Chapter 50

Beethoven’s Middle Period:

1802–1814

Events in Beethoven’s Life During the Middle Period

• Were his most productive and successful years as a composer.

• 1802 suicidal despair over deafness; writes the

Heiligenstadt Testament.

• 1804 disillusionment as Napoleon crowns himself Emperor.

• 1805 opera Fidelio completed and premiered.

• 1809 receives annuity from three Viennese nobility; Haydn dies.

• 1812 love affair with Antonie Brentano reaches crisis point; letter

addresses her as the “Immortal Beloved.”

• 1813 plan for Beethoven to become guardian of

nephew, Karl, upon the death of Beethoven’s brother.

• 1814 fall of Napoleon; Congress of Vienna is convened.

Heiligenstadt Testament

• This testament is a will that he addressed to his two brothers in the quiet town of Heiligenstadt (outside of Vienna).

• Beethoven pours out his innermost feelings, especially his determination to prevail life in the shadow of deafness.

• In addition, Beethoven also touches on a view on art that breaks with the past.

• Art is what held him back from suicide.

Portrait of Beethoven c1806

Beethoven’s aristocratic and wealthy patrons often commissioned the painting of his portrait during the composer’s middle period.

In 1806, two portraits of him were made by the Viennese painter Isidor Neugass, one for Prince Karl Lichnowsky (Beethoven’s most important early patron in Vienna), the other (shown here) for the Brunsvik family.

Two of the Brunsvik daughters—Josephine and Therese—were Beethoven’s piano students, and Josephine was one of his many love interests.

Beethoven’s Principal Music of his

Middle Period (1802–1814)• Piano Sonatas: Nos. 21–27

– (including the Waldstein, Appassionata, and Farewell Sonatas)

• Symphonies: Nos. 3–8

• Concertos: Nos. 3–5 for piano; Violin Concerto

• String Quartets: Nos. 7–11 (including the three Razumovsky Quartets, Op. 59)

• Violin Sonatas: Nos. 6–10 (including the Kreutzer Sonata)

• Trios (violin-cello-piano): Nos. 5–7 (including the Archduke Trio)

• Opera: Fidelio

“Immortal Beloved”

• Toward the end of his middle period, in a letter, Beethoven addresses an unnamed woman whom he refers to as “Immortal Beloved.”

• It is not quite known whom this woman is, but from this point on, Beethoven resigns himself to living alone and had no other contacts with woman.

• This incident causes him more than ever to live in his music, especially as deafness continued to descend upon him.

• This also helped formulate the emotional background for Beethoven’s final period of creativity.

Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major (Eroica), 1802-1805, movement

2 (“Funeral March”)

Rounded Binary form