Egmont Overture, Op. 84
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
http://www.edepot.com/beethoven.html
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| Egmont Overture: The Work |
Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Op. 84, depicts the 17th century Dutch nobleman Count Egmont and his struggle against the Spanish repression of his countrymen. The triumph of liberty appeared to Egmont in a vision, just before he was captured by the Spanish and beheaded for his acts of treason. His love for Klärchen, the lovely girl of the people who adores him, gives a romantic and human element to an otherwise tragic story. The overture introduces the audience to the main characters and the themes of the play: Egmont’s strength of character, Klärchen’s love for him, and the proclamation of the Netherlanders’ victory over the Spanish.
Beethoven began work on Egmont in October of 1809 during the second of his three style periods (Period of Externalization, c.1802-c.1816). He was commissioned to write the incidental music for Goethe’s tragedy by Joseph Hartl von Luchsenstein, director of the Hofburg Theater (Hoftheater) in Vienna. The public did not hear the music for Egmont until the fourth performance of the Vienna production on June 15, 1810.
Beethoven originally wanted to write the music for Friedrich Schiller’s Wilhelm Tell, finding Egmont to be the “less adaptable” of the two productions. According to Beethoven’s pupil Carl Czerny, a faction within theater management gave the Wilhelm Tell assignment to Adalbert Gyrowetz. While mention of the music for Egmont was conspicuously absent from Viennese newspapers, Gyrowetz’s music received favorable reviews in both Vienna and Leipzig, lending support to Czerny’s conspiracy theory.
Beethoven’s instructed his publishers
Breitkopf and Hartel (who published the Overture to Egmont in 1810) to
send a copy of the score to Goethe as soon as possible. Eager to
receive the poet’s opinion of the music, Beethoven wrote, “even your censure
will be useful to me and my art and will be welcomed as gladly as the greatest
praise.” Beethoven shared Gluck’s opinion of the overture and its
function: “It should prepare the listeners for the action… and, one might
say, proclaim its content.” Indeed, the powerful music to Egmont
captures the dramatic struggle and intense heroism of the story’s protagonist.
"Comparing himself to a sleepwalker, Egmont, prince of Garve, refuses to be self-conscious, refuses to be interpretable, or to interpret the behaviours of others. Immensely popular with the people of the Netherlands, who are suffering under the rule of Philipp II of Spain, Egmont ignores warnings that neither his rank, his record of service, nor his standing with the people can save him when the regime decides he is too dangerous. Rejecting all intrigue, he walks blindly into a trap set by the wily Duke of Alba; but, like Goetz von Berlichingen, he finds freedom just before his death in a vision of his mistress, Klärchen, as Freedom personified."Back to top
Jane K. Brown, University of Washington, on Goethe's Egmont
| The Composer and the Classical Era |
Ludwig von Beethoven was born in December of 1770 in Bonn, Germany, the second-oldest child of the court musician and tenor singer Johann van Beethoven. Anxious to exploit his son’s prodigious musical talents, Beethoven’s father subjected young Ludwig to a rigorous program of musical studies. Despite his difficult childhood, Ludwig developed an intense love of music. He gave his first public performance on piano when he was eight years old. At the age of eleven, he received training in piano performance and composition from Christian Gottlob Neefe, organist and court musician in Bonn. By 1782, Beethoven had become proficient enough to serve as deputy organist while Neefe was away from the court. Neefe gave Beethoven the title of court orchestral harpsichordist in 1783, a position that exposed him to all musical genres. In the early part of 1787, Beethoven left Bonn to study in Vienna where he met Mozart. A few months later, he returned home to Bonn to be with his dying mother. In 1789, as the result of his mother's death and his father's alcoholism, 19 year old Ludwig assumed the responsibilities as head of the Beethoven family.
Beethoven had many friendships within the Bonn aristocracy, including Count Waldstein, the von Breunings, and the Kochs. He had established a reputation in and around Bonn as a master of improvisation: only Mozart was held in higher regard in his ability to improvise variations on a theme. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) met Beethoven in 1792 during his stop at Bonn on his way back to Vienna. When Haydn saw the funeral cantata that Beethoven had written in honor of Emporer Joseph II, he invited Ludwig to return with him to Vienna. Beethoven travelled to Vienna in November of 1792 and studied with Haydn for approximately one year. At the end of that year, Haydn returned to London and Beethoven secretly received lessons in counterpoint and composition from Johann Schenk (1753-1836). He also studied Italian text setting with Antonio Salieri from 1801 to 1802. Beethoven spent the rest of his life in Vienna (seldom travelling far from its borders) where he was paid well for his work as a freelance composer and performer.
