The Comparison Two Great Composers: Beethoven And Mozart

This paper I will be comparing two great composers that many who have never studied music may know. These composers are known as Beethoven and Mozart, many music professionals agree these two composers are a part of elite company when it comes to composing and writing mucis. Togeather these two composers have written roughly 680 songs with the majority of these songs written by the great mozart. It is safe to say these composers know their fair share of music and tranformed the way music was written in their repected time period. Although these two composers are great there are many differences between the two that I will be pointing out throught he course of this paper. Many of these differences may be small but there will be some that are absolutly stunning.

Now that I introduced the two composers let me give you a detailed history of them. Beethoven who goes by the full name of “Ludwig van Beethoven was a german composer and pianist who lived from 1770 to 1827”(Bach cantatas). Most of Beethoven's lifetime took place during the clasical period but he is usually classfied as a romanitcsong writer. In fact, Beethoven is credited as being the one and only compser who intiated the Romatic movement in music. Beethoven is “the crucial figure in the transitions between the Classical and Romantic eras in western classical music, and remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.”(Bach cantatas) Actually, much of Beethoven’s early music is stricly in the classical style such as “Symphony No.1” which was composed in the 1800’s”. Beethoven was born in the country of Germany. He then moved to Vienna, Austria, where he studied a composer by the name of Franz Joseph Haydn and due to studying him developed a reputation as a pianist. In the year 1796, when “Beethoven was 26 years old he began to suffer from a severe form of tinnitus”(Cmuse, Pg.1). A “ringing” in his ears made it extremely hard for him to hear music. Fast forward to 1814 when Beethoven was 44 years old and Beethoven was almost completley deaf. “Even with this disablility Betthoven contunied to write and compose music until he died at the age of 57.”(Bach Cantatas) The history of Beethoven is endless and found it very intersting to learn how the great composer managed to write music after losing his hearing.

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Now that we have learned about the history of Beethoven let's talk about the history of Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born January 27, 1756 just prior to the revoultionary war. Mozart was a Austrian composer and is regognized as arguably the most accomplishedt composer in the “History of wester music.”(Britannica pg.1) In mozart time he was the only composer to write in each in every muscial gernre of his time and succeed in every one. At three “mozart was playing the harpsichord and at four playing pieces of music and even composing.”(Brittannica pg.1) Mozart’s dad leopold decribed his son as “The miracle which god has let be born in Salzburg.” Once grown up Mozart moved to “Vienna in september of 1767”(Britannica pg.2) where Mozart began the work of “Bastien und Bastinned.” With all this being said Mozart was still only 13 year of age and was way ahead of his peers in terms of music fluency. He was “epesially in adept at imitating the muscial equivalent of local dialects”(Britannica) which many people at the time had a hard time doing and for a 13 year to be able to this is beyond me.

Now that you are well informed about the two great composers Beethoven and Mozart let's compare two songs they composed. First I will be starting off with Beetpoven and beautfully composed song “Fur Elise.” This compostion is very unique due to the fact it was discoverd forty years after his death. This masterpiece wasn't publised until the year 1867”(learninghigh pg.1) but the original date of this piece was labeled “27 april 1810” which would make this piece 17 years before Beethoven died. After further research was done researchers figured this song was published as part of “Nohls Neue Briefe Beethoven '' and was used to be on the letter of Beethoven but was never able to compose beccause of his death in 1827. It is also suggested the “Elise” in “Fur Elise” was suggested to be Fur “Therese a reference to Therese Malfatti von Rhorenbach zu Dezza”(LearningHigh pg.2) Theresa was known to be a student of Beethoven and he supposely proposed to in 1810. “Fur Elise” is in “rondo form, ABACA.”(learninghigh pg.3)

Now that we know about beehoven;s song, let's talk about mozart. The song I will be writting about is a Trombone solo called “Tuba Mirum.” This inparticluar solo is known to be the most significant solo of the young mozart's career and in “orchestral literature”(Thelasttrombone pg.1) It is known to appear in most if not all trombone solos wheath that be in college or professial orchetras. IT is stated “Tuba Mirum was the movement’s time signature to be common time, or 4/4. But when we look at Mozart’s manuscript, we see that the composer clearly intended the movement to be in cut time, or 2/2.”(Thelasttrombone pg.2) This piece was intialing to be a part of the “requiem” but Mozart died before he had the chance to finish this wonferful project.

It is obcvoius these two composers are great and the songs I have decided to compare have alot of detailed meaning behind them. For the sake of the paper what makes these pieces so comparable? From studying these two songs I found there is little to compare since Mozart “Tuba Mirum” is strictly a trombone solo and beethoven has multiple differnet intruments involved making the two pieces signigficangtlu different as it is. Though this is a huge differecne they also share the fact their music has lasted hundreds of years and is even being performed to this day due the fact their music is so fluent and advanced it will challenege even the most advanced composer or muscician. These two composers were great in their own right and deserve to be aknowlegde for their greatness in today's music world if it wasnt for them the advancement of music would have been a great deal slower and insignificant if it wasn't for them. Their music has truly lasted the test of time because they did things the composer has ever done before and it was completly unique to this time period making it something somebody wants to learn in the coming future hence the reason colleges and professionals today are still playing their music.