Ludwig Van Beethoven - Art and Protest in the 1800s

Ludwig van Beethoven was a revolutionary composer whose works addressed the French revolution in the eighteen century. He was born in a musical family in 1770, and his family had a Flemish origin. It is a time when Americans had regained their freedom utilizing a revolution, and the country was in a state of turmoil, wars, series of riots and in transition. His dad notcied his talent in music, but he lacked passion in music. The dad, therefore, sent him to teachers to improve his talent. It’s during the studies with his professor, Haydn that he developed a passion for music and started writing original works. Beethoven originally composed The Eroica Symphony in 1803 following the events of the French Revolution.

The Eroica Symphony is one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works since it gives a review of the events following the French Revolution. This symphony was longer than the traditional orchestra and lasted for close to an hour. In this composition, the first movement of the symphony was a call for revolutionary struggle. The second movement then involved a funeral march symbolizing the grief caused by the revolution. It is interrupted by the third movement, a lively and glorious triumph before returning to the funeral march. Finally, the fourth movement communicated a message of optimism. The musical features of the Symphony include the employing a full dynamic range and texture, organized thematic development, use of the premature horn and the use of C# to create tonality (Taruskin, 2014).

The song Born This Way by Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta addresses the social injustices in the 21st century. The song addresses prejudice and calls for acceptance of the LGBT community (Vena, 2011). She emphasizes that one should not be judged for being bisexual, homosexual or transsexual and articulates that it is not a sin. She also addresses racism by encouraging people to love themselves whether they are black, beige, or white. Finally, she rebukes bullying of individuals due to disability.

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References

Taruskin, R. (2014). Discovering music: Exploring ’Eroica’. BBC. Retrived from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/discoveringmusic/viewer/eroica/

Vena, J. (2011). Lady Gaga says Born This Way is ’my answer to many questions’. MTV News. Retrieved from http://www.mtv.com/news/1664019/lady-gaga-metro-editor/

Woods, A. (2006). Beethoven: Man, composer and revolutionary. Marxist. Retrieved from http://www.marxist.com/beethoven-man-composer-revolutionary260506.htm