1. Biography of Beethoven
By Nicholas Bytendorp

2. Early Years Born in Bonn, Germany on December 17, 1770
Considered the Romantic and Classical Era
He claimed to be born in 1772 even after receiving official documentation
Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 17, which was during the Classical and Romantic Era. Beethoven thought he was born 2 years later in 1772 and even though he received official documentation showing he was born in 1770, he still insisted that the papers were incorrect.

3. Maria Magdalena Keverich
Born 1744 –1787
She was a deeply moralistic woman
Beethoven referred to her as his best friend
Died of tuberculosis—caused by poor nutrition. She was 41 years old.
Beethoven was born to Maria Magdalena Keverich born 1744 –1787. His mother died in 1787 of tuberculosis—caused by poor nutrition. She was forty-one years old.

4. Johann van Beethoven Lived from 1740-1792 in Bonn, Germany
He drank and was abusive to Beethoven
He was a performer
Died perhaps of alcoholism. He was approximately 54 years old.
Johann van Beethoven born in Bonn, Germany. His father would wake him up during the night and have him play the clavier, and would hit him every time he played a wrong note or hesitate. His father would also lock him up in the cellar, depriving him of sleep in order to get extra practice time from Beethoven.

5. Growing Up
Beethoven’s father would wake him up in the middle of the night to play the clavier.
His father would hit him every time he got a note wrong or hesitated to play the clavier or a note.
He was locked in a cellar and sleep deprived to play the violin
He learned to play the organ from a neighbor.
His father would wake him up during the night and have him play the clavier, and would hit him every time he played a wrong note or hesitate. His father would also lock him up in the cellar, depriving him of sleep in order to get extra practice time from Beethoven. His father taught him to play the violin and would take Beethoven to organ lessons from people around town.

6. Music Background Introduced to the clavier, violin, viola, and organ.
First recital was at the age of 7.
Age 10, dropped out of school to study music.
Age 12 created his first composition
Age 17: Went to Vienna in hopes to study with Mozart but only speculation on whether he did or not.
Growing up, his father introduced Beethoven to many different kinds of instruments.
When Beethoven was seven years old, his father got him into a public recital and his father told everyone that he was six years old. His father was in hopes that he would be considered a musical prodigy. Even though he played exceptionally well, no one took notice of him. In 1780 at the age of ten, he decided to study music and so he dropped out of school. In 1787, Beethoven travel to Vienna which is the capital of music and culture to the Europeans. While there, Beethoven was in hopes that he would meet Mozart.

7. Tragedy and Death
At the age of 30, He suffered from a severe form of tinnitus, a "ringing" in his ears that made it hard for him to hear music.
On March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 56 and completely deaf, Beethoven died.
At the age of 30, he realized that he was starting to lose his hearing. This was a terrible shock to him and he struggled with knowing that he would soon be deaf. On March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 56 and completely deaf, Beethoven died.

8. Some of Beethoven’s works
Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies while he was alive
From , he wrote an opera, six symphonies, four solo concerti, five string quartets, six string sonatas, seven piano sonatas, five sets of piano variations, four overtures, four trios, two sextets and 72 songs.
During his life, Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies of which today Symphonies 4, 5 and 9 are the ones that are most often performed and well known. He will always be considered the greatest composer of all time.

9. Composition History
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2,
Another name for it is “Moonlight Sonata”
Completed in 1801
Published in 1802
Beethoven was loosing his hearing while he was creating it.
Was dedicated to Countess Giulietta Guicciardi who was about 18 at the time.
In 1801, a much admired piano solo composed by Beethoven was finally complete. The pieces was originally known as “Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2, It was published in 1802 and was in fact premiered by Beethoven himself even though by this time, he was losing his hearing. The piece was dedicated to Countess Giulietta Guicciardi was about 18 at the time and was a former student. It is said that the Countess was the love of his life and he actually proposed to her. She did accept his proposal but because one of her parents objected, the marriage never took place.

10. Composition History cont...
The name Moonlight Sonata came from Ludwig Rellstab, a German music critic and poet in 1832.
Ludwig Rellstab stated that the sonata reminded him of a boat floating on Lake Lucerne in the moonlight.
It is considered to be the most famous classical piece ever written
It has three movement to it. 1st is called Adagio Sostenuto, 2nd is called Allegretto, and the 3rd is called Presto Agiato.
The name “Moonlight Sonata” became the new title of the song in 1832, which was 5 years after the death of Beethoven. Ludwig Rellstab, a German music critic and poet wrote a review about the musical piece. In his review, he stated the piece reminded him of a boat floating on Lake Lucerne in the moonlight. Moonlight is considered by many to be the most famous classical piece ever written. The first movement is Adagio Sostenuto, written in C# minor and is played very quietly and subdued which was not common in the 1800’s. Movement two is Allegretto, written in D-flat major and is very calm yet cherry and upbeat compared to the first movement. The third and final movement is Presto Agiato. This movement can be compared to a storm. It is written in C# minor and is very fast and lively.

