8 Most Beautiful Beethoven Pieces

I am introducing two very talented, young violinists I found a week ago while I was searching for great live performances of "Spring Sonata". Here are the links to their channels:
**Charlotte Sempre, featured on No. 3:
/ @sempresisters
**Esther Abrami, featured on No. 6:
/ @estherabrami
Links to the videos I used:
No. 8: • Barenboim plays Beetho...
No. 7: • Beethoven: Symphony No...
No. 6: • Beethoven Sonata no.5 ...
No. 5: • Video
No. 4: • Beethoven "Moonlight S...
No. 3: • Beethoven Spring Sonat...
No. 2: • Video
No. 1: • Yundi - Beethoven, Ada...
*No copyright infringement intended*
*This video is purely for entertainment purpose*

[@janicelloyd3215]

If you’re listening to the most beautiful music you’ve ever heard, it’s probably Beethoven.

[@ktttttt]

My heart couldn't stop throbbing listening to this whole video

[@Steven_Rowe]

Moonlight, Sonata, I think of a full moon with clouds and moving across the sky, often the clouds are silvery and the moon pops out between them? So beautiful.

[@adrianasd8]

My Additions: Symphony 5 Mvm. 2, 7 Mvm. 2, 8 Mvm. 3, 9 Ode to Joy (or actually the whole symphony). Piano Concerto 4 Mvm. 1, Violin Concerto Mvm. 1, Waldstein Sonata, Hammerklavier Sonata, etc. etc. There are no borders in the beauty of his music!

[@delphinbringsby6768]

Ludwig was from another world. The greatest composer of humankind. Full stop.

[@MelodiousHeart1]

I fully agree!

[@yusufz3850]

The greatest thing is that he was able to compose even after being deaf, because he is to feel the music not listen.

[@user-fu6tt8qq4v]

아름다운 연주곡 잘 들었읍니다~감사합니다~🎵🎹🎻🌿🍀☘🌹🌹☘🍀🌿❤❤

[@S.Lander]

The problem with LvB is that his standards were...pretty high! I would have added the late stuff: Missa Solemnis, last five piano sonatas, last five string quartets, but also the Waldstein, the Appassionata, the 'Les Adieux', many of the earlier sonatas, the fourth piano concerto, the Bagatelles OP. 126. Hard to go wrong with this guy. Most hard-core classical music fans don't know the late Beethoven. Liszt said, "Don't speak to me of Beethoven's periods of composition, the Early, the Middle, the Late; speak to me of Beethoven the Youth, the Man, the GOD."

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

Yeah, the late stuff is really a world onto itself. I always think he wrote for himself at the end: the things he personally wanted to express, the distillation of ideas after a lifetime of living in and for music. It's not always my favorite--still love the middle period--but it's definitely his most profound and complex. Some of it--131, The Hammerklavier, and the Grosse Fuge--is scary. You get the feeling that he's coming to terms with an often hard life and an impending death. It's almost too true.

[@zaramayne2444]

Sam Lander well said especially what Listz said Beethoven the Youth ,the Man & the God Beethoven's Blessed Music ....just totally awesome !!! Thank you Beethoven for leaving us your Legacy of Music !!

[@zaramayne2444]

@@nicholasschroeder3678 Yes. Beethoven's 3 rd or Late period .does take some understanding but I'm getting there especially with Opus 132 but I'm acquiring a taste now for all his late period works Hammerklavier was the first works I ever really heard of Beethoven's & Wow..so transcendent ,words can't describe !! Grosse Fuge. ..difficult piece ..even to describe ...( some one mentioned to me how her dog howled every time it heard this piece ) lol..I wonder what Beethoven would have said to that ? Joking aside All very distinct the 3 periods ...I love them all tremendously !! Thank you Beethoven for your dedication to writing all these works ,whilst struggling much of the time with very poor health , & not just your deafness ..bless

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

@@zaramayne2444 I think Berthoven would have laughed heartily at the howling dog--he would have thought that the dog is smarter than the critics because in a more profound and visceral sense the dog "got it" and the critics didn't. Listen to the final two movements of 131 and consider if maybe they're an expression of a man who was an abused child. It's my own idea, as far as I know, but they sound to me like the lament and rage of a child who finally won't yield to despair.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

@@zaramayne2444 But that's Beethoven: he explores ever corner of human feeling, and you get out of it the nuances that you bring to it. His music has a million meanings. He's simply the greatest artist there ever was.

