In memory of Beethoven

Ludwig von Beethoven painted by Tsai Huawei

2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig von Beethoven, the preeminent composer of music history. Romain Rolland once described Beethoven's life as "a stormy day". As a true artist, this fighter for life left behind many great works even after becoming deaf. During his lifetime, he composed 9 symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, 16 string quartets, 1 opera, 5 piano concertos and many other works in different genres. These vast repertoire have not only become classics in the history of music, but also the most performed works in concert halls more than 200 years later. All of this determines that Beethoven is not only celebrated as a musician, but also like all the masters of art who can be talked about in time and space, he has a large number of fans in almost every era.

In January 2019, from his birthplace of Bonn, Germany, the event commemorating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth is spreading the light of music around the world. The classic musician is discovered and represented in new perspectives: the orchestra rehearses the complete symphony collection to revitalize the more isolated works; presents famous works in non-traditional forms; organizes exhibitions and invites scholars and artists to give themed lectures.

Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He spent his early years into his teenage years in a harsh family environment, and his father hoped to train him to become a Mozart-like prodigy through rigorous training. Looking back on Beethoven's musical career, his creative path is divided into three periods. The first period lasted from 1792 to 1802, when he established himself as a pianist in Vienna. His piano sonatas of this period are inseparable from the influence of Clementi and carry the shadow of Haydn's music. For example, in the second and third sonatas, he replaced the small step dance part with a harmonic piece, weakening the courtly character of the sonata, a technique that has continued throughout his later compositions. The second period lasted from 1803 to 1815, by which time Beethoven was already famous in Europe. He went on to compose works such as "Hero" of the Third Symphony, "The Eighth Symphony", "Corioland Overture" and the opera "Fidelio". The third period lasted from 1815 to 1827, and because of his deafness, Beethoven fought tenaciously against fate. At this time, he could no longer listen to music and lived in isolation like a hermit. However, some of the most important works were born in the last 10 years of his life, such as the string quartet "The Great Fugue" and "Diabelli Variations". At this stage, Beethoven creatively combined vocals and instruments, sublimating the dimension of the sonatas of the classical period. In addition, he wrote a pioneering string quartet of stylistic techniques. Whether it is a symphony or chamber music, Beethoven's creations allow these genres to preserve both highly rational forms and the personality and emotions of the artist. He witnessed and participated in the important transformation of music from a balanced and temperate classical style to a romantic style characterized by emotion and impact, thus becoming a key figure in connecting the classical and romantic periods of Western music.

When the torrent of music envelops the listener, Beethoven's excellence in the history of music no longer needs to be expressed in words, but only felt with the heart.

First of all, from the perspective of "order", take "tonality" as an example. Order is the law in music, and tonality is the basis for judging the properties of classical music, which attracts the rhythmic movement of music. The development of classical music is essentially a dynamic struggle between tonalities. Beethoven was a discoverer who created a stylistic system under the rules of tonality of his predecessors. The melody of music, the transformation of modes, the harmonic sequence, and the principle of melody formed a new paradigm under his exploration. These examples became classics for later generations to learn from and summarize and pass on. Music can thus carry philosophical thinking and extend to the farther world. Beethoven's process of exploring music is a discovery of the nature of musical elements. Using him as the starting point, to Brahms, Wagner in the 19th century, and Schoenberg in the 20th century, finally ushered in the complete disintegration of tonality- the birth of the sequence of twelve notes, and the structure of time in music was broken. This was a major turning point in the history of music similar to the Industrial Revolution, and Beethoven was such an iconic composer who established an innovative path, a master who explored the art of time. He established new orders whose core logic was later repeatedly revived and applied.

Second, let's talk about "form". Beethoven's great expansion of classical form, first embodied in the 1804 Third Symphony "Hero": he "violated" the convention of the previous classical symphony of proportionality and balance, giving the first movement of the work a long ending. This was for the creative needs of composers, not to follow the norms of previous classicism. In the late Ninth Symphony "Chorus", Beethoven gave pure instrumentality the most intense and dramatic feature – the introduction of chorus. Instrumental music and vocals collide and blend, breaking the boundaries of previous instrumental writing. In terms of form, Beethoven has entered the sublime realm of human suffering from the realm of musical and artistic beauty, and established a heroic style belonging to musicians. There are many musicians in history, with different styles, but heroic Beethoven is rare.

Again, from the perspective of the artist's spiritual strength: from the beginning of the 19th century, Beethoven's creations have been constantly evolving, and he has always followed the path he has pioneered. Even his early piano sonatas, such as Sonata in E major (Op. 7) and Sonata of Sorrow (Op. 13), were much larger than those written by their predecessors, and the energy they exuded was indicative of a composer's irrepressible creativity. Beethoven's late works not only have a magnificent scale and a personality that transcends the times, but also further explore the depth and breadth that music can reach. It was in this way that Beethoven's music accelerated the transition from the classical era to the Romantic era. In addition, before Beethoven, most composers were attached, whether they were lifelong artists like Bach, or full-time musicians in the european aristocratic courts such as Haydn and Mozart. Beethoven, on the other hand, remained an independent composer throughout his life, creating a large number of elegant and recognizable works. At that time, Beethoven carried forward the concept of independent creation and became a model for the pursuit of freedom and true self in the music industry in later generations.

In 2020, people around the world commemorate Beethoven in various concerts and in the vast literature of research; people interact with his music and spirit in a multidimensional way across time and space.

Typography: Cai Huawei

People's Daily ( 2020-11-01 07 edition)