Music

The Enlightenment
The late eighteenth century was a period in history when scholars emphasized reason as the best way for determining the truth about life. This philosophy was developed during the Enlightenment period, which began in the 1600s and lasted through the 1700s. Before the Enlightenment, monarchs viewed themselves as appointed by God, believing they had supreme authority over their subjects. However, when people began to learn more about science, politics, law and education, they started to realize that each person possessed a mind of his or her own. This meant that individuals had a rational will, or the ability to think for themselves and to control their own lives. God no longer chose European monarchs; rational humans did.

Enlightenment thinking brought about revolutionary scientific advancements, typified by the work of British scientist Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), who described the laws of gravity and motion. This new philosophy about life radically changed the way most people viewed their place in the world.

Beethoven, like Mozart, showed a gift for composition. Even so, Beethoven’s father is said to have at first discouraged his son from playing his own music in favour of more rigorous study. In 1778, Beethoven’s father agreed that Ludwig was ready to be showcased, so he arranged for a concert in Cologne, a city not far from Bonn. Unlike Mozart, Beethoven was not an immediate smash hit. But his father’s colleagues and other local musicians did begin to take notice of him.

Few historical records exist concerning Beethoven’s other education, but he probably attended a Bonn elementary school from ages six to eleven. Regular courses of instruction then were reading, writing, math, religion, Latin and choir. He excelled at foreign languages, which would help him later, when he travelled and composed music for diverse audiences.

Mathematics and writing vexed him. He was a poor writer who always had trouble spelling and communicating his thoughts and feelings on paper. According to Balcavage, Beethoven once wrote to his friend Franz Wegeler, “I often compose the answer in my mind, but when I wish to write it down, I usually throw the pen away because I cannot write as I feel.”

As writing was difficult, Beethoven found solace in his music. At the keyboard or through his violin, he could express himself freely. Based on his own remarks, his music became the audible manifestation of his innermost feelings. Considering that he was about to produce some of the world’s most beautiful and memorable music, he must have held some very powerful thoughts and emotions within himself.

TimeLine
1770 – Ludwig van Beethoven is baptized in Bonn, on 17 December.
1778 – First public recital, on 26 March
1780-1800: Beethoven’s First Period
1781 – About this time, musician Christian Gottlob Neefe takes on Beethoven as a pupil
1783 – Neefe puts an announcement in a German music magazine that mentions Beethoven’s name and requests funds to send Beethoven to Vienna, Austria.
1787 – Travels to Vienna to visit Mozart; returns to be with his mother, who dies that same year.
1789-1799 : The French Revolution
1792 – Leaves Bonn for Vienna. His father, Johann, dies.
1793 – Studies with Joseph Haydn.
1796 – Deafness symptoms begin to surface.
1799 – Composes his first symphony, Symphony no. 1 in C Major, op. 21
1800-1815: Beethoven’s Second Period
1802 – Writes the Heiligenstadt Testament
1815-1827: Beethoven’s Third Period
1816 – Sues to gain guardianship of his nephew, Karl, after the death of his brother.
1820 – Loses the legal case to maintain his guardianship of his nephew.
1826-1827: Travels with his nephew, Karl, to Vienna and develops pneumonia
1827 – Dies, on 26 March

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart was born in 1756, nearly two decades before Beethoven. However, the legacy of his childhood brilliance still thrived in the late 18th century, even after Mozart died in 1791, at the young age of 35. Beehoven’s early life paralleled that of Mozart, who also began musical studies with his father around the age of four. He, too, studied keyboard instruments and showed talent at that age. Mozart had an older sister, Maria Anna, who also possessed enormous talent as a youngster.

When Mozart was just six years old and his sister, Maria, was eleven, their father arranged for them to play concerts for the elector of Bavaria, at Munich, and for the Empress Maria Theresa, in Vienna. The royals loved teh young musicians, and word quickly spread to their aristocratic friends that a new talented duo was in their midst. Soon, all of their European friends and family wanted to hear the Mozarts. In 1763, Mozart and his sister played concerts in Paris, France, and London, England, before the monarchs there. When Mozart was seven, he already was composing original music. By 1769, he had authored four pieces for the piano, his first symphonies, and at least one opera, The Pretend Simpleton.

Mozart’s relationship with his father remains controversial to this day. Some historians claim that his father was a brutal man who beat his young son. Others say the family enjoyed a close and loving relationship. One fact is clear: Mozart enjoyed enormous success as a child, and many other parents, particularly those in the music field, wanted their children to equal or surpass Mozart’s legacy.

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