Beethoven's father is a tenor in the local choir and a fool who often drinks. His mother is a maid and a poor family.
Beethoven is a typical child prodigy musician. Because of his early wisdom in music, he was compared with the famous musical prodigy Mozart at the age of twelve. His stupid father was eager to take advantage of this to earn fame and fortune, forcing little Beethoven to practice and perform all day, and beating him up if he was slightly unhappy. In Beethoven's memory, he never enjoyed his father's love at all. God gave Beethoven a rough appearance, plus a short and chubby figure-even as an adult, it was only 1.58 meters. His appearance has made him ridiculed since he was a child, and it is difficult for him to escape as an adult.
A poor family, a rude and stupid father, and an unpleasant appearance all constitute Beethoven's unfortunate childhood, forming his rebellious character and strong style in the future, and also causing his vulgar behavior in adulthood. Beethoven was described by many contemporaries as "rude, stubborn and grumpy". As long as he is in a slightly bad mood, he spits everywhere at any time. "
Around the age of twelve, Beethoven met a very good tutor-Jennifer in Bonn. It was Jennifer who broadened Beethoven's artistic vision, made him not hate music in his unhappy childhood, and laid his original musical style, which made him become an organist at the age of thirteen and wrote three sonatas.
1787, Beethoven left for Vienna, the city of music, and met Mozart. Beethoven, who was 17 years old at that time, was unknown, while Mozart was already famous in Europe. Maybe Beethoven's appearance is so ordinary that even Mozart is ignored and he is not very interested in this young man. He gave a piano improvisation, but went to the next room to chat with others. However, the inspiring and magnificent music in the next room made Mozart run back to the piano involuntarily-as a great musician, Mozart's perception of music was extraordinary. He heard endless creativity and inspiration from the young man's piano, so as soon as he finished playing, Mozart said to the people in the room, "Pay attention to this young man! ..... One day, he will shock the world! "
Then it seemed to be a beautiful story handed down from generation to generation, but nothing happened, because then came the bad news of Beethoven's mother's death. This led to a sad breakup between the two greatest musicians in the history of music and never saw each other again. Four years later, Mozart, a great musician, died young at the age of 35, while Beethoven, 2 1 year-old, was still shouldering the burden of his family in Bonn.
In Beethoven's unfortunate childhood, maternal love may be his only good memory. The loss of his mother at the age of 17 was an extraordinary blow to Beethoven. At the same time, he has to bear this neglected family-two underage brothers and a disappointing father.
In the difficult days, Beethoven only got a little comfort and support in his association with the Browning family. Eleanor Browning is his student, two years younger than him, and Beethoven has tenderness for her. When she later married a kind doctor, Beethoven turned this feeling into an eternal friendship and kept it for a lifetime. Beethoven also found solace in the pastoral scenery-the path full of flowers and trees in Bonn, crossing the magnificent and vast Rhine River, accepted this increasingly melancholy young musician with a broad mind. Beethoven was full of passion for nature all his life, and the broad artistic conception and simple melody in his music directly came from this. 1792, Beethoven was sent to Vienna by his late master for further study and settled there permanently.
As an outstanding pianist, Beethoven was warmly welcomed by the upper class in Vienna, and he also studied in Vienna, including the famous composer Haydn. Although Haydn likes Beethoven's talent, he doesn't like his personality very much, because young Beethoven has too much enthusiasm and strange ideas. Meanwhile, Beethoven didn't like Haydn. No wonder Beethoven, who was rebellious, couldn't talk to the humorous and relaxed "Haydn Dad"?
Beethoven's works before 1802 are called Beethoven's first style in the history of music. Most of these works are small in scale, and only piano sonatas Pathetique, Moonlight, violin sonatas Croce and Piano Concerto No.3 are famous. At this time, Beethoven is in the preparatory stage of his creation-in order to observe the great changes in life at close range, to summarize the musical achievements of18th century and reflect the ever-changing reality, and to choose a new creative technique suitable for his personality, all these require time and energy for intense exploration. This period seems to be a "ten-year wall", which is the brewing period of Beethoven's music creation.