11. Timed Listening Guide Movement # 1
PIANO SONATA IN C# MINOR, OPUS 27, NO. 2. (MOONLIGHT) MOVEMENT 1: ADAGIO SOSTENUTO
 0:00= the dynamic of the introduction started of soft at the beginning of the movement and slowly got a little louder. The form was started by hitting the same three notes in a row and then ten seconds later jumping to a new piano key which was A. The melody or the theme of the song was a soft relaxing piece, so it felt like you were floating on water. It has some flats and sharps in it.
0:30= The harmony was amazing the way he uses his left and right hand to create a different pitch and the length of the pitch. The rhythm of was constant hitting the same notes but at a different place made it a smooth transaction.
1:00= At this point, you can hear both the melody and harmony being played. The dynamics is getting a little louder but it’s not soft or loud it is kind of in the middle. The timbre of the time is fantastic the way it smooth transaction into a different pitch and had a distinctive quality that was still the same but sounded a little like Beethoven was mad at this point.
1:30= About half way you do not hear the harmony as much as you did at the beginning of the song. The rhythm is still very smooth as the movement transitions from bass clef to treble clef
2:00=The harmony of the left hand as he hold those notes down while his right hand is hitting some flats and sharps. The dynamics is the same a nice slow and soft beat like you are relaxing in bed on your day off from work. The rhythm of this part is constant and flows smoothly like a water part while he holds those notes with his left hand.
2:30= The dynamics went a little louder due to the notes being a higher pitch. It is hard to distinguish the timbre due to the different notes being played but you can hear the different sounds.

12. Timed Listening Guide Movement # 1 cont...
3:00=The texture becomes very rich and deep as the music transitions from the treble and bass clef to the bass clef only which allows the harmony of the bass pitches to transition together.
3:30=The rhythm and melody repeat back to what we heard at the beginning of the song which allows the theme to enrich one’s mind in being relaxed.
4:00= This part is very similar to the beginning of the piece except we can now hear the form of the song being played with the higher notes.
4:30=The rhythm is starting to slow down and the dynamics is reverting back to what it was at the beginning of the song. You can begin to hear that the song is nearing the end.
5:00= During this part of the song, you can hear the melody changing from the treble clef to the bas clef which again gives the song a very rich and deep tone as if a war was coming to and end.
5:30=The piece is coming to an end. You can hear more pause as and the dynamics are very quiet and the rhythm of this great masterpiece is being held as the piece ends.  

13. Timed Listening Guide Movement # 3
MOVEMENT 3: PRESTO AGITATO
0:00= The beginning of the song the dynamic is very loud. The rhythm is upbeat and very fast as you try and hit so much not it. It feels as if something is chasing you when you close your eyes,
0:30= The dynamics seems to settle down a little bit and the form of the song is fast and exciting in my book, even though I have heard it a lot of time. It makes me think what will happen next. The melody of this piece is a sequence of upbeat and allow the theme to be present which is to me the world is fast pace and we sometimes just need to keep up
1:00= The harmony of how the left hand is constant but the right hand is going into tremble and bass for a bit. The rhythm is all over because the right hand slows down for about 20 seconds.
1:30= The dynamics shifts again for a brief second, it goes soft but then hit the loud as the notes are scaling up the piano which allow the form to be repeated because the bottom hand just repeats itself for about two whole line then switches but goes back.
2:00= The timbre seems to allowing you to hear two different notes being played that are just octave higher from each other. The melody seems to have switched from being strong to a little less scary back to being strong
2:30= The rhythm seems to be allowing the duration of the notes to be hit making it emphasize the strong passion that Beethoven had while writing this song
3:00= The form repeated itself of allow the right hand to slow down just a tad bit which caused the dynamic to slow or be soft and then exploding into the dynamic pick up and so did the right hand.

14. Timed Listening Guide Movement # 3 cont...
3:00= The form repeated itself of allow the right hand to slow down just a tad bit which caused the dynamic to slow or be soft and then exploding into the dynamic pick up and so did the right hand.
3:30= The texture of the notes are being separated as it is slowing down but not in a way that it is used to. It like you were able to catch your breath while running and then all of a sudden doing a full sprint
4:00=The form of the song is not the same, it has gone away from it which is causing the harmony of playing the same notes to go away and that in return is slowing the volume or the dynamics
4:30=The melody is at a sequence of hitting the same not, that the harmony isn’t there anymore like it used to be and the texture is all gone because it went from being slow paced to face pace.
5:00= To be honest it is the same as it was at 4:00 but it is slowing down
5:30= The dynamics stops for a little bit and then slowly and gradually build it ways up which cause the melody to become strong and the main idea to flourish
6:00= It is the same at 4:30
6:33= It is finally slowing down as it comes to the end just like you feel when your playing sports and you are almost done with the meet.

15. Reference and Bibliography
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