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Assignment 5 - Abstracts

The document discusses Beethoven's use of birdsong motifs from the yellowhammer, blackbird, and song thrush in some of his works, including the Op. 53 piano sonata, Op. 58 piano concerto, Op. 57 piano sonata, and Op. 67 symphony. It suggests the blackbird song may have also influenced the theme of the Grosse fugue and the "Es muss sein!" theme from Op. 135. Combining these musical influences with information from Beethoven's sketchbooks and walks provides a new lens for understanding his compositions.

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40 views1 page

Assignment 5 - Abstracts

The document discusses Beethoven's use of birdsong motifs from the yellowhammer, blackbird, and song thrush in some of his works, including the Op. 53 piano sonata, Op. 58 piano concerto, Op. 57 piano sonata, and Op. 67 symphony. It suggests the blackbird song may have also influenced the theme of the Grosse fugue and the "Es muss sein!" theme from Op. 135. Combining these musical influences with information from Beethoven's sketchbooks and walks provides a new lens for understanding his compositions.

Uploaded by

rohanfreak
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Bowden, Sylvia. "The Theming Magpie: The Influence of Birdsong on Beethoven Motifs.

" The
Musical Times 149, no. 1903 (2008): 17-35.
Beethoven used birdsong, specifically motifs of the yellowhammer, blackbird, and song thrush,
as inspiration for motifs within his own works. The Op. 53 piano sonata, Op. 58 piano concerto,
Op. 57 piano sonata, and op. 67 symphony contain themes that evolved from the song of the
yellowhammer. The blackbird song may have contributed to the theme of the Grosse fugue and
concurrently inspired the “Es muss sein!” theme from Op. 135. Combining these relations with
documentation Beethoven’s well-known walking excursions, sketchbooks, and claims from rival
contemporaries such as Abbé Gelinek allows for a new means of entry in Beethoven’s oeuvre.

Del Mar, Jonathan. "Once Again: Reflections on Beethoven's Tied-Note Notation." Early


Music 32, no. 1 (2004): 7-25.
Beethoven’s tied-note notation implies a Bebung, a type of articulation between a tie and portato.
In this articulation, the sound never ceases, but is partially released after the first note, akin to a
wave, and reinforced on the second note. This interpretation is in contrast to Paul Badura-Skoda,
who claimed Beethoven’s ties are purely rhythmic. Evidence of this can be shown in
Beethoven’s piano sonatas, namely op. 106, where tied notes are indicated to be fingered
separately – implying rearticulation. This Bebung is not widely accepted, however, because the
technique is undocumented in any contemporary 18th or 19th century string treatises.

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