Here are ten interesting facts about the ancestors and family of the musician Ludwig van Beethoven. 1. The family name Beethoven originally was Biethoffen, meaning beet-garden in English. 2. The ‘van’ in the name is not to be mistaken with ‘von’, which was used only by European nobles. 3. The Beethoven family were not nobles, although Ludwig van Beethoven for …
Beethoven wrote three piano sonatas under opus no.2. This article will review the second of the three. In our in-depth analysis of Beethoven Piano Sonata no.2 not only you will read interesting facts, but also listen to key parts with the help of audio clips. Beethoven Piano Sonata 2. (op.2) was published in 1796, premiered in Vienna. The four …
We continue our ‘No man is an island’ series and in this new article we discover who Prince Lobkowitz was, what part he played in Viennese music history and in Beethoven’s life. Joseph Franz von Lobkowitz (1772-1816) was an aristocrat of Bohemia, present day Czech Republic. He was a full time music enthusiast, spending fortunes on music, most notably for …
Greek myths and legends tell many stories about the wonders of music. In fact, in ancient Greece music was part of basic education and even religious or civic gatherings. Plato, the Greek philosopher, considered music special and devotes broadened attention to the subject in his works Republic and in Laws. In this article we discover what Plato has to say …
Sometimes small things can lead to significant changes and results! This is most certainly true for Beethoven’s two variations numbered opus 34. (6 variations for piano) and opus 35. (The Eroica Variations). Following our previous article on Musical theme and variations, in this piece we will discover, what is the role and significance of opus 35., The Eroica Variations in …
Variations in music is a special genre often regarded by many as less important or inferior to sonatas, symphonies. Although many great composers created variations, it was Beethoven who had elevated this genre to a high(er) level and convinced critics to accept it. What is a variation? It is a musical structure, where a main musical idea called a theme …