Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 7
"June 17th: Music that Moves Me"
Tell us about a song, an album or a band which speaks to you in that most universal of languages.
Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.
I was probably introduced to the music of Beethoven very early in life, as for most people. One of Classical music's most prominent composers (technically, late Classical to early Romantic), Beethoven's music can be heard anywhere, whether it's the doom-inciting four note motif of his fifth symphony or the graceful broken piano chords of his Moonlight Sonata (referring to the first movement, of course, though I also love the third).
I had a more formal introduction to the great composer not long after I started playing piano. Using the Bastien Piano series for beginners to kickstart about twelve years worth of lessons, a simplified Ode to Joy found its way into my repertoire of music, along with arrangements of Joplin's The Entertainer, and Hadyn's Surprise Symphony, all pieces that I still love today. But it was Beethoven that would remain my favourite composer, especially when I could begin playing some of his unabridged music, starting with sonatinas, moving through variations, and finally meeting the sonatas.
I also remember listening to the audio book of "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" (on cassettes, of course!), a story of a young boy who befriends the eccentric composer. Each section of the book was accompanied with Beethoven's music, usually his famous piano compositions like Fur Elise or Minuet in G. But as Beethoven continued to compose (in his real life), his music became more commanding. His early sonatas were much shorter, with simple themes typical of the Classical composers before him. By his last few sonatas (notably, the Hammerklavier), he uses the entire length of the keyboard to create his powerful music, a test of the emotions of the early Romantic period.
Beethoven first embraced the work of music known as the symphony in his mid-twenties, shortly before his tragic, gradual loss of hearing. Like his sonatas, his symphonies document his growth as a composer, as well as his continual struggles with deafness and culture's transition to Romanticism. His third symphony, the Eroica (Heroic), was written in praise of Napoleon and his role in the French Revolution. His fifth, perhaps his most famous symphony (but I would argue for the ninth), is also a masterpiece - I was lucky enough to perform its final movement in my last year with my high school symphony. The piece ends with twenty-nine measures of pure C-chords, essentially an epic cadence to a thundering symphony.
The symphony is no doubt "music that moves me", and is also music that moves people worldwide. The theme to Ode to Joy is not only a piece of music that captures the hearts of individuals. Beethoven's music has inspired entire nations, and yet remains independent of the countries and their respective ideologies to remain a musical piece that all can love.
Beethoven's music was embraced by Hitler who admired the composer's genius; the Ninth Symphony could be heard at Nazi rallies. At the same time, Ode to Joy was also played in Britain for hope during the war as an anti-Nazi song. The ninth symphony returned as an anthem for a unified Germany and was played when the Berlin Wall was being torn down. Ode to Joy was also popular in post-cultural revolution Communist China symbolizing joy through struggling, while played yearly in Japan to celebrate the freedom in democracy. And, of lastly, the symphony's famous melody has been played worldwide at Olympic Events and has been adopted as the anthem of the European Union.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony may not be the most popular song compared to modern music tastes, but it was definitely a favourite of Norio Ohga, one of the pioneers of today's CDs (though those are on their way out). Previously, a performance of Beethoven's ninth required three sides of a vinyl disc (well, one and a half); Ohga insisted that the CD should be able to play the entire symphony uninterrupted. Soon, the standard became the 12-cm disc, much to the dismay of Sony who had preferred their proprietary 11.5 cm discs that would just cut out the coda of Beethoven's Ninth (of the faster recordings).
If, for whatever reason, there were any surprises in the previous essays of the last six weeks, I inform you there will be none of that today, as I will be writing about one of the most moving and universal pieces of music ever composed: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (full symphony, youtube playlist). It is no secret that Beethoven is my favourite composer and one of my greatest inspirations, and I have already referenced his ninth in a previous essay. Also, important to note, it's only 177 more days until Beethoven's birthday!
I had a more formal introduction to the great composer not long after I started playing piano. Using the Bastien Piano series for beginners to kickstart about twelve years worth of lessons, a simplified Ode to Joy found its way into my repertoire of music, along with arrangements of Joplin's The Entertainer, and Hadyn's Surprise Symphony, all pieces that I still love today. But it was Beethoven that would remain my favourite composer, especially when I could begin playing some of his unabridged music, starting with sonatinas, moving through variations, and finally meeting the sonatas.
I also remember listening to the audio book of "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" (on cassettes, of course!), a story of a young boy who befriends the eccentric composer. Each section of the book was accompanied with Beethoven's music, usually his famous piano compositions like Fur Elise or Minuet in G. But as Beethoven continued to compose (in his real life), his music became more commanding. His early sonatas were much shorter, with simple themes typical of the Classical composers before him. By his last few sonatas (notably, the Hammerklavier), he uses the entire length of the keyboard to create his powerful music, a test of the emotions of the early Romantic period.
