Beethoven.org (15523B)
1 #+title: The Beethoven Cello Sonatas 2 #+author: Jamie Beardslee 3 #+date: <2020-03-20 Fri> 4 #+options: toc:nil date:nil num:nil ':yes 5 6 #+begin_export html 7 <p><b>Note:</b> This paper is also available as a <a href="Beethoven.pdf">pdf</a></p> 8 #+end_export 9 10 #+name: version-and-paper 11 #+begin_src lilypond :exports none 12 \version "2.19" 13 \language "english" 14 \paper{ 15 indent=0\mm 16 line-width=170\mm 17 oddFooterMarkup=##f 18 oddHeaderMarkup=##f 19 bookTitleMarkup=##f 20 scoreTitleMarkup=##f 21 } 22 #+end_src 23 24 * Introduction 25 26 As a cellist, I have played many pieces of varying style, difficulty, 27 and genre. In my opinion, the Beethoven sonatas for cello and piano 28 are some of the greatest compositions that I've had the opportunity to 29 perform. I have always been curious about the circumstances under 30 which Beethoven composed these sonatas and his motivations. 31 32 After some cursory research about Beethoven, I discovered that his 33 works are often divided into three distinct periods. The cello 34 sonatas happen to be a perfect example of these periods, so this is 35 the topic I have decided to research. 36 37 #+begin_abstract 38 How and why did Beethoven's compositional style change throughout the 39 course of writing his sonatas for cello and piano? 40 #+end_abstract 41 42 * Beethoven's development as a composer 43 44 ** First period 45 46 The first period of Beethoven's career as a composer is often called 47 his "formative period", and extends to the year 1802. Beethoven 48 started composing at a very young age, and went to study composition 49 in Bonn under Christian Gottlob Neefe around 1779[fn:1]. There, he 50 wrote his first published compositions in 1783, at age 13. 51 52 Beethoven's works from this period generally follow the strict 53 traditions of Classical composition. As a student, he was focused on 54 the mastery of writing classical music in the Viennese style. 55 56 Consider /Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor/, Op. 2. Dedicated to Haydn, 57 this early sonata illustrates Beethoven's focus on mastering and 58 extending the typical Classical form of a sonata. Compared to his 59 later works, he seems to imitate the popular composers of the time 60 such as Mozart: 61 62 #+begin_quote 63 The slow movement … well illustrates the rare cases in which Beethoven 64 imitates Mozart to the detriment of his own proper richness of tone 65 and thought.[fn:2] 66 #+end_quote 67 68 ** Middle period 69 70 Beethoven's middle period, usually considered to span from 1802 to 71 1812, marks a departure from the style of Mozart and Haydn. 72 Coinciding with the beginning of the Romantic era, Beethoven's works 73 from this era are increasingly more virtuosic and musically complex. 74 75 In my own experience, these "middle period" works make use of 76 extremely frequent key modulations, developing established themes 77 within a piece, and a more frenetic style in general. 78 79 A clear example of the middle period's modulations and dynamic changes 80 is in the first movement of the /Kreutzer Violin Sonata/, Op. 47, bars 81 194 to 214. Beethoven starts with the main theme played /piano/ in A 82 major, and modulates to G minor over a 2-bar crescendo to /forte/. 83 Then, over another 4-bar crescendo, modulates to E-flat major, this 84 time remaining /forte/. Throughout these modulations, Beethoven 85 alternates the main theme between the violin and piano parts 86 repeatedly. These modulations, everchanging dynamics, and 87 conversation between the two parts are all put together to result in a 88 piece of music that could only have been written by Beethoven. 89 90 ** Third period 91 92 By the third period, lasting from 1812 until his death in 1827, 93 Beethoven had stopped performing and conducting due to his deafness, 94 and--according to his own diary--distanced himself from his friends 95 and colleagues. Many of Beethoven's most innovative works were 96 written during this time, including the /Große Fuge/ Op. 133, and the 97 /Hammerklavier Piano Sonata No. 29/ Op. 106. 