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Файл:Meet The Famous Composers. Part 1. Учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку
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UNIT 7
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770.
Bonn is located in the heart of Germany’s lovely Rhineland.
Like Bach and Mozart, Ludwig came from amusical family.
His father and grandfather were employed as musicians in the
court of the elector in Bonn. Ludwig started lessons in piano,
violin and composition with his father when he was four
years old. By the time he was 11, he was performing and sight-
reading with great expertise, and his talent for improvising was
favorably compared to the great child prodigy Mozart.
Early in his career, Beethoven met some of the famous composers
of the time. On atrip to Vienna in 1787 when he was 17, Beethoven met and played for
Mozart.
Mozart was impressed with Beethoven’s skill at improvising on the piano. In 1792,
Beethoven met Franz Joseph Haydn who passed through Bonn on his way from England
to Vienna. Haydn complimented Beethoven on some of his works. is impressed the
elector so much that he sent Beethoven to Vienna to study with Haydn.
In 1792, Beethoven moved to Vienna where he spent the rest of his life. He loved
nature and spent many holidays in the country where he took long walks. He always kept
anotebook handy to jot down musical ideas that came to him. His love of the countryside
inspired him to compose his famous Symphony No. 6, the «Pastoral» symphony. In this
symphony one can hear birds singing, atumbling waterfall and athunderstorm.
In 1801, Beethoven composed his Sonata quasi una Fantasia (“Moonlight Sonata”),
Op. 27, No. 2, one of the best-loved sonatas. It was dedicated to the young Countess
Giulietta Guicciardi, one of Beethoven’s piano students. Beethoven is believed to have
proposed marriage to the countess who inspired this piece— a marriage that was
opposed by her father on the grounds that Beethoven was aman not worthy of his
daughter because he was seen as being without rank, money, or permanent employment.
Around 1800, Beethoven noticed that he was becoming deaf and by 1820 he could
no longer hear well enough to conduct an orchestra. He was totally deaf the last seven
years of his life, yet continued to compose music. Some of his greatest compositions
were written during this period, including Symphony No. 9, completed in 1824.
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MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS
Beethoven is considered to be one of the greatest composers of the Classical period.
His later music was more characteristic of the Romantic period, and many scholars
believe he bridged the gap between the Classical and Romantic periods.
1. Read and translate the text using adictionary if necessary.
2. Match the following Russian words and phrases with the English equivalents.
1. находиться вцентре Германии a. to employ
2. нанимать на работу b. atumbling waterfall
3. искусно исполнять ичитать слиста c. worthy
4. талант кимпровизации d. to spend the rest of one’s life
5. хвалить кого-либо e. ascholar
6. провести остаток жизни f. without rank, money and permanent
employment
7. долго гулять g. to perform and sight-read with great
expertise
8. держать записную книжку под рукой h. to jot down
9. бегло, кратко записать i. to propose to the countess
10. любовь кприроде вдохновила его на
написание
11. грохочущий водопад k. his love of the countryside inspired him to
12. гроза l. to become deaf
13. делать предложение графине m. to compliment somebody
14. возражать, исходя из соображений n. to conduct an orchestra
15. стоящий, подходящий o. to take long walks
16. без социального положения, денег
иработы
17. глохнуть, становится глухим q. atalent for improvising
18. дирижировать оркестром r. to bridge the gap between the Classical and
19. ученый s. to oppose on the grounds
20. соединить классический иромантиче-
ский период вмузыке
j. to be located in the heart of Germany
compose
p. athunderstorm
Romantic periods
t. to keep anotebook handy
3. Give synonyms and antonyms.
Words and word combinations Synonyms Antonyms
1. favourably
2. to compliment
3. to impress
4. to notice
5. marriage
6. to oppose
7. worthy
8. employment
9. talent
10. child
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Ludwig van Beethoven
4. Complete the table.
Innitive present Past Simple Participle II
1. to come
2. met
3. sent
4. to take
5. kept
6. heard
7. to see
8. lay
9. cut
10. to put
5. Unscramble the following words.
1. coerelt
2. myraneg
3. xepesrtie
4. moviiprse
5. plecommitn
6. tusirycnoed
7. sopatlar
8. sunocets
9. afde
10. lachros
6. Check your comprehension by lling in the blanks with suitable words or word
combinations.
