Beethoven, impresario of himself (5/7)

Compared to Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven’s catalog shows a drastic reduction in the number of compositions: 9 symphonies versus Haydn’s 100 or so and Mozart’s 50 or more, for example. Why was this? Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792 and quickly established himself as an independent artist, free to impresario himself according to the musician’s new social role. In 1808, he was even granted an annual pension so as not to accept the position of Kapellmeister at the Court of Kassel offered by Jerome Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother. Beethoven thus became the first musician in the history of music to receive a pension without any artistic constraints, simply so as not to leave Vienna.

With a few exceptions, Beethoven no longer composed on commission; he no longer had deadlines to meet, and his work was subjected solely to the scrutiny of his inexorable personal demands. Freed from all constraints, creative times were extended, and works grew, not in number, but in amplitude and variety, in order to justify themselves. The composer’s declared joy in composing is mixed with the torment of his obstinate and severe criticism, documented in a wealth of preparatory work, drafts, repentances and last-minute corrections.

From the many sketches left by Beethoven, British musicologist and composer Barry Cooper has even assembled a hypothetical Tenth Symphony in E flat major. While on the one hand it is impossible to prove that all the sketches assembled were intended for a single composition, on the other it is probable that after his Ninth Beethoven intended to compose a new symphony.

Federica, Musicology Manager, Riponne site