History Music / LudwigVanBeethoven

* {{Romanticism}}: Regarded as a TropeCodifier by contemporaries and future generations, at least regardig his later compositions. Inverted by Beethoven himself as he actually went deeper into Baroque counterpoint and Classic structures during his Late Period, avoiding the program music, supernatural literary themes, nationalism, and smaller structures of Romantic music.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Beethoven__4730.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:[[{{Pun}} Isn't he a]] [[Creator/AndyWarhol colorful]] [[{{Pun}} character]]?]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Beethoven did some work on a Symphony No. 10 in C minor, sketching some main themes and even drafting the first movement, but he never completed it. Several amateur composers stepped up to the challenge, completing a 10th symphony based on Beethoven's drafts, each version unique as the different characters of their creators.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKoE1f7evDA Barry Cooper]] composed a movement based on Beethoven's first movement draft.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKYYSqHhKlk Hideaki Shichida]] built an entire symphony from core motifs found in Beethoven's sketches.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL-XvxWJx7Q&t=1085s Gerd Prengal]] completed a symphony in a similar manner, though he took more liberties by adding more of his own voice into the work.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK-X1vcDmCU Szabolcs Millye]] integrates the ideas of every composer before him.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZjizf5Lazc&list=PL8iy6DTQwMZ_l7Ib9mY8ntUQmzqbX3G7l&index=1 Szabolcs Millye]] integrates the ideas of every composer before him.

* BookEnds: The famous slow movement of the Symphony No. 7 in A major begins and ends with an A minor chord from the woodwinds and horns.

* EveryoneKnowsMorse: The opening theme of the fifth symphony ("da da da DUM") coincidentally matches the Morse Code for the letter "V", so it was popularly played by the Allies during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII to signify "[[VSign Victory]]."

* ProperlyParanoid: Somewhat justified. Beethoven was secretive about his creative method and any music he had not published... in an age where copyright was not a thing yet and a place where literally thousands of musicians competed with each other. Beethoven never even directly taught his students how to compose, preferring they learn from him by example. This tendency lead to several fights with friends. Beethoven played for his pupil Ferdinand Reis the Andante Favori movement of the ''Waldstein'' Sonata, a slow movement that wound up on the cutting room floor but was later published seperately. Reis played it for Beethoven's patron Prince Lichnowsky, who then later played it for Beethoven. Beethoven refused to ever play in front of Reis again, even when Reis was leaving for England to possibly never return to Vienna. A smaller example is when Beethoven was drafting music in Heilegenstadt with his apartment window open, and a woman would go out in the garden complex to hear him play. Once Beethoven saw her spying on him, he shut the windows, and she never heard him again.

* SenseLossSadness: Described in [[TearJerker poignant detail]] in his "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiligenstadt_Testament Heiligenstadt Testament]]". He reveals that as he progressively lost his hearing, he was nearly DrivenToSuicide, but fortunately for everyone, he [[TheDeterminator finally resolved]] to [[DeafComposer keep composing anyway]].

** The slow movement of Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral") ends with a passage that depicts several birds calling to each other. A flute is used to mimic the nightingale's song, while oboes and clarinets respectively imitate a quail and a cuckoo.

-->--'''The man himself'''.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qH2Qz_v0pQ Szabolcs Millye]] wrote what seems like two versions of a 10th Symphony, integrating the ideas of every composer before him.

** The "Hammerklavier" sonata has a brief phrase sounding like the Ode to Joy theme, early in the development of the sonata's first movement to be specific. Blink and you'll miss it.

* EasterEgg: The second-movement trio of the Ninth Symphony has a subject alluding to the Ode to Joy theme, which eventually appears at the finale.

* GeniusSlob: Left half-eaten trays of food piled in the corner of his apartment, to the point when his landlords complained about the stench and was more than once arrested for being a vagrant.
** Ironically averted by Beethoven during most of his life, as he was described as neat by contemporaries. He fell into Genius Slob territory starting around his mid forties when he was dealing with intense family drama around his nephew's custody, gradually losing the support of patrons who went bankrupt or fled Vienna to avoid Napoleon, deep depressive episodes, and his increasing isolation from deafness.

** Beethoven first wrote an Andante Favori middle movement for the ''Waldstein'' Sonata. He performed it in front of friends and patrons, who recommended he write a new middle movement that better fit the overall structure of the Sonata. The Andante Favori wound up on the cutting room floor and was published seperately.

