Ludwig van Beethoven
Born in 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven came from a family of musicians in Bonn, Germany. By the age of 13 he had written and published three piano sonatas.
Beethoven travelled to Vienna in 1787 to pursue his music career and to learn from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Beethoven moved to Vienna permanently in 1792, after the death of his mother, to study with Joseph Haydn. However, this was short lived as Beethoven did not get on with his new teacher. Vienna became his home until his death in 1827, aged 57.
Unlike many composers previously in the Classical period1750 - 1825. , eg Haydn, Beethoven chose not to work as a composer for a regularly paying patronA wealthy and powerful individual who protected others by giving them money or jobs.. Beethoven was financially supported by a small number of noblemen who allowed him to compose the music he wanted to write.
Piano Concerto No.1 in C major
A version of Piano Concerto No.1 was first composed in approximately 1795. It was developed over several years until it was first performed in 1801, with Beethoven playing the solo piano.
This concerto is heavily influenced by characteristics of the Classical period. It has three movements:
- allegroLively and fast. con brio - fast and lively
- largoA slow tempo which is faster than grave, but slower than adagio. 鈥 slow
- rondo allegro - fast
This is a typical structure for a concerto in the Classical period, with the movements having contrasting tempoThe speed that the music is played at. - ie fast, slow and fast.
The first movement has a military march-like feel and is in a 4/4 time signatureNumbers or letters written at the start of a piece of music depicting how many beats are in a bar and what type of beat are in each bar.. The movement is in sonata formA popular structure from the Classical period consisting of an exposition, development and recapitulation. with the addition of an introduction, a cadenzaVirtuosic solo passage. and a codaClosing section at the end of a piece of music, song or movement.. The cadenza is an extended solo passage for the piano in which key themeA short musical phrase which is used and repeated - and sometimes developed - within a composition. It is sometimes referred to as the subject. from the movement are played in a virtuosic manner.
The second movement is in the contrasting key signatureA pattern of sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece of music indicating which are to be played. of A鈾 major. It is in ternary formA musical form in which the opening section returns after a central contrasting section. form with several themes in the initial A section that are developed in the B section.
The third movement is a huge contrast to the first, with a sense of mischief and a comic feel. It is highly energetic with syncopationOffbeat rhythms. rhythms and irregular phraseA short section of music, normally a melody, that could be thought of as a musical sentence. Phrases are like building blocks in music. . This movement also features two short cadenzas that have an indication to the performer of what to play. However, in performances today, pianists often improvise their own cadenzas or can play those written by other pianists if desired.