Around 1798, Beethoven realized that he was suffering
from a hearing disorder. Intermittent at first, he reported in 1801
that a whistle and buzz had become constant. His illness had completely
smothered delicate sounds and distorted strong ones: low frequencies became
unintelligible and shouting became an intolerable din. In 1802, his
doctor sent him to Heiligenstadt, a rural village outside Vienna, in hopes
that its peaceful setting would offer relief and restoration. Optimism
returned briefly while in Heiligenstadt, and Beethoven's love of nature
and the countryside grew profoundly. Among the inspired works he
composed during this period was the exuberant Symphony no. 2 (in
D major). Eventually realizing
that his hearing
disorder was only becoming worse, Beethoven sank into despair and feared
he would not surive the winter. Physically and mentally exhausted
from his ordeal, he wrote his will and left instructions for it to be opened
only after his death. He withdrew into increasing seclusion
from the public and from his few friends and spent the final ten years
of his life completely deaf. The 'Heiligenstadt
Testament' reveals his state of mind at the time:
"O ye men who accuse me of being malevolent, stubborn and misanthropical, how ye wrong me! Ye know not the secret cause. Ever since childhood my heart and mind were disposed toward feelings of gentleness and goodwill, and I was eager to accomplish great deeds; but consider this: for six years I have been hopelessly ill, aggravated and cheated by quacks in the hope of improvement but finally compelled to face a lasting malady ... I was forced to isolate myself. I was misunderstood and rudely repulsed because I was as yet unable to say to people, "Speak louder, shout, for I am deaf" ... With joy I hasten to meet death. Despite my hard fate ... I shall wish that it had come later; but I am content, for he shall free me of constant suffering. Come then, Death, and I shall face thee with courage." Heiglnstadt, 6 October, 1802Over the course of his life, Beethoven wrote nine symphonies, sixteen string quartets, thirty-two piano sonatas, and many other works that firmly establised his place among the greatest composers in history. Approximately thirty thousand people were present at the funeral procession on March 26, 1827 to mourn his death.
The Classical Era (c.1750 - c.1820)
Vienna became the musical center of
Europe during the years of the Classical Period (approximately 1750 to
1820). Artists, architects, and musicians abandoned the heavily ornamented
style of the Baroque Period (c.1600 to c.1750) and embraced a clean, uncluttered
style reminiscent of Classical Greece. Newly established aristocracies
replaced monarchs and the church as the leading patrons of the arts.
Clarity, balance, and restraint became characteristic musical qualities
reflected in the compositions of Haydn, Gluck, Mozart, and other composers
of the time.
Around 1810, the term "Romanticism"
began to appear in essays on music, originally connected to the works of
Beethoven. Nineteenth century Romanticism was more an extension of
Classicism than it was a break from it. Elements of Romanticism (e.g.
concern for emotions, interest in death and night, opposition to barriers
and form) can be found in C.P.E. Bach's Sturm und
Drang pieces, in Haydn's symphonies written between 1768 and 1774,
and in several of Mozart's late works. Program Music - works
that described, characterized, or were inspired by a non-musical subject
or idea - became popular during the nineteenth century Romantic Period.
Beethoven's
Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral", 1808) is an
example of program music. Both the Pastoral Symphony and the
incidental music to Egmont (1810) were composed during his second
style period. While he composed during both Classical and Romantic
periods, Beethoven's music bridged the two styles and remained highly individualistic.
Click here to listen to Beethoven's Symphony
No. 6 (Pastoral), courtesy of Classical
Midi Archives.
| Musical Elements |
rhythm
. melody . harmony
. form . expressive
elements
To hear the musical excerpts included throughout the
lesson,
you must have this CD in your computer's CD drive:
The stern "Rhythm of Tragic Fate" is heard in measures 1 - 5 of the slow introduction. The orchestra plays a powerful single note in unison: a dotted whole note marked fortissimo and sustained by a fermata. The Sostenuto ma non troppo marking calls for sustained, separated, and strong rhythmic character, suggesting Egmont’s own strength of character and the tragic outcome of his struggle. A heavy weight is typically given to the subdivided three pattern (3/2 meter) to convey the energy of the opening theme. In contrast to measures 1- 5 of the introduction, a more delicate, flowing theme appears in measures 5 -7 with slurred quarter note phrases that first appear in the flute, oboe, and bassoon sections. This melodios theme is believed to be associated with Klärchen's love for Egmont.
