Beethoven

& His Seventh Symphony

By Brett McNeill
Prepared for Music 1010, Professor Craig Ferrin

The Life of Beethoven

Childhood/Family Life
Early Training

Christian Gottlob Neefe

Vienna
Deafness
Compositions

The Life of Beethoven

Childhood/Family Life
Believed to have been born on December 16, 1770 though only
record is that of his baptism the following day3
Born to Johann van Beethoven and Maria Magdalena
Father was a court singer for the Electorate of Cologne
Had two younger brothers

The Life of Beethoven

Early Training
His father used sleep deprivation among other tactics to force young Ludwig to
train for extra hours
Was hoped to be the next child prodigy in the vein of Mozart
His first public performance March 26, 1778 was billed as a "little son of six years"
though he was seven

The Life of Beethoven

Christian Gottlob Neefe
Christian Gottlob Neefe appointed court organist
Neefes appointment represented cultural transformation of Bonn
Beethoven quit school in 1781 to study music full time under Neefe
Published first work under neefe
Nine Variations on a March by Dressler

Neefe introduced him to the music of Mozart and Bach

The Life of Beethoven

Vienna
Study under Haydn for a short while
First visit was cut short due to mothers sickness
Won the hearts of aristocracy here and earned
Met Mozart on first visit to Vienna
Mozart said Beethoven would make a great name for himself

The Life of Beethoven

Deafness
First signs of deafness around end of 18th century
Increasingly avoided being social
Wrote Heilgenstadt Testament to reveal
Difficulty in dealing with impending deafness
Was completely deaf in 1819
Composed Ninth Symphony and other

Works after complete loss of hearing

The Life of Beethoven

Compositions
Composition of the middle or heroic period
80

72

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Symphony
No.
7
Movement 1
Poco Sostenuto Vivace
History and Listening Guide

Symphony No. 7
History Meaning
Argued as being an anticipatory piece relating to love
Some thought it was written representing his Immortal Love
Beethoven had several love interests throughout his life
He often was is love with a woman above his station

Symphony No. 7
History Occasion
Written between 1811 and 1812
Premiered December 8, 1813 at a benefit concert for soldiers
Johann Nepomuk Malzel, the inventor of the metronome, convinced Beethoven to
donate his significant abilities to the event
Another of Beethovens works, Wellingtons Victory, was also played at the concert
and to Beethovens dismay, took the spotlight
The second movement, Allegretto, was immediately popular and immediately
encored

Symphony No. 7
History Critiques
Wagner called this symphony the apotheosis of the dance
An anonymous quote: In the Seventh Symphony, we have an epic expression, not
of romantic love per se so much as of the vibrantly forward-looking and joyously
celebratory outlook that fills the heart and mind and limbs of one who is immersed
in such a love.
A 20 bar chromatic passage in the coda inspired Carl Maria von Weber to say
Beethoven was fit for a madhouse
Overshadowed by immensely popular 5th and 9th symphonies but still a masterful
work of music

Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 Listening Guide
0:01 This movement starts out with a loud single burst of a chord that dies away to make way for a
clarinet that holds a sustained and fluid melody. After two measures, another chord hits and a flute joins
the clarinet with a harmony. Two more measures and another chord that make way for a French horn to
accompany the clarinet. These warm textures complement each other and the legato feel. Two measures
more and a low horn round off the first expression on the first theme.
0:35 The theme is repeated but the chord on the downbeat is replaced by 16 note ascending scale played
by the strings. The melody is now played by harmonizing French horn and a trumpet.

0:50 The third ascending scale is marked by a one measure crescendo that repeats after the downbeat
and the beginning of the third phrase of the melody. The whole orchestra is utilized now as the violins play
the melody, the woodwinds and the brass and percussion emphasize the downbeat every second measure
and the low strings play the ascending scales. This pattern plays a total of four times.

1:23 Theme A enters with a light melody on the woodwinds with strings accompanying and leading every
other measure in. This is an eight measure section.

Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 Listening Guide
1:48 This theme is repeated for two measures with the strings on the melody and
woodwinds backing. A crescendo begins after three measures.
2:07 - The first variation on Theme A begins again. Ascending scales leading to large
first beat emphasis by percussion and deep brass. This variation also emphasizes the
third beat of every measure, building intensity.

