was born in Bonn. On this day in 1770. He moved to Vienna as a young man, in 1792, where he studied with "Papa," Franz Joseph Haydn.
He was a virtuoso on several instruments, but to us he is best known as a composer, a genius whose greatest works were composed after he began to lose his hearing, some when he was totally deaf.
His catalog is impressive. The 9 symphonies. The Missa Solemnis. 16 string quartets. 32 piano sonatas. The violin concerto. 5 piano concerti. The Triple Concerto. Fidelio. And much more.
One diary cannot hope to fully explore this genius.
All I will do is offer some of my favorites. And then ask if you might share yours.
Among the symphonies, there is so much to enjoy. For me I choose to focus on something that does not get as much attention, the 8th, especially the final movement. Beethoven called the 8th his "little symphony" and it premiered with the far more massive 7th. This movement has so many moments of musical surprise. Listen if you will, it is relatively short:
I am very fond of the 2nd Cello Sonata, Opus 5 in G minor, because at various points in my life I have performed it on both instruments. It is perhaps not so profound as some other chamber works, but it has strong personal meaning for me. Here's the beginning:
But I must also share the Kreutzer Sonata. I actually read the short novel by Tolstoy before I actually learned this piece of music. Here is the beginning, as performed by the great Nathan Milstein:
Piano Sonata Opus 10 #3 in D is not considered one of the "major" sonatas, but it was the first Beethoven Sonata that I learned in it entirety. And for me it contains a magical moment at then of the 1st movement, with unexpected new material to complete the movement. Here is the complete movement:
Piano was my primary instrument, and is the only one to which I still occasionally attempt a return. The Beethoven Sonatas are at the heart of what I love about the piano, along with Bach, Mozart, some Brahms. But most of all Ludwig. I suppose I could simply sit and listen to the last 3 over and over, Opus 109, Opus 110, Opus 111. To ask me to pick only one would be to ask a mother to pick only one of her children. I wish I had been in Leipzig in 1963 when Richter performed all three. Here is the first movement of Opus 111 from that performance:
Since Beethoven did not return to the form after Opus 111, I think it appropriate for me to suggest especially its 2nd movement, which I think is sublime. It is too long for a single youtube video. It is a theme and variations, and it is magnificent, sublime, transcendent. Here is the beginning as performed by the great Rudolph Serkin:
and here is Serkin, performing the end of the movement:
If you can, find a recording and listen to this movement all the way through. I find at the end I can barely breathe. It was one of the great accomplishments of my life to learn to play this as an adult.
I played in orchestras, sang in choruses, played piano solo and in chamber music. But some of the most magnificent musical experiences of my life were playing in string quartets, starting at a young age. I regret that the quartet in which I performed growing up never advanced to the late Beethoven Quartets. Still, I have come to love them, and would be amazed even had I not known that Beethoven never heard them except in his mind: he was long since totally deaf.
I am a cello player, thus among these my favorite has to be Opus 132, especially the final movement. This is a 5-movement string quartet, the 4th being a relatively short march.
The third movement is incredible. The next two "videos" are the sound of a live performance by the legendary Budapest Quartet in the Library of Congress more than half a century ago. The sound quality is not the best, but the musicality is superb:
Beethoven wrote this movement after a serious illness he thought might kill him. I wanted you to simply enjoy the music. He titled the movement "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonar", which for those whose German is as weak as mine, translates as "Holy Song of Thanksgiving by a Convalescent to the Divinity, in the Lydian Mode."
I cannot find a good youtube of the final movement. The best I found was this by Quartetto Italiano. The tempo is not quite to my taste. But you will be able to hear why as a cello player I enjoy this so much - it is not often that the cello is playing in a higher register than the other instruments, and playing such an integral role:
I have to bring this to an end. Perhaps the only way to do so is with one of the most familiar, and certainly most accesible, of Beethovens works for piano, a Bagatelle, a short little piece, commonly known as "fur Elise":
Happy Birthday Ludwig van Beethoven. For so many years, to so many ears, what joy you have brought.
Peace.