A significant rhythmic change occurs at measure 15 in the second violin and viola sections. Here at the end of the introduction, a repetetive sixteenth note pattern is played softly (pp) under the smooth contour of the "violin 1" melody. The melody played by the first violins conveys a sweet, romantic quality characteristic of a "love theme" (Klärchen's, perhaps).
The principal theme of the Allegro section begins at measure 25 with a change to from 3/2 to 3/4 meter. In Theme I of the Allegro section, Beethoven places a heavy accent (sfp) on beat three of the first and fourth measures. The repetetive eighth note pattern played by the second violins and violas, reminiscent of the sixteenth note pattern from measure 15, adds a frantic energy to the section.
Theme I mounts dramatically at measure 66 with an ascending eighth-note/quarte-note sequence in violins 1 and 2 (see diagram below*), followed by a repeated rhythmic pattern of dotted half notes (mm 74-80) played by most sections of the orchestra. Theme I finally resolves at measure 81, the beginning of the second theme of the Allegro section. Beethoven frequently uses the active motion of eighth note and sixteenth note rhythms juxtaposed against smoother, sustained motion to express conflict, tension, and, ultimately, dramatic resolve.
*violin 1 and bass at measures 66-70
The melody in Db at the end of the introduction (mm 15-24) carries over into the Allegro section at measure 25. The melodic contour remains constant throughout the last part of the introduction, moving stepwise within a the range of a perfect fourth. Each short phrase is played softly (pp) and smoothly. At measure 24, the melody changes from eighth notes to quarter notes but retains its contour. This simple change for one measure provides an effective emotional and musical transition into the Allegro section.
With the change from 3/2 to 3/4 meter at measure 25, there is a distinct change in the musical atmosphere. The familiar melodic contour is now played on eighth notes, building over a crescendo to the darker Theme I in f-minor at measure 28. The phrase is built on the same melodic contour, but is now twice as long and played on quarter notes. The melodic line moves downward by thirds and half steps, spanning a range of two octaves and a minor second.
Common aspects of Beethoven's music include his constant development of motivic fragments, the construction of themes from discernable motives, and the use of primarily diatonic thematic ideas. Beethoven incorporates these aspects into Egmont, developing the initial phrase of the principal theme (mm 28-32) while maintaining the original melodic contour, and avoiding chromaticism within the melody. Chromaticism is generally reserved for use in modulation. The principal theme appears in the celli and basses at measures 145-152 of the Development section, and again at measures 162-170 (celli) and measures 192-200 (violins I and II) of the Recapitulation.
Theme I at measure 28-32
In addition to his use of chromaticism as a modulatory device, Beethoven commonly used tertian modulations in his works. In the introduction section of Egmont, the "Rhythm of Tragic Fate" in f-minor modulates a major third at measure 15 to the violin invention in Db. Another tertian modulation occurs at measure 28, the beginning of the Allegro section, where the key changes from Db to f-minor. The modulation starts at measure 21 with the appearance of a V7/iii that serves as the pivot chord (the dominant) of the new key.
Beethoven also uses a variety of harmonic textures throughout the piece. For instance, the slow Introduction moves from the dark homophonic texture of measures 1 -5 (suggesting Egmont's strength and resolve) to a sparce, light texture in measures 5 - 8 (a softer sound, often associted with Klärchen's love for Egmont). Tension and resolution are important elements used to depict the Netherlanders' tumultuous struggle and their eventual victory over the Spanish. Beethoven extends the use of the V7 chord over measures, creating tremendous tension before resolving to the tonic. This technique is found at measure 42 (the first half of Theme I) and at measure 66, where Beethoven uses chromaticism to modulate from F-minor (the key of Theme I) to the relative major (Ab major/key of Theme II).
