Copyright for music was non-existent in Beethoven’s time. Piracy and unauthorized publishing were commonplace. What practices did composers follow to make the best out of their sometimes desperate situation? Read on to find out! Music publishing gathered speed in the second part of the eighteenth century. Partly because of the emerging middle-class society and their ever-growing need for new …
In his life Beethoven always aimed ever higher, creating more and more ambitious compositions for eternity. He wished to leave something behind. Today, in deep space, on a spacecraft that traveled further from Earth than any other human made object, there is a phonograph record carrying his music. What is Voyager 1 and 2? Voyager 1 (and its twin, …
In this article we discover who was Jérôme Bonaparte, why did he invite Beethoven to his court and how the composer used this offer as bargaining chip for advancing his positions in Vienna. Who was Jérôme Bonaparte? The youngest brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, Jérôme Bonaparte (15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, as Girolamo Buonaparte. He was the eighth – surviving – child of …
After their mother had passed away and their father sunk into alcoholism, Beethoven – a young man himself – had to fulfill the role of a guardian of his two younger brothers. This responsibility meant both financial support and spiritual, moral guidance, as well. As the siblings grew older and financially independent, Beethoven still held on to this role and …
In Vienna Beethoven was surrounded by musical talents. Some impressed him, some did not. Among those who did, one man stands out: Dragonetti! This man opened his eyes to what double bass is capable of. His impact lasted for a lifetime. A short biography of Domenico Dragonetti Domenico Dragonetti (Domenico Carlo Maria Dragonetti; 7 April 1763 – 16 April …
At the time of Beethoven Vienna was full of talented musicians. Some of them extraordinary, but very few were favorably compared to him – especially with the piano. There was one exception… Who was Joseph Woelfl? Joseph Johann Baptist Woelfl (surname sometimes written as Wölfl or Wölffl) was a pianist and composer from Austria (24 December 1773 – 21 …