How Morse code, the letter V and the opening four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony saved the world in World War II? Read on to find out! The Morse code In the 19th-century news and information still travelled slowly. There was desperate need for faster communication! Three Americans, Samuel F. B. Morse, Joseph Henry, and Alfred Vail, a painter, a …
For Socrates music is very important, but not for pleasure, rather a utility to educate. In this article we cover his life and his thoughts on music. Who was Socrates? Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens, regarded as the founder of Western-philosophy, and among the firsts in moral philosophy. Socrates was born next to Athens, in Alopece, in 470 …
The popular name for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the Symphony of Fate or Fate Symphony (in original German Schicksals-Sinfonie). The full and original name of Beethoven’s Fifth is Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67. He started making the first notes of his musical ideas for this symphony in 1804, right after the Eroica Symphony (his Third). The progress …
One day Beethoven was mistaken for a beggar tramp and thrown into jail. How all this happened? This anecdote was told by a certain Höfel, who was a professor in Wiener Neustadt. The story takes place in 1821, late summer or early autumn. One evening he was sitting in the garden of the tavern called Zum Schleifen, with colleagues, friends …
In Beethoven’s time infant mortality was still very high. This is before sufficient sanitation, antibiotics or childhood disease vaccines. Beethoven had seven siblings, plus one half brother from his mother’s previous marriage. From the eight children, six boys and two girls. Sadly, only two younger brothers lived through infancy, Karl and Johann. All 8 siblings of Beethoven From the first …
What is a string quartet? A musical composition for sting instruments with the most common setup of two violins, viola and cello. It is often regarded as the most sophisticated form of chamber music. How many string quartets did Beethoven write? Ludwig van Beethoven wrote 16 string quartets. These quartets are grouped into three categories, based on the stage of …