Beethoven Flashcards
Where and when was Beethoven born?
1770 in Bonn, Germany
How did Beethoven’s father teach him music?
His father wanted him to be a prodigy like Mozart and forced him to play for long, tiring hours
What was Beethoven’s musical training after his father?
He learned counterpoint and composition with Christian Neefe
What happened to Beethoven’s family in his teenage years?
His mother died and his father was struggling with alcoholism
Who did Beethoven end up studying with in Vienna?
Haydn, because Mozart had died before he had an opportunity to study with him. Even though he died, Beethoven still was influenced by him and Haydn, even studying Mozart’s works in great detail
What was the Heiligenstadt testament?
It was a letter sent by Beethoven to his siblings that told them about his despairs about hearing loss and how he overcame it by focusing on the arts and moving to Heilogenstadt
When was Beethoven’s early period and what events was it marked by?
It was from 1792 to 1802 and was marked by his travel to Vienna to his moving to Heiligenstadt. It included more classical pieces
When was Beethoven’s middle period and what events was it marked by?
It was from 1803 to 1815 and was marked by his his moving to Heiligenstadt and the death of his brother Kasper. It included more romantic, epic elements
When was Beethoven’s late period and what events was it marked by?
It was from 1815 to 1827 and is marked by the death of his brother Kasper and his death. It includes more abstract, meditative elements caused by the sad events in this period
Where and when did Beethoven die?
Beethoven died in 1827 in Vienna, Austria
What was Beethoven’s musical style?
He was a bold innovator that utilized extreme dynamic contrast and short motives to build a melody
What contributions did Beethoven make to music?
He replaced the minuet with a scherzo and used cyclical structure
