DAILY DOSE of BEETHOVEN (July 31, 2020)
Yesterday, we mentioned that Emperor Joseph II’s brother, Elector Max Franz, set out to create an "Apollo-style crash program" to create an enlightened classical culture, which would develop great artists and composers. How did he go about it?
There was the “Lesegesellschaft”, or reading society. Additionally, the Elector created the following:
1. A youth orchestra. At least four composers emerged from that orchestra: Andreas Romberg, his brother Bernard, Anton Reicha and Beethoven. Three good composers and one great one. That is how you end up with a great composer. Educate everyone at the highest level! You don't know who will excel.
2. The National Theater. Bonn had a court theater. Max Franz turned it into a public one. The theater director Gustav Grossman presented both Shakespeare in German, and the world premier of Schiller's play, "Fiesco." The young Beethoven had the complete works of Shakespeare in translation, works that he loved. Grossman also collaborated with Beethoven's piano teacher Neefe (who also worked with Mozart), to create a German language opera.
3. Neefe made sure that the young Beethoven studied all of the Preludes and Fugues in “The Well-Tempered Clavier” of Johann Sebastian Bach. Neefe was also the head of the aforementioned “Lesegesellschaft”, or reading society, which among other things studied writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Here is a Bach-like fugue composed by Beethoven at the age of 14 (fugue in D Major for organ, WoO31), as a requirement to obtain the position of assistant organist at the church where Neefe was the principal organist. Standards were high back then.
4. Visiting Italian opera
The Germans wished to develop their own opera, and knew that the best way was to study what the Italians had done. Beethoven often provided the continuo at the keyboard.This allowed him to study both the composition and the voice.
One opera presented was La Molinara by Paisiello. Beethoven admired the duet, "Nel cor piu mi sento."
Beethoven did what was was then, standard for young musicians, composed a Theme and Variations. As you might expect, his variations are very vocal, though many pianists play them too quickly.
That brings us to an important point. Beethoven is often accused of not knowing how to write for the voice. We will look into that next!