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 …
What is the full name of Beethoven’s Second Symphony? Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36. Beethoven later made a transcript of the symphony for piano trio under the same opus number. When was the Second Symphony composed? Beethoven composed his Second Symphony in the summer and fall of 1802, mostly in Heiligenstadt. When and where was the premiere? …
What is the full name of Beethoven’s First Symphony? Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21. When was the First Symphony composed? Beethoven composed the First Symphony around 1799-1800, at age 29. When and where was the premiere? It was in April 2, 1800, Burgtheater in Vienna. When was the First Symphony published? It was first published by Hoffmeister …
The tempo of the first movement in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is 108 half notes per minute (bpm), originally Allegro con brio. Beyond this obvious one sentence answer there are many mysteries and interesting anecdotes concerning the Fifth Symphony, especially the first few notes, the famous fate motif! One of the curious topics regarding the first movement is the tempo. In …
It is Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony (F major, op.68, called the Pastoral or Pastorale in German) that has five movements. The composition is a program music, its subject is nature and the love of nature. The music has five scenes, each scene is a movement. The last three movements are meant to be played together without pause. Beethoven composed nine symphonies …
After movement one, two and three, this is our last article on Beethoven’s First Symphony. Continuing with the last movement, which was written in the spirit of Haydn’s symphonic finale. Joyful, playful, energetic! Let’s hear it! The introduction of the 4th movement is in adagio. It is characterized by Antony Hopkins as a music, where hesitant beginners are clutching unfamiliar …