Exploring Beethoven. A LIFE Institute Course Session One Bob Fabian

Transcription

1 Exploring Beethoven A LIFE Institute Course Session One Bob Fabian

2 My Background I never studied music But I was a serious musician in high school (1957 played horn during the first season of the American Wind Symphony) I don t pretend to be a musicologist But I have a life-long love of classical music Leading LIFE music courses is an opportunity Forces me to build a coherent picture of the music featured in the course

3 LIFE Courses Every LIFE course should be: Educational Entertaining Engaging I don t always get it right, so tell me! No course is going to be right for everyone Within my limits as a course leader, I m open to suggestions

4 General Approach Add context Almost too present today From whom did Beethoven learn? What else happened during his life? What was music making like, back then? Difficult to recognize its revolutionary nature Heavy reliance on YouTube We ll sample performances in class You ll be free to hear the full performance at home

5 Your Background, Your Wishes What would you like to get from this course? Are there compositions or performances we must hear? Note: There are no wrong answers YouTube offers an extensive range of Beethoven compositions and performances, but it s not limitless Are there compositions or performances that we should really avoid?

6 My Initial Plan Today: Introduction & Ode to Joy Session 2: Inspiration, Teachers, Peers Session 3: The music for piano Session 4: Vocal & operatic music Session 5: The string quartets Session 6: The 9 symphonies Order of last four sessions not fixed.

7 Time Line J. S. Bach: C. P. E. Bach: Joseph Haydn: W. A. Mozart: L. van Beethoven: Bonn: Vienna: Franz Schubert: Johannes Brahms:

8 Key Dates 1800: 1st Symphony 1803: 2nd Symphony 1805: 3rd Symphony (Eroica) 1807: 4th Symphony 1808: 5th Symphony 6th Symphony (Pastoral) 1813: 7th Symphony 1814: 8th Symphony - 3rd and final version of Fidelio 1824: 9th Symphony - Choral

9 Key Compositions 9 symphonies 5 piano concertos 1 violin concerto 32 piano sonatas 16 string quartets Missa solemnis Fidelio (opera) Plus duets, trios, occasional music

10 Age of Enlightenment The Enlightenment included a range of ideas centered on reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy, and came to advance ideals such as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state. Because of the focus on reason over superstition, the Enlightenment cultivated the arts. Emphasis on learning, art and music became more widespread, especially with the growing middle class. As musicians depended more and more on public support, public concerts became increasingly popular and helped supplement performers' and composers' incomes. The concerts also helped them to reach a wider audience.

11 The Big 3 Musical Periods

12 Beethoven Biography

13 From BBC Programme

14 Ode to Joy A deaf Beethoven conducting the 9th Symphony

15 th The 9 Symphony Premiered in 1824 Beethoven was profoundly deaf 8th Symphony was 10 years before Vienna finally chosen as location Wild applause, financial failure Only chamber music followed Beethoven died in 1827 Theater Kärntnertor

16 Spectacular 9 th

17 Background In Japan, it's an end-of-year tradition to sing "Ode to Joy," the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The song is so well-known in Japan that it's known simply as daiku, literally "number nine." In Osaka, a 10,000-personstrong "Number Nine Chorus" of amateur singers performs daiku every December, to thundering effect. While there are some professionals involved (the soloists and orchestra), the Number Nine Chorus is largely a community effort. And the sound of 10,000 singers, trained or untrained, is unbelievable. In 2011, in the wake of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, the Number Nine Chorus gave this performance.

18 Surprising 9 th w

19 Personal Connection The 9th has a special place in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. I grew up in Cleveland. George Szell led the Cleveland Symphony. The 9th was the season's final concert. It was always a glorious ending. Do any of you have a 9th connection?

20 Great Introduction

21 Great Video Chicago Syhmphony, R. Munti,

22 The Point Beethoven's music has a very special place in our hearts and minds It helps to stand back a bit understanding the context can improve our appreciation The rest of the course will be about adding contextual understanding, and enjoying some of humanity's greatest music

23 Next Week Beethoven drew inspiration from Bach, Haydn & Mozart He also drew upon C.P.E Bach, J.S. Bach's second son (sudden transitions) Both Beethoven & Anton Reicha studied with Christian Neefe in Bonn lifelong friendship started there Johann Albrechtsberger was one of his important teachers in Vienna Ferdinand Ries and Carl Czerny were two of Beethoven's most important students We'll sample some of these composers

24 First Bon-Bon Helps to have all the music