BEETHOVEN: HIS NINE SYMPHONIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORCHESTRA by Daniel Padua A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 2010 COPYRIGHT by Daniel Padua 2010 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my very sincere thanks and love to my beautiful wife, Inara, for the constant support and encouragement in every stage of the process of conducting this research, which would never have come into existence without her. Special thanks to my thesis advisor, Dr. Sandra McClain, for the patience and dedication in guiding me through the way, and to the chair of the music department, Dr. Heather Coltman, for whom I have profound admiration. I also wish to thank my family, especially my dear mother and father, for their love and everything they represent in my life. iv ABSTRACT Author: Daniel Favero de Padua Title: Beethoven: His Nine Symphonies and Their Influence on the Development of the Orchestra Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sandra C. McClain Degree: Master of Arts Year: 2010 Beethoven is widely considered to be one of the most influential composers of all time. His compositions denote a crucial turning point in the history of western music, and his influence can be discussed in numerous ways – musically, technically, theoretically and even philosophically. This treatise discusses one of the primary aspects of Beethoven’s influence on later generations: the way that his symphonies contributed to the expansion of the genre and, consequently, to the development of the orchestra. Included is a detailed analysis of his nine symphonies, an overview of his personal life, and an exploration of the historical, social, and political time in which he lived. This thesis collects and examines relevant documents in order to inquire about and better understand the changes and innovations that transformed the standard orchestra of the eighteenth century, opening the doors to the symphonic music of the Romantic Era. v CONTENTS Introduction........................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter I: Beethoven, His Life and Music...................................................................... 3 Life in Vienna in the Later Eighteenth Century...................................................... 5 Beethoven as Virtuoso and His Patrons.................................................................. 7 Beethoven and the Construction of His Musical Style........................................... 8 Beethoven and the Place of the Artist in Society.................................................... 11 Deafness and Crisis................................................................................................. 12 The Heiligenstadt Testament.................................................................................. 14 Chapter II: The Orchestra in the Eighteenth Century........................................................ 18 Chapter III: The Symphony in Beethoven's Music............................................................ 25 Chapter IV: Analysis of the Nine Symphonies.................................................................. 31 Symphony No. 1 in C major, op. 21........................................................................ 32 Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 36....................................................................... 37 Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major "Eroica," op. 55.................................................. 43 Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, op. 60................................................................. 54 Symphony No. 5 in C minor, op.67........................................................................ 62 Symphony No. 6 in F major "Pastoral," op. 68....................................................... 86 Symphony No. 7 in A major, op. 92....................................................................... 95 Symphony No. 8 in F major, op. 93........................................................................ 105 Symphony No. 9 in D minor "Choral," op. 125...................................................... 111 Chapter V: Changes and Innovations in Beethoven's Orchestra........................................ 144 The Enlargement of the Orchestra.......................................................................... 145 The Element of Dynamics in Beethoven's Music................................................... 147 The Woodwinds, French Horn, Timpani and the Unison....................................... 148 A New Approach to the String Section in Beethoven's Orchestra.......................... 151 Beethoven's Contribution to the Development of the Instruments......................... 154 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 161 Appendix............................................................................................................................ 164 References........................................................................................................................... 165 vi ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 01. Beethoven: First Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 1-6................................................. 34 Figure 02. Beethoven: First Symphony, Mvt. II, mm. 47-56............................................ 35 Figure 03. Beethoven: Second Symphony, Mvt. II, mm. 1-23......................................... 41 Figure 04. Beethoven: Third Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 1-12............................................. 49 Figure 05. Beethoven: Third Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 384-399....................................... 51 Figure 06. Beethoven: Third Symphony, Mvt. II (Marcia Funebre), mm. 1-11............... 53 Figure 07. Beethoven: Fourth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 1-8….…..…………………....... 57 Figure 08. Beethoven: Fourth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 106-116...................................... 58 Figure 09. Beethoven: Fourth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 132-143...…………………....... 59 Figure 10. Beethoven: Fourth Symphony, Mvt. IV, mm. 183-191................................... 60 Figure 11. Beethoven: Fourth Symphony, Mvt. II, mm. 100-104..…………….……..... 61 Figure 12. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 1-13............................................... 66 Figure 13. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 65-79............................................. 67 Figure 14. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 257-268......................................... 69 Figure 15. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 415-441......................................... 72 Figure 16. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. II, mm. 84-90........................................... 74 Figure 17. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. III, mm. 1-26............................................ 77 Figure 18. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. III, mm. 132-157...................................... 79 vii Figure 19. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. III, mm. 318-344..................................... 80 Figure 20. Beethoven: Fifth Symphony, Mvt. IV, mm. 1-8............................................ 82 Figure 21. Beethoven: Sixth Symphony, Mvt. II, mm. 1-8............................................. 93 Figure 22. Beethoven: Seventh Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 1-9.......................................... 98 Figure 23. Beethoven: Seventh Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 61-70...................................... 101 Figure 24. Beethoven: Seventh Symphony, Mvt. II, mm. 1-14....................................... 102 Figure 25. Beethoven: Eighth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 1-11.......................................... 108 Figure 26. Beethoven: Eighth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 30-41........................................ 109 Figure 27. Beethoven: Eighth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 102-112.................................... 110 Figure 28. Beethoven: Eighth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 191-201.................................... 111 Figure 29. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 1-8.............................................. 120 Figure 30. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 295-303...................................... 123 Figure 31. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. I, mm. 507-515...................................... 126 Figure 32. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. II, mm. 1-14........................................... 128 Figure 33. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. III, mm. 1-9........................................... 131 Figure 34. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. IV, mm. 1-10......................................... 134 Figure 35. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. IV, mm. 208-214................................... 137 Figure 36. Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, Mvt. IV, mm. 636-649................................... 141 Figure 37. Comparison of Symphonies by Mozart, Beethoven and Mahler.................... 146 Table 01. Comparison of Instrumentation of the Nine Symphonies................................ 157 Table 02. Comparison of Important Characteristics of the Nine Symphonies................ 158 viii Introduction It is evident that Ludwig van Beethoven is, at least from the point of view of western music history, one of the most influential composers of all time. His music certainly has influenced many generations of composers that came after him. This influence can be discussed in many ways, either musically, technically or philosophically. Beethoven