There are external conditions for this brewing-1789, the French Revolution that shocked the world broke out. At that time, Bonn University was the cradle of all kinds of progressive ideas. Beethoven often went to Bonn University to study the great spiritual achievements of mankind since ancient times: from historical documents to philosophy, from Homer and Shakespeare to Schiller and Goethe. In years of study and revolution, Beethoven laid the foundation of his humanistic world view-believing in human equality, pursuing justice and individual freedom.
The French Revolution gave birth to many historical giants, among which Beethoven was an outstanding representative. The French Revolution was like a huge mountain, which separated Beethoven from two other classical musicians, Haydn and Mozart. It is precisely because he inherited the profound traditions of his predecessors and was nourished by the free atmosphere that Beethoven was able to create another peak with infinite scenery in the history of music. Just as Beethoven was preparing to devote himself to music, fate showed him a ferocious face. From 1796, Beethoven found that his hearing dropped sharply. For a young pianist and musician, hearing loss is tantamount to the end of the world. However, Beethoven waged a tenacious struggle and uttered the famous saying that has been passed down through the ages: "I will seize fate by the throat, and it will never make me yield."
Beethoven still loves a girl named Juliet, and the famous piano sonata Moonlight is dedicated to her. However, the naive and romantic Juliet failed Beethoven's love and later got engaged to a baron. The cure of deafness is fading, and a beloved lover is lost, which makes the tenacious Beethoven unable to support it.
1802, he wrote the last letter, which is now called Heiligenstadt's suicide note. In the letter, he vividly expressed his innermost ideals and pains. Anyone who misunderstood Beethoven can find the real reason and forgive his shortcomings if he carefully summarizes his will.
However, he rallied again, and his strong personality could not yield to fate. Still in that will, Beethoven said, "It's art, but it's art that makes me, ah! I don't think I can leave this world until I feel that my mission has been completely completed. " After ten years of hard exploration, he overcame the double blow of fate and emotion, which should be in line with the vigorous development of the European revolution. Since 1802, Beethoven, like a phoenix bathed in fire, has shown great creative enthusiasm and created a brilliant achievement called "the second style" by music historians, namely "the heroic age", which sounded the horn of revolution and ushered in the dawn of the19th century.
The main works of this period include Symphony No.3 to Symphony No.8, Piano Concerto No.4 and Piano Concerto No.5, Violin Concerto in D Major, Piano Sonata at Dawn, Passion and Opera Federio.
Beethoven's main characteristics in the "heroic era" of music creation are: taking the theme of struggle as the conception of these works, reflecting all aspects of heroic life, full of ardent confidence in human reason and strength, and defining the purpose of life and the way to achieve this goal. All the above works can be classified as great achievements of human art and culture.
Beethoven's third symphony in E flat major, Hero, written in 1803, is the masterpiece of this stage. The creation of this symphony was inspired by Napoléon Bonaparte. At that time, Beethoven regarded Napoleon as the god of freedom, hoping that he could establish a heroic republic in France and spread the ideas of the French Revolution throughout Europe. He created this symphony with a warm heart, named "Hero Symphony", and prepared to dedicate it to his hero idol. So when he learned that Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, his anger and disappointment could be imagined. "He growled ... he's just an ordinary man! ""He angrily tore off the words Bonaparte on the cover, and even tore off the manuscript paper because of emotional excitement. Beethoven wrote on the cover: "The' Hero' symphony is written in memory of heroes. "The manuscript of this symphony, even the torn cover, is still preserved in the memorial hall of Beethoven's former residence in Bonn, Germany. What we need to understand is that this masterpiece is just a reference. The spirit of freedom, the will to struggle, the funeral of generous elegies and the victory of the people in Beethoven's music have already surpassed the boundaries of the times and become a milestone in the history of music and a symbol of the immortality of human spirit.
Shortly after the premiere of the Heroic Symphony, Beethoven began to compose the opera Federio. The main idea of the plot is that the protagonist was wrongly imprisoned, and his wife disguised as a man became the assistant of the guard, saving her husband and making the prison officer who framed her guilty. Beethoven was very interested in moral concepts and the love between husband and wife, and worked hard for his only opera, eventually making it an immortal work in the history of opera.
