Ludwig Van Beethoven, born on December 17, 1770 was a German composer of immense talent. Described as antisocial and recluse, Beethoven was regarded as as a typical broody artistic type. However, aside his lack of social skills, Beethoven’s ruthless work ethic and his complete devotion to his art made him the greatest composer to ever live in history. Born in the Classical era which saw the greatness of Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven carved his own musical identity despite his physical infirmity and solitary lifestyle. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 is Beethoven’s finest and grandest of composition that displays Beethoven’s peerless talent and his transition from Classical era to Romantic era. It is also Beethoven’s final piano concerto.
Nicknamed “Emperor,” Op. 73 features impressive military themed melodies. Composed in 1809 when the city of Vienna was under fire by the French troops, Beethoven cried to his publisher Gottfried Christoph Härtel, “Nothing but drums, cannons, human misery of every sort! ” Dedicated to his patron and pupil, Archduke Rudolph , the Emperor consists of that majestic and heroic quality that a true emperor possesses. Op.73 is probably the most played and admired among Beethoven’s five concerto. One popular anecdote goes on to say that one French officer was so moved by Beethoven’s Op.73 that he exclaimed, “C’est l’empereur!” (“It is the Emperor !”); hence this piece got the nickname Emperor.
When I first listened to the second movement Adagio un poco mosso, it sounded like something that is played after the end of a war movie. There is loss, death, and separation but there is a resolution and a promise of something new. I could tell that it was not just about love or pain but something bigger and of higher order. The piano gives a more human quality to this otherwise somber piece. The piano covers range of emotions from heart-piercing tenderness to impatience to serenity.
My second listening made me pay attention to details. The second part of Op.73 is a mix of major and minor tones. At times the music evokes lyrical, almost romantic emotions and the other times, the music is sad and towards the very end, it sounds almost threatening despite the soothing piano accompaniment. Even though the Op.73 in E flat major is a military toned music, the second movement is poetic and the most delicate part of the whole piece. Because of frail beauty of this second movement, my second listening was even more pleasant than the first one. It changed my perception of Beethoven as this broody, hardened musician to a more human and soft individual.
This piece is definitely programmatic because it paints a certain picture in the minds of the listeners. For me, this piece represents love after loss. It is like coming home after a devastating war and finding love and tranquility and tenderness. The tone is calm and serene despite the occasional bursts of negative sounds. The instruments families I could hear were strings, keyboard, percussion, woodwind, and brass. Adagio has a fluidic kind of melodic contour. It is neither symmetrical neither completely disorganized. There are certain phases of fixed symmetry and order and there are other phases where the music simply flows without specific direction or shape. Because Adagio has a very swirling rhythmic pattern, the dynamics and tempo also keep changing back and forth. For the dynamics, the movements starts softly and gets loudest during the middle and again turns softer, then slightly louder, and in the end it the volume turns into a bass sound. As for the tempo, the theme starts slower, is most rapid in the middle, turns slightly slower and the piano picks up pace again, retains its pace and the end turns slow again.
Beethoven’s Concert No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 is a military themed, extravagant and bold musical composition that gained instant popularity in its debut. It showcases Beethoven’s heroic mannerism at that particular phase in his life. However, the second movement of Op. 73, Adagio, is the most tender and almost feminine movement among all. Perhaps Beethoven, in spite of his seemingly detached personality was trying to say that there is a human quality among as all in the midst of all the bravado and heroism. Yes, every emperor may be made of steel on the outside, yet inside every emperor lies a heart that is soft and properly human.
Work Cited
Hille, Chad. "Classy Classical." : Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major "Emperor", Op. 73. http://classyclassical.blogspot.com/2005/10/ludwig-van-beethovens-piano-concerto.html (accessed April 20, 2014).
Joseph, Kerman, et al. "Beethoven, Ludwig van." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed April 20, 2014, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/40026pg15.
Schiavo, Paul. "Seattle Symphony." Program Notes. http://www.seattlesymphony.org/symphony/buy/single/programnotes.aspx?id=12291 (accessed April 20, 2014).
Steinberg, Michael. "BEETHOVEN: Concerto No. 5 in E‑flat major for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 73, Emperor." San Francisco Symphony. http://www.sfsymphony.org/Watch-Listen-Learn/Read-Program-Notes/Program-Notes/BEETHOVEN-Concerto-No-5-in-E-flat-major-for-Piano.aspx (accessed April 20, 2014).