Beethoven: A Silent Symphony

Beethoven was a creative mind and a musical genius. With a troubled past and a bleak future, he was still able to change the way classical music was composed and introduced drama and storytelling into music. To understand Beethoven’s creative success, one can look at Gardner’s Four Principle criteria. 

The first theme is “Organizing Themes”. Beethoven was born in Germany, bordering France. This was during a time before Germany was united and they were under Prussian rule. He was born into a lower class, with music being his only chance to climb the social ladder. When he got older, he had a growing disdain for the aristocracy and often tried to challenge the norms they had established. This is why his Symphony No. 3 was so astonishing. The first two chords were dramatic and loud, compared to the more subdued and soft music the aristocracy was used to and promoted. Many at first felt threatened by a lower-class individual infringing on their arts, but they later grew to be intrigued by him. The second principle is “Organizing Framework”. Beethoven took the music styles that people were familiar with, such as the Sonata, and altered them to fit his agenda. He incorporated movements that symbolized political reform and the struggles in his life, both growing up and in the present. With this in mind, he found a way for music to cross into politics and philosophy. The third principle is “Issues for Empirical Investigation.” Beethoven started losing his hearing by his 3rd symphony. This is why a lot of his work became more dramatic and louder. This was his way of compensating for his hearing loss. While being a major issue and hindrance, his hearing loss also became a creative catalyst for him. By the time he wrote his 6th Symphony, Beethoven had almost completely lost his hearing. A lot of his work centered around the way nature made him feel and how he translated his experience in terms of nature and sound. Another issue hindering his creativity was before he wrote his 9th Symphony. He was involved in a legal custody battle for his nephew. During this time, he stopped producing music. After some time, he finally released two different works, one being the 9th Symphony. This symphony was revolutionary for its time because it included a chorus when most other music pieces did not. It has points of joy, struggle, turbulence, and acceptance that resonated with not only the aristocrats but also the common people. The final principle is “Emerging Themes.” Like most other creators, he was always so consumed with his work that it damaged his relationship with others. Additionally, the class divide also made it hard for him to connect with his main audience, the aristocracy. He often would outwardly express his contempt for the upper-class and the social structure. This made it harder for him to have a support system and collaborate with others.

It is also beneficial to look into Beethoven’s personality, using Sternberg’s psychometrics. This analysis marks six factors that often indicate a creative individual. The first aspect of psychometrics involves an individual avoiding the conventional route. Beethoven did this in many ways, as mentioned. Most notably was the incorporation of words and a chorus in his 9th Symphony. The second is an integration of ideas. Beethoven did this in terms of finding ways to incorporate politics into his music. The underlying meaning of many of his works discussed the struggles of the class divideand his own experiences with it. The next factor is having an “aesthetic taste and imagination.” He found a way to layer different movements seamlessly in ways that others had not attempted. He teased shifts within his pieces that mimicked music the people were familiar with, but then would create his take on it and incorporate something else or change the movement. The next factor involves being flexible. The work released before the 9th Symphony, following his brief hiatus from composing, was a religious piece. This was completely different from anything else he had composed and showed that he was versatile and capable of being flexible with his work. The fifth factor is “perspicacity.” As mentioned, Beethoven was never afraid to comment on the class divides in Germany and the need for social reform. Coming from a low-class background, his popularity among the aristocracy was a statement of its own. He showed them that class does not hinder genius or creative possibilities. The last factor was a drive for recognition. Beethoven was known for wanting the aristocracy to admire his work and treat him with the respect he deserved for his work. At the same time, he knew his worth and was not hindered by others undermining his abilities. If anything, this prompted him to do better and compose greater pieces.

 

 

 

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5456722

 

https://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/BeethovenMissaSolemnis/background_on_beethoven.html

 

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/feb/01/beethoven-not-completely-deaf-says-musicologist

 

https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2019/12/07/785098204/the-music-and-morality-of-beethovens-mighty-ninth