Scan 85
Baker S Biographical Dictionary Of Musicians Third Edition, 1919
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1attended by 20,000 persons, and titled personages vied with each other in the expression of homage and regret.
3While Beethoven, in choosing a recognized (conventional) form—the sonata-form—as a vehicle for the expression of his thought (in 81 works, i. e., about one-third of all), still belongs to the school called 'classic,' his methods of moulding this form were eminently unconventional; so much so, indeed, that even at the beginning of his 'second period' the progressive 'Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung' of Leipzig, though not belittling his importance, reprehends his 'daring harmonies and venturesome rhythms.' As for his last period, no general appreciation of the latest string-quartets and pf.-sonatas was found, even among musicians, until half a century after his death. His innovations on the formal key-scheme of his predecessors; his original elaboration of connecting-links both in thematic development and between separate movements; his fertility in incidental modulation, and the inexhaustible freshness of his rhythms, render the structure of his compositions thoroughly characteristic—typical. But his loftiest originality, and that whence the differences in formal construction naturally flowed, is the intensity and fervor of subjective emotion which pervades his works. It is this mood of profound subjectivity, of individual, powerful soul-expression, which most of all differentiates B.'s music from that of Bach, or Haydn, or Mozart, and which opens the era of 'romantic' composition. Technically, his art of orchestration reaches a perfection in detail, and a grandeur of effect, before unknown; and his diversified development of the motive (melodic, harmonic, rhythmic) surpasses anything previous to Wagner. As specimens of what can be done in thematic treatment, his pf.-variations on given themes are a ne plus ultra of musical ingenuity. It is noteworthy that, according to contemporary accounts, his 'free improvisations' at the piano, which held his auditors spellbound, were developments of a kindred nature; not mere rhapsodies, but the spontaneous elaborations of a teeming invention. He is still reverenced as the greatest instrumental composer of all times; and even in vocal music, his Fidelio and the Missa solemnis are creations of unique power.
5Monuments have been erected to B. in 1845 at Bonn (by Hähnel), and in 1880 at Vienna (by Zumbusch).
7B.'s works comprise 138 opus-numbers, and about 70 unnumbered compositions. His published works are noted below.
9INSTRUMENTAL WORKS.
11Nine Symphonies: No. 1, op. 21, in C; 2, op. 36, in D; 3, op. 55, in E♭ (the 'Eroica'); 4, op. 60, in B♭; 5, op. 67, in C min.; 6, op. 68, in F (Pastoral); 7, op. 92, in A; 8, op. 93, in F; 9, op. 125, in D min. (Choral).
13The Battle of Vittoria (op. 91); music to the ballet Prometheus (op. 43), and to Goethe's Egmont (op. 84), both with overtures.
15Nine further overtures: Coriolanus; Leonore (Nos. 1, 2 and 3); Fidelio; King Stephen; Ruins of Athens; Namensfeier, op. 115; Weihe des Hauses (op. 124).
17Other comps. for orch.: Allegretto in E♭; March from Tarpeia, in C; Military March, in D; Ritter-Ballet; 12 Minuets; 12 deutsche Tanze; 12 Contretanze.
19Violin-concerto, op. 61, in D.
21Five pf.-concertos: No. 1, op. 15, in C; 2, op. 19, in B♭; 3, op. 37, in C min.; 4, op. 58, in G; 5, op. 73, in E♭ (Emperor); also a pf.-concerto arranged from the violin-concerto. A triple-concerto, op. 56, for pf., vln., 'cello and orch.; a Choral Fantasia for pf., chorus and orch.; a rondo in B♭, for pf. and orch.—Cadences to the pf.-concertos.
23Two Octets for wind, both in E♭.
25One Septet f. strings and wind, op. 20, in E♭.
27One Sextet for strings and 2 horns, op. 81 bis, in E♭.
29One Sextet for wind, op. 71, in E♭.
31Two Quintets for strings: Op. 4, in E min., and op. 29, in C; Fugue for string-quartet, op. 137; also Quintet arr. from pf.-trio in C m.
33Sixteen String-quartets: Op. 18, Nos. 1-6, in F, G, D, C min., A and Ab (first period).—Op. 59, Nos. 1-3, in F, E min., and C; op. 74, in E♭ (the Harfenquartett); op. 95, in F min. (second period).—Op. 127, in E♭; op. 130, in B♭; op. 131, in C♯ min.; op. 132, in F min.; op. 135, in F; also a Grand Fugue for string-quartet, op. 133, in B♭ (third period).—One pf.-quartet (arr. of the pf.-quintet); 3 juvenile pf.-quartets, in E♭, D and C.
35Five String-trios: In E♭, G, D, C min., and D (Serenade).—Eight Pf.-trios: Op. 1, Nos. 1-3, in E♭, G, and C min.; op. 70, Nos. 1 and 2, in D and E♭; op. 97, in B♭; in B♭ (1 movem.); in E♭ (juvenile); also an arr. of the Eroica symphony.—Grand trio in B♭, for pf., clar. and 'cello, op. 11; ditto for ditto, in E♭, op. 38 (arr. from septet, op. 20); trio for 2 oboes and 'cor anglais,' in C, op. 87.
37Ten Sonatas for pf. and violin: In D, A, E♭; in A min.; in F; in A, C min., G; in A, op. 47 (Kreutzer); in G.—Rondo for pf. and vln., in G; 12 Variations, in F, for do.
39Five Sonatas for pf. and 'cello: In F, G min.; in A; in C, D.—12 Variations for do. in C; 12 ditto in F; 7 ditto in E♭.
41Sonata for pf. and horn, in F, op. 17.
43Sonata for pf. 4 hands, in D, op. 6.
45Thirty-eight Sonatas for pf. solo: Op. 2, Nos. 1-3, F min., A and C (ded. to Haydn); op. 7, in E♭; op. 10, Nos. 1-3, in C min., F
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