Beethoven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Beethoven - Essay Example Furthermore, as a rule, namely childhood and early years of adolescence determine future preferences and interests, especially in case of creative people and their careers. In this essay, I will argue that there are some significant events in Beethoven's life which predetermined his musical career and that the most important period of his becoming as a musician was the period of childhood and early years of adolescence, as well as the beginning of his middle period. 2. A. The most significant feature of Beethoven's early years is the fact that he was educated and developed by his father in great strictness: "Beethoven's first music teacher was his father, a musician in the Electoral court at Bonn and an alcoholic who beat him and unsuccessfully attempted to exhibit him as a child prodigy like Mozart" (From Wikipedia). How did it affect his future career as a musician His mother died when he was seventeen, and all his education and development was under his father's strict supervision. After that young Beethoven had no any possibility to turn to another sphere of education - his father decided that he would be a musician, and the boy couldn't leave this path. In spite of his father's strictness, soon Beethoven drew other people's attention to his musical talent. In addition to that, his music teacher in Bonn was a famous German composer Christian Neefe - it gave young Beethoven a good incentive for future education and training using his initial musical knowledge: "Neefe used the music of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach as a cornerstone of instruction, and he later encouraged his student to study with Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom Beethoven met briefly in Vienna in 1787" (Kindermann, 2005). His father's methods partially predetermined his move to Vienna where he could create his career by himself, without the father's influence. In 1792 Beethoven went to Vienna and stayed there till the end of his life. He met there with the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn and Johann Albrechtsberger that dramatically influenced his own life and musical career. These events led to his musical career success: "He made his first appearances in Vienna in 1795 playing his Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, and was soon established as the city's leading pianist" (From Victoria Station). In his first period Beethoven created such remarkable works as the first and second symphonies, the first six string quarters, the famous Moo nlight and Pathetique, and others. B. Beethoven's middle period began in 1802 when the crisis for his career and health took place. Beethoven's illness of deafness was progressing, and it influenced his further life and musical career. He struggled with his illness and tried to do his best in music: "But he came through with his determination strengthened and entered a new creative phase, generally called his 'middle period'. It is characterized by a heroic tone, evident in the Eroica Symphony, in Symphony no.5, and in his opera Fidelio" (Classical Music Pages). Beethoven even made some attempts of suicide - his anguish and struggle with his illness were reflected in his