Beethoven most famous works list. Beethoven piano sonatas with titles. ensembles for two instruments

More than two centuries have passed since the birth of the great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The heyday of his work fell on early XIX century between classicism and romanticism. The pinnacle of this composer's work was classical music. He wrote in many musical genres: choral music, opera and musical accompaniment for dramatic performances. He wrote many instrumental works: he wrote many quartets, symphonies, sonatas and concertos for piano, violin and cello, overtures.

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What genres did the composer work in?

Ludwig van Beethoven composed music in different musical genres and for different compositions. musical instruments. For the symphony orchestra, he wrote everything:

9 symphonies;
a dozen compositions of different musical forms;
7 concertos for orchestra;
opera "Fidelio";
2 masses with orchestra accompaniment.

They wrote: 32 sonatas, several arrangements, 10 sonatas for piano and violin, sonatas for cello and horn, many small vocal works and a dozen songs. Chamber music in the work of Beethoven also plays an important role. In his work, sixteen string quartets and five quintets, string and piano trios, and more than ten works for wind instruments.

creative way

Beethoven's creative path is divided into three periods. At an early period in Beethoven's music, the style of his predecessors, Haydn and Mozart, is felt, but in a newer direction. Major works of this period:

the first two symphonies;
6 string quartets;
2 piano concertos;
the first 12 sonatas, the most famous of them is the Pathetic.

In the middle period, Ludwig van Beethoven is very worried about his deafness. He transferred all his experiences into his music, in which expression, struggle and heroism are felt. During this time he composed 6 symphonies and 3 piano concertos and a concerto for piano, violin and cello with orchestra, string quartets and a violin concerto. It was during this period of his work that Moonlight Sonata and the Appassionata, the Kreutzer Sonata and the only opera - Fidelio.

In the late period of the great composer's work in music appear new complex shapes. The fourteenth string quartet has seven interconnected movements, and choral singing is added in the last movement of the 9th symphony. During this period of creativity, the Solemn Mass, five string quartets, five sonatas for piano were written. The music of the great composer can be listened to endlessly. All his compositions are unique and leave a good impression on the listener.

The most popular works of the composer

Most famous essay Ludwig van Beethoven "Symphony No. 5", it was written by the composer at the age of 35. At this time, he was already hard of hearing and was distracted by the creation of other works. The symphony is considered the main symbol of classical music.

"Moonlight Sonata"- was written by the composer during strong experiences and mental anguish. During this period, he was already hard of hearing, and broke off relations with his beloved woman, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, whom he wanted to marry. The sonata is dedicated to this woman.

"To Elise"- one of the best essays Beethoven. To whom did the composer dedicate this music? There are several versions:

to his student Teresa von Drossdik (Malfatti);
close friend Elisabeth Reckel, whose name was Eliza;
Elizaveta Alekseevna, wife of the Russian Emperor Alexander I.

Ludwig van Beethoven himself called his work for piano "a sonata in the spirit of fantasy." Symphony No. 9 in D minor, which received the title "Choral" This is Beethoven's most recent symphony. There is a superstition associated with it: "beginning with Beethoven, all composers die after writing the ninth symphony." However, many authors do not believe this.

Egmont Overture- music written for the famous tragedy by Goethe, which was ordered by the Vienna Courtier.

Concerto for violin and orchestra. Beethoven dedicated this music to his to the best friend Franz Clement. At first, Beethoven wrote this violin concerto, but was not successful, and then, at the request of a friend, he had to remake it for the piano. In 1844, the young violinist Josef Joachim performed this concerto with the royal orchestra, led by Felix Mendelssohn. After that, this work became popular, they began to listen to it all over the world, and also greatly influenced the history of the development of violin music, which in our time is considered the best concert for violin and orchestra.

"Kreutzer Sonata" and "Appassionata" added to the popularity of Beethoven.

List of works German composer multifaceted. His work includes the operas Fidelio and Fire of Vesta, the ballet Creations of Prometheus, a lot of music for the choir and soloists with the orchestra. There are also many works for symphony and brass bands, vocal lyrics and ensemble of instruments, for piano and organ.

How much music has been written by a great genius? How many symphonies does Beethoven have? All the work of the German genius still surprises music lovers. You can listen to the beautiful and expressive sound of these works in concert halls around the world. His music sounds everywhere and Beethoven's talent does not dry out.

