How Beethoven Writes for Orchestra

In this video I look at how Beethoven uses the orchestra. I tried to show a few tricks that could be useful to musicians, even if you're not planning on writing for an orchestra anytime soon. Mainly looking at Beethoven's 3rd Symphony

#beethoven #orchestration #symphony

⦿ Support the Channel on Patreon⦿

⦿ Follow me on Twitter⦿

⦿ Follow me on Instagram⦿

⦿David Bruce Composer Spotify Playlist⦿

⦿My 2nd YouTube Channel⦿

⦿ Help save rainforest and some of the poorest farmers, in Honduras. A great charity I support⦿

***

[Tantacrul]

Was just reading how E flat major was considered the most 'heroic' and 'majestic' of the keys. Apparently, Beethoven's was so influential with this opinion, it became part of the soviet-realism checklist when assessing a new work. I just read that and thought of this video.

[ze_rubenator]

I'm probably one of the most massive geeks in your audience when it comes to Beethoven, and I wouldn't mind just listening to you talking and illustrating his symphonies, especially in terms of orchestration which still is very hard for me, for hours on end. I know a lot of effort goes into analysing and making videos like this, and I just want you to know that it's massively appreciated!

[Fetrovsky]

I love how your violin produces a full orchestra sound, timpani and all.

[Garrett_Rowland]

I feel like "How X Writes for Orchestra" could become a great series.

Haydn, Mozart, C.P.E. Bach, Mahler, Brahms, Wagner. There are many great symphonists to choose from.

There's even really nice ways to tie them together. Haydn learned a lot from studying C.P.E. Bach's style, as did Mozart. Haydn and Mozart had a ton of influence on each other. The later romantics took a lot of lessons from Beethoven.

[chris_outh]

Is the thumbnail a satire of the jacob collier thing with herbie hancock. If so thats brilliant.

[GreenTeaViewer]

Very well explained! Would love to see you do a series on orchestration. Perhaps you could explain "why does Tchaikovsky always sound like Tchaikovsky?"

[SignalsMusicStudio]

Hahaha amazing, I thought the video couldn't get better and then I heard your blues ending. Great job and nice guitar skills too!

[spiewnikharcerskiwb]

"...and we can double it an octave higher in the clarinets."

*ACCORDION*

[jaywbaker]

David - you had me at Beethoven.
Would love to see more of pouring through the scores of the old masters and isolating elements like orchestration, harmonic analysis, structure, etc.
+1

[ottodude]

That outro made me a patreon supported holy shit it was the best
"Whatever"

[jasmineirizarry]

I love Beethoven so much including his music 🥰

[brianbernstein]

love your channel Bruce. if I may, I noticed something really cool in Beethoven's 21st piano sonata, the Waldstein. if I'm not mistaken, this is the first sonata Beethoven writes on a more expanded piano: for the first time in history, F6 isn't the highest note on the keyboard. I believe A6 is the highest note on the new piano, and it isn't until the 23rd piano sonata the Apassionata that we go all the way up to C7.  

The reason I'm saying all this is, in the first movement of the Waldstein, we have only ONE note above F6 in the entire exposition, Before he shows it, he goes up to F6 over and over and over, as if to trick people into still thinking that's the peak. But then, a single measure of F#6 played at the absolute tail end of the exposition. The way Beethoven prepares and shows it is extremely dramatic. 

People hearing the piece for the first time must have surely known this piano was newly expanded, with many musicians in the audience knowing it went tip to A6 now. When the piece modulates to A major int he development, after all the constant scales shooting up but never reaching past F6 except for that one measure, people must have thought "okay it's A major, SURELY he will go all the way up to A6 now." But he doesn't, he instead goes back to C major. We get a single new note, G6, all the way in measure 208 - finally a new brand new note, and it's the next highest note after the F#6 Beethoven teased us with only for an instant.  

Are we EVER going to reach A6? Now listen to the full rising passages at measure 225 and 267 :) It gives the piece a whole new look, doesn't it?  I've never heard anyone talk about this, I'd love it if you took a look (and decided to make a video ;) ) but just wanted to share it. Cheers!

[flemingbock]

Ah the Eroica! My favorite of Beethoven's symphonies. The first movement totally obliterated any apprehension I had of classical music when I first heard it, launching me down a lifelong journey of musical discovery.

I enjoyed your analysis, thanks for the great video!

[tubejtthomps]

the descending scale idea you discuss around 9:00 is very similar to the 'shepard tone' idea from the 20th century, appears Beethoven was also aware of it

[janka]

You made one of the most exciting Beethoven analysis I’ve ever seen on Youtube! Great work! :)
Would love to see more videos like this explaining orchestration fundamentals and analyzing classical masterpieces. Also it would be very interesting to watch how to compose for String Quartets, Piano + Strings and other typical instrument groups

[markchapman]

If I try to glean information directly from an orchestral score, I generally wind up a bit overwhelmed from the sheer volume of information within, so I like hearing from someone like you who can extract specific useful information like this.

[jannousaukema]

I cannot tell you how much your videos help young and self-taught composers like myself in our journey into music composition. Thank you David!!

[enriquesanchez]

OH how I wished this went on for HOURS, David! Thanks for a delicious video!

[rorypenstock]

That phrase "Turning up the EQ" reminded me of a part in Beethoven's 9th symphony, 4th movement, in the syncopated "Alla Marcia" section. When the piccolo first comes in, it seems more like a brightening of the timbre than an added voice.

[jettmills]

I’m really glad to see that all types of art are appreciated online, and the communities interweave as they do. You mentioned Van Gogh’s painting 6:20 which was one of the Nerdwriter1’s recent videos showing that you all draw inspiration from each other, and it’s cool to have access to that kind of constant discussion online. Thanks for putting out great videos!