Paper Example: Beethoven and Chopin Compared

The parochial associations relative to the merits of the two artists, Beethoven and Chopin have contributed to significant debates for more than a century. Beethoven and Chopin were both legendary pianists and composers who had their share of challenges in their personal lives. Each made significant contributions to the composing of music and this was instrumental during the transition between classical and romantic eras. However, research posits that Chopin was least influenced by Beethoven due to the genuine differences between their works. Criticisms categorize these two artists in opposing ways. Beethoven is portrayed as a heroic figure whereas Chopin is demonstrated as an anti-hero (Petty 281). At the same time, Beethoven is described as the most influential artist in the history of music while the narration of Chopin is pointed to the shallow field. The paper will examine and compare the personal lives and music that has been introduced by Beethoven and Chopin.

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Biography

Early Years.

According to records, Beethoven has a miserable childhood (Petty 281). He was a musician even in the early stages of development in that he performed in their church at the age of 8. Born in Bonn, Germany in 1770, Beethoven became a composer at the age of twelve and this was as a result of his grandfather's influence who was by then was a musical director (Arts 1). Later, he became a promising church keyboard player. Chopin, on the other hand, was born in 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, Poland. Chopin became a musician by their own will in that by the age of 6, he could ably play the piano (Biography n.p). As time went by, he started writing solo piano.

Music Selection.

Beethoven at many times found it hard to separate the grain from charm because he had several favorites' songs, something that could make it difficult to be a judge of his work. However, among the first selection was instrumental music, which was organized into a series that include Ochester-Werke, Onverturen, Fur Violine and Orchester, Kammer-Musik among others (Arts 5). Chopin also could judge his ideas and works, but what made him unique is his decisions and evaluations towards an emerging piece. Chopin's compositions were purely piano and they comprised mazurkas, etudes, waltzes, scherzos, sonatas, nocturnes, preludes, to mention but a few (Biography n.p).

Career.

Beethoven had been absorbed by music even when he was a boy. He started his career when h he was seventeen in 1787; at this period he made his first trip to Vienna a city that he dreamed of becoming his home (Arts 1). Luckily, he performed after a few years of stay in Vienna. He gave a piano concert that changed his life in March 1975. His success since has been closely tied to piano virtuoso because he had made a tremendous financial and artistic success. Chopin, on the other hand, began his career when he was 7 years old. He began composing songs as well as performing and in 1832 he moved to Paris (Biography n.p). He performed in concerts with small audiences but later he got a job in the great parlors of Paris and this gave him a chance to socialize with many people. He was regarded as the most influential piano teacher, something that allowed him to live well and compose numerous pieces.

End of Career.

Beethoven's end of career became explicit when he started losing his sense of hearing (Arts 2). He tried various treatments but in the last decade of his life, he became deaf He, however, did not give up because he could feel the vibrations when he was leading rehearsals and playing of the piano. During this period, he could not compose musical pieces but guided controlled concerts until 1827 when he died. Chopin's end of career was seen in the 1840s when his health began deteriorating (Biography n.p). Among other things, he was suffering from diseases such as epilepsy and pneumonia. He struggled with his healthy until 1848 when he made his last appearance in the public and died a year later.

Musical Contributions

Influences of Beethoven and Chopin on the Music Industry

During the mid-19th century, and into the 20th century, the notion of progressive composers avowing their voices became an element by which history judged them. Beethoven's creative influence presence itself in two ways; First, his earlier workers, particularly the piano and instrumental compositions already depict his somber striving for an innermost need, in tandem with freedom of imagination, and regularly explain his course in such an influential and authentic way (Wallace 8). Second, if his splendidly flourishing imagination in the realm of notes, normally illustrates the instant of stimulus with a mood adjoining on the unusual, and appears to submit to a limitless outward determination in most audacious forms, his awe-inspiring presence of mind (Wallace 8).

Beethoven's ingenuity has become significant and influences particularly through the organic joining of all his harmonious ideas, in which the musical categories condensed to unity are contemplated in such a magnificent style (Wallace 9). Beethoven's oriental percussion orchestra stands out parallelly with a good voice, and also the more honorable style because he only permits their firming potential to venture at periods of greater emphasis and on the syllabus of specific importance (Wallace 9). Beethoven also provided a significant conduit between the Classical, and Baroque periods (McGegan n.p). He mesmerized the audience with his aggressive individualism, and resilience in an era where patronage was still the order of the day (McGegan n.p). Although he did not abandon investment wholly as Mozart did, Beethoven seldom focused on pleasing himself first before the audience. He is also accoladed for fully incorporating the growing scope of the piano in his sonatas and concertos, and for unconsciously promoting the use of steel-framed keyboards (McGegan n.p).

