Beethoven saw music as a world of infinite possibilities, largely unencumbered by textual concerns, and preferred to speak directly to the individual in absolute terms.
Composer Biography
Ludwig van Beethoven was the single most influential figure in Western music history, accelerating stylistic change and development like no other composer.
Recording & Production
For this recording, baritone Stephan Genz and pianist Roger Vignoles reinstated original verses omitted by Beethoven in the first printed edition of the 'Sechs Lieder von Gellert' to create a greater sense of balance.
Compositional Technique
While many of Beethoven's song settings are strophic (same music for each verse), he also used 'through-composed' forms where the music changes with the text, sometimes incorporating various styles within one song.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven composed around eighty original lieder, mostly using German texts, before Franz Schubert began to dominate the medium.
Composer Biography
Beethoven was reportedly a dreadful singer and instinctively preferred musical ideas with symphonic potential over melodies suited for lyrical expansion.
Composition History
There is little evidence that Beethoven's songs were formally performed during his lifetime, suggesting they stemmed from a personal desire to express his innermost feelings.
