Ludwig van Beethoven: Leadership and Legacy in

Music History

Colton Kadell
Junior Individual Website

Choosing my topic for History Day was relatively difficult. My interests are wideranging, from music to science to technology. One day while listening to music,
one of Ludwig van Beethovens more famous pieces started playing, "Fr Elise".
Listening to his music and thinking about how he changed not only the style of
music of the period but the sound, the arrangement of the orchestra and the role
of the composer, I made the decision to use him as my History Day topic.
I conducted my research by listening to his music, reading sheet music, reading
translations of letters that Beethoven wrote and reading online biographies and
articles about his life. Owing to the death of most of Beethovens loved ones,
followed by his loss of hearing at an early age, he remained largely to himself and
most people only knew him through his music. This explains the lack of interviews
but luckily we can find answers to many questions about his life and work within
the multitude of letters he wrote.
I felt that the website format would be the best way to combine text, images and
audio examples of Beethovens compositions in one work. I created a project
map as I did research on my project, producing an outline of the sections and
content that would appear on the website. I eventually transferred my research
and thesis onto the website following this map, using the Weebly website
creation tools, but making changes as necessary. I tried to make the website
content flow in a clean, easy-to-use format.
My project relates to the NHD 2015 theme of Leadership and Legacy because
Ludwig van Beethoven led the transition from the Classical era to the Romantic
era. He showed leadership in how and when composers wrote music. Before
Beethoven, composers largely wrote music for the purpose of being heard; works
were often commissioned for a specific event, some of which were masterpieces,
but most of which were merely good. Beethoven changed that; he wrote what he
wanted, when he wanted, always with the goal of composing a masterpiece. He
composed from his heart, channeling his inner most feelings, filling his music with
emotion so the listener experienced the sadness or happiness; he did not
compose solely for others enjoyment. Beethoven had an impact in many areas.
He had a lasting impact on the way our modern orchestra is arranged by adding
more string instruments, elevating their importance within his compositions and
moving them to the front of the orchestra. The sound of his music was radically

different. He was the first to incorporate a choral song in a symphony. He based

the entire first movement of his Fifth Symphony on a simple four-note motif,
varying tempo, pitch and instruments throughout the movement, something that
had never been done before but has since been used by composers such as
Brahms in the Waltz in A flat, op 39 No.15 and John Williams in the score for
Jaws.

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