Modulation at measures 72-74: F-minor to Ab major/relative
minor
The Overture to Egmont opens
with a slow Introduction followe by a Sonata-Allegro form. During
his second style period, Beethoven expanded the concert overture form by
deviating from the four-movement sonata cycles. His use of new hybrid
forms is evident in both Egmont Overture and Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral).
He also used the Coda section in Sonata form as a second Development.
| section | measure |
| Introduction | 1-24 |
| Melodic Invention | 15-24 |
| Allegro (Statement) | 25-116 |
| Theme I (principal) | 28-81 |
| Theme II | 82-104 |
| Closing Section (new motive) | 104-116 |
| Development | 116-162 |
| Recapitulation | 162-259 |
| Coda (Thematic) | 259-286 |
| Second Coda (Non-thematic) | 287-347 |
Beethoven used innovative instrumentation in his works, writing for large orchestras that combined brass and woodwinds with strings and percussion. A variety of timbral combinations contributed to the powerful musical effect of the overture. The overture marks the first time that the piccolo was used as part of a full orchestral work. Prior to the overture's first public performance in June of 1810, the piccolo had been reserved for creating special "sound effects" in operas. The score to Beethoven's Egmont Overture calls for 1 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings (violin I and II, viola, cello, and bass).
Texture and dynamics are used copiously
throughout the overture to create dramatic effects of tension, atmosphere,
and resolution. The bold
fortissimo
attack of the timpani
at measure 58 elicits an explosive emotional
response, indicative of the Netherlanders' battle against the Spanish.
Repetetive eighth-note phrases in the string sections create prolonged
tension and agitation, while the sustained chords played by the flutes,
piccolo, and clarinets add a shrill intensity to the dense texture.
As the dust begins to settle, the horns sound the triumphant call of victory
in the final measures of the music (mm 343-347).
Listen to the Overture
a midi file of the complete overture
Egmont Overture midi file: http://www.edepot.com/beethoven.html
| Goethe and the Related Arts |
Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) began work on the play Egmont in Frankfurt
in 1775 and completed it twelve years later in Rome during his sojourn
in Italy. Goethe’s well known literary work Faust was also written
during this twelve year span. First staged in Weimar in 1791, Egmont
disappointed both the public and friends, who had suggested changes to
the poet. The play was put to rest for five years until the great
German actor Iffland arrived in Weimar and expressed interest in playing
the role of Egmont. German writer, poet, and close friend Friedrich
Schiller (Wilhelm Tell ) offered to revise the entire work for Goethe.
The highly successful Schiller-Iffland production premiered in 1796 and
supplanted Goethe’s original work for several years.
Faust is Goethe's best-known work of the
1790s. A manuscript of a version known as the Urfaust (original
Faust) was discovered and published in 1887. Parts of this version plus
the two scenes composed in Italy had been published in 1790 as Faust:
Ein Fragment. From 1797 to 1801, with Schiller's encouragement, Goethe
rewrote and expanded the existing scenes, and added the prologues, the
pact scenes, and the Walpurgis Night segment to complete Part I of the
drama, which was published in 1808. The second part of Faust was completed
in 1831 and published posthumously at Goethe's request.
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the book NOW
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Goethe's Faust, the scholar who makes a pact with Mephistopheles, seeks access to the transcendent knowledge denied to the human mind. The pact is transformed into a bet under which Faust will be allowed to live as long as Mephistopheles fails to satisfy his desire for transcendence. In the second half of Part I, a love tragedy, Faust seduces Margarete, an innocent young girl who embodies the transcendent ideal that he seeks. Margarete is condemned to death for killing their infant child. But at the last moment, as Faust and Mephistopheles abandon her in prison, a voice from above declares that she is saved.
Between 1770 and 1780, the Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) movement established new policitcal, cultural and literary forms throughout Germany. The French neoclassical traditions of previos years were replaced with values of free expression in both lifestyle and creativity. Goethe found himself at the center of German intellectual life during this period, producing masterpieces in lyric poetry, prose narrative, and drama which would set the standards for most of the nineteenth century. He studied Shakespeare, Homer, Pindar, and Hans Sachs (a sixteenth-century German writer of farces) and rejected the classicism of his former hero, Wieland. Among his many scientific papers, important theoretical essays on art and literature, and other "minor works", Goethe wrote translations of works by Madame de Stael, Denis Diderot, Benvenuto Cellini, and Voltaire. He also produced a fragmentary sequel to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute) and a spectacular drama about the French Revolution, Die natuerliche Tochter (The Natural Daughter, 1804).
