The renowned Ludwig van Beethoven lived during a transitional period in the history of classical musical. He inherited the ideals of the Classical Era from such noted composers as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn and took them in new, exciting directions. It is Beethoven’s reworking and expansion of classical models for which he is praised in the scholarly literature. One of the most beautiful examples of Beethoven’s innovative approach is his famous Symphony No. 9, which includes a chorus and soloists within the typically instrumental genre of the symphony.
Beethoven’s music is traditionally allotted to three different periods. The first includes his earliest pieces, lasts until roughly 1802 and is strongly influenced by Haydn and Mozart, thus having the characteristics of the Classical Era. In Beethoven’s Middle or Heroic period (1803-1814), he faced the challenges of his worsening deafness and produced such emotional works as his only opera, Fidelio, the Waldstein and Appassionata piano sonatas, and Symphonies Nos. 3 to 8. His Late period is characterized by formal innovations far away from the traditions of the Classical Era, along with a new depth of expression. Works from this period include his final Symphony no. 9, the Grosse Fuge, and the Missa Solemnis.
The Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 30 no. 3, is the third of a set of three sonatas from 1801-1802. The piece is from Beethoven’s early period, around the time that he wrote his famous Heiligenstadt Testament in which he acknowledged his deafness and desire to overcome its imminent mental and physical challenges. The work evinces characteristics of the Classical period with its typical sonata structure. It is in three movements, finishing with a third movement reminiscent of Haydn in its humor. The piece is similar to the earlier Spring Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 24 in its lightness and lyricism.
-- Kyle Blaha