The Melody Spin Song Encyclopedia

This theme and variations from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony Movement #2 Allegretto is a wonderful classical guitar trio adaptation of the famous work. The original Beethoven’s 7th Symphony Movement #2 Allegretto, like many of Beethoven’s compositions, is generally seen as a great work. Three classical guitars and a string trio of violins and cello make this theme and variations arrangement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony Movement #2 Allegretto truly unique version of the great piece. Based on the 2nd Allegretto movement, the three classical guitars weave interesting and complex variations of the haunting theme while the string trio lends wonderful harmonic support.

Beethoven began substantial work on his Symphony No. 7 in A major (Op. 92) in 1811 while in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice, where Beethoven had gone in the hope of improving his health. It was completed in 1812, and was dedicated to Count Moritz von Freis.

“The story behind the origins of this arrangement is very interesting. Russell Donnellon recorded a version for his record “Since You Asked…” which Darren Curtis Skanson produced and recorded in his recording studio in Denver. As Darren was listening to Russell record it, Darren started to get the vision of how great it would be as a guitar trio where each guitarist would take turn doing their own variation. After Darren finished Russell’s record, he asked Russell if he could pursue that and Russell agreed. Here is where it gets interesting. Since Russell had to leave town, Darren could not do the arrangement and have the 3 guitars play all together. So Darren decided to use his studio computer recording system as a musical word processor. Russell had already laid down the chord progression as a guide, so Darren, Andrew, and Darren’s cellist, Wayne Templeman all came in at separate times and laid down the variations and support tracks. Darren then took these tracks and all of Russell’s takes and started assembling them into the arrangement you now hear on the record. It took Darren 4 eight hour days to edit it all together. So none of the parts you hear on this recording were recorded at the same time. Ah, life in the modern world!” - Skanson, Harling, and Donnellon

Beethoven (pronounced [ˈbeː.to.vən]) (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of history’s greatest composers, and was the predominant figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music. Beethoven and his reputation and genius have inspired—and in many cases intimidated—ensuing generations of composers, musicians, and audiences.

Beethoven’s first music teacher was his father, a musician in the Electoral court at Bonn who was apparently a harsh and unpredictable instructor. Johann would often come home from a bar in the middle of the night and pull young Ludwig out of bed to play for him and his friend. Beethoven’s talent was recognized at a very early age. His first important teacher was Christian Gottlob Neefe. In 1787 young Beethoven traveled to Vienna for the first time, where he may have met and played for Mozart. He was forced to return home because his mother was dying of tuberculosis. Beethoven’s mother died when he was 16, and for several years he was responsible for raising his two younger brothers because of his father’s worsening alcoholism.

 Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, where he studied for a time with Joseph Haydn in lieu of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who had died the previous year. He received additional instruction from Johan Georg Albrechtsberger (Vienna’s preeminent counterpoint instructor) and Antonio Salieri. Beethoven immediately established a reputation as a piano virtuoso. His first works with opus numbers, the three piano trios, appeared in 1795. He settled into the career pattern he would follow for the remainder of his life: rather than working for the church or a noble court (as most composers before him had done), he supported himself through a combination of annual stipends or single gifts from members of the aristocracy, income from subscription concerts, concerts, and lessons, and sales of his works.

Beethoven was much taken by the ideals of the Enlightenment and by the growing Romanticism in Europe. He initially dedicated his third symphony, the Eroica (Italian for “heroic”), to Napoleon in the belief that the general would sustain the democratic and republican ideals of the French Revolution, but in 1804 crossed out Napoleon’s name on the title page upon which he had written a dedication to him, as Napoleon’s imperial ambitions became clear, renamed the symphony as the “Sinfonia Eroica, composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grand Uomo”, or in English, “composed to celebrate the memory of a great man”. The fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony features an elaborate choral setting of Schiller’s Ode An die Freude (”Ode To Joy”), an optimistic hymn championing the brotherhood of humanity.