98 99 Beethoven refined many of his signature techniques during this period, 100 notably counterpoint and expanding themes. He also developed a habit 101 of linking movements of a piece together, without a break between 102 them. Many of Beethoven's pieces from this era were criticised 103 because he no longer stuck so strictly to predefined Classical 104 techniques. 105 106 Many of Beethoven's larger works from this period were truly epic. 107 The /Große Fuge/ was originally going to be the finale of /String Quartet 108 No. 13 in B-flat major/ Op. 130, but was split into its own piece as 109 the fugue was longer than the other five movements put together. 110 111 * The Sonatas 112 113 ** Sonata 1 in F Major and Sonata 2 in G Minor 114 115 The first two sonatas (Opus 5 Nrs. 1 & 2) were written back to back in 116 1796, while Beethoven was in the court of King Friedrich Wilhelm II in 117 Berlin. It is reported that "Beethoven composed the sonatas for 118 Duport and himself to perform".[fn:3] 119 120 The name "Duport" has led to some confusion, as there were two 121 cellists with that name in the court of the king. We now know that 122 they were written for Jean Louis Duport, rather than his brother Jean 123 Pierre Duport.[fn:4] 124 125 *** F Major 126 127 The first sonata in F major has a very "posh" feel, clearly influenced 128 by the likes of Haydn and Mozart. It uses a typical two-movement 129 sonata form, starting with an /adagio/ introduction to an /allegro/ 130 first movement which develops the main themes, followed by an 131 /allegro vivace/ third movement in rondo form. 132 133 In this sonata, Beethoven made frequent use of arpeggios--a common 134 characteristic of earlier classical music such as Haydn or Mozart. 135 Consider this excerpt from bar 302 of the first movement: 136 #+begin_src lilypond :file f-major-arpeggios.png :noweb yes 137 <<version-and-paper>> 138 \relative c { 139 \key f \major 140 \clef "bass" 141 r8 c f a c f, a c | 142 r8 d, g bf d g, bf d | 143 e, g c e g e f g | 144 } 145 #+end_src 146 147 #+RESULTS: 148 [[file:f-major-arpeggios.png]] 149 150 *** G Minor 151 152 The G minor sonata is written in a distinctly Beethoven style. It 153 doesn't have the same posh sound as the F major sonata, but rather it 154 is imbued with anger and indecision. In my opinion, it doesn't feel 155 as "Viennese" as the first sonata and works by Haydn or Mozart. That 156 said, Beethoven made extensive use of common Classical techniques such 157 as imitation--repeating a theme in a different voice. 158 159 Having studied this sonata countless times, I think that--in spite of 160 being written in quite early in Beethoven's career--this piece is an 161 indication of what was to come in Beethoven's middle period more so 162 than an apt example of his early period. 163 164 An excerpt from bar 67 of the first movement shows Beethoven's 165 excessive use of staccatissimo accents, and abrupt dynamic changes--a 166 trait of the middle period rather than the first: 167 #+begin_src lilypond :file g-minor-outburst.png :noweb yes 168 <<version-and-paper>> 169 \relative c' { 170 \key g \minor 171 \time 3/4 172 \clef "bass" 173 r4 a\p\staccatissimo\< a\staccatissimo | 174 bf2\>( d4) | 175 r4\! d,\staccatissimo fs\staccatissimo | 176 g4\f\staccatissimo d\staccatissimo bf'\staccatissimo | 177 bf2( a8 g) | 178 g4( fs) c'\staccatissimo | 179 } 180 #+end_src 181 182 ** Sonata No. 3 in A Major 183 184 The third sonata (Opus 69) was written in 1808, about a decade after 185 the first two, and was dedicated to Baron Ignaz von Gleichenstein, a 186 cellist, who played a part in securing a lifetime annuity for 187 Beethoven[fn:1]. 188 189 This sonata, unlike the first two, is written in three movements. 190 Unlike most three-movement sonatas, however, its middle movement is a 191 scherzo. This shows Beethoven's willingness to stray from common 192 convention, as three-movement sonatas almost always have a fast 193 movement, followed by a slow one, and an /allegro/ finale. 