2:32 A decrescendo over two beats rolls back the intensity to repeat theme B.
2:59 The first variation of theme B begins but after two measures begins a transition
where the peak melody climbs and gives the sense of building intensity. The volumes
slowly builds to a mezzo-forte staccato chord.
3:20 The strings play a consistent pedal tone for the flute to play a melody over with
horns harmonizing.
3:33 Flute and strings begin alternating an octave apart leading into the key change
for the Vivace section.

Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 Listening Guide

4:00 The next section is introduced on the flute, the tone major and the melody is spirited. The
strings and horns and woodwinds are softly emphasizing downbeats.
4:29 - The first markedy dance rhythmic theme begins in complex duple meter.
melody. This tone is very fun and hopeful.

Violin is on the

4:45 Strings are playing melody and the woodwinds are echoing, this peaks at 4:56 and quiets
down significantly.
5:07 The second theme of the Vivace section plays with violins on melody and violas and playing
quick descending phrases while the melody holds out.
5:13 Two measures of Staccato to transition out of this theme.
5:39 A minor sounding phrase begins on the strings that leads to a build and crescendo.
5:51 This is my favorite motif in the whole of the first movement. The violins are playing what
sound like 16th note triplets and only play a single note for two measures and drop down a note for
two more measures. The brass is underlying with descending arpeggios. This is repeated once.

Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 - Listening Guide
6:06 A variation of the first theme is played. The second half of the melody is
replaced with a three note staccato phrase. Low strings are now playing very quickly
underneath the violin and give a feeling of moving quickly forward.
6:29 The intro to the Vivace is repeated here with the flute playing melody. This
marks a repetition of the whole of the Vivace to this point.

8:53 The coda begins here playing with the idea that the Vivace might be repeated but
instead moving on.
9:03 - A melodic arch is repeated in round starting with the low strings followed by the
violins, then the violas, then the clarinets and the flutes.
9:21 The brass and woodwinds are playing a bouncy and dancing rhythm for the
strings to play a descending melody over.
9:50 The dancing rhythm is played upon still with different sections alternating playing
descending phrases.

Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 - Listening Guide

10:05 A building and ascending feeling begins here where violins and the lower strings
alternates playing ascending phrases, holding out the peak while the other section plays.
10:25 With the dance feel intact the tone turns minor for a few measures.
10:53 The first theme of the vivace is reintroduced here with unique emphasizing from the
brass, woodwind and percussion sections.
11:25 A clarinet plays the last theme with subtle minor tone changes. The clarinet was an
excellent instrument for this tone because of the warm but firm timbre.
12:07 The second theme from the vivace is played here with quick descending phrases from
the violas in between the violins melody. The rest of the orchestra has a bounce about it still
in theme with the dance rhythm.

12:39 A minor sounding motif that slowly climbs in volume and intensity which leads into
the same motif as at time 5:51 in the Vivace.

13:06 A variation on the first theme from the Vivace.

Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 - Listening Guide
13:19 All Sections building off each other in three note phrases.
13:38 Chromatic bass lines underneath multiple variations of melody
played by the violins.

14:05 Three note ascending phrases that pull the listener out of the
dissonant feeling of the previous section and give a definite major tone.
14:28 The brass section holds the melody in triumphant fashion, three
notes at a time still.
14:32 The whole orchestra descends with three note phrase for five times
and ends with three chords all hit briefly, ending on the third.

Bibliography
Ron Drummand. Program Notes.
http://www.nwsinfonietta.com/notes3Oct03.htm. n.p. October 4, 2003.
Web. October 2, 2014.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Opus 92.
http://www.sfsymphony.org/. n.p. n.d. Web. October 2, 2014.

Lane, William. Beethoven: The Immortal.

http://lucare.com/immortal/index.html. January 6, 2006. Web. October

2,2014

Ludwig van Beethoven. http://www.britannica.com/. Web. October 2,

2014.
Ludwig van Beethoven. www.biography.com. Web. October 2, 2014.