More than two hundred years have passed since Beethoven's works were first heard by the Viennese public. But the music of the great composer still excites millions of people around the world today.

Childhood

Ludwig van Beethoven, whose musical works are included in the golden collection of world classics, was born in the city of Bonn, in the family of a court chapel tenor. The composer's father dreamed that his son would someday become the second Mozart. Therefore, under his leadership, early years studied piano by Ludwig van Beethoven. The young pianist studied musical works with incredible zeal. However, the young Beethoven, like Mozart, did not become a child prodigy.

The father was rude and quick-tempered. Perhaps that is why the young musician did not immediately show his talent. The lessons of Kapellmeister Nefe, to whom Ludwig went as a student, turned out to be much more effective than the exercises imposed by his father.

The beginning of creativity

Beethoven was only fifteen years old when he was entrusted with the position of organist of the chapel. And seven years later, on the orders of one of his mentors, he left for Vienna in order to continue his music studies. There he took lessons from Haydn and Salieri.

The most significant musical works of Beethoven in the eighties of the eighteenth century:

"Pathetic Sonata".
"Moonlight Sonata".
"Kreutzer Sonata".
Opera Fidelio.

Beethoven's earliest musical works were not printed. But children's sonatas and the song "Marmot" have survived to this day.

Return to Bonn

Once Beethoven's works were heard by Mozart. The great composer, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, said: “This musician will make you talk about yourself!” Mozart's prophecy came true. But later. Not long after Beethoven arrived in Vienna, his mother fell ill. The young composer was forced to return to his native city.

After the death of his mother, all the worries about the family fell on the shoulders of the young Ludwig. In order to feed his younger brothers, he got a job in the orchestra as a violist. Beethoven's works were once heard by Haydn, returning from England and stopping by in Bonn. This musician was also delighted with the compositions young Beethoven. In 1792, Ludwig left again for Vienna, where this time he lived for more than ten years.

Haydn's lessons

The Austrian composer became Beethoven's teacher. However, his lessons, according to Ludwig, did not bring any benefit. Beethoven's works seemed strange and gloomy to his teacher. Soon Ludwig stopped taking lessons from Haydn and became a student of Salieri.

Style

The works of Ludwig Beethoven differed significantly from the works of contemporary composers. He used the upper and lower registers, the pedal. His style was different from the styles of other writers. In the second half of the eighteenth century, exquisite lace works for harpsichord were popular.

In addition, Ludwig van Beethoven, whose works seemed too extravagant to his contemporaries, was himself an unusual person. First of all, he stood out for his appearance. The unrecognized genius often appeared in public unkempt, casually dressed. In conversation, he was often extremely blunt.

Once, during a speech, one of those present in the hall had the imprudence to speak to his lady. Beethoven canceled the concert. No apologies or requests softened the pianist's heart. But despite the proud and unshakable disposition, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, he was an extremely kind and sympathetic person.

hearing loss

The works of Ludwig Beethoven began to enjoy wide popularity in the nineties. During his ten years in Vienna, he wrote three piano concertos and about twenty sonatas. His writings were well published and enjoyed success. But in 1796, a disease began to develop, which led to complete deafness.

Due to illness, Beethoven rarely left the house. He became withdrawn and sullen. Surprisingly, but the best works were created just when he lost his hearing. Compositions recent years- "Solemn Mass", Symphony No. 9. The last was performed in 1824. Beethoven was given an ovation by the public, which lasted so long that the police had to subdue the piano fans.

Last years

After the defeat of Napoleon in Austria, a curfew was introduced. The government imposed censorship on all spheres of activity. Freethinking was severely punished. Beethoven, even in his younger years, was distinguished by independent judgments. One day, while walking with Goethe, he met Emperor Franz with his retinue. The poet bowed respectfully. Beethoven, however, passed through the courtiers, slightly raising his hat. This story happened when the composer was still young. In the last years of his life, when at every step there were spies and secret agents, Beethoven became completely unrestrained in expressions. But his authority was so great that the authorities turned a blind eye to very harsh judgments.

Despite his deafness, the composer was aware of all the musical and political news. He looked through the scores of Schubert and Rossini. During these years, Beethoven met Weber, the author of the operas Evryanta and The Magic Shooter.

In 1926, the composer's health deteriorated sharply. He began to develop liver disease. In March 1927, Ludwig van Beethoven died. About twenty thousand people attended the funeral of the author of the Moonlight Sonata and other great works.