1. Ludwig van Beethoven’s father and grandfather __ in the court of the elector in Bonn.
A. were employed as lawyers B. were employed as musicians
C. were employed as teachers D. were employed as doctors
2. Beethoven’s talent for improvising and sight-reading was favorably compared to the
great child prodigy __________ .
A. Haydn B. Clementi C. Bach D. Mozart
3. Mozart was impressed with Beethoven’s skill at __________ .
A. improvising on the piano. B. playing the violin
C. improvising on the organ D. playing the harpsichord
4. In 1792, Beethoven moved to __________ where he spent the rest of his life.
A. Paris B. Hamburg C. London D. Vienna
5. His famous Symphony No. 6, the «Pastoral» symphony was inspired by __________ .
A. his love to the city B. his love to the countryside
C. his love to awoman D. his love to children
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MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS
6. Beethoven proposed to the countess who inspired him to compose «Moonlight
Sonata» and her father __________ .
A. was happy B. opposed it C. was sad D. agreed
7. Aer becoming deaf, Beethoven __________ .
A. le Vienna B. continued to compose
C. married the countess D. argued with Haydn
8. Beethoven’s latest music was more characteristic of __________ .
A. the Baroque period B. the Classical period
C. the Impressionistic period D. the Romantic period
7. Choose the correct form.
1. Beethoven’s talent for __________ was favorably compared to the great child prodigy
Mozart.
A. improvisation B. improvising
C. improvise D. improvision
2. Beethoven’s talent impressed the elector __________ that he sent him to Vienna to
study with Haydn.
A. such much B. such many C. so many D. so much
3. In Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 one __________ birds singing, atumbling waterfall
and athunderstorm.
A. can to hear B. can hear C. can hears D. cans hears
4. Beethoven __________ to have proposed marriage to the countess who inspired
«Moonlight Sonata».
A. believed B. believes C. was being believed D .
is believed
5. By 1820 Beethoven could no longer hear _________ to conduct an orchestra.
A. well enough B. good enough C. enough good D .
enough well
6. Beethoven’s later music was __________ of the Romantic period.
A. characteristicer B. most characteristic
C. highly characteristic D. more characteristic
8. Complete the sentences with necessary prepositions.
1. Bonn is located _____ the heart _____ Germany’s lovely Rhineland.
2. Ludwig started lessons _____ piano, violin and composition _____ his father when
he was four years old.
3. _____ atrip _____ Vienna _____ 1787 when he was 17, Beethoven met and played
_____ Mozart.
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Ludwig van Beethoven
4. Mozart was impressed _____ Beethoven’s skill _____ improvising _____ the piano.
5. _____ 1792, Beethoven met Franz Joseph Haydn who passed _____ Bonn _____ his
way _____ England _____ Vienna.
6. Beethoven is believed to have proposed marriage _____ the countess who inspired
_____ this piece— amarriage that was opposed _____ her father _____ the grounds
that Beethoven was aman _____ not worthy _____ his daughter because he was seen
_____ being _____ rank, money, or permanent employment.
7. Some _____ his greatest compositions were written during this period, including
Symphony No. 9, completed _____ 1824.
8. His later music was more characteristic _____ the Romantic period, and many
scholars believe _____ he bridged the gap ______ the Classical and Romantic periods.
9. Complete the sentences.
1. Beethoven’s rst music teacher was _____________________________________ .
2. Beethoven was favourably compared to _________________________________ .
3. At the age of 17 Beethoven ___________________________________________ .
4. In late 1790 Beethoven was rst introduced to ____________________________ .
5. With the Elector’s help, Beethoven le Bonn for __________________________ .
6. Moving to Vienna, Beethoven liked ___________________________________ .
7. Beethoven proposed to the countess, but ________________________________.
8. At the age of 26, Beethoven began _______________________________________ .
9. Despite his deafness _________________________________________________ .
10. Beethoven bridged ________________________________________________ .
10. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Людвиг ван Бетховен родился вБонне 16декабря 1770.
