2014 SCHOOLS’ NOTES Tognetti’s Beethoven New South Wales

2014 SCHOOLS’ NOTES
Tognetti’s Beethoven
New South Wales
TOGNETTI’S BEETHOVEN
Possible Topics/Areas of Study:
Classical Romantic and Baroque Periods, Beethoven, Haydn, Concerto, Symphony, strings.
Repertoire:
Symphony No. 1 in C Major (1800) by Ludwig van Beethoven; Triple Concerto in C Major for Piano, Violin
and Cello in C Major, Op. 56 (1804) by Ludwig van Beethoven
Vocabulary:
 Accompaniment, melody, legato, lyrical, cantabile, concerto grosso, triplet, dotted rhythm, compound
time, fugue, homophonic, instrumentation, pizzicato, tonal, diatonic, transformation, sonata form,
texture, tempo, tutti, solo, unison, octaves, chromatic scale, major scale, chords, dominant 7th.
Common Ideas for Study:
Classical/Romantic Period, Beethoven, concerto, symphony, chamber music, instrumental music, neoBaroque, concerto grosso
Background:
Background:
Symphony No. 1 in C Major (1800) by Ludwig van
Triple Concerto in C Major for Piano, Violin and
Beethoven
Cello in C Major, Op. 56 (1804) by Ludwig van
Beethoven
Beethoven was already a fine pianist when he moved
to Vienna in 1792 to study under Haydn. Haydn’s
The choice of the three solo instruments effectively
influence in the first symphony is very clear. It
makes this a concerto for piano trio and the only
became a very popular work and established
concerto Beethoven ever wrote for more than one
Beethoven’s reputation as a major orchestral
solo instrument.
composer in Vienna.
It has been said that the Triple Concerto was
The symphony is dedicated to Baron Gottfried van
written for Beethoven's royal pupil, the Archduke
Swieten, an early patron of Beethoven. Baron van
Rudolf, who became an accomplished pianist and
Swieten was among the first in Viennese circles to
composer under Beethoven. The Archduke was 16
recognize the young Beethoven's gifts and encourage at this time, and it is possible that Beethoven's
him.
strategy was to create a showy but relatively easy
piano part that would be backed up by two more
This first symphony was Beethoven’s first major work experienced players.
for orchestra, but it is highly sophisticated in many
ways – especially instrumentation. It includes pairs of In addition to the violin, cello, and piano soloists,
flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and
the work is written for a typical wind and brass
trumpets, with timpani and strings.
section with additional strings.
Beethoven’s orchestral legacy was enormous and
one that composers struggled with for the remainder
of the century and beyond.
The Triple Concerto is rarely programmed, and most
listeners are unfamiliar with it. It is not considered
to be particularly innovative for Beethoven, except
for the central role of the solo cello, which is used
to introduce many of the themes.
Australian Chamber Orchestra 2014 Schools’ Notes NSW
Tognetti’s Beethoven
TEACHING IDEAS: These ideas run in sequence. It would be good to do the Listening activities first to
introduce students to the genre and the historical background. This will also give them a sense of context.
ACTIVITIES SUIT STAGE 3-6, AS RECOMMENDED IN RED.
Listening: Symphony No. 1
Performing: Symphony No. 1
Composing: Symphony No. 1
IDEA 1: WHERE IS HAYDN
IDEA 1: WHERE IS HAYDN HIDING? IDEA 1: WHERE IS HAYDN
HIDING?
Year 9-12
HIDING?
Year 9-12
Focus again on the slow movement Year 11-12
Haydn asked Beethoven to
of the work. What Classical or even A critic described the work as
announce publicly that he was a
Baroque features are evident right being “a caricature of Haydn
student of Haydn’s. Why?
from the start? How does this
pushed to absurdity”. What does
reflect upon Beethoven’s studies
this mean? How could this be so?
Many critics wrote of the work
with Haydn?
that it was beautiful, very
What is a caricature? Look at
organised and clearly designed,
Reflect upon the 3/8 time
examples of caricatures of famous
with reference to Haydn and at
signature. Perform the rhythm of
politicians or celebrities. As a class
times even Mozart. Particularly in the Violin II part and notice the
create some caricatures of these
the slow movement.
limited variety of rhythmic cells
people.
that are present. Practise
Listen to the Andante cantabile
performing these rhythms.