Beethoven wrote nine symphonies, eight symphonic overtures and five piano concertos. In addition, he is the author of several dozen sonatas and other musical works. Many monuments around the world were erected to Ludwig van Beethoven. The first of them is in the homeland of one of the greatest composers, in Bonn.

("With Funeral March")

Opus 27: Two Piano Sonatas

No. 1: Sonata No. 13 Es-dur "Sonata quasi una fantasia"
No. 2: Sonata No. 14 Cis-moll "Sonata quasi una fantasia" ("Moonlight")

Opus 28: Sonata No. 15 in D major ("Pastoral")

Opus 31: 3 Piano Sonatas

No. 2: Sonata No. 17 in D-moll ("The Tempest")
No. 3: Sonata No. 18 Es-dur ("The Hunt")

Opus 49: 2 Piano Sonatas

Opus 53: Sonata No. 21 in C major ("Waldstein" or "Aurora")

Opus 57: Sonata No. 23 in F minor ("Appassionata")

Opus 78: Sonata No. 24 Fis-dur ("A Thérèse")

Opus 81a: Sonata No. 26 Es-dur ("Farewell/Les adieux/Lebewohl")

Opus 106: Sonata No. 29 in B major ("Hammerklavier")

Even for Haydn and Mozart, the piano sonata genre did not mean so much and did not turn into either a creative laboratory or a kind of diary of intimate impressions and experiences. The uniqueness of Beethoven's sonatas is partly due to the fact that, in an effort to equalize this formerly purely chamber genre with a symphony, a concerto and even musical drama, the composer almost never performed them in open concerts. Piano sonatas remained for him a deeply personal genre, addressed not to abstract humanity, but to an imaginary circle of friends and like-minded people. However, each of us has the right to enter this circle, bringing something new and unique to the perception of Beethoven's sonatas.

32 sonatas cover almost the entire creative way masters. He began working on the first three sonatas (opus 2) dedicated to Joseph Haydn in 1793, shortly after moving from Bonn to Vienna, and completed the last two in 1822. And if some themes from very early compositions (three quartets of 1785), the later ones have points of contact with the Solemn Mass (1823), which Beethoven considered his greatest creation.

The first group of sonatas (Nos. 1-11), created between 1793 and 1800, is extremely heterogeneous. The leaders here are “grand sonatas” (as the composer himself designated them), which are not inferior in size to symphonies, but in difficulty exceed almost everything written for the piano at that time. These are the four-part cycles opus 2 (Nos. 1-3), opus 7 (No. 4), opus 10 No. 3 (No. 7), opus 22 (No. 11). Beethoven, who won laurels in the 1790s best pianist Vienna, declared himself as the only worthy heir of the deceased Mozart and the aging Haydn. Hence - the boldly polemical and at the same time life-affirming spirit of most of the early sonatas, the courageous virtuosity of which clearly went beyond the capabilities of the then Viennese pianos with their clear, but not strong sound. However, in Beethoven's early sonatas, the depth and penetration of the slow parts is also amazing. “Already at the age of 28, I was forced to become a philosopher,” Beethoven later complained, recalling how his deafness began, at first imperceptible to those around him, but painting the artist’s worldview in tragic tones. The author's title of the only program sonata of these years (“Pathetic”, No. 8) speaks for itself.

At the same time, Beethoven created elegant miniatures (two light sonatas opus 49, nos. 19 and 20), designed for girlish or ladies' performance. Akin to them, although far from being so simple, are the lovely sonata No. 6 (opus 10 No. 2), and the sonatas Nos. 9 and 10 (opus 14), radiating spring freshness. Subsequently, this line continued in sonatas No. 24 (opus 78) and No. 25 (opus 79), written in 1809.

After the militantly exemplary Sonata No. 11, Beethoven declared: “I am dissatisfied with my previous works, I want to stand on new way". In the sonatas of 1801-1802 (Nos. 12-18), this intention was brilliantly realized. The idea of a sonata-symphony was replaced by the idea of a sonata-fantasy. The two sonatas opus 27 (Nos. 13 and 14) are expressly marked "quasi una fantasia". However, this designation could be prefixed to other sonatas. given period. It is as if Beethoven is trying to prove that the sonata is more of an original concept than a frozen form, and it is quite possible for a cycle that opens with variations and includes, instead of the traditional slow movement, the strict “Funeral March for the Death of a Hero” (No. 12) - or, conversely, the cycle of sonata No. 14, at the beginning of which a piercing confessional Adagio sounds, which evoked in the romantic poet Ludwig Relshtab the image of a night lake illuminated moonlight(hence the non-author's name “Moonlight Sonata”). Completely devoid of drama, Sonata No. 13 is no less experimental: it is a divertissement of almost kaleidoscopically changing images. On the other hand, Sonata No. 17, with its tragic monologues, dialogues and wordless recitatives, is close to opera or drama. According to Anton Schindler, Beethoven associated the content of this sonata (as well as the Appassionata) with Shakespeare's The Tempest, but refused to give any explanation.

