Compared to contemporary Viennese master like Haydn or Mozart, Beethoven was not very prolific in composing symphonies. Haydn, the Father of Symphony, wrote 108 symphonies (one is lost and one is symphonie concertante) and Mozart composed some 50 pieces. Ludwig van Beethoven composed 9 symphonies. This may be a lower number, but not so in quality! Most Beethoven symphonies are …
This is the story of Baron de Trémont, a French diplomat in Vienna, who approached Beethoven and against all odds managed to tame the bear. Who was Baron de Trémont? Louis-Philippe-Joseph Girod de Vienney, Baron de Trémont (born 2 October 1799, died 1 July, 1852) was a French officer and diplomat. For us, more importantly he was a musical …
Luigi Cherubini had great influence on Beethoven. Who was Cherubini and what opinion he had of Beethoven? Read on to find out! Who was Cherubini – a short bio Luigi Cherubini (in full Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini) was born September 14, 1760, Florence, Italy and died March 15, 1842, Paris, France. His exact date of birth is …
Humans like to use categories, labels or boxes to simplify the infinitely complex world. This building is baroque, that painter is impressionist, and Beethoven is… Well, what was he? A classical composer or romantic? Maybe both? Keep reading to find out! The classical period of music This era of music succeeded the baroque and the style dominated western music for …
Beethoven’s full name is Ludwig van Beethoven. His family (on his father’s side) is from Flanders, the duchy of Brabant. This is modern day Belgium. |Related: Beethoven’s ancestry The name Ludwig is a German name with origins in Old High German. In its original form it was “hlūdazwigana”, composed from two elements. “Hlūdaz” means “famous” or “loud”, “wigana” means “to …
Ludwig van Beethoven was not only a composer, but a pianist-composer. His piano play was legendary! A topic we covered before, both his piano duels and his supreme feel and technique compared to the very best of his time. What other instruments did Beethoven play? Read on to find out! Harpsichord and clavichord When Beethoven was a child the …