Reflect upon a piece of music:
con moto. How does this refer to
song, piece or music of a favourite
Haydn? Listen to some examples Using available non-melodic
composer. What are the features
of works by Haydn such as his last instruments, perform the Violin II
of their compositional style? How
Symphony No. 104 (particularly
rhythm as a fugue or round, with
could a caricature be created from
the slow movement). Is it fair to
entries at similar distances to that
this?
make such a comparison?
of Beethoven’s.
How is Beethoven’s style
grounded in that of Haydn and
how is it developed further?
The style of this concerto is
considered grounded in
Beethoven’s early or “Classical”
stage. What is this and what are
the features of this period? Upon
listening to the remainder of the
concerto, what features of the
Classical period make this
assumption an apt description?
Using available melodic
instruments, perform this Violin II
melody and then expand to
perform as a fugue.
Reflect upon aspects that ground
this in the Classical period and
those that move beyond. For
example, the use of very diatonic
intervals, but the expansion of
dynamics and some of the
harmonies created. What does this
suggest about Beethoven’s future
beyond Haydn?
Australian Chamber Orchestra 2014 Schools’ Notes NSW
Tognetti’s Beethoven
Using the same piece of music,
create an exaggerated / caricature
version OR create a new work that
caricatures their style.
Perform for each other and
describe the ways in which their
style has led to various
caricatures.
Draw caricatures for display based
upon these compositions or do so
using a form of graphic notation.
IDEA 2: FORWARD THINKING
Year 11-12
What chord/s would commonly
start a composition to establish
the key? In which key is the first
movement written?
IDEA 2: FORWARD THINKING
Year 9-12
Beethoven teases the listener with
the statement of other tonalities at
the start of the work.
Learn to play the chords at the
Using the score, explore what
start of the work and describe the
chords Beethoven used to open
effect of them on the opening
this work. What is the first chord? statement of tonality.
Which key does it suggest?
Repeat this analysis of all the
What role do the dynamics and the
opening chords stated.
use of pizzicato have here?
Incorporate dynamics into the
th
The use of a dominant 7 in F
performance of the opening 4 bars.
major, followed then by a brief
Discuss the effect here.
statement of G Major doesn’t
clearly state the key signature.
Learn to play a variety of dominant
What affect does this have on the 7th chords and then other 7th
listener? Why does Beethoven
chords on available instruments.
use this compositional device?
What does this show of his
IDEA 3: TIMBRAL TRICKS
advancement beyond Haydn and Year 7-10
traditional Classical rules?
Examine a variety of wind/brass
instruments and discuss the timbre
IDEA 3: TIMBRAL TRICKS
of each. (Beware – they can be
Year 9-12
tricky to describe!) Listening to
Listen to the work and focus upon pieces such as Peter and the Wolf
the use of instrumentation. Using and Carnival of the Animals may
the score, discuss in turn the
assist in this endeavour.
timbre and role of each of the
instruments used.
Explore the ways in which sound is
made on them and where possible
How does Beethoven’s use of
allow the students the opportunity
winds differ from those of his
to play some of these instruments.
predecessors? How are they
important and what timbral
IDEA 4: BUILD IT UP
impact does the reliance on
Year 10-12
winds have?
Learn to play the Violin I part of the
final movement. Start with the
IDEA 4: BUILD IT UP
opening statement of G and then
Year 10-12
continue building up the scale one
Listen to the final movement.
note at a time.
After the initial fortissimo chord,
describe the textural changes and What scale is it and what key is
developments.
being stated? Play this scale.
Australian Chamber Orchestra 2014 Schools’ Notes NSW
Tognetti’s Beethoven
IDEA 2: FORWARD THINKING
Year 9-12
Beethoven changed the face of
symphony writing. Compare his
Symphony No.1 to Symphony
No.9. What innovations were
apparent in Symphony No.9?
It has been said by scholars that
the opening of Symphony No.1
works reflects upon the rules and
model suggested by Haydn and
Mozart, but with the flair and
advancement of Beethoven.