Even the more traditional sonatas of this period are unusual. Thus, the four-movement sonata No. 15 no longer claims to be related to the symphony and is rather sustained in gentle watercolor tones (it is not by chance that the name “Pastoral” was assigned to it). Beethoven greatly valued this sonata and, according to his student Ferdinand Ries, was especially willing to play the restrained melancholic Andante.

The culminating period of Beethoven's work is considered to be the years 1802-1812, and the few sonatas of these years also belong to the pinnacle of the master's achievements. Such, for example, was created in 1803-1804, in parallel with the Heroic Symphony, sonata No. 21 (opus 53), which is sometimes called “Aurora” (after the goddess of the morning dawn). It is curious that initially between the first movement and the finale there was placed a beautiful, but extremely extended Andante, which Beethoven, after mature reflection, published as a separate piece (Andante favori - that is, “The Beloved Andante”, WoO 57). The composer replaced it with a short gloomy intermezzo, connecting the bright “daytime” images of the first movement with the gradually brightening colors of the finale.

The complete opposite of this radiant sonata is Sonata No. 23 (opus 57) written in 1804-1805, which received the name “Appassionata” from the publishers. This is a great essay tragic force, in which an important role is played by the knocking “motif of fate”, which was later used in the Fifth Symphony.

Sonata No. 26 (opus 81-a), created in 1809, is the only one of 32 that has a detailed author's program. Its three parts are entitled "Farewell - Separation - Return" and look like an autobiographical novel that tells about parting, longing and a new meeting of lovers. However, according to the author's note, the sonata was written "on the departure of His Imperial Highness Archduke Rudolf" - a student and patron of Beethoven, who on May 4, 1809 was forced, along with imperial family hastily evacuate from Vienna: the city was doomed to siege, shelling and occupation by Napoleon's troops. In addition to the Archduke, almost all of Beethoven's close friends and girlfriends left Vienna at that time. Perhaps among them was the true heroine of this novel in sounds.

The two-part sonata opus 90 (No. 27), written in 1814, dedicated to Count Moritz Lichnowsky, who had the courage to fall in love with opera singer and enter into an unequal marriage with her. According to Schindler, Beethoven defined the character of the confused first movement as “a struggle between the heart and reason”, and the second compared the gentle, almost Schubertian music with “the conversation of lovers”.

The last five sonatas (Nos. 28-32) belong to the late period of Beethoven's work, marked by the mystery of content, unusual forms and extreme complexity. musical language. These very different sonatas are also united by the fact that almost all of them, except for No. 28 (opus 101), written in 1816, were composed based on the virtuosic and expressive possibilities of a new type of piano - a six-octave concert grand piano of the English company Broadwood, received by Beethoven a gift from this firm in 1818. The rich sonic potential of this instrument was most fully revealed in the grandiose sonata opus 106 (No. 29), which Hans von Bülow compared with the Heroic Symphony. For some reason, the name Hammerklavier (“Hammer Piano Sonata”) was assigned to it, although this designation is on title pages all later sonatas.

In most of them, the idea of a fantasy sonata with a freely arranged cycle and whimsical alternation of themes takes on a new breath. This evokes associations with the music of the romantics (Schumann, Chopin, Wagner, Brahms, and even Prokofiev and Scriabin are heard every now and then) ... But Beethoven remains true to himself: his forms are always impeccably built, and the concepts reflect his inherent positive worldview. The romantic ideas of disillusionment, restlessness and discord with the outside world that spread in the 1820s remained alien to him, although their echoes can be heard in the music of the mournful Adagio from Sonata No. 29 and the suffering Arioso dolente from Sonata No. 31. And yet, despite the tragedies and catastrophes experienced, the ideals of goodness and light remain unshakable for Beethoven, and the mind and will help the spirit to triumph over suffering and earthly vanity. “Jesus and Socrates were my models,” Beethoven wrote in 1820. The “hero” of the later sonatas is no longer a victorious warrior, but rather a creator and philosopher, whose weapons are all-pervading intuition and all-encompassing thought. It is not for nothing that two of the sonatas (Nos. 29 and 31) end with fugues demonstrating the power of the creative intellect, while the other two (Nos. and ) end with contemplative variations, representing, as it were, a model of the universe in miniature.

