Lecture 18
Transition Beethoven
When I open my eyes I must sigh,
for what I see is contrary to my religion, and I must despise the world
which does not know that music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.
—Ludwig van Beethoven
Transition Beethoven
For the next 2 lectures, we will look at the music and life of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). We will look at his most famous symphony, his fifth. In this first lecture, we'll listen to the first and second movements.
Topics covered:
Beethoven as transitional figure
What about Beethoven's fifth?
Movement 1: creating an entire symphony out of 4 notes
Movement 2: a form created from context
Objectives:
examine and understand Beethoven's style and how he departs from the tradition of the classicists
examine Beethoven's motivic development
feel a dramatic progression through each of the movements
Assignments:
watch lecture 18 (in multiple parts for quicker download)
review previous chapters, as necessary
read textbook, Chapter 20
As you are reading your textbook, go through the Listening Exercises in textbook sequence, listening to the examples provided.
regarding developing listening skills: you should be in the habit of developing your listening skills early in the game - the assignments will get more complex through the semester and you may find yourself unable to keep up. As simple as these early assignments may seem to some of you, they will help to keep you on the right track, and help you develop the skills required for a greater appreciation in listening to music, including the music that you listen to for your own enjoyment. Of course, those objectives are in total sync with the success you hope to have in this class. Remember that your ability to recognize the music on your CDs will be tested and will, of course, impact your grade.
Audio / Video lecture
click lecture segments below in sequence
presented in several segments to reduce download time
total lecture time: approx. one hour 15 minutes (all segments included)
can be downloaded for portable media players by right clicking each segment link and choosing save option. (note: older Macs and Mac notebooks with single-button mice: control-click)
Lecture 18.1
Transition Beethoven
Lecture 18.2
Introduction to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
Lecture 18.3
Beethoven's Fifth, Movement I
Lecture 18.4
Beethoven's Fifth, Movement II