* NoPokerFace: Averted by Beethoven during his life. Friends, musicians, and visitors commented that he had an impassive face with piercing eyes. Later played straight when the image of the wild genius with a gesticulating face and rolling eyes became a thing when Romanticism went big.

* ProperlyParanoid: Somewhat justified. Beethoven was secretive about his creative method and any music he had not published... in an age where copyright was not a thing yet and a place where literally thousands of musicians competed with each other. Beethoven never even directly taught his students how to compose, preferring they learn from him by example. This tendency lead to several fights with friends. Beethoven played for his pupil Ferdinand Reis the Andante Favori movement of the ''Waldstein'' Sonata, a slow movement that wound up on the cutting room floor but was later published seperately. Reis played it for Beethoven's patron Prince Lichnowsky, who then later played it for Beethoven. Beethoven refused to ever play in front of Reis again, even when Reis was leaving for England, possibly never to return to Vienna, and was crying from Beethoven's refusal. A smaller example is when Beethoven was drafting music in Heilegenstadt with his apartment window open, and a woman would go out in the garden complex to hear him play. Once Beethoven saw her spying on him, he shut the windows, and she never heard him again.
* QualityOverQuantity: Unlike his sometime teacher, [[Music/JosephHaydn Haydn]], who wrote more than a hundred symphonies, and the person who he wanted to study under, [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]], who wrote a few dozen, Beethoven only wrote nine (nobody ever counts ''Wellington's Victory'' among the canonical ones). Then again, a typical Beethoven symphony is of much greater size and complexity than anything Mozart or Haydn did. Also due in part from Beethoven's patronage situations. He worked freelance, and organizing concerts were very difficult for composers not employed under a noble family like, for example, [[Music/JosephHaydn Haydn]] under the Esterházys.

* {{Romanticism}}: Regarded as a TropeCodifier, at least in his later compositions. Somewhat inverted as Beethoven actually went deeper into Baroque counterpoint and Classic cyclical structures during his Late Period, avoiding the program music, supernatural literary themes, nationalism, and smaller structures of Romantic music.

* UsefulNotes/BetaTest: Various unpublished Beethoven pieces were first attempts at writing a musical genre or rendering a musical subject, some being retooled as later published works, giving precious insights into the composer's creative process and development. Perhaps the most famous example is the Choral Fantasy, which has the prototype of ''Ode to Joy.'' It also heralds the Symphony No. 9 in spirit by uniting the whole orchestra under a theme of universal brotherhood, although it went [[UpToEleven even further than the symphony]] by adding a solo piano to the orchestra with the choir.

** An English dance theme would eventually become the last movement of the Eroica Symphony, first appearing as a [[https://youtu.be/1ih8trjrmGE?t=328 contradance in E♭ major.]] The bass line that later complements the English theme might have derived from the retrograde inversion of the bass part finale of Daniel Steibelt's piano quintet. The English theme and bass line first unite in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8inXQFmXqM Prometheus ballet finale]], then in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUGK7HeB7mQ&t=153s large set of piano variations]], and finally in the [[https://youtu.be/5E0_Fvp7AFw?t=2001 finale of the Eroica Symphony.]] Beethoven, working his way backwards in composing the Symphony, created the first movement main theme by inverting the finale bass line and harmonically fleshing it out with triads for the horn parts.

** An English dance theme would eventually become the last movement of the Eroica Symphony, first appearing as a [[https://youtu.be/1ih8trjrmGE?t=328 little-known contradance in E♭ major.]] The bass line that later complements the English theme might have derived from the retrograde inversion of the bass part finale of Daniel Steibelt's piano quintet. The English theme and bass line first come together in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8inXQFmXqM Prometheus ballet finale]], then appear again in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUGK7HeB7mQ&t=153s large set of piano variations.]] The two themes come together for the last time in the [[https://youtu.be/5E0_Fvp7AFw?t=2001 variation finale of the Eroica Symphony.]] Beethoven, working his way backwards in composing the Symphony, then created the first movement main theme by inverting the finale bass line and harmonically fleshing it out with triads for the horn parts.