2. В1787 году Бетховен посетил Вену, где познакомился сМоцартом.
3. Бетховен решает ехать вВену, чтобы брать уроки упрославленного композитора.
4. Переехав вВену, Бетховен полюбил прогулки по лесу.
5. Бетховен посвятил «Лунную сонату» одной из своих студенток.
6. Говорят, что Бетховен делал предложения графине, но был отвергнут ее отцом.
7. В1796 году Бетховен заметил, что начинает терять слух.
8. Потеряв слух, Бетховен продолжает сочинять.
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MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS
9. Главным произведением его последних лет стала Симфония № 9 схором.
10. Бетховен— ключевая фигура западной классической музыки впериод меж-
ду классицизмом иромантизмом, один из наиболее уважаемых иисполняемых
композиторов вмире.
11. Retell the story:
a) in the name of Mozart
b) in the name of Countess Giulietta Guicciardi
12. Make up adialogue:
a) Between Beethoven (Brahms, Haydn, you, etc.).
b) You have played Beethoven’s works and is to explain to your fellow-student the
performance features.
13. Imagine what if …
a) Beethoven were alive today. What music would he be doing?
b) What art would he prefer and why?
c) … (make your own assumption)
*For intermediate level students and above: see Supplementary Texts 1, 2
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS
Text 1
Ludwig van Beethoven. Biography
Pianist, Composer (c. 1770–1827)
Ludwig van Beethoven was adeaf German composer and the predominant musical
gure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras.
quotes
«Never shall Iforget the time Ispent with you. Please continue to be my friend, as
you will always nd me yours».
«Anyone who tells alie has not apure heart and cannot make good soup».
«Love demands all and has aright to all».
«Recommend to your children virtues that alone can make them happy. Not gold».
«I shall seize fate by the throat».
«Music is the mediator between the spiritual and sensual life».
«To play without passion is inexcusable!»
«Ever thine, ever mine, ever ours».
«Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge
can raise men to the divine».
«Music is ahigher revelation that all wisdom and philosophy».
— Ludwig van Beethoven
66
Ludwig van Beethoven
Synopsis
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770, in Bonn,
Germany. He was an innovator, widening the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto and
quartet, and combining vocals and instruments in anew way. His personal life was
marked by astruggle against deafness, and some of his most important works were
composed during the last 10 years of his life, when he was quite unable to hear.
Early Years
Composer and pianist Ludwig Van Beethoven, widely
considered the greatest composer of all time, was born on or
about December 16, 1770 in the city of Bonn in the Electorate of
Cologne, aprincipality of the Holy Roman Empire. Although
his exact date of birth is uncertain, Beethoven was baptized
on December 17, 1770.
Since as amatter of law and custom, babies were baptized
within 24 hours of birth, December 16 is his most likely
birthdate. However, Beethoven himself mistakenly believed that
he was born two years later, in 1772, and he stubbornly insisted on the incorrect date
even when presented with ocial papers that proved beyond any reasonable doubt that
1770 was his true birth year.
Beethoven had two younger brothers who survived into adulthood, Caspar, born in
1774, and Johann, born in 1776. Beethoven’s mother, Maria Magdalena van Beethoven,
was aslender, genteel, and deeply moralistic woman. His father, Johann van Beethoven,
was amediocre court singer better known for his alcoholism than any musical ability.
However, Beethoven’s grandfather, godfather and namesake, Kapellmeister Ludwig van
Beethoven, was Bonn’s most prosperous and eminent musician, asource of endless
pride for young Ludwig.
Sometime between the births of his two younger brothers, Beethoven’s father began
teaching him music with an extraordinary rigor and brutality that aected him for the
rest of his life. Neighbors provided accounts of the small boy weeping while he played
the clavier, standing atop afootstool to reach the keys, his father beating him for each
hesitation or mistake.
On anear daily basis, Beethoven was ogged, locked in the cellar and deprived
of sleep for extra hours of practice. He studied the violin and clavier with his father
as well as taking additional lessons from organists around town. Whether in spite of
or because of his father’s draconian methods, Beethoven was aprodigiously talented
musician from his earliest days and displayed ashes of the creative imagination that
would eventually reach farther than any composer’s before or since.