[@carlomuscia1998]

Beethoven unico inimitabile. In tutte le sue forme orchestrali corali o semplicemente al pianoforte. Il numero 1 della musica! Sempre moderno e attuale come tutta la musica che resiste al tempo!👍👍👏👏👏👏

[@thejils1669]

Beethoven, contrary to what some people (even music scholars) think, was superb, probably the best, at writing pleasing melodies. L. Bernstein, who, I'm told (see thread below), was somewhat critical of LvB's unremarkable melody writing style, did a short documentary trying to explain Beethoven's melody writing technique. In essence, LvB discovered his melodies by experimenting with the notes found in simple, harmonic major and minor chords...the most pleasing sounds for the human (and probably animal ear (see research done indicating that most domesticated animals are attracted to classical music melodies the most over other musical genres)). Even so, with this technique in hand, it is still difficult to write pleasing-to-the-ear melodies, which, let's face it, is the essence of purely instrumental classical music.

[@Mauro_B._Vieira.]

SUCH A HONOR AND GREAT PLEASURE! THANKS FOR UP!

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Thank you for watching!

[@sarahkraus8247]

I was watching the 2nd movement to the spring sonata and I saw your comment asking to use the video so I found your video. I really love Beethoven and have heard so many of his pieces, and I also like the ones you put (except I didn't know he wrote a violin romance, thanks)!

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Oh, I am glad that you found your way to this video from Esther's video and also glad that you love Beethoven too! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! I really appreciate it.

[@jgesselberty]

The big problem with Beethoven is that it is hard to find a passage or melody that is less than pleasing to the ear.

[@fatmadridibenaissa3513]

Good choice! thank you.

[@MelodiousHeart1]

You're welcome, and thank you for your time.

[@hesus6177]

Go Li, excellent!

[@jeffreyhartmannmusic]

Hi Kim, I hope that you are doing great !!! I enjoyed this fine film during my morning work break . . . Such a treat !!! Every one of your films is filled with amazing music and performances and i then can follow your links to get the whole performance .. .Really wonderful !!!! .. . I have many of these pieces on vinyl and love to paint while listening to them !!! Beethoven might have been the most gifted and also cursed artist of all time .. . I think of him conducting one of his immortal symphonies and unable to hear . . .and with maybe another conductor in the wings to be actually guiding the orchestra and then at the end. . .he would turn around with tears in his eyes .. . he knew. . . Oh but the glorious music that he heard inside himself. . . I have an "Ode to Joy" piano "Variation" up in my queue .. . they say it is the most memorable and recognized piece in the world . .. so much to say and you too i am sure !!!! . . . Big treat for this film and the links !!!! Best to you my friend and have a fine weekend !!!!! jeff. . .LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Jeff, thank you SO much for this amazingly wonderful review that I enjoyed reading!! How can I not be doing great after reading a comment like this one! Beethoven is absolutely my favorite composer of all time. I agree that Ode to Joy is the most memorable and recognized piece in the world. I don't know if you like movies, but when you said "...his immortal symphonies...", it reminded me of the movie about Beethoven called "Immortal Beloved", which is one of my favorite movies. The great Gary Oldman played Beethoven. There are two scenes with "Ode to Joy" and OMG, it's just unforgettable! Thank you very much for watching this video and for the fabulous comment!!!

[@jeffreyhartmannmusic]

Yes indeed Kim !!!! . .. I know that movie well and it is very special .. . Your note gave me shivers my friend !!! A big Cheer to Beethoven and to Kim !!!!!!! jeff . ..

[@MelodiousHeart1]

@@jeffreyhartmannmusic Oh, I am so glad that you saw "Immortal Beloved"!! Hahaha...thanks for including me in your cheers to Beethoven. What an honor! :)) Cheers to you, too!

[@simonparker4992]

Good choice for including Arrau

[@TheMarcHicks]

Great list, but I would definitely have included the slow movements of the 3rd, 7th & 9th symphonies 🙂.

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Marcus! I really appreciate your time. I have included the slow movements of the 3rd and 7th symphonies in my "9 Unforgettably Beautiful Melodies from Symphonies", which I think you watched already. :)

[@daveerhardt1879]

Yes I agree. The slow movement of the 9th is one of the most sublime works that Beethoven ever wrote.

[@harryrees627]

And some idiots say that Beethoven wasn’t a good melodist

[@ajaymanoharan5496]

And that "idiot" was Leonard Bernstein :P

[@grantwoolard]

He was a great melodist but not *the* best (I think Mozart, Schubert, Chopin and Tchaikovsky could compete for that title)

[@MelodiousHeart1]

@@grantwoolard You just listed 4 of my top favorite composers!! I agree that they are 4 of the greatest composers for beautiful melodies.

[@klematiszromanne2728]

I think Mozart created the best melodies, but Beethoven is also great 😍

[@bayern9439]

when bernstein plays it, he seems to disagree with himself, respect bernstein, but when he said that comment, he was surely bored and looking for fun.

[@eunaekim9216]

If it were up to me, this video would include the fifth movement of the Pastoral Symphony, the fourth of the Fifth Symphony, and the Minuet in G.