The great pianist Maria Veniaminovna Yudina called Beethoven's 32 sonatas "The New Testament" piano music(“The Old Testament” was Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier for her). Indeed, they look far into the future, not at all denying the 18th century that gave birth to them. And therefore, each new performance of this gigantic cycle becomes an event in modern culture.

(Larisa Kirillina. Text of the booklet for the cycle of concerts by T.A. Alikhanov (Moscow Conservatory, 2004))

But back to the composer Beethoven. All the variety of feelings he experienced during this period was reflected in his works. Vigorous activity, passion, a thirst for peace and humility - these opposite feelings harmoniously adjoin in the works written during this difficult period for Beethoven.

I cannot say that human suffering contributes to his creative emancipation, but judge for yourself: Third Piano Concerto in c-moll, op. 37 (1800); sonata As-dur, op. 26 with a funeral march and “Sonata Like a Fantasy” (“Moonlight Sonata”, by the way, it was dedicated to Giulietta Guicciardi) (1802); emotionally impulsive sonata in d-moll with recitative, op. 31 (1802); "Kreutzer" sonata for violin and piano (1803) and a number of other compositions. They are great!

Now, a year later, evaluating and analyzing the whole life of the great composer, we can say that he managed to save himself, save his life and sanity, thanks to the same music. Beethoven simply had no time to die. Life for him has always been a struggle, with his victories and defeats, he continued to fight, otherwise he could not.

A huge number of ideas and projects filled the mind of Ludwig, there are so many of them that you have to work on several works at the same time. The Third Symphony (Heroic Symphony) was created, during the same period the sketches of the Fifth Symphony and the Appassionata appeared. The end of work on the heroic symphony and sonata "Aurora" is nearing, and Beethoven is already taking up work on the opera "Fidelio", finalizing the "Appassionata".

After the opera, work on the Fifth Symphony resumes again, but not for long, as he writes the Fourth. In the period between 1806-1808, the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth (“Pastoral”) symphonies, the overture “Criolan”, Fantasia for piano, choir and orchestra are released. Crazy performance! And each subsequent work is absolutely different from the previous one, they all lie in different planes and each of them is brilliant! "On the title page of the Heroic Symphony, in honor of which this period of the composer's life was named, Beethoven's hand wrote "Buonaparte", and just below "Luigi van Beethoven". Then, in the spring of 1804, Napoleon was the idol of many people who expected changes in world ideology, world order, people eager to throw off the burden of old prejudices.Bonaparte was the personification of republican ideals, a hero who was worthy of the Heroic Symphony.But another illusion was dispelled when Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor.

This one too ordinary person! Now he will trample underfoot all human rights, follow only his own ambition, he will put himself above all others and become a tyrant! - the title page was torn to shreds by the author. "Eroica" is the new title of the symphony.

After the Third Symphony, the opera Fidelio, the only opera written by Beethoven, and one of his most beloved works, is published, he said: “Of all my children, she cost me the most pain at birth, she also gave me the greatest grief, “That’s why she is dearer to me than others.”

After this period, so full of symphonies, sonatas and other compositions, Beethoven did not even think of resting. He creates the Fifth Piano Concerto, the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies (1812). Ludwig plans to write music for Goethe's tragedy "Egmont", he was very fond of the poetry of his idol, she easily went to music. The two great contemporaries corresponded for some time, and the music for Egmont became evidence of their collaboration. Once they even met, but more on that later...

But how does Beethoven himself live, how did his life in Vienna work out? Despite its fairly large popularity, it occasionally has certain problems in financial terms. Largely because of his notorious independence, but, it seems to me, thanks to this, he retained his own style, which even now distinguishes him from other great composers around the world. Changes also affected personal life. Back in 1799, Ludwig began teaching with two lovely sisters Teresa and Josephine Brunswick. Until recently, it was believed that he was in love with Teresa, but already in the twentieth century, Beethoven's letters relating to that period were found, and they were addressed to Josephine. This is how official relations grew into a strong and cordial friendship, and friendship into love.