Discuss.
Using a well-known song such as
a nursery rhyme or children’s
song, learn to play the chords to
accompany.
For a twist of Beethoven, add an
introduction with a reference to
another key (such as is used here
with the subdominant and the
dominant). Explore the
possibilities of using unexpected
chords or adding 7th chords
throughout.
IDEA 3: TIMBRAL TRICKS
Year 7-12
Ask the students to find a melody
that they are familiar with. Learn
to play it on available melodic
instruments.
Ask the students to arrange this
melody for wind/brass
instruments. Incorporate a
selection of those used by
Beethoven such as flutes, oboes,
clarinets, bassoons, horns or
trumpets.
Go back to the adagio
introduction. Focus on the Violin I
part. Study the score and
describe what is noticeable about
the way the melody is built up
here.
What happens after the pause in
the Allegro section to the Violin I
part?
After the initial chord in the first
bar, the first violins slowly build
up the notes of the scale,
beginning with three notes only,
then four, five and then
eventually up to an octave at the
tempo change. What happens to
the 7th note of the scale? Of
which key is it a statement? Why
is this confusing?
Listening: Triple Concerto
IDEA 5 (IDEA 3 REVISITED):
TIMBRAL TRICKS REVISITED
Year 7-12
Using the score and recording,
identify the instruments scored
for in the Triple Concerto. What
are the difficulties in reading this
score?
What are the three solo
instruments? Why are they
referred to as a piano trio?
Describe the interplay between
the soloists and the orchestra.
What does the reference to
concertante mean in the score?
From where does this term
originate? This is the only
concerto that Beethoven ever
wrote for more than one solo
Discuss the 7th of the scale.
Focus on the building up of the
scale by the creation of a pattern
that starts with three notes, then
four, then five and so on up to an
octave.
Transpose this to another key and
attempt to perform it. Discuss the
difficulties involved in
transposition.
Using Garage Band or equivalent,
have the students develop a way
of sampling or recording this
arrangement for performance.
IDEA 4: BUILD IT UP
Year 9-12
Using the melodic sequence used
by Beethoven as inspiration [i.e.
three notes, then adding the
fourth, then fifth and so on up to
an octave], ask the students to
create their own melody of 6-7
bars duration.
The students should incorporate
into their compositions a different
rhythm to that used by
Beethoven, but with the melodic
development used by Beethoven
in this sequence [i.e. building it
up].
Performing: Triple Concerto
IDEA 5 (IDEA 3 REVISITED):
TIMBRAL TRICKS REVISITED
Year 7-12
One of the biggest issues for
Beethoven in the composition of
this work was how to give each
soloist enough solo opportunities
whilst keeping the work from
getting too extravagant.
Composing: Triple Concerto
IDEA 5 (IDEA 3 REVISITED):
TIMBRAL TRICKS REVISITED
Year 7-12
Working in groups of three and
scoring for three solo
instruments, ask the students to
create a composition that each of
them can play.
Beethoven therefore wrote the
solo parts from mostly chordal and
scalic material that is largely lyrical,
with an attempt to keep the
texture and timbre at bay.
In their groups of three the
students should attempt to
create a piece that they can all
play together i.e. like a triple
“concerto” (without the
orchestra).
Look for example at the use of trills
and scalic passages in the first
movement that commence with
one instrument and then get
transferred amongst the others.
Their melodic material should
reference that of Beethoven in
this works i.e. largely scalic,
employing melodic sequences
and incorporating several chordal
Australian Chamber Orchestra 2014 Schools’ Notes NSW
Tognetti’s Beethoven
instrument. At the time this was
referred to as being “really
something new”.
Discuss with the students how
this piece was thought to have
been written by Beethoven for
his piano student Archduke
Rudolf, as it was relatively easy
and would incorporate two more
skilled performing soloists.
Learn to play trills on available
melodic instruments.
Perform this to the class.
Note the use of chromatic scales as
well as sequences using scalic
passages throughout the first
movement. Find such passages in
the score (for example on p. 20)
and attempt to play both of these
melodic features on melodic
instruments.
