beethoven: Diabelli Variations
Title: 33 Variations On A Waltz By Diabelli Op. 120
x
Track List: Beethoven: Fidelio
Disc 1
Title: Fidelio, Opera, Op. 72
Disc 2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Fidelio / Halasz
Disc 1
Disc 2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Folksong Settings
Disc 1
Title: Scottish Songs (25) for voices & piano trio, Op. 108
Disc 2
Title: Irish Songs (25) for voice & piano trio, WoO 152
Disc 3
Title: Irish Songs (20) for voice & piano trio, WoO 153
Disc 4
Title: Irish Songs (12) for voice & piano trio, WoO 154
Title: Songs (12) of Various Nationality for voice & piano trio, WoO 157
Disc 5
Title: Welsh Songs (26) for voice(s) & piano trio WoO 155
Disc 6
Title: Scottish Songs (12) for voices & piano trio, WoO 156
Title: British Folk Songs (7) for voice & piano trio, WoO 158b
Title: Songs (6) of Various Nationality for voice & piano trio, WoO 158c
Disc 7
Title: Songs (23) of Various Nationality for voice & piano trio, WoO 158a
x
Track List: Beethoven: Mass in C
Title: Mass For Soloists, Chorus & Orchestra In C Major, Op. 86
x
Track List: Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
Disc 1
Title: Mass For Soloists, Chorus & Orchestra In D Major ("Missa Solemnis"), Op. 123
Disc 2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Mödlinger Dances; Contradanses; German Dances; Minuets
Title: Mödlinger Tänze (11) For 2 Clarinets, 2 Horns, 2 Violins & Double Bass, Woo 17
Title: Contredanses (12) For Orchestra, Woo14
Title: German Dances (12) For Orchestra, Woo 8
Title: Minuets (12) For Orchestra, Woo 7
x
Track List: Beethoven: Overtures
Disc 1
Disc 2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Overtures
x
Track List: Beethoven: Overtures
x
Track List: Beethoven: Pathetique, Appassionata & Moonlight Sonatas
Title: Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor ("Pathétique"), Op. 13
Title: Piano Sonata No. 23 In F Minor ("Appassionata"), Op. 57
Title: Piano Sonata No. 14 In C Sharp Minor ("Moonlight"), Op. 27/2
Title: Rondo For Piano In G Major, Op. 51/2
x
Track List: Beethoven: Piano Concerti
Disc 1
Title: Piano Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Op. 15
Title: Piano Concerto No. 2 In B Flat Major, Op. 19