The musical composition of Chopin embraces a special place in the hearts and minds of the majority of music enthusiasts (Lombardi 14). His morbidity attractive piano musical rhythm was majestic, as it tended to create a mind-blowing effect on the listeners. Chopin focused on composing miniatures, and a single movement notes for keyboard solo performance (Lombardi 14). Chopin is not only connected with the advancement of preludes, nocturnes, etudes, ballades, scherzos, mazurkas, but he utterly altered these genres. Chopin's music not only advanced the agenda on romanticism, and also used the luminous texture and melancholy melodies to express his feelings plus the piano's sound in a infectious manner to his target audience. Finally, he created four Ballades, and the Sonatas in B-flat minor, and B minor (Lombardi 15).

Early Contributions

During the Romantic era, piano compositions were broadened into amazingly, intriguing, and seemingly incredible new spheres. New ingenuities were developed by Fredric Chopin, one of the greatest piano composers. He expanded the piano technique by creating a new reliance on the pedal without diminishing too rapidly (Kravchuk n.p). This creativity is seen in some of his works, such as the Spianato op. 22, the Berceuse op. 57, majority of his Nocturnes, and the trio in the Funeral March from the Sonata op. 35 (Kravchuk n.p). Chopin's piano writing also elucidates two other important creations that were significant during the Romanticism period. The first method is playing two compositions against three notes, each in distinct hand that needs extreme autonomy of the hands for all the parts to jointly create a good piano rhythm (Kravchuk n.p). It is seen in Etude op. 25 no.2, Nouvelles Etudes (Kravchuk n.p). Second, Chopin borrowed the notion of Franz Liszt of putting small groups of grace notes, to form new melodic figure or rhythm (Kravchuk n.p). In a nutshell, Chopin integrated the use of both the right mental character and the engagement of the body in piano technique (Kravchuk n.p).

Some of the early contributions of Beethoven include the creation of exceptional piano pieces such as Pathetique sonata (Lopiccolo 1). In his early musical years, Beethoven trained at the von Breuning children piano center, while continuing with his role as the court instrumentalist in the Elector of Cologne (Lopiccolo 1-2). His life as both musician and composer was one of the greatest contributions in the classical music era. Whereas composers like Mozart and Haydn contributed immensely to the music scene, Beethoven provided his soul that was positively touched his audience (Lopiccolo 8). Finally, he created several string quartes like Ninth Symphony, Missa Solemnis that displayed his impeccable range of piano skills (McGegan n.p).

Famous Works

Some of the famous works or innovations of Chopin include; flexible extension of the right hand (Etudes op 10/1 and 10/8), broadened left-hand writing (Etude op. 10/9. Prelude op. 28/24) (Kravchuk n.p). Concurrent extensions in both hands (Etude op. 25/1, Prelude op. 28/19). Lengthening of shattered chords to the entire length of the keyboard (Etude op. 10/1, and 25/2), and Extended chords either merged or swiftly arpeggiated (Etude op. 10/1, Nocturne op. 48/1) (Kravchuk n.p). The majority of American citizens suffer from deafness, hyperacusis, or tinnitus, just like Beethoven complained of in his early years (Huxtable 9). Undeterred by his deafness problem, Beethoven shifted from performing to composition musical strings. He was able to compose three Piano Concertos, and the immortal Fifth Symphony (Huxtable 9-10). Other most famous works included; Missa Solemnis op. 12, Grand Fugue op. 133., and Eroica Symphony op. 55 (McGegan n.p).

Personal Assessment

I think both Chopin, and Beethoven were significant piano composers in their respective eras. Chopin is most notable for creating romantic piano compositions during the Romanticism era, whereas Beethoven is widely renowned for the piano compositions he made in the Classical and Baroque musical eras. The impetus of Beethoven to create compositions in the Classical period was influenced by renowned artists like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Haydn. I like more of Chopin's piano technique since its more contemporary, and invokes romantic feelings within the majority of his listeners. It was furthermore relevant in today's world as opposed to Beethoven's piano composition. Another most intriguing elements concerning the piano technique during his era is the emphasis not on the figures, but the association between the mind, and physical implementation in technical development, and piano performance. I consider Chopin's Etudes to be one of the most beautiful art pieces to be ever composed for piano. Nowadays the school of a piano involves digging deep into the music of the element, connecting the mind to musical expression, and looking for simplicity, and serenity during the most technically challenging instances. Finally, I like the resilience that was displayed by Beethoven, whereby he continued to compose incredible piano compositions after developing deafness, hyperacusis, and tinnitus problem. It is amazing how he stood out, despite the level of discrimination against people with disabilities within the society during the Classical and Baroque musical eras.

Conclusion

Beethoven and Chopin in their tempos and dynamics are performers who had faults despite their significant contributions to musical presentation. However, their personal lives present challenges, which contributed to the end of their musical career. At the same time, each performer had his flaws and this hampered musical creativity. Beethoven and Chopin may have been an inappropriate choice, especially when considering their self-critic musical creativity.

Works Cited

Arts, Alive. "The Story of a Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven." National Arts Centre, artsalive.ca. http://artsalive.ca/pdf/mus/beethoven_all_e.pdf