Composer #3: Beethoven

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

Ludwig Van Beethoven was a revolutionary composer. He pushed the boundaries of music and used emotion as a driving force in his music. He overcame a struggle with deafness later in his life, and eventually became one of the most celebrated composers of all time.

Beethoven and Emotion

Beethoven was the bridge between the Classical and Romantic periods of music. Beethoven's earlier works are similar to Mozart's classical pieces. As Beethoven grew older, he used emotion as a driving force in his music. Music in the Romantic period was expressive and "larger than life". Watch two examples from Beethoven's symphonies.

What emotions do you hear being expressed in these two examples?