"In the world of art, as in the whole of creation,
freedom and progress are the main objectives."
Beethoven, 1819
BBC Documentary: The Genius of Beethoven (3 hours) Highly Recommended !!!
Part 1: The Rebel Childhood & Early Period (1770 - 1804)
Part 2: Love and Loss Middle "Heroic" Period (1804 - 1814)
Documentary: Keeping Score: Beethoven's Eroica (3rd symphony)
Hosted my Michael Tilson Thomas (55 mins, followed by a full
performance of the symphony, 52 mins)
Hosted my Michael Tilson Thomas (55 mins, followed by a full
performance of the symphony, 52 mins)
by understanding his personal life and time period. Beethoven led the transition of
music from 18th century Classicism to 19th century Romanticism.
A brief overview of Beethoven's childhood and some of the topics related to this
Recommended (but not required) course book
Sachs, Harvey. The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824 (2010) 240 pages - $14.91
Reading the course book. The recommended course book is about Beethoven's Ninth Symphony which we will listen to on the final day. It has four "parts" (chapters), but we will only be reading the first three (Part IV is about Beethoven's influence on later composers). This is the reading "schedule" -
1. Please read the first two "parts" (pages 9 - 111) of the book for a class discussion
on Week 5.
2. Read part III "Imagining the Ninth" (p. 115 - 161) for the final class.
when we will be listening to and discussing Symphony No. 9
Week 1: Classicism & Romanticism
An Introduction to classicism and romanticism in the arts, and a
discussion of Beethoven's innovations in composing using Symphony No. 5.
Also, an overview of Beethoven's "early period" in Vienna including
Piano Sonata No. 8 ("Pathétique").
Week 2: Towards the Middle Period (1801 - 1805)
The Enlightenment and the French Revolution, Beethoven's deafness, Vienna 1801 - 1809.
Piano Sonatas Nos. 14 ("Moonlight") & 21 ("Waldstein"),
Violin Sonata No. 9 ("Kreutzer"), Symphony No. 3
Week 3: The Middle Period, Part II (1806 - 1808)
Proto-romanticism in the 18th century
Piano Concerto No. 4, Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral")
Week 4: The Middle Period, Part III (1809 - 1815)
Beethoven's life, 1810 - 1815
String Quartet No. 10 ("Harp"), Symphony No. 7, Fidelio, Cello Sonata No. 5
Week 5: The Late Period (1816 - 1826)
Class discussion of Harvey Sach's "The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824"
and an overview of Beethoven's last decade.
Piano Sonatas No. 29 ("Hammerklavier") and No. 30,
String Quartet No. 13 with the Grosse Fugue, the "Missa Solemnis"
Week 6: Finale: Symphony No. 9 (1824)
Listen to and discuss the Ninth Symphony. Final questions and comments.
Additional resources:
This website has an "Online Resources" page which contains links to many articles and video documentaries about Beethoven, his contemporaries, and his time era. The tab "Online Resources" on the tab bar at the top of each page will take you to the page.
Also, the website has a "Course Music on Youtube" page that lists over 80 Beethoven compositions, about 20 by Haydn and Mozart, and one composition each by a dozen Romantic Era composers who followed Beethoven.
Each composition has a link to a live performance of the music on Youtube. Click the (link) indicator to the right of the composition name to play the video. There is a menu of links at the top of the page that lets you jump directly to Beethoven's symphonies, concertos, piano sonatas, vocal works, etc. Click the "Course Music on Youtube" tab on the tab bar to get to the page.
Sachs, Harvey. The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824 (2010) 240 pages - $14.91
Reading the course book. The recommended course book is about Beethoven's Ninth Symphony which we will listen to on the final day. It has four "parts" (chapters), but we will only be reading the first three (Part IV is about Beethoven's influence on later composers). This is the reading "schedule" -
1. Please read the first two "parts" (pages 9 - 111) of the book for a class discussion
on Week 5.
2. Read part III "Imagining the Ninth" (p. 115 - 161) for the final class.
when we will be listening to and discussing Symphony No. 9
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Course Syllabus
Week 1: Classicism & Romanticism
An Introduction to classicism and romanticism in the arts, and a
discussion of Beethoven's innovations in composing using Symphony No. 5.
Also, an overview of Beethoven's "early period" in Vienna including
Piano Sonata No. 8 ("Pathétique").
Week 2: Towards the Middle Period (1801 - 1805)
The Enlightenment and the French Revolution, Beethoven's deafness, Vienna 1801 - 1809.
Piano Sonatas Nos. 14 ("Moonlight") & 21 ("Waldstein"),
Violin Sonata No. 9 ("Kreutzer"), Symphony No. 3
Week 3: The Middle Period, Part II (1806 - 1808)
Proto-romanticism in the 18th century
Piano sonata # 23 ("Appassionata"), Violin Concerto,
Piano Concerto No. 4, Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral")
Week 4: The Middle Period, Part III (1809 - 1815)
Beethoven's life, 1810 - 1815
String Quartet No. 10 ("Harp"), Symphony No. 7, Fidelio, Cello Sonata No. 5
Week 5: The Late Period (1816 - 1826)
Class discussion of Harvey Sach's "The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824"
and an overview of Beethoven's last decade.
Piano Sonatas No. 29 ("Hammerklavier") and No. 30,
String Quartet No. 13 with the Grosse Fugue, the "Missa Solemnis"
Week 6: Finale: Symphony No. 9 (1824)
Listen to and discuss the Ninth Symphony. Final questions and comments.
Additional resources:
This website has an "Online Resources" page which contains links to many articles and video documentaries about Beethoven, his contemporaries, and his time era. The tab "Online Resources" on the tab bar at the top of each page will take you to the page.
Also, the website has a "Course Music on Youtube" page that lists over 80 Beethoven compositions, about 20 by Haydn and Mozart, and one composition each by a dozen Romantic Era composers who followed Beethoven.
Each composition has a link to a live performance of the music on Youtube. Click the (link) indicator to the right of the composition name to play the video. There is a menu of links at the top of the page that lets you jump directly to Beethoven's symphonies, concertos, piano sonatas, vocal works, etc. Click the "Course Music on Youtube" tab on the tab bar to get to the page.
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