At this time, the happy life seems to wave to him again. Beethoven was engaged to Therese de Lenske. This quiet and happy mood is reflected in his fourth symphony created in the same year. In the following four years, he also composed the fifth symphony, the sixth symphony "Pastoral" and the piano sonata "Enthusiasm".
Beethoven began to brew an extraordinary symphony from 1804. Symphony No.5 in E minor has become Beethoven's most popular work, and it is also the most distinctive work in some aspects. It reveals some of the most touching features of this writer's genius. Because Beethoven interpreted the violent triplet at the beginning of music as "the god of fate is knocking at the door", this symphony is also called the symphony of fate by convention.
Great artists are always lonely. In the fiery life of creation and struggle, Beethoven always sought solace from nature. The Rhine River in childhood, the fields on the outskirts of Heiligenstadt village when he wrote his will as a teenager, and the endless virgin forest in Germany all prompted Beethoven to complete the immortal symphony No.6 in F major in 1808, depicting the nature in the hero's heart to the world.
Although Beethoven gave up his combination with Thales in 18 10, his life and artistic creation gave Beethoven a deeper and broader heart and also gave him confidence and courage. His invincible sense of honor has become a great man. So Beethoven at this time was dismissive of social customs and indifferent to other people's opinions. In the eyes of others, he is mean and arrogant. Here are two things that can fully reflect Beethoven's personality at that time:
First, Prince Lipovski of Vienna helped Beethoven a lot in his early years. But once, the prince's mother wanted to hear Beethoven play, so she knelt at his feet and asked, but Beethoven ignored her and didn't even turn her head. Later, for other reasons, Beethoven turned against the prince. The note he left when he left read: "Prince, you are accidental; I am who I am because I depend on myself. There are many princes now and in the future. As for Beethoven, there is only one. "
Second: Beethoven worshipped Goethe very much when he was young, and Goethe had a good impression on Beethoven, so their meeting in Bohemia was unusual. When they walked side by side, the queen, the prince and a large group of dignitaries from Austria-Hungary came from afar. Then Beethoven went straight to the crowd with his hands behind his back. The queen greeted him, the prince took off his hat and the ministers made way. Goethe, on the other hand, took off his hat and bowed respectfully to pay tribute to the royal family on the roadside.
This gives a vivid image and vividly reflects the different personalities of Beethoven and Goethe. At this time, Beethoven found the goal of struggle and mastered the highest creative skills. His famous works, which are constantly born, draw the music industry and the audience and make people fall at his feet. He became a pioneer in the music and ideological circles at that time, and his reputation grew day by day. As Goethe's girlfriend exclaimed when she saw Beethoven: "The first time I saw him, I felt that the whole universe had disappeared from my face. Beethoven made me forget the world, even you! Ah! Goethe! I'm sure this man is far beyond modern civilization! "
With the birth of the Seventh Symphony and the Eighth Symphony, Beethoven's music reached its peak. At the Vienna conference in 18 14, he was respected by the royal families of European countries. He was regarded as a saint of music and became a musician highly respected by the government.
At this time, Beethoven, who made a name for himself through hard work, confidently said: "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy ... whoever can understand the meaning of my music can surpass the suffering that ordinary people can't inspire." The development of fate always has ups and downs. After the great success of 18 14, Beethoven's fate took a turn for the worse and fell into a trough. This trough is so deep that Beethoven will be truly immortal when he finally comes out.
First of all, his economy is in trouble. The city of Vienna is frivolous in its bones and has never really liked Beethoven. Since the 18 14 Vienna Conference, Vienna's music taste has gradually tended to Italian music style. They praised Rossini and thought Beethoven was "pedantic". Beethoven's friends and patrons either dispersed or died, and the real financial difficulties came in an instant. No fixed income, no audience, no writing contract ... no minimum economic security, no matter how great an artist is, he is at a loss. Beethoven had to spend precious time on careful daily expenses and quarrels with chefs. He once wrote, "I'm almost begging, and I have to pretend that everyday life is not difficult."
