Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) was a German
composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most
admired composers in the history of Western music; his
works rank among the most performed of the classical
music repertoire and span the transition from the
Classical period to the Romantic era in classical
music. His career has conventionally been divided into
early, middle, and late periods. His early period,
during which he forged his craft, is typically
considered to have lasted until 1...(+)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) was a German
composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most
admired composers in the history of Western music; his
works rank among the most performed of the classical
music repertoire and span the transition from the
Classical period to the Romantic era in classical
music. His career has conventionally been divided into
early, middle, and late periods. His early period,
during which he forged his craft, is typically
considered to have lasted until 1802. From 1802 to
around 1812, his middle period showed an individual
development from the styles of Joseph Haydn and
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is sometimes characterized
as heroic. During this time, he began to grow
increasingly deaf. In his late period, from 1812 to
1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and
expression.
Beethoven was born in Bonn. His musical talent was
obvious at an early age. He was initially harshly and
intensively taught by his father, Johann van Beethoven.
Beethoven was later taught by the composer and
conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe, under whose tutelage
he published his first work, a set of keyboard
variations, in 1783. He found relief from a
dysfunctional home life with the family of Helene von
Breuning, whose children he loved, befriended, and
taught piano. At age 21, he moved to Vienna, which
subsequently became his base, and studied composition
with Haydn. Beethoven then gained a reputation as a
virtuoso pianist, and was soon patronised by Karl
Alois, Prince Lichnowsky for compositions, which
resulted in his three Opus 1 piano trios (the earliest
works to which he accorded an opus number) in 1795.
The Romance for violin and orchestra No. 1 in G major,
Op. 40, was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, one of
two such compositions, the other being Romance No. 2 in
F major, Op. 50. It was written about 1801, after the
second Romance, and was published 1803, two years
before the publication of the second. Thus, this
romance was designated as Beethoven's first. Apart from
the incomplete Allegro of a Violin Concerto in C (Bonn,
1790-92), an abandoned Concertante in D (1802), the
Triple Concerto of 'Eroica' fraternity (1803-04), and
the Benedictus of the Missa Solemnis, the only other
works Beethoven left for violin are the two Romances
with small orchestra Opp 40 and 50 from 1800-01 and
1798 (or 1795), printed in 1803 and 1805 respectively.
Early ventures, these are precisely what their name
implies—romances not adagios, portraits without
specifics, verdant yet smoky. Within the opening a
cappella phrase of the First murmurs the impulse from
which the Kreutzer Sonata and Fourth Piano Concerto
sprang. Lurking among the pages, 195 bars in all,
legacies of old baroque affekt might be fancied. G
major, symbolic of ‘things rural, idyllic and
pastoral; all calm and peaceful passions; the deepest
gratitude for sincere friendships and true love’
(Schubart).
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_No._1_(Beethoven
)).
Although originally written for Flute, Oboes, Bassoons,
Horns & Strings, I created this Arrangement of the
Romance in F Major (Op. 50 No. 2) for Piano & Small
Orchestra (Flutes, Oboes, English Horns, French Horns,
Bassoon, Violins, Violas, Cellos).