Left: An Early Sonata (the first of thirty-two); Right: A Late Sonata (Hammerklavier - 29th)
Just the opening minute of each can show you Beethoven's dramatic growth in music style.
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| Beethoven in Central Park, New York. |
Beethoven became disillusioned with European politics as Napoleon was declared emperor (tearing the title page of his third symphony in rage). Later, Beethoven found hope in a more liberal society, emerging in the Romantic period, and gave a triumphant tribute to freedom in his last symphony, his ninth. The fourth and last movement featured a choir singing the famous theme to Ode to Joy, arguably the most well known four-ish minutes of his ninth symphony. But the other seventy or so minutes (length depends on recording) of Beethoven's ninth are far from preamble and background - each movement captures a different aspect of Beethoven's emotion in the final years of his life, and is a worthy work of music on its own.
Having been a part of a string orchestra in school for about seven years, I find a bit of magic to the sound of the orchestra tuning, and that's how the first movement of the ninth seems to begin (video to the right). The instruments and their melodies soon pick up speed and volume, and soon there is a full strength symphony (actually, double strength - the ninth was performed with several additional parts and players) that brings in a dark theme reminiscent of his fifth.
The second movement, played very quickly (molto vivace to be exact), is much lighter to contrast the first movement and features a timpani solo (my favourite non-keyboard percussion instrument). The fast-paced section still has the drama of the first movement in an endless battle between its three and four beat rhythms and the recurring theme in a fugue-like form.
The second movement, played very quickly (molto vivace to be exact), is much lighter to contrast the first movement and features a timpani solo (my favourite non-keyboard percussion instrument). The fast-paced section still has the drama of the first movement in an endless battle between its three and four beat rhythms and the recurring theme in a fugue-like form.
The third movement is the symphony's slow movement, allowing tension to build for the fourth and final movement, and plenty of time to draw out its powerful themes, as the notes and rhythms become more complex as the movement approaches its end. Then the fourth movement comes in, and by the time the solo tenor sings his opening to introduce the choir, you know you're listening to a whole new world of music.
The first ten minutes of the fourth movement, also known as "symphony within a symphony". You can hear some of the previous movements coming back, starting with the first at 00:50. The theme begins creeping in at 2:55, stronger by 4:16, and in full force (orchestra-wise) by 4:59. The tenor enters the scene at 6:30, and the famous chorus has its moment at 7:44. Note: see conductor at 8:38.
And yet, Beethoven was fully deaf (though not necessarily permanently - his hearing senses fluctuated) when he composed this grand symphony. He insisted on conducting (his first public performance in over decade after a disastrous piano concerto) and shared the stage with Michael Umlauf, the theatre's choirmaster. Beethoven conducted with all the gestures, though the musicians were informed to ignore the deaf composer and to follow Umlauf. From Wikipedia, "He was turning the pages of his score and beating time for an orchestra he could not hear."
Playing the symphony slightly slower in his mind (oh what a mind), he was still conducting when the orchestra had finished, and had to be turned around to see the standing ovation of the audience. They gave Beethoven five standing ovations, and made gestures - raised hands and thrown handkerchiefs and hats - so that Beethoven could see and feel the applause. A second concert of his ninth symphony would be his last public on-stage appearance. Beethoven passed away three years later with the beginnings of a tenth, and started the superstition known as the "curse of the ninth".
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| Handwritten notes from Beethoven's Ninth. |
Beethoven's music was embraced by Hitler who admired the composer's genius; the Ninth Symphony could be heard at Nazi rallies. At the same time, Ode to Joy was also played in Britain for hope during the war as an anti-Nazi song. The ninth symphony returned as an anthem for a unified Germany and was played when the Berlin Wall was being torn down. Ode to Joy was also popular in post-cultural revolution Communist China symbolizing joy through struggling, while played yearly in Japan to celebrate the freedom in democracy. And, of lastly, the symphony's famous melody has been played worldwide at Olympic Events and has been adopted as the anthem of the European Union.
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| Compact Discs: Just enough for Beethoven's Ninth. |
So next time you pick up an album or a mix tape, considering listening to the full Ninth Symphony, and relive the life of Beethoven, the emotions of the Romantic period, and the histories of nations worldwide that have embraced his Ode to Joy.
p.s. for those more interested in Beethoven's symphonies, you can easily run through all of them twice when pulling an all nighter!
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