194 195 Beethoven repeats certain motifs in different ways, which is a clear 196 demonstration of his growing compositional maturity. Beethoven reworks 197 the following theme numerous times: 198 #+begin_src lilypond :file a-major-theme.png :noweb yes 199 <<version-and-paper>> 200 \relative c { 201 \clef "bass" 202 \key a \major 203 \tempo "Allegro ma non tanto" 204 a2_\markup{\dynamic p dolce}( e') | \bar ".|:" 205 fs2.( cs4 | 206 e4 d cs d8 b) | 207 a2( gs4) e( | 208 a fs cs ds) | 209 e1 210 } 211 #+end_src 212 An example of this is in bar 51, where the theme is inverted: 213 #+begin_src lilypond :file a-major-var1.png :noweb yes 214 <<version-and-paper>> 215 \relative c' { 216 \clef "bass" 217 \key a \major 218 b2( gs) | 219 e2. b4~ | 220 b4 b( gs e8 gs) | 221 b2. r4 | 222 } 223 #+end_src 224 225 ** Sonata No. 4 in C Major and Sonata No. 5 in D Major 226 227 The composition of Beethoven's final cello sonatas (Opus 102, Nrs. 1 228 & 2) began in spring of 1815, another seven years after the previous 229 cello sonata. In summer and autumn of 1815, Beethoven created first 230 versions of both sonatas, which he revised throughout the year[fn:4]. 231 The two sonatas were published together by N. Simrock in late 1817 or 232 early 1818, with a dedication to Countess Marie von Erdődy. 233 234 These two sonatas never became as popular as the others, and critics 235 of the time were sceptical about them. The following is an excerpt 236 from German periodical /Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung/ regarding 237 Beethoven's final cello sonatas: 238 #+begin_quote 239 They elicit the most unexpected and unusual reactions, not only by 240 their form but by the use of the piano as well... We have never been 241 able to warm up to the two sonatas; but these compositions are perhaps 242 a necessary link in the chain of Beethoven's works in order to lead us 243 there where the steady hand of the maestro wanted to lead us.[fn:5] 244 #+end_quote 245 246 *** C Major 247 248 Beethoven's C major cello sonata is quite a bit shorter than the 249 others, and consists of two movements--both /allegro/ with a slow 250 introduction. This differs from most conventional sonatas, as a 251 finale movement typically doesn't have an introduction, which shows 252 Beethoven's willingness to ignore the traditional structure of the 253 sonata. 254 255 For me, this sonata is a demonstration of the anger Beethoven had 256 built up over the years due to his deafness and isolation. The first 257 movement starts with a gentle, somewhat dainty theme: 258 #+begin_src lilypond :file c-major-intro.png :noweb yes 259 <<version-and-paper>> 260 \relative c' { 261 \clef "tenor" 262 \key c \major 263 \time 6/8 264 \tempo "Andante" 265 c8_\markup{\dynamic p "dolce cantabile"}^"teneramente"( b a g4 a16 b | 266 c d e c g'\staccatissimo) g g8( f d) | 267 } 268 #+end_src 269 270 The introduction to the first movement largely resembles this first 271 theme, never reaching a dynamic above /piano/ apart from phrasing 272 crescendi. But the true nature of this movement is revealed at the 273 transition from the introduction to the *Allegro vivace* section: 274 275 #+begin_src lilypond :file c-major-allegro.png :noweb yes 276 <<version-and-paper>> 277 \relative c, { 278 \clef "bass" 279 \key c \major 280 \time 2/2 \tempo "Allegro vivace" 281 \partial 4 e'4\staccatissimo\ff^"arco" \bar ".|:" 282 a4.\sf b8 c4.\sf d8 | 283 e2\sf~ e8[ r16 d c8 r16 b] | 284 a8[ r16 f e8 r16 d] c8[ r16 b a8 r16 b16] | 285 } 286 #+end_src 287 288 Accompanied by a dramatic increase in dynamic from /piano/ to 289 /fortissimo/, the immediate modulation to A minor--the relative 290 minor--invokes a sense of desperation and anger. This is one of the 291 defining characteristics of Beethoven's music, and it mimics a similar 292 transition in the G minor sonata. 293 294 *** D Major 295 296 The final cello sonata, written in D major as three movements, seems 297 at first glance to return to the canonical sonata template. The 298 second and third movements are linked with a fermata, which is a 299 feature that Beethoven often included in his later compositions. 300 301 The final movement, a fugue, is reminiscent of some of Beethoven's 302 later works such as the last string quartets, and the Hammerklavier 303 piano sonata. Beethoven's obsession with counterpoint is a 304 characteristic trait of his third period, and is demonstrated in this 305 final movement. 