Hoping that his young son would be recognized as amusical prodigy àla Mozart,
Beethoven’s father arranged his rst public recital for March 26, 1778. Billed as a«little
son of six years,» (Mozart’s age when he debuted for Empress Maria eresia) although
he was in fact seven, Beethoven played impressively but his recital received no press
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MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS
whatsoever. Meanwhile, the musical prodigy attended a Latin grade school named
Tirocinium, where aclassmate said, «Not asign was to be discovered of that spark of
genius which glowed so brilliantly in him aerwards».
Beethoven, who struggled with sums and spelling his entire life, was at best an
average student, and some biographers have hypothesized that he may have had mild
dyslexia. As he put it himself, «Music comes to me more readily than words». In 1781, at
the age of 10, Beethoven withdrew from school to study music full time with Christian
Gottlob Neefe, the newly appointed Court Organist. Neefe introduced Beethoven to
Bach, and at the age of twelve Beethoven published his rst composition, aset of piano
variations on atheme by an obscure classical composer named Dressler.
By 1784, his alcoholism worsening and his voice decaying, Beethoven’s father was
no longer able to support his family, and Ludwig van Beethoven formally requested an
ocial appointment as Assistant Court Organist. Despite his youth, his request was
accepted, and Beethoven was put on the court payroll with amodest annual salary of
150 orins.
In an eort to facilitate his musical development, in 1787 the court decided to send
Beethoven to Vienna, Europe’s capital of culture and music, where he hoped to study
with Mozart. ere is only speculation and inconclusive evidence that Beethoven
ever met with Mozart, let alone studied with him. Tradition as it that, upon hearing
Beethoven, Mozart was to have said, «Keep your eyes on him; some day he will give the
world something to talk about». In any case, aer only afew weeks in Vienna, Beethoven
learned that his mother had fallen ill and he returned home to Bonn. Remaining in
there, Beethoven continued to carve out his reputation as the city’s most promising
young court musician.
When the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II died in 1790, a19-year-old Beethoven
received the immense honor of composing amusical memorial in his honor. For reasons
that remain unclear, Beethoven’s composition was never performed, and most assumed
the young musician had proven unequal to the task. However, more than acentury
later, Johannes Brahms discovered that Beethoven had in fact composed a«beautiful
and noble» piece of music entitled Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II. It is now
considered his earliest masterpiece.
Composing for Audiences
In 1792, with French revolutionary forces sweeping
across the Rhineland into the Electorate of Cologne,
Beethoven decided to leave his hometown for Vienna
once again. Mozart had passed away ayear earlier,
leaving Joseph Haydn as the unquestioned greatest
composer alive.
Haydn was living in Vienna at the time, and it
was with Haydn that the young Beethoven now
intended to study. As his friend and patron Count
68
Ludwig van Beethoven
Waldstein wrote in afarewell letter, «Mozart’s genius mourns and weeps over
the death of his disciple. It found refuge, but no release with the inexhaustible
Haydn; through him, now, it seeks to unite with another. By means of assiduous
labor you will receive the spirit of Mozart from the hands of Haydn».
In Vienna, Beethoven dedicated himself wholeheartedly to musical study
with the most eminent musicians of the age. He studied piano with Haydn, vocal
composition with Antonio Salieri and counterpoint with Johann Albrechtsberger.
Not yet known as acomposer, Beethoven quickly established areputation as
avirtuoso pianist who was especially adept at improvisation.
Beethoven won many patrons among the leading citizens of the Viennese
aristocracy, who provided him with lodging and funds, allowing Beethoven, in
1794, to sever ties with the Electorate of Cologne. Beethoven made his longawaited public debut in Vienna on March 29, 1795. Although there is considerable
debate over which of his early piano concerti he performed that night, most
scholars believe he played what is known as his «rst» piano concerto in C Major.
Shortly thereaer, Beethoven decided to publish aseries of three piano trios as
his «Opus 1,» which were an enormous critical and nancial success.
In the rst spring of the new century, on April 2, 1800, Beethoven debuted his
Symphony No. 1 in Cmajor at the Royal Imperial eater in Vienna. Although
Beethoven would grow to detest the piece — «In those days I did not know
how to compose,» he later remarked— the graceful and melodious symphony
nevertheless established him as one of Europe’s most celebrated composers.
