Pick up Beethoven’s famous and representative works!
Ludwig van Beethoven created innovative music that served as a bridge from the Classical to the Romantic era, leaving a profound influence on later generations.
His music is passionate yet rich in beautiful melodies, and it conveys a sense of essential depth, as if pursuing things to their very core.
There are many masterpieces that everyone has heard at least once, such as “Fate” (Symphony No.
5) and “Für Elise.”
In this article, we’ve picked out some of Beethoven’s famous and representative works.
Why not immerse yourself in the music of Beethoven, one of the great composers?
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[Beethoven] Picking Up Masterpieces and Signature Works! (31–40)
Musik zu einem Ritterballett (Music for a ballet of knghts) WoO 1Ludwig van Beethoven
The Music for the Knights’ Ballet, WoO 1, proceeds to the end with a military-band-like instrumentation of piccolo, clarinet, horn, trumpet, and strings, and the complete absence of a flute may reflect a characteristically German rigidity—perhaps even one that continued into the Hitler era.
No. 4 Where Innocence Scatters Flowers (Op. 117) — Women’s Chorus “Where the Innocent Flowers Are Scattered”Ludwig van Beethoven
I’ve introduced several choral pieces, and this one—where pure flowers are scattered—is a women’s chorus among Beethoven’s works.
It is the fourth piece from The King Stephen, Op.
117.
King Stephen is often said to contain many hidden gems; this one, too, is impressively “Beethoven, yet with a delicate and even charming sound.”
“Schuppanzigh is a scoundrel” (Schuppanzigh ist ein Lump), Praise of the Fat One, WoO 100Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven is often thought of as having a stern image, but this candid cry from the heart is a choral piece composed for and dedicated to Franz Clement, an Austrian violinist who was Beethoven’s pupil and friend.
Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat major, Op. 26Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.
12 is popularly known by the nickname “Funeral March.” Its third movement has been arranged for orchestra and wind band, and it is often performed at the funerals of dignitaries.
The respectful, beautiful melody resonates with people and evokes a sense of shared feeling.
Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major, Op. 79Ludwig van Beethoven
It’s a piece sometimes called “The Cuckoo” because its melodic motif resembles a cuckoo’s call.
Charming, light, and approachable, it’s a short miniature among Beethoven’s piano sonatas and is considered relatively easy to play.
Fragment for Symphony No. 10 “Andante”Ludwig van Beethoven
When it comes to the Symphony No.
10, many middle-aged and older people learned about it in school as the “Unfinished Symphony.” Dr.
Barry Cooper, a Beethoven scholar, completed its fragments (sketches) and released the result in 1988, which sent the world into a frenzy.
Please enjoy the Andante that includes Dr.
Barry Cooper’s reconstruction of those fragments.
Turkish MarchLudwig van Beethoven
Famous as a standalone piano miniature, the “Turkish March” was originally one of the numbers from the overture The Ruins of Athens.
With its duple meter that readily evokes a marching army, it’s a piano piece beloved by children as well.
It’s such a fun piece that you can’t help but tap your feet.
Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven’s Symphony No.
3, widely known as the “Eroica,” is a symphony completed in 1804.
Amid the post–French Revolution world, inspired by Beethoven’s sympathy for Napoleon, it was composed as a work in his honor.
It was a revolutionary piece that transformed the symphony from music performed for the privileged classes in aristocratic salons into music played for the public in urban concert halls, and it was a groundbreaking masterpiece that greatly expanded the expressive possibilities of instrumental music.
moonlightLudwig van Beethoven
It gives a different impression from Debussy’s Clair de Lune.
Rather than a brilliantly shining moon, this feels more like a moon emerging from between the clouds, gradually beginning to cast its light.
The fine-grained depiction strikes me as very Beethoven-like.
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 “Pathétique,” First MovementLudwig van Beethoven
One of the greatest composers, Ludwig van Beethoven.
Beethoven is beloved by a wide range of players from beginners to advanced, but among his works, the first movement of Piano Sonata No.
8 in C minor, Op.
13 “Pathétique,” can be said to be one of the most popular with intermediate players.
The first movement is known for being among the most challenging within the “Pathétique,” yet its difficulty falls into the upper-intermediate level, so even junior high school students can take it on.
Although there are many staccatos, be careful not to get caught up in them and play too short.