At the same time, he offers his services as a composer by writing a letter to the directorate of the royal-imperial court theaters, but they, in turn, did not even bother to answer. Why is a professional with a name known throughout old Europe obliged to beg for a job? Once again, you are convinced that history always goes in a spiral ... In other matters, he himself explained his situation in the same letter: “the guiding thread for the undersigned (Beethoven. more- service to art, ennoblement of taste and aspirations musical genius to lofty ideals and to perfection ... he was forced to struggle with all sorts of difficulties and so far he has not been lucky enough to create a position for himself here, consistent with this desire to devote his life exclusively to art ... ”. This is not pop music for you! .. The answer never came, as Beethoven described the “venerable” management very simply and succinctly - a princely bastard.

Under the yoke of all these failures, driven by circumstances, Ludwig decides to leave Vienna. This is where our “dear” patrons realized what they were losing. Archduke Rudolf, Count Kinsky and Prince Lobkowitz in 1809 undertake to pay the composer an annual pension, in return he promises not to leave Austria. Later on this notorious pension, the obligation for which only the Archduke Rudolph fulfilled the obligation, it will be said that it brought Beethoven more trouble than help. “To feel capable of a great work and fail to do it, to count on a secure life and be deprived of it due to terrible circumstances that do not eliminate in me the need for family life, but only interfere with arranging it. Oh, God, God, have pity on the unfortunate B.! Need and loneliness accompany his life.

Everyone is now familiar with the famous Fifth Symphony, this is how fate knocks at the door. She knocked on Beethoven's door. The endless Napoleonic wars, the secondary occupation of Vienna, the mass exodus from the capital of Austria - against the backdrop of these events, Ludwig has to work. But another circumstance influenced such a rapid rise in Beethoven's popularity, and indeed the development of music in general - the invention of the metronome. The name of the famous mechanic-inventor Melzel forever went down in history thanks to the metronome. “Battle of Vittoria” - an essay on a very popular military theme- was written at the suggestion of the same Melzel for the device he designed. The work was very effective, it was played symphony orchestra, amplified by two military bands, various devices reproduced rifle and cannon fire. A huge success with the public exalted Beethoven to the pinnacle of his lifetime fame.

The Imperial Theater suddenly recalls Beethoven's opera Fidelio, but deafness greatly prevents the author from conducting, behind his back Kapellmeister Umlauf carefully corrects mistakes ... Fashion, namely fashion, grows on Beethoven. He is invited to presentations, excuse me, to secular receptions, then these were still receptions. To the credit of the great composer, he still prefers a circle of close friends in a modest restaurant. There, in the circle of friends, he gave vent to his emotions, he said everything he thought, not afraid of spies and scammers.

Everyone got it, and the Austrian government, and the Catholic religion, and the emperor. Hearing was practically already lost, so Ludwig used special “Conversation Notebooks”, in which questions and answers were recorded. About 400 such notebooks have come down to us, the entries in them are more than bold: “The ruling nobility has learned nothing!”, “Our time needs powerful minds to whip these vile human souls!”, “In fifty years there will be republics everywhere. ..”. Beethoven still remained himself. And at this time, in the same restaurant, a young man is sitting at the far table, who is enthusiastically watching his idol, the name of this man is Franz Schubert.

From 1813 to 1818, Beethoven composed rather little and slowly, but even his works written in a state of depression are magnificent. Sonata for piano, op. 90, e-moll, two cello sonatas, his arrangements are coming out folk songs. Not much, but during this period one can notice a change in the manner, style of writing, in our time it has been called Beethoven's “late style”. It is necessary to highlight the cycle of songs “To a Distant Beloved”, absolutely original, it smelled of novelty. It was this work that had no small influence on the romantic vocal cycles of Schubert and Schumann.

In the period from 1816 to 1822, the last five piano sonatas appeared, their composition is quite complex, as, indeed, the composition of the later quartets (1824-1826). He deviates from the classical forms of sonatas, once again destroys all frames, most likely, this is due to his philosophical and contemplative mood.

Like the biggest gem in the royal crown, the Ninth Symphony took its dominant place among the works of the great Beethoven. Almost 170 years later, something like this will still be, although of course on a different scale, already in our nineties of the twentieth century, the same place in Freddie Mercury's discography will be occupied by his great, and has already become a household name, “The Show Must Go On”. Who knows, maybe in a couple of centuries, our contemporary music the last thirty years will mean to our descendants what classical music means to us now.

