Piece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Piece - Essay Example It is the hope of this author that by analyzing composer/performer as well as the piece in question the reader will gain new appreciation work the performer/composer as well as his overall contribution to the field of music. Born December 16, 1770 Ludwig van Beethoven came from something of a musical family. Beethoven’s grandfather Lodewijk van Beethoven was a lifetime musician and was even employed as the court musician in Cologne for a period of time. Likewise Beethoven’s father, Johan worked as a tenor and frequently gave both violin and adolescence as a means of substituting his meager income. As a result of this musical family, it was Johan who gave young Ludwig is very first music lessons. Unfortunately, Johan was a difficult task master; oftentimes forcing the young Beethoven to practice for hours on end. This was not done due to the fact his father was necessarily cruel but rather due to the fact that Johan Beethoven had seen the amazing success that Leopold Moz art had with his son Wolfgang. Hoping to exploit his own son as something of a child prodigy, Beethoven set out on a series of performances at the tender age of seven. One can argue that one of the most formative experiences that Ludwig van Beethoven had was with regards to his times and studying under the tutelage of Joseph Haydn. While in Bonn, Switzerland, Beethoven met Haydn. One of the most fascinating aspects of Beethoven’s musical career was that he did not intend initially on focusing all of his efforts on composition. Rather, he set out master musical theory, the performance of several different instruments, and musical counterpoint. Accordingly, the reader easily see why he was both an accomplished composer as well as a virtuoso musician (Melia 294). This background as both a performer and composer doubtless helped Beethoven to integrate with an understanding of what he was ultimately requesting the musicians do with them all of his compositions. As a means of not o nly understanding the mechanics and theory of the music but also the mechanics playing these instruments, Beethoven was able to integrate on a more personal level with his symphony orchestra as well as the individual musicians who were responsible for relating his concepts and ideas into the mood of the music Once Ludwig began composing and publishing his compositions, Beethoven experienced an astounding level of initial success. This success lasted well up until the year 1809. At this point, Beethoven was suffering from the effects of hearing loss. Due to the fact that a keen sense of hearing was required in order for any composer to incorporate the many different instruments that a Symphony relies upon, his ability to continue to earn money through the composition process was severely reduced (Knapp 291). As with many young prodigies, the latter half of Beethoven’s life was not nearly as bright or promising as the first half. Ultimately, Beethoven became reliant upon the ge nerosity and sponsorship of a range of individuals within various positions of wealth and power within Europe. Although this approach allowed Beethoven to meet his physical needs, the level and extent to which the support be counted upon was highly uncertain. Eventually, Beethoven came to rely on selling the