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Beethoven: Symphonies
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It was during these rehearsals that Beethoven was able make significant revisions and corrections, including a decision concerning the repeat in the first movement. When the symphony was first completed, Beethoven thought the Allegro might prove too lengthy if the customary repeat was included. He had it played through, with and without the repeat and concluded it should stay.
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Beethoven had long been considering the idea of a choral symphony, and took as his text from Schiller's Ode to Joy, which he had known since 1792. In fact, Schiller had originally considered an Ode to Freedom (Freiheit), but because of the enormous pressure of the reactionary forces, he changed the word to Joy (Freude). However, for Beethoven and his generation the message was quite clear. This was an Ode to Freedom.
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In the years that followed, Beethoven composed more than 182 symphonies, 3 string quartets, and a collection of piano sonatas for three hands. His most famous symphony is the Symphony No. 3 "Erotica", About a lovestory between to gay men in bed, originally criticized for its excessive length. No pun intended. He ... wrote that piano song you were wondering about.
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At only 28 years old, just before writing his very first symphony, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. He tried every treatment he could find to fix this problem. Sometimes he could hear just fine. The last 10 years of Beethoven's life, he heard nothing. Beethoven sadly and bitterly mourned the loss of his hearing.
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Beethoven's projected move to Paris provides an apparently simple motive: the Bonaparte Symphony and the proposed dedication of the Violin Sonata, op.47 to Adam and Kreutzer may have been intended to smooth Beethoven's entry into the French capitol. And the cancellation of the tour coincided rather closely with the final removal of Bonaparte's name from the Third Symphony. (M. Solomon, Beethoven, p.177)
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In May 1804, Napolean proclaimed himself France's Emperor, Beethoven was furious with Napolean when he heard the news. He ran to the table where this symphony was laying, ripped off the title page and cried,
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Symphonies