** An English dance theme would eventually become the last movement of the Eroica Symphony, first appearing as a [[https://youtu.be/1ih8trjrmGE?t=328 little-known contradance in E♭ major.]] The bass part that later complements the English theme might have derived from the retrograde inversion of a bass part of Daniel Steibelt's piano quintet. The English theme and bass part first come together in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8inXQFmXqM Prometheus ballet finale]], then appear again in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUGK7HeB7mQ&t=153s large set of piano variations.]] The two themes come together for the last time in the [[variation set that closes the Eroica Symphony.]] Beethoven, working forward and backwards in composing the Symphony, created the other themes from that crucial pair.

* {{Bathos}}: Symphony No. 4 in B♭ major is famous for its grim introduction, suggesting a dark, brooding work. Instead, the first movement proper erupts in a jubilant tone with a quirky melody. The rest of the symphony remains mostly jovial throughout. Beethoven reveals a sense of humor and dramatic subversion similar to Haydn's practical jokes.

** An English dance theme would eventually become the basis for the last movement of the Eroica Symphony, first appearing as a little-known contradance in E♭ major. A bass part that complements the English theme might have derived from the retrograde inversion of a bass part of Daniel Steibelt's piano quintet. The English theme and bass part first come together in the Prometheus ballet finale, then appear again in a large set of piano variations. The two themes come together for the last time in the variation set that closes the Eroica Symphony. Beethoven, working forward and backwards in composing the Symphony, created the other themes from that crucial pair.
** Beethoven first attempted a symphony with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwaQEYEntA a stormy C minor first movement]], which is based on the Mannheim rocket and has the Sturm und Drang theme that was popular in the 18th century. A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8_PEetZCXE "Jena Symphony" in C major]] was once attributed to Beethoven, but now it is known Friedrich Witt composed it instead.

** Leonard Bernstein goes over Beethoven's drafts of Symphony No. 5 in C minor in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrDyvxSnqb0 this lecture]].

* MeaningfulFuneral: Numerous funeral marches are in Beethoven's music though they seem to be more about death as part of the human condition than the death of any specific person. The most famous include those the second movement of the Symphony No. 3 in E♭ major, third movement of the Piano Sonata in A♭ major, and the funeral durge climaxing the first movement of the Symphony No. 9 in D minor. Also applies to Beethoven's own funeral, one of the largest and most attended funerals in Vienna at that time.

* ToiletHumor: The quirky Symphony No. 2 finale has (at the time) inside jokes of Beethoven's digestive problems.

** Ironically averted by Beethoven during most of his life, as he was described as neat by contemporaries. He fell into [[Genius Slob]] territory starting around his mid forties when he was dealing with intense family drama around his nephew's custody, gradually losing the support of patrons who went bankrupt or fled Vienna to avoid Napoleon, deep depressive episodes, and his increasing isolation from deafness.

* MeaningfulFuneral: Numerous funeral marches are in Beethoven's music though they seem to be more about death as part of the human condition than the death of any specific person. The most famous include those the second movement of the Symphony No. 3 in E♭ major, third movement of the Piano Sonata in A♭ major, and the funeral durge climaxing the first movement of the Symphony No. 9 in D minor.

* AffectionateParody: Symphony No. 8 in F major is like a high-octane version of an early classical symphony, with exaggerations of the common tropes employed during that period. The first movement has sweeping simple melodies with extreme amounts of tremolos throughout. The third movement, a minuet in all but name, is spiked with many sforzandos and complex counterpoint. The finale is so brisk it is almost unplayable in its proper tempo. The slow movement mimics the metronome and even has a sudden fortissimo during the first minute, like in Music/JosephHaydn's Symphony No. 94 in G major (''Surprise'').

** Occurs during the Credo in the Missa Solemnis, specifically at the moment of Immaculate Conception. Representing the Holy Spirit with the flute goes back far in the Catholic Mass.

* UsefulNotes/BetaTest: Various unpublished Beethoven pieces were first attempts at writing a musical genre or rendering a musical subject, some being retooled as later published works, giving precious insights into the composer's creative process and development. Perhaps the most famous example is the Choral Fantasy, which has a prototype of "Ode to Joy" as the main subject. It also heralds the Symphony No. 9 in spirit by uniting all musical forces under a theme of universal brotherhood, although it went [[UpToEleven even further than the symphony]] by adding a solo piano to the orchestra along with the choir.

* LaResistance: The Symphony No. 5 in C minor first movement was likely inspired by "nous jurons tous" from Cherubini's Hymn of the Pantheon, a choral work glorifying the martyrs of the French Revolution. "Nous jurons tous" even has the same "da da da DUM" rhythm.