[@TheMarcHicks]

Also, fun fact. Did you know Beethoven effectively invented Ragtime, nearly 100 years before Joplin?

[@MelodiousHeart1]

No, I have never heard that Beethoven invented Ragtime. How is that possible? I guess I should make a research about it. Now I'm very curious. :)

[@JayPatwardhan]

@@MelodiousHeart1 it's the piano sonata 32 op 111, in the theme and variations, i think variation 4 or 5 (probably 5)

[@julianmellado]

@@JayPatwardhan Well, but that's a slippery slope. Even though the variation has a "ragtime-like" feel to it, I believe it should be seen as a natural continuation of the previous variations.

[@vivacepianostudio]

I love playing a recording of the variation excerpt from Sonata 111 for my students and ask them to guess the composer. Guesses include Joplin and Gershwin. They are always shocked when I reveal that Beethoven wrote that “jazzy” sounding music. We call him The Great Beethoven in my studio.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

A stretch to say he invented it, but yeah, that is an astonishing section. I get the feeling in his late works that he wrote for himself: it was a distillation of everything he'd learned and thought and felt about music. Also think he would have loved jazz. Apparently, he could improvise better than even Mozart.

[@LiztheLark]

Happy Birthday Ludwig. 250 years

[@alvaromontufar9373]

Qué bien. Hasta que por fin supe que aquella pieza se llama Romance No 2... de niño la oía extasiado pero nunca completa ni nunca supe, hasta el día de hoy, el nombre porque la había gravado de la Radio Difusora Nacional de Colombia. Muchísimas gracias. Me suscribo.

[@MelodiousHeart1]

I'm glad that you finally learned the title of Romance No. 2 from this video. That makes me happy. You're welcome, and thank you for the nice comment and for subscribing to my channel! I really appreciate it.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

Ok Melodious Heart, this time you said BEST, and only 8, and it's Beethoven!! I'll go along with Spring(slow movement), Emperor, and Pathetique. Think nearly everyone would put Ode to Joy in there. I'd pick the final movement of the Pastoral over the first. Final movements of the Waldstein and op 90. I'm not even touching on the late stuff, or the mischievous stuff, or the dark and beautifully tragic stuff. It really should be 80 not 8. I'm not a musician, so maybe I can't adequately appreciate Bach or Mozart, but to me, no one is remotely close to Beethoven.

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Beethoven is also my top favorite composer, and no other composer comes close to him for me, not even Chopin or Rachmaninoff. If I make a list of 'my favorite' Beethoven pieces now, it would be a quite different list, and I would make it 20, though I could make it at least 50. Ode to Joy is very famous, epic, and magnificent, but for some strange reason, that has never been one of my favorites. "Mischievous" stuff? Hm, I can't think of any mischievous pieces by Beethoven, I will have to think on that. Thank you for the very insightful comment! I appreciate it.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

@@MelodiousHeart1 Ode to Joy is overplayed, like Eine Kleine Nachtmusic, to the point where the more committed classical music lover gets sick of it. Still, it is beautiful and iconic. Some mischievous examples off the top of my head: the peasant dance in the Pastoral, the finale of the 4th piano concerto, the scherzo of 131, the tic rock movement of the 8th. Tragically beautiful: the marches of the 7th and the Eroica, the 6th movement of 131, the finale of The Tempest, all slow movements of the middle quartets. Really, it's endless with Beethoven. If I had to choose between Beethoven and ALL the rest, I'd take him, no doubt. There isn't a human emotion that he didn't express. Greatest artist who ever graced the earth.

[@giodiacqua]

And the unique and best concerto for violon ?

[@stevelin3659]

Is this the first video that contain a Beethoven sonata not played by Daniel Barenboim?

[@charlie7531]

No because it did

[@klematiszromanne2728]

0:45 I love this piece 😍😍

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Me, too! :-)

[@klematiszromanne2728]

@@MelodiousHeart1 Who is your favourite composer? 😊

[@MelodiousHeart1]

@@klematiszromanne2728 Beethoven, without a doubt. 😊 Who is yours?

[@klematiszromanne2728]

@@MelodiousHeart1 Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi and Lully 😊

[@MelodiousHeart1]

@@klematiszromanne2728 I have never heard of Lully. Will check him out.

[@gspaulsson]

Leonard Bernstein claimed that Beethoven couldn't write good melodies. Then he ripped off "There's a Place for Us" in West Side Story from the slow movement of the Emperor Concerto (#2 on your list, though not in the part you picked). There are so many that it's hard to make a choice; but one that Bernstein ridiculed is the slow movement of the 7th Symphony, quoting only the intro where Beethoven sets up the harmony, before introducing the truly sublime melody. Not to mention the Ode to Joy, which may be the world's best-known melody. Was Bernstein jealous, or just being a New York smartass?