IDEA 6: RHYTHMIC RAMPAGE
Year 8-12
Throughout the first movement,
Beethoven uses many dotted
rhythms. Initially this can be seen
in the cello as a short-long-short
effect. Find this in the score and
listen to it.
IDEA 6: RHYTHMIC RAMPAGE
Year 8-12
Focus on the dotted rhythms used
throughout the first movement.
Find a passage from the score with
dotted rhythms. Clap or play the
rhythm, for example, p. 6 the
interplay between the flute,
trombone, timpani, violins, viola or
Dotted rhythms feature
cello. Note the interlocking of the
throughout the movement, either rhythms here.
as upbeats (short-long) or as
dotted quavers followed by
Discuss with the students how this
semiquavers (long-short).
is an important component of
much music, and is especially
What effect does this rhythm
notable in Indonesian music
have on the overall sound of the
through rhythmic repetition.
movement? It is said by some
scholars that this helps to add an Divide the class into several groups
air of pomp and ceremony to the and perform these rhythms
piece. Discuss. What role do the
together. Discuss the relationship
triplets that occur throughout
between the parts and how they fit
have in further enhancing this?
together.
Listen to the third movement
(polonaise “polacca”). Identify
the dramatic repeated notes in
the violins. What effect does this
have in establishing the mood of
the movement?
Listen to the second (slow)
movement. How does the lyrical
nature (cantabile) contrast to the
phrase breaks.
IDEA 7: ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
Year 9-12
Beethoven wrote this piece in the
style of an older era, the Baroque
Concerto Grosso. Describe what a
Concerto Grosso is and how this
piece relates to that.
How has Beethoven modernized
the Concerto Grosso form?
Australian Chamber Orchestra 2014 Schools’ Notes NSW
Tognetti’s Beethoven
As an extension, some students
may wish to create a simple
chordal accompaniment using
Garage Band or equivalent.
IDEA 6: RHYTHMIC RAMPAGE
Year 8-12
In small groups ask the students
to create several rhythms which
feature repetition and dotted
patterns.
Ensure that these patterns fit
together well. Use available
instruments or simply
environmental or junk
percussion, and use repetition to
create some form of composition.
Make sure that the rhythms
interlock together and maintain
the repetition and use of dotted
patterns throughout. Work on
entries and exits of each part,
perhaps the layering of parts as
well as the incorporation of
dynamics.
If desired, the students may wish
to add a repetitive triplet
rhythmic accompaniment
underneath.
Notate these rhythms as a score
and perform to the class.
IDEA 7: ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
Year 7-12
Ask the students to identify a
familiar Classical theme or to use
a sample from the Triple
Concerto. In groups they are to
surrounding movements
rhythmically?
make it ‘modern’.
Listen to examples of modern day
transformation of old melodies.
IDEA 7: ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
For example the many versions of
Year 7-12
Beethoven’s Ninth, Bach’s Toccata
The Triple Concerto received poor and Fugue (Sky), techno versions of
reviews when first released and is Do Re Mi from the Sound of Music
quite unknown amongst
and even pop in Classical style e.g.
Beethoven fans. Why would this
Bohemian Rhapsody.
be so?
How has the arranger manipulated
This piece has been described as
the older style and made it more
“a piece of salon music written for modern? Can a comparison be
an evening’s entertainment” and drawn to Beethoven in the Triple
“not hitting us over the head with Concerto?
new ideas”. Discuss after listening
again to the piece and also with
reference to the instrumentation
and the concertante/concerto
grosso form.
Should the piece be classified as
chamber music or and orchestral
concerto? Why?
Australian Chamber Orchestra 2014 Schools’ Notes NSW
Tognetti’s Beethoven
Brainstorm ways in which an old
form can be made new. For
example adding a rock beat,
modern instrumentation,
electronic sounds, techno style.
Ask the students to transform
their ‘old’ melody and make it
more modern using one or more
of these modernizing effects.
Perform to the class and record
for future reference or
assessment.
Relate this back to Beethoven’s
‘modern’ take on a Concerto
Grosso. Is it fair to say that the
work was “a piece of salon music
written for an evening’s
entertainment” and “not hitting
us over the head with new
ideas”? Has this opinion
changed?