At the same time, he was completely deaf, so he even had to give up his beloved piano playing and conducting work. One of the most serious blows came from his directing the rehearsal of the opera Federio. Because he couldn't hear the band playing and singing at all, the whole rehearsal was a mess, and it was the same after the start. Beethoven understood the reason from the audience's embarrassed expression. Back home, holding a face and saying nothing. His friend said, "In all my contacts with Beethoven, no day can compare with this day." His mind was greatly hurt, and he never forgot this terrible scene until his death. "
Heavy family sufferings also tormented Beethoven. One of Beethoven's younger brothers died in 18 15, leaving his eight-year-old son Charlie. Charlie's mother is an insignificant woman. In order to adopt Charlie, Beethoven fought a protracted lawsuit with her until 1820.
Beethoven devoted all his love to Charlie, hoping to cultivate him into a useful person. But Beethoven obviously made a mistake. Charlie is not who he was as a child. He can't be a musician at all Because Beethoven was too subjective and impatient, he developed Charlie's rebellious mentality, constantly causing trouble to Beethoven and breaking his heart. Finally at 1826, after doing countless stupid things, Charlie shot himself. But he was so stupid that he didn't even shoot twice. Nothing is more sad than wasting your efforts and feelings and being misunderstood and laughed at by others. Charlie's suicide greatly hurt Beethoven's arrogant heart, which was fatal to him. Plus 18 17, he was riddled with diseases, and his friends said that he "suddenly became like a 70-year-old man, tired and weak, and lost his fighting spirit."
In endless troubles, pains and worries, Beethoven's creation was seriously affected, and his works were few. Beethoven's enemies even asserted that he was at the end of his tether.
After years of fate, Beethoven at this time is no longer the confident Beethoven, nor the Beethoven who feels that his talent has supreme power, can conquer the whole universe, give his musical ideas to everyone and gain respect from everyone. Now he is a Beethoven who finally stays away from the hubbub, lives in seclusion and no longer pursues any fame. He concentrates on his own art and is indifferent to outside criticism. He is completely immersed in suffering, but he smiles and obeys an irresistible melancholy, and sometimes he achieves quiet joy with an amazing willpower.
From 18 15 to 1826, Beethoven entered his "third style". The representative works of this period include Solemn Mass in D major, Chorus of Symphony No.9 in D minor, Five Piano Sonatas and some string quartets.
At this time, Beethoven put the music structure in the second place, and the form he found can meet the emotional requirements more naturally. Therefore, Beethoven's later works are the most outstanding works that human genius has never created. It surpassed all Beethoven's previous music works and soared to the highest field that human imagination could touch.
"Solemn Mass in D Major" is called his most perfect work by Beethoven, not for religion or church music at all, but to express Beethoven's own feelings and thoughts. This mass is still a masterpiece of similar works in the west.
The ninth symphony in d minor, Chorus, embodies Beethoven's life's hard work. Beethoven began to draft the theme of the last movement of this symphony from 1795, and he tried countless times over the years. After years of exploration, Beethoven decided to add human voice to his symphony for the first time, and quoted Schiller's Ode to Joy to express his lifelong desire: to praise joy, which overcame pain, liberated mankind and led mankind to God.
At that time, the whole of Europe was shrouded in the dark period when feudal forces destroyed the achievements of the French Revolution. Against this background, the Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna on 1824, and a great musical work was born in human history. When the exciting chorus ended, the enthusiastic audience clapped and hugged desperately, and many people couldn't help crying, as if there had been a riot. In Vienna, a polite city, the royal family applauded only three times, but Beethoven enjoyed five warm applause curtain calls, so that the police had to intervene. ...
Beethoven completed his mission, and he reached the highest level of music. 1827 At about 5: 03 pm on March 25th, there was a strong wind mixed with wind and rain, and the rumbling thunder shook Beethoven's house. Suddenly, a flash of lightning cut across the sky and filled Beethoven's room with strange light. At the same time, Beethoven suddenly opened his eyes and raised his dying right hand. When his hand was put down, his eyes were half closed and his heart stopped beating.
More than 20,000 Viennese citizens attended his funeral, and famous composer Schubert and other artists held a coffin for him. Beethoven's tombstone is engraved with the poem of Austrian poet Greer Bache: "When you stand in front of his coffin, it is not despair but a noble feeling that hangs over you;" We can only say to people like him that he has accomplished a great cause. "