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Thank you for the very interesting and perceptive comment! I have heard that Bernstein remarked about Beethoven not being good at writing beautiful melodies but didn't know that he ridiculed Beethoven's 7th Symphony, 2nd Movement, which I love. I admire Bernstein as a conductor and a pianist, but I must say that he was both jealous and being a smartass. We all know how many pieces with beautiful melodies Beethoven wrote. My video would have been at least a half-hour long if I were to feature all of those pieces, and that's only the ones that I know.

[@TheMarcHicks]

For someone who felt that way about Beethoven, he sure conducted a lot of Beethoven works in his life-time 😉

[@yes-fq6jd]

I think that he meant that Beethoven wasn't as good with melodies as Mozart, Chopin and Bach and that. Beethoven's melodies are much more unique.

[@nightshade8958]

Bernsteins compositions(like almost all modern composers) suffer from unoriginal, or just down right stolen music. Every compositon that I listen to from modern composers\film music Is just uninspired. much of John Williams music is poor recreations of existing pieces. for example all of the pieces from star wars can be traced back to Holst The Planets, and the sad thing is that its musicly very dull and ape like compared to what hes copying. same with Zimmer, one of the pieces in particular from intersteller I found was extremely similar to the B section of Chopins "Rain Drop" prelude. and there countless other examples. Its just unoriginal and frankly disgusting. Why do we praise these people?

[@afriendlymusician3829]

@@nightshade8958 You should take a look at Mozart's piano sonata in C minor(forgot which one). The second movement has a very similar part to Beethoven's own Pathetique's 2nd movement. Composers usually take ideas from the past. Chopin took ideas from Beethoven(his Marvhe Funebre is a direct link to Beethoven's own, his Revolutionary etude is reminiscient of the ending of the first movement of Beethoven's 32nd sonata, and his overall style is reminiscent of some of Beethoven's later piano works). Bernstein also highly respected Beethoven as a composer, stating that Beethoven had the one gift that all composers drool for, the gift of knowing what comes next(along those lines).

[@ahsenmughal9675]

Please do Chopin🥴

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Good idea! I have a video of my favorite Chopin pieces, but the most beautiful Chopin pieces will be somewhat of a different list. By the way, I just saw your comment.

[@josephedwards6406]

I’ve always been curious..why would Beethoven still perform for people, even though they’ve often annoyed him or ticked him off somehow?

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

To promote his music and make money🙄

[@MelodiousHeart1]

That's a great question, which I have never wondered. Now I'm wondering...

[@MelodiousHeart1]

@@nicholasschroeder3678 😊

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

Also, he was a huge celebrity and the best pianist of his day (reputedly the greatest improviser of all-time). That, along with his compositions, was his entree into the elite world of moneyed aristocrats who would serve as patrons: Lichnowsky, Waldstein, Razumovsky, and the like. That's why those dedications. He often offended with his brusque manners, but he was given a pass because he was, well, Beethoven. Haydn had the Esterhazys, and Mozart never really a consistent supporter, and that's why he struggled financially (he also spent too much). Beethoven was the first big composer who managed to live a financially secure existence without a single patron. But he had them, and performing was a big part of it. Just selling the work wouldn't have been enough--maybe it was towards the end after he was so deaf that he couldn't perform publicly anymore. He still tried, well after it became an embarrassment. Even in modern times, guys like Bartok and Rachmaninoff performed to make money. Composing generally isn't that lucrative.

[@41_balisingh20]

You forgot many important and much superior works of Beethoven, than the ones you've presented. For example . Hammerklavier sonata (3rd movement ♥️♥️♥️) . Piano sonata no. 9 . Violin concerto (the only he composed and yet the most beautiful violin concerto of all times.) . 5th,7th and 9th symphony . String quartet op 10 no 3 . String quartet no. 14 . Kreutzer sonata . Tempest sonata . Waldstein sonata and many more. I like what you did there but there are much more beautiful Beethoven pieces out there.

[@MelodiousHeart1]

Indeed, there are many beautiful and important Beethoven pieces I left out, and I do love most pieces you listed, but please keep in mind that I only chose my ultimate favorite ones for the video. I guess I should have titled it "My FAVORITE Beautiful Beethoven Pieces". I'm not familiar with the string quartet pieces you mentioned, so I will give them a listen. Thank you for watching and for the detailed comment. I appreciate it.

[@hesus6177]

It's chilled, not LvB after a brawl.

[@simonparker4992]

Lots of people don't get on so well with Hammerklavier, but agree about Violin concerto

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

Hammerklavier is beautiful not in a pretty, obvious way, but in a spiritual way....it's almost scary in its intensity.

[@homard6174]

Which piece are you working on? Pathétique. No no, I am not asking your mood about your piece. I am asking which piece you are playing.