Beethoven was an important figure in the transitional period between the classical and
romantic eras in Western classical music and remains one of the greatest composers of all
time.
Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. He moved to Vienna, Austria, in his early
twenties and settled there, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation
as a virtuoso pianist. Beethoven’s hearing gradually deteriorated, beginning in his
twenties, yet he continued to compose masterpieces and to conduct and perform after he
was almost totally deaf.
Beethoven was one of the first composers systematically and consistently to use
interlocking thematic devices, or germ-motifs, to achieve inter-movement unity in long
compositions. Equally remarkable was his use of source-motifs which recurred in many
different compositions. He made innovations in almost every form of music he touched.
For example, he diversified even the well-crystallised form of the rondo, making it more
elastic and spacious, and also bringing it closer to sonata form.
Beethoven composed in various genres, including symphonies, concertos, piano sonatas,
sonatas for violin and piano and for cello and piano, string quartets and other chamber
music, masses, an opera, and songs for voice and piano. He is one of the most important
transitional figures between the classical and the romantic eras of musical history. He
adopted the principles of sonata form and motivic development that he inherited from
Haydn and Mozart and greatly extended them, writing longer and more ambitious
movements.
Beethoven’s compositional career is usually divided into three periods: early (up to 1802),
middle (1803 to 1814), and late (1815 until his death in 1827).
In his early period Beethoven emulated his predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while
exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work.
His early period works include the first and second symphonies, the first six string
quartets, the first three piano concertos, and the first twenty piano sonatas including the
famous ‘Pathétique’ and ‘Moonlight’ Sonatas.
Beethoven’s middle period began shortly after Beethoven’s personal crisis brought on by
his recognition of his encroaching deafness. It is noted for large-scale works that express
heroism and struggle. Middle-period works include symphonies nos. 3 to 8, the fourth
and fifth piano concertos, the triple concerto and violin concerto, string quartets nos. 7 to
11, the next seven piano sonatas (including the ‘Waldstein’ and the ‘Appassionata’), the
‘Kreutzer’ sonata for violin and piano, and his only opera ‘Fidelio’.
Beethoven’s late period began around 1815. Works from this period are characterised by
their intellectual depth, their formal innovations, and their intense, highly personal
expression. Compositions of this period include the ninth symphony, the last five string
quartets, and the last five piano sonatas including the ‘Hammerklavier’ sonata. Some