306 307 * Conclusion 308 309 ** Are Beethoven's periods reflected in these sonatas? 310 311 I think that these cello sonatas, with the possible exception of the 312 second sonata in G minor, are indeed good examples of Beethoven's 313 shift to a more avant-garde style in his later years. 314 315 Although the G minor sonata (Op. 5 Nr. 2) was written in Beethoven's 316 early period, it demonstrates the temperament that we expect in his 317 later works. This is unlike most classical music of the late 1700s, 318 and in my opinion evidence of Beethoven's individuality as a composer. 319 320 Haydn's influence shows itself evidently in Beethoven's first cello 321 sonata in F major (Op. 5 Nr. 1), like many works from Beethoven's 322 first period. 323 324 Beethoven's final two cello sonatas show the trend of adjusting and 325 extending existing techniques, leading to a more avant-garde style in 326 general. 327 328 ** Why did these changes happen? 329 330 Beethoven's deafness played a big part in his stylistic and 331 compositional evolution. His ailment caused him to seek out a 332 solitary life in his final years, without which I don't think we would 333 have many of Beethoven's greatest compositions. Utterly depressed in 334 his final years, he wrote the following: 335 336 #+begin_quote 337 I must confess that I lead a miserable life. For almost two years, I 338 have ceased to attend any social functions, just because I find it 339 impossible to say to people, ‘I am deaf.’ If I had any other 340 profession, I might be able to cope with my infirmity; but in my 341 profession, it is a terrible handicap. 342 #+end_quote 343 344 #+attr_latex: :float wrap :width 5cm :caption \emph{Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog} 345 [[file:friedrich.jpg]] 346 347 Beethoven's development to a more personal and agitated mode of 348 expression is indicitave of a more general change in art--the Romantic 349 era. Beethoven's later compositions can be compared to German art of 350 the same era--Caspar David Friedrich's 1818 painting /Wanderer Above 351 the Sea of Fog/ comes to mind. 352 353 In my opinion, this painting is an excellent companion to Beethoven's 354 agitated later music--both convey a similar sense of vastness and 355 tumult. 356 357 Much of Beethoven's early music is written in the style of his 358 teachers and contemporaries, but his greatness exceeded the confines 359 of the music du jour. I believe this is why he developed his own 360 unique style so much more thoroughly than most composers of the same 361 period. 362 363 ** Legacy 364 365 Beethoven is now known as one of the greatest and most revolutionary 366 composers of all time. In 1963, Stravinsky described Beethoven's 367 /Große Fuge/ (Op. 133) as "an absolutely contemporary piece of music 368 that will be contemporary forever." His innovations brought on the 369 Romantic era of classical music, and some of his later works predicted 370 the evolution of contemporary classical music to an unbelievable 371 degree. 372 373 * Bibliography 374 375 - /The Three Periods of Beethoven/ (n.d.). Retrieved from: 376 https://lcsproductions.net 377 378 - /So if Beethoven was completely deaf, how did he compose?/ (2019). 379 retrieved from: https://classicfm.com 380 381 - Wilson, K. (2015). /My Man Ludwig Van - The Tortured Genius of 382 Beethoven/. Retrieved from: https://litreactor.com 383 384 - Lenz, W. (1852). /Beethoven et ses trois styles/. Retrieved from: 385 https://imslp.org 386 387 * Footnotes 388 389 [fn:5] Jean and Brigitte Massin (trans), /Ludwig van Beethoven/, 390 Fayard, 1967 391 392 [fn:4] Jens Dufner, /Sonatas for Piano and Violoncello/, G. Henle 393 Verlag, 2008 394 395 [fn:3] Franz Gerhard Wegeler/Ferdinand Ries, /Biographische Notizen 396 über Ludwig van Beethoven/, Koblenz, 1838, p. 109 397 398 [fn:2] Donald Tovey, /Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition/, 1910 399 400 [fn:1] A. W. Thayer, /The Life of Ludwig Van Beethoven, Vol 1/, The 401 Beethoven Association, 1921 402