The Ninth Symphony was conceived back in the years of the crisis, but this idea began to be realized only in 1822, in parallel with the Solemn Mass (Missa solemnis). In 1823, Beethoven completed the mass, and a year later, the symphony. In the final part of his immortal creation, the author introduced the choir and singer-soloists, entrusting them with the words from Schiller's ode “To Joy”: People are brothers among themselves! Hug, millions! Merge in the joy of one!

For such grandiose ideas, an equally grandiose embodiment in music was found. The Ninth Symphony is a development of the theme of the famous "Heroic" and Fifth, "Pastoral" and Seventh symphonies, the opera "Fidelio". But it is still the most significant in all of Beethoven's work, the most perfect in every respect.

Soon the fleeting fame passed, and everyone forgot about Ludwig again, many friends had long since left Vienna, some had died… Where is Beethoven himself? Let's try to find a composer in the bustling capital of Austria with the help of one of his contemporaries.

It seems that Mr. Beethoven lives nearby, I often saw him enter here ... - The seller of herrings pointed to the neighbor's house.

The house looks very pathetic, beating all our expectations. Stone steps, from which it breathes cold and damp, lead to the third floor, directly to the master's room. A small, dense man with slicked back hair with a strong gray hair will definitely come out to meet you: “I have the misfortune to be abandoned by all my friends and stick around alone in this ugly Vienna,” he will say, then he will ask to speak loudly, as now he hears very poorly. He is a little embarrassed, which is why he talks a lot and loudly. He says that he is often unwell, composes little ... He is dissatisfied with everything, especially curses Austria and Vienna.

- Circumstances chain me here, - he will say, hitting the piano with his fist, - but here everything is disgusting and dirty. Everything from top to bottom are bastards. Nobody can be trusted. The music here is in complete decline. The emperor does nothing for art, and the rest of the public is content with what they have...
- When he is silent, his forehead wrinkles, and the composer looks especially gloomy, sometimes it even scares.

Beethoven spends a lot of energy on helping his nephew; after the death of his brother, he was able to give all his unsatisfied need for love. But even here, Ludwig again had to fight, leaving a lot of strength and health in the courtroom, where hearings were held on the issue of custody of Karl. The composer's opponent was the boy's mother, a selfish and unseemly bitch. The nephew himself did not appreciate all that his uncle did for him, who spent the funds obtained with such great difficulty to hush up the numerous scandalous stories associated with Karl. At the cost of the incredible efforts of Beethoven's close friends, on May 7, 1824, the Ninth Symphony was performed. This event is also notable for the fact that at that time spectacular compositions performed by virtuosos gained the greatest popularity when Beethoven, especially his works late period are distinguished by their depth and grandeur. Umlauf conducted the orchestra. The composer himself stood at the ramp, gave the pace for each part, although by that time he had completely lost his hearing. The audience was delighted, thunderous applause! The musicians and singers were shocked by the success of the symphony, and only one person stood still, not reacting to the enthusiastic exclamations, he simply did not hear them ... The symphony was still playing in his head. A young singer named Unger ran up to the composer, took him by the hand and turned to face the audience. Only at this moment could he be convinced of the success of his work. The second performance of the Ninth Symphony took place in a half-empty hall, which once again confirmed the tastes, or rather their lack, of the then public.

Beethoven owns the only completed opera, but he wrote vocal music throughout his life, including two Masses, other works for choir and orchestra (besides the Ninth Symphony), arias, duets, songs (lieder) and song cycles. From couplet songs, arias and odes, where the text played a subordinate role, Beethoven gradually came to a new type of vocal composition, in which each stanza poetic text corresponded new music(songs to the words of I. V. Goethe, including "Mignon", "Flow again, tears of love", "Heart, heart", etc.). For the first time, he combines a number of songs-romances into a single cycle with a sequentially unfolding plot idea ("To a Distant Beloved", to texts by A. Eiteles, 1816). The song "About a Flea" is the only text from Goethe's "Faust" embodied by Beethoven, although the composer did not leave the thought of writing music for this work until the end of his life. In addition to original compositions, Beethoven owns 188 arrangements of folk songs for voice with instrumental accompaniment. About 40 canons (WoO 159-198).