As the new century progressed, Beethoven composed piece aer piece that
marked him as amasterful composer reaching his musical maturity. His «Six
String Quartets,» published in 1801, demonstrate complete mastery of that most
dicult and cherished of Viennese forms developed by Mozart and Haydn.
Beethoven also composed e Creatures of Prometheus in 1801, awildly popular
ballet that received 27 performances at the Imperial Court eater.
Around this time Beethoven, like all of Europe, watched with amixture of awe
and terror as Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself First Consul, and later
Emperor, of France. Beethoven admired, abhorred and, to an extent, identied
with Napoleon aman of seemingly superhuman capabilities, only one year older
than himself and also of obscure birth.
In 1804, only weeks aer Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor, Beethoven
debuted his Symphony No. 3 in Napoleon’s honor. Later renamed the «Eroica
Symphony» because Beethoven grew disillusioned with Napoleon, it was his
grandest and most original work to date— so unlike anything heard before
that through weeks of rehearsal, the musicians could not gure out how to play
it. Aprominent reviewer proclaimed Eroica, «one of the most original, most
sublime, and most profound products that the entire genre of music has ever
exhibited».
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MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS
Losing Hearing
At the same time as he was composing these great and immortal works, Beethoven
was struggling to come to terms with ashocking and terrible fact, one that he tried
desperately to conceal. He was going deaf. By the turn of the century, Beethoven
struggled to make out the words spoken to him in conversation.
Beethoven revealed in aheart-wrenching 1801 letter to his friend Franz Wegeler, «I
must confess that Ilead amiserable life. For almost two years Ihave ceased to attend
any social functions, just because Ind it impossible to say to people: Iam deaf. If I had
any other profession, Imight be able to cope with my inrmity; but in my profession
it is aterrible handicap». At times driven to extremes of melancholy by his aiction,
Beethoven described his despair in along and poignant note that he concealed his entire
life.
Dated October 6, 1802 and referred to as «e Heiligenstadt Testament,» it reads
in part, «O you men who think or say that Iam malevolent, stubborn or misanthropic,
how greatly do you wrong me. You do not know the secret cause which makes me seem
that way to you and Iwould have ended my life— it was only my art that held me back.
Ah, it seemed impossible to leave the world until Ihad brought forth all that Ifelt was
within me».
Almost miraculously, despite his rapidly progressing deafness, Beethoven continued
to compose at afurious pace. From 1803–1812, what is known as his «middle» or
«heroic» period, he composed an opera, six symphonies, four solo concerti, ve string
quartets, six string sonatas, seven piano sonatas, ve sets of piano variations, four
overtures, four trios, two sextets and 72 songs. e most famous among these were
symphonies No. 3–8, the «Moonlight Sonata,» the «Kreutzer» violin sonata and Fidelio,
his only opera. In terms of the astonishing output of superlatively complex, original
and beautiful music, this period in Beethoven’s life is unrivaled by any of any other
composer in history.
Despite his extraordinary output of beautiful music, Beethoven was lonely and
frequently miserable throughout his adult life. Short-tempered, absent-minded, greedy
and suspicious to the point of paranoia, Beethoven feuded with his brothers, his
publishers, his housekeepers, his pupils and his patrons. In one illustrative incident,
Beethoven attempted to break achair over the head of Prince Lichnowsky, one of his
closest friends and most loyal patrons. Another time he stood in the doorway of Prince
Lobkowitz’s palace shouting for all to hear, «Lobkowitz is adonkey!»
For avariety of reasons that included his crippling shyness and unfortunate physical
appearance, Beethoven never married or had children. He was, however, desperately
in love with amarried woman named Antonie Brentano. Over the course of two days
in July of 1812, Beethoven wrote her along and beautiful love letter that he never sent.
Addressed «to you, my Immortal Beloved,» the letter said in part, «My heart is full of so
many things to say to you— ah— there are moments when Ifeel that speech amounts
to nothing at all— Cheer up— remain my true, my only love, my all as Iam yours».
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