Mozart vs. Beethoven: A Comparative Analysis
Mozart vs. Beethoven: A Comparison
Differences
Mozart: Sociable, cheerful, and a squanderer. He was a quick composer who rarely made rough drafts. He was married and died young. Although he suffered illnesses, his music never reflects this. His music is always perfectly balanced and harmonious. It seems to be understood by all people, as if he had managed to express something universal. Thanks to the perfect balance between expressivity and technique, he makes us feel what pure beauty is.
Beethoven: Melancholy and gloomy. He was a slow composer who made many rough drafts. He was an unlucky bachelor and died old. He poured out his sufferings in his music, making us feel a wide range of emotions: romanticism, desperation, wrathful passion, and great lyricism.
Similarities
Their fathers were musicians. They both suffered illnesses and a lack of money at some point in their lives.
Musical Concepts
Ground Bass
Both are Baroque musical textures. Ground bass is a melody accompanied by a bass line. Counterpoint is a texture in which the melody is repeated in different registers.
Concerto Grosso
Both are musical forms of the Baroque era. The concerto grosso uses the texture of the ground bass. Fugue is the texture of the counterpoint.
Texture
Baroque texture is complex and dense, with many instruments playing together. However, Classical texture is clear and distinct.
Vocal Forms
- Opera: A play set to music, originating in Italy. Claudio Monteverdi was one of the first composers.
- Oratorio: Appears in the same era, based on sacred stories.
- Cantata: Short oratorios for soloists and choirs.
Instrumental Forms
- Toccata: The repetition of a tune in different voices, derived from polyphonic textures.
- Concerto Grosso: A typical form of the Baroque era, featuring a dialogue between a group of instruments and an orchestra.
Cultural Context (Baroque Era)
- Literature: Shakespeare and Cervantes.
- Painting: Miguel Angel, Rubens, Rembrandt, El Greco, Murillo, Velazquez.
- Sculpture and Architecture: Miguel Angel, Bernini, Borromini.
- Politics: Absolute monarchies.
- Philosophy: Descartes (ideas based on logic).
- Science: Newton.
Baroque Composers
Vivaldi: A priest who composed operas and concertos, including the famous “Four Seasons.”
French Revolution & Romanticism
Romanticism is a social and cultural reaction. People are no longer a “mass” serving the aristocracy but a group of “individuals.” Sensitivity, imagination, and great ideals are pursued, often leading to exotic and desperate worlds.
Modulation
Musicians used sudden changes of “tones” within musical pieces to make them sound sadder or brighter. This is modulation.
Programme Music (Romantic Era)
- Lieder: Intimate songs written for piano and singer.
- Programme Music: Descriptive music that tells a story, describing what happens like a film soundtrack.
- Symphonic Poems: Belong to this musical form.
Instrumental Music (Romantic Era)
- Programme Music: Music that tells a story like a film soundtrack.
- Piano Music: New musical pieces written for pianos, which became the most popular instruments. Chopin, Liszt, and Schumann were virtuoso pianists.
- Symphonic Music: Large orchestras with a large number of instruments.
Features of Romantic Music
There is a wide range of musical pieces, from intimate songs to spectacular opera performances. Literature, painting, and music share the same aim: to express intense emotions. Individualism is the most important achievement. Some artists are influenced by the melodies and rhythms of their own country, leading to nationalistic music.
Romantic Composers
- Piano Music: Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Mendelssohn.
- Opera Music and Drama: Wagner, Verdi, Puccini.
- Ballet: Tchaikovsky.
Comment
They both were expressing feelings. Beethoven’s art is made with contrast and gaps, similar to painting. They both were working and living the life they had.