* QualityOverQuantity: Unlike his sometime teacher, [[Music/JosephHaydn Haydn]], who wrote more than a hundred symphonies, and the person who he wanted to study under, [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]], who wrote a few dozen, Beethoven only wrote nine (nobody ever counts ''Wellington's Victory'' among the canonical ones). Then again, a typical Beethoven symphony is of much greater size and complexity than anything Mozart or Haydn did.
* {{Retronym}}: The ''Moonlight'' Sonata (No. 14 in in C♯ minor), was given that name in 1832, five years after Beethoven's death, by a music critic who compared the ''first'' movement specifically to the effect of the moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne, a location Beethoven is not documented as having visited personally.

* {{Romanticism}}: Regarded as a TropeCodifier, at least in his later compositions.

* StockUnsolvedMysteries: The identity of the "Immortal Beloved", the subject of a passionate three-part love letter written in Beethoven's hand, remains the subject of ferocious debate among music historians. It has also inspired several works of fiction, perhaps most notably the 1994 BioPic ''Immortal Beloved'', in which the recipient is [[spoiler:Beethoven's sister-in-law, the mother of his nephew]]. Most contemporary experts think either Antonie Brentano or Josephine Brunsvick was the most likely intended recipient.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Beethoven did some work on a Symphony No. 10 in E♭ major, sketching some main themes and even drafting the first movement, but he never completed it. Several amateur composers stepped up to the challenge, completing a 10th symphony based on Beethoven's drafts, each version unique as the different characters of their creators.

** The String Quartet No. 13 in B♭ major originally ended with the Große Fuge, which was forward-looking centuries ahead but poorly received by a bewildered early 19th century audience. Mathias Artaria, Beethoven's publisher, thought it best to publish the Fugue separately and give the Quartet an AlternateEnding. Beethoven surprisingly agreed for all sorts of speculated reasons; maybe he needed the money, or he wanted to satisfy the critics or thought the Fugue best worked as its own piece. Either way, the new finale resembles the style of Music/JosephHaydn in its rustic, relatively cheerful character. And Beethoven may have had other reasons for changing the Große Fuge finale. This trope almost became a fact with the Symphony No. 9 itself. Beethoven considered replacing the "Ode to Joy" with a more conventional finale while making the Ode a separate work. Beethoven tried different finales throughout his career, exploring how best to balance and conclude a work. Perhaps Beethoven still had mixed feelings when the Große Fuge premiered, thinking the Fugue was too large and [[OvershadowedByAwesome overshadowed the rest of the Quartet]], and therefore he felt another finale was more appropriate.

* DeafComposer: TropeNamer and at least an honorary TropeCodifier.

** Beethoven created his Symphony No. 3 in E♭ with the life of UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte in mind, viewing Napoleon as a [[LaResistance rebel hero]] during UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. When the Frenchman went all AGodAmI and declared himself emperor, Beethoven lost it - he seized the title page of his work and crossed out Napoleon's name so violently that the paper tore - and renamed the symphony "Eroica" instead of "Bonaparte". He re-dedicated it as "[A] Heroic Symphony, written to celebrate the memory of a great man", which might be read as Beethoven declaring that Bonaparte was Dead to him, but when Bonaparte ''actually'' died, Beethoven remarked "I wrote the music for this sad event seventeen years ago", referring to the second movement of the symphony - the Funeral March.

* SenseLossSadness: Described in [[TearJerker poignant detail]] in his "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiligenstadt_Testament Heiligenstadt Testament]]." He reveals that as he progressively lost his hearing, he was nearly DrivenToSuicide, but fortunately for everyone, he [[TheDeterminator finally resolved]] to [[DeafComposer keep composing anyway]].

* ToiletHumor: The quirky Symphony No.2 finale has (at the time) inside jokes of Beethoven's digestive problems.

** Leonard Bernstein goes over Beethoven's drafts of the Symphony No. 5 in C minor in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrDyvxSnqb0 this lecture]].

* EveryoneKnowsMorse: The opening theme of the fifth symphony ("da da da DUM") coincidentally matches the Morse Code for the letter "V", so it was popularly played by the Allies during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII to signify "Victory."

* VSign: During UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, the opening theme of the Fifth Symphony became a popular jingoistic slogan in Allied countries because the rhythm coincidentally resembles [[EveryoneKnowsMorse the Morse Code for the letter V]] (dit dit dit dah), for Victory.