Today i am gonna share a biography about the great Ludwig van Beethoven
The concert season is right around the corner for the OSFL, and before we will know it October 1st will be here!!!!!! Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is on the program, and to let our readers out there know a little about what they will hear on the 1st, here is the scoop behind Beethoven's fifth.
Ludwig van Beethoven, baptized on December 17th, 1770 in Bonn Germany, wrote his fifth Symphony from the years of 1804-1808. Beethoven's fifth can be recognized by just about anyone just from the opening line and is no doubt one of the greatest pieces to have been written in the history of music, but there is more than what meets the ear to be heard about this piece. Beethoven's fifth was written during a span of Beethoven's life that was in and of itself depressing. He was growing very deaf and had shunned himself from the public. In this personal solitary confinement, his only outlet, music, thrived. Being alone, feeling out of place from a society that he could not hear, but also could not relate with, Beethoven would turn his attention to his music and nature. One of his favorite places to visit was the Viennese Parks around which he lived. He would walk for hours, writing music in his head and enjoying the gift of nature.
By the end of 1808 the symphony was finished, performed and at first had little success amongst its listeners. The piece was a break from the tradition of the day and was so full of Beethoven's emotions that it was hard to understand the piece itself. Over time though and as the "Romantic Era" gained stride the popularity of the piece picked up, and is now one of the most recognized and most accomplished pieces of all time!!!!!
In 1814, during
the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the many
composers who produced music to entertain the many heads of state and
diplomats of Europe. Among these array of sovereigns and
ministers, Beethoven was introduced to the Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna
of Russia, wife of Tsar Alexander I. His
interview with the gentle Empress Elizabeth deeply affected him, and he
conversed with her in his customary frank, open way, completely setting
aside all etiquette. The Empress immediately took a keen interest to the composer, and a friendship soon sprang up between them.
Beethoven frequently met the Empress during the countless balls and
receptions held at the palace of the Russian ambassador, and she gave
the composer much attention whenever she met him. Apparently,
these meetings left a deep impression on him, and he constantly
referred to the Empress's affability and courtesy towards him.
Portrait of Beethoven (1770-1827)
During the time of the Congress of Vienna, Beethoven was heavily in debt. A friend of Beethoven tried to convince him to compose a Polonaise for piano and dedicate it to Empress Elizabeth. He assumed that if she liked the composition, she might pay generously, therefore, solving Beethoven's problems with money. Unfortunately, at that time, Beethoven had been having emotional problems, and grumbled that he disliked writing polonaise. Eventually, his friend succeeded in convincing him, and Beethoven wrote Polonaise in C Major, Op. 89. To make the dedication official and public, he first had to obtain formal consent in order to name the dedicatee on the title page of the first edition. He asked an acquaintance to obtain this consent through the Empress's lord chamberlain, who had accompanied her to the Congress, and formulated a few sentences of address. Beethoven was granted an audience to present the piece to the Empress, and as expected, she enjoyed the composition very much. Beethoven received 50 ducats for the composition, a substantial amount at that time. The Empress also gave him another 100 ducats for the Violin Sonatas Op. 30 he dedicated to the Russian Emperor a few years before, for which he had previously received nothing. These were Beethoven's only dedications that resulted in payment.
