A To Z Challenge, Music Blog

That’s Entertainment – Letter B

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Welcome back to “That’s Entertainment!” –
The A To Z Challenge.
I hope you enjoy my musical selections.
Let’s see what’s up today!

© NAR
Artwork by Ernest Federspiel

BEETHOVEN – Ludwig van Beethoven (b. 1770) was a German pianist and composer widely considered to be one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time. His innovative compositions combined vocals and instruments, widening the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto and quartet. He is the crucial transitional figure connecting the Classical and Romantic ages of Western music. Beethoven’s personal life was marked by a struggle against deafness, and some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life, when he was quite unable to hear. As a child on a nearly daily basis, Beethoven was flogged, locked in the cellar and deprived of sleep for extra hours of music practice. For a variety of reasons that included his crippling shyness and unfortunate physical appearance, likely a result of the physical and mental abuse suffered at the hands of his father, Beethoven never married or had children. He was, however, desperately in love with a married woman named Antonie Brentano. Over the course of two days in July of 1812, Beethoven wrote her a long and beautiful love letter that he never sent. Beethoven was already experiencing hearing loss but not yet entirely deaf when he began composing his Fifth Symphony in 1804, and he continued to work on it for nearly four years. The Fifth Symphony premiered on December 22, 1808 at a mammoth 4-hour-long concert at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna consisting entirely of Beethoven premieres, and directed by Beethoven himself. Ludwig van Beethoven died at the age of 56.

This is “Symphony No. 5, First Movement” by Beethoven

Join me again tomorrow for more of “That’s Entertainment” and the A To Z Challenge!

I’m Nancy and I’ll see you on the flip side. 😎

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55 thoughts on “That’s Entertainment – Letter B”

  3. Love it! There are so many great classical pieces and musical geniuses. This has such a commanding intro, instantly recognizable. As I played violin for many years, in school orchestras I love hearing these, and also watching the orchestra members and maestro leading. 🙂

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  6. I had no idea about his early life. So much of the “unpleasantries’ of life were glossed over in my education. One wonders if it would have been id’d as abuse, back in the day. 🤔😔

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    1. Honestly, I think behavior such as this was ignored, possibly looked upon as a parent’s right. I didn’t know much about this part of Beethoven’s young life and I cringed when I read it but felt it was important for my readers to know. Thanks, Liz.

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  8. Ludwig Van Beethoven became so absorbed in his music that he began to ignore his grooming, and he would pour water over his head instead of washing in a basin.  Beethoven immersed his head in cold water to stay awake and this creative genius believed that having cold water poured over his head helped him to dream up beautiful music. 

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                  1. I was unable to find a specific water story about Genghis Khan, but I do have a story about an interesting fountain that he used.  In 1253, William of Rubruck a Flemish friar described a remarkably ornate fountain he encountered in the Mongol capital which was complete with silver fruit and an angelic automaton from which flowed with various alcoholic drinks for the grandson of Genghis Khan and guests known as the Silver Tree of Karakorum.  A bellows was placed within the tree to pipe air through the angel’s trumpet whenever the Khan called for a drink, but that didn’t work, because of a flaw in the fountain.  The bellows simply hadn’t been powerful enough, so in a slightly comedic twist, a man was placed in a space beneath the tree instead, and when the call came, the man would blow, and the angel would raise the trumpet to its lips. The sound produced was loud enough to bring servants scurrying from the cavern outside the palace where drinks were stored.  They would pour liquids into the tree’s roots that would quickly siphon up and pour out from above and into the basins.  From there the drink would be collected by cupbearers and delivered, in great style, to the Khan and his guests.

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                    1. I guess Genghis Khan was a good pick! Fascinating story, Jim. I always liked history as a school subject and did very well in my history classes. I’m also a trivia nut and the two interests go hand in hand. Thanks for the data.

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    1. Very true, D! When I started this challenge I knew I wanted to feature not only great music but historical musical moments which greatly impacted the world then and now. Your comment emphasizes exactly why Beethoven could not be overlooked today. Thank you!

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  11. This is terrific. I’m liking this challenge and look at you, stepping up the game with this piece. After enduring abuse like that it’s a miracle that he ever ended up liking music at all. I was expecting the movie Beethoven when I saw the name at the beginning lol

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    1. Hahaha! You gave me a good laugh, Ernie. It’s only natural that you’d be looking for that movie, Dawg! 🐶
      Young Beethoven definitely suffered much; such a travesty.

      Thanks, Ernie … not just for your comments but for your help with my challenge artwork! You’re good people!

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  13. Now that’s what I call music! A tragic backstory to one of the most brilliant composers. This is fantastic, though my favourite piece of his is the opening movement to his 6th Symphony (the Pastoral) – it is utterly joyous 😊

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