Beethoven: Orchestral works

Advantages: Contrasting: dramatic and relaxing, darkness to light
Disadvantages: Frustrating if you live in a city

...I studied Beethoven as an Open University course leading to a Degree in Music which I achieved in 2002. My admiration of Beethoven is immense. The sixth symphony has to be one of all time favourites: an homage to the countryside. The Composer Beethoven has to be the most dynamic and original of all composers. His work influenced and inspired so many orchestral works that followed. He was born in Bonn in Western Germany in 1770. It was while he was in his twenties that he first became aware of his hearing problems. When he was told that the condition could not be cured, he understandibly fell into a deep depression. Thankfully he came through and began to explore new approaches to compositional techniques. The Music Both the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies are large scale performances lastly for approximately 4o minutes each. They were... Read review

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Advantages: Contrasting: dramatic and relaxing, darkness to light
Disadvantages: Frustrating if you live in a city

...I studied Beethoven as an Open University course leading to a Degree in Music which I achieved in 2002. My admiration of Beethoven is immense. The sixth symphony has to be one of all time favourites: an homage to the countryside. The Composer Beethoven has to be the most dynamic and original of all composers. His work influenced and inspired so many orchestral works that followed. He was born in Bonn in Western Germany in 1770. It was while he was in his twenties that he first became aware of his hearing problems. When he was told that the condition could not be cured, he understandibly fell into a deep depression. Thankfully he came through and began to explore new approaches to compositional techniques. The Music Both the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies are large scale performances lastly for approximately 4o minutes each. They were... Read review

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Advantages: The music, the chorus, the memorable melody
Disadvantages: None

...Probably the best symphony in the world (the Carlsberg of symphonies). I can’t imagine how a piece of music of this stature could have been composed by someone who was completely deaf. Genius knows no bounds. The Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the German City of Bonn and baptised on the 17th December 1770. Amongst his many works, Beethoven composed nine complete symphonies and what is thought to be a tenth which is incomplete. In 1817 Beethoven accepted an invitation from the Philharmonic Society of London to write two symphonies. He never actually completed these commissions however he was inspired to write the ninth symphony which he completed in1824. In May of the same year the symphony was débuted in Vienna. Beethoven was present at this performance but by this time he was completely deaf. He was seated at the front... Read review

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Advantages: A work that changed the way we look at symphonies
Disadvantages: none whatsoever

..., to the memory of a great man," the title it has become known to us today. But it is also important to keep in perspective the influence of Napoleon in this work. Many have tried to see Napoleon in the programmatic sense, with the first being a "portrait" of him, the second an anticipation of his downfall or some other historic association with Napoleon, and the finale as his rise from corporal to general. This is of course utter folly. The symphony most probably represents Beethoven's own ideals and struggles with fate, his hero-worshipping and his own desires to evolve the symphonic design. The symphony was mostly written in 1803 and was finished in the beginning of 1804. When we forget all the irrelevant programmatic ideas, we can focus on a work that is truly groundbreaking for its time. In 1803 a normal symphony was usually about 25 to 30... Read review

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