Most significantly in terms of influencing the Romantic Era, An die ferne Geliebte was the very first example of a form known as Liederkreis ("song cycle"), a form that reached its height later in the century in the vocal works of such Romantic composers as Franz Schubert and, in particular, Robert Schumann and Carl Loewe. Is the cycle the first of the Liederkreis genre? One could argue that the piece serves as more of a proto-Liederkreis, or an earlier form of the song cycle. It is certain that Schubert and Schumann developed the form to a much longer and much more complete extent than Beethoven was able to do. However, they only developed that form by building on and expanding upon Beethoven’s example. Additionally, An die ferne Geliebte
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9 in D minor, Op. 125. This symphony, a true work of genius, was Beethoven’s last and and can stand alone as the transition into the Romantic Era. Premiering on May 7th, 1824, Symphony No. 9 was greeted by an overwhelmingly enthusiastic audience, as this piece is Beethoven’s greatest ever composition. The work embodies the musical duality of the nineteenth century, the struggle between the Classic and Romantic Eras, between the old and new. Within the eighteenth century, there existed the quest for a broader vocabulary. Meanwhile, Romanticism promoted the personal and the individual, which completely defy the principles of Classicism. We can see the aspects of the first three movements that definitely belong to the Classical Era; however, the fourth movement seemed to make the earth shake at its debut, luring the piece into the unexplored world of program music, which proved to define the Classical Era in the years …show more content…
We then examined three of Beethoven’s most spectacular pieces, the Fifth Symphony, An die ferne Geliebte, and the Ninth Symphony. We saw how he shaped the Romantic movement through his emphasis on the expression of emotion, the use of melody and rhythm, and an expanded orchestra and symphony. Now, we can understand why Beethoven is the single-most influential music figure when we focus on the Romantic Period. Everything that we see in his later works can be found in the various sonatas, symphonies and other works of Romantic composers. The fact that the people of the nineteenth century used Beethoven and his greatness as the benchmark for judging every composer really serves as a testament to his profound, long-lasting influences. Although we only discussed his influences on a few of the Romantic composers, in some way or another, Beethoven influenced every single Romantic composer. Thus, we have examined the historical and musical significance of Beethoven’s works, but the best description that sheds light on just how big of a spark he produced comes from English writer George Grove after talking to Karoline Ungher, a soloist at the premiere of the Ninth Symphony. “His [Beethoven’s] turning around, and the sudden conviction thereby forced on everybody that he had not so before because he could not hear what was going on, acted like an electric shock on all present, and a
9 in D minor, Op. 125. This symphony, a true work of genius, was Beethoven’s last and and can stand alone as the transition into the Romantic Era. Premiering on May 7th, 1824, Symphony No. 9 was greeted by an overwhelmingly enthusiastic audience, as this piece is Beethoven’s greatest ever composition. The work embodies the musical duality of the nineteenth century, the struggle between the Classic and Romantic Eras, between the old and new. Within the eighteenth century, there existed the quest for a broader vocabulary. Meanwhile, Romanticism promoted the personal and the individual, which completely defy the principles of Classicism. We can see the aspects of the first three movements that definitely belong to the Classical Era; however, the fourth movement seemed to make the earth shake at its debut, luring the piece into the unexplored world of program music, which proved to define the Classical Era in the years …show more content…
We then examined three of Beethoven’s most spectacular pieces, the Fifth Symphony, An die ferne Geliebte, and the Ninth Symphony. We saw how he shaped the Romantic movement through his emphasis on the expression of emotion, the use of melody and rhythm, and an expanded orchestra and symphony. Now, we can understand why Beethoven is the single-most influential music figure when we focus on the Romantic Period. Everything that we see in his later works can be found in the various sonatas, symphonies and other works of Romantic composers. The fact that the people of the nineteenth century used Beethoven and his greatness as the benchmark for judging every composer really serves as a testament to his profound, long-lasting influences. Although we only discussed his influences on a few of the Romantic composers, in some way or another, Beethoven influenced every single Romantic composer. Thus, we have examined the historical and musical significance of Beethoven’s works, but the best description that sheds light on just how big of a spark he produced comes from English writer George Grove after talking to Karoline Ungher, a soloist at the premiere of the Ninth Symphony. “His [Beethoven’s] turning around, and the sudden conviction thereby forced on everybody that he had not so before because he could not hear what was going on, acted like an electric shock on all present, and a