Whlie
living in Weimar, Goethe devoted his energy to studies in various disciplines.
In addition to his early interest in geology, botany, and comparative anatomy,
he became passionately interested in optics. In 1790, he began publishing
"anti-Newtonian" essays about the theory of color and scientific method
in general. Zur Farbenlehre (1810; translated as Goethe's Theory
of Colours, 1840), which he often refered to as his single most important
work, consists of three parts: an exposition of Goethe's own theory of
color, his argument against Sir Isaac Newton's theory that white light
is a mixture of colors, and a collection of materials on the history of
color theory. While Goethe's theory has never been accepted by physicists,
his insight on the perception of color has been highly influental.
Goethe image: http://www.goethe-bytes.de/cgi-bin/home
Goethe's color wheel image: http://www.uni-mannheim.de/fakul/psycho/irtel/colsys/GoetheFarbkreis.html
Faust cover courtesy of Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393972828/qid=1020789820/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_67_4/104-2985568-9546355
| Multicultural Connection |
Goethe's Egmont was based on a real historical figure who led the Flemish revolt against tyrannical Spanish rule in 16th century Brussels. After attempting to negotiate a more moderate Spanish rule for his people, young, heroic nobleman Count Egmont is murdered for his acts of treason. Egmont becomes a martyr, and his death incites the Netherlanders to fight for their freedom. Beethoven admired Goethe's work and embraced the theme of "victory over tyranny." His music for the Viennese production of the famous tragedy eloquently captures the passion and intensity of the Netherlanders' struggle for freedom. Throughout history, there have been many great individuals who have taken a stand against injustice and oppression, leading others in a fight for freedom. Among the many who have have suffered tragically for their convinctions are Steven Biko and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As the founder and leader of the Black Conscious Movement, political activist Steven Biko was one of the foremost figures in South Africa's struggle for liberation from the oppressive apartheid regime. He believed and advocated that Black Liberation started with Black psychological self-reliance, and promoted an ideology that attempted to change the way society operated, without racism. The minority white government perceived his strength and influence as a threat to their rule. In September of 1977, Steven Biko was murdered by the police when he was only 30. He had already established himself as an important leader through his work as a political activist and his analysis on Black Consciousness.
In 1990, under international pressure and a more moderate white rule, South African President FW De Klerk lifted the ban outlawing the African National Congress and freed Nelson Mandela from prison. In 1991, Nelson Mandela became President of the ANC. Steven Biko's vision of an independent South Africa was realized in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as President of South Africa.
Musician and Amnesty International activist Peter Gabriel
wrote a song in memory of Steven Biko. The song, "Biko", was released
in 1980 on Gabriel's third solo album, known simply as 3. Peter Gabriel
became a fervent supporter of Amnesty International after learning
of the terrible injustice that occurred in South Africa, working with the
organization to raise awareness of human rights violations in countries
around the world.
Visit Amnesty International
at www.amnestyinternational.org
Visit www.biko.com to learn
more about Steven Biko, his legacy, and current news from South Africa.
| Images |
Click on images for large view
| Beethoven in 1819
|
Johann Van Beethoven
(father)  |
Maria Van Beethoven
(mother)  |
House where
Beethoven was born on December 17, 1770. 515 Bonngasse, Bonn, Germany - current site of the Beethoven Museum  |
| Theater an der Wien
The theatre where many of his works were first performed (including the 5th and 6th Symphonies). Beethoven also had rooms here for a while.  |
Figarohaus
The house where Mozart was living when Beethoven first visited Vienna in 1787. Beethoven may have met Mozart here.  |
Schwarzpanierhaus
The site of the house where Beethoven died in 1827  |
Life mask
of Beethoven make by Franz Klein  |
Beethoven in 1819, Beethoven's father, and Beethoven's
mother images: http://www.edepot.com/beethoven.html
Beethoven House image: http://www.lucare.com/immortal/media/house.gif
Theater an der Wien, Figarohaus, and Schwarzpanierhaus
images: http://www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/houses.htm
Life Mask image: http://lucare.com/immortal/media/mask.jpg
| Complete Works |
|
The Complete Works of Ludwig van Beethoven |
Complete Works of Ludwig van Beethoven: http://www.edepot.com/beethoven.html
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