Color-Coded Analysis of Beethoven's Music

Here is a handy index to all works which I have applied a kind of "visual breakdown" of structure. Basically I used sonata form terminology but even if you're rough on that, the visual breaks can act as a harmonic roadmap. Most of these structural breakdowns started out from analysis texts written by Greenberg, Tovey,, Harding, Alan Rich and the Kalmus Orchestra Scores, and then I "corrected" them (which means I'm possibly "wrong", but I marked out a certain theme section the way I felt it anyways...).

There are 3 kinds of analysis methods here:
  1. Color-coded Analysis:  Each movement is shown in waveform in a single picture with sections color-coded like a diagram.  The cursor-line moves through the colored sections as the movement progresses to indicate where in the structure the music is. These are my favorite type and are probably the least distracting.
  2. Annotated Performance: Underneath footage of a live performance, the sections of the movement are labelled with a play-by-play commentary. These give the most information, but may be a bit too detailed for some.
  3. Annotated Waveform: Waveform plays and when sections of the movement occur info "pops up".  Least amount of info and usually just 1 movement and not entire works.

All links below refer to "Color-coded Analysis" YouTube videos, unless otherwise indicated.
"Orig. post" goes to a blog page where I first wrote about the video.

The Annotations feature has been discontinued on the YouTube platform so the section labels for my "Color-coded analysis" videos unfortunately no longer appear. However they can be found on pages linked from here:

Color Analysis Snapshots Index

Symphonies
(Featuring Rene Liebowitz, Takashi Asahina, Arturo Toscanini, and others) 

Symphony No. 1 in C, Op. 21
Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36
Symphony No. 3 in Eb, Op. 55, "Eroica"
Symphony No. 4 in Bb, Op. 60
Symphony No. 5 in Cm, Op. 67    (Orig. Post)
Symphony No. 6 in F, Op. 68, "Pastoral"
Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92    (Orig. Post)
Symphony No. 8 in F, Op. 93    (Orig. Post)
Symphony No. 9 in Dm, Op. 125, "Choral"
Playlist


String Quartets
Op.18, Op.59, Op.74 & Op.95: The Pascal Quartet
Op.127, 130, 131, 132, 135: The Lindsay Quartet

String Quartet 1-6, Op.18:
String Quartet 7-9, Op.59 "Razumovsky":
String Quartet 10, Op.74 "Harp"
String Quartet 11, Op.95 "Serioso"
String Quartet 12, Op.127
String Quartet 13, Op.130
String Quartet 14, Op.131
String Quartet 15, Op.132
String Quartet 13x, Op.133 "Grosse Fuge"     (Orig. Post)
String Quartet 16, Op.135
Playlist


Piano Sonatas
Sonatas 1-15: Midi realizations in "Beethoven 360"
Piano Sonata 1, Op.2, No.1
Piano Sonata 2, Op.2, No.2
Piano Sonata 3, Op.2, No.3
Piano Sonata 4, Op.7
Piano Sonata 5, Op.10, No.1
Piano Sonata 6, Op.10, No.2
Piano Sonata 7, Op.10, No.3
Piano Sonata 8, Op.13, "Pathétique"
Piano Sonata 8, Op.13, "Pathétique" (Brendel)  (Orig. Post)
Piano Sonata 9, Op.14, No.1     (Orig. Post)
Piano Sonata 10, Op.14, No.2     (Orig. Post)
Piano Sonata 11, Op.22     (Orig. Post)
Piano Sonata 12 ,Op.26, "Funeral March"     (Orig. Post)
Piano Sonata 13, Op.27, No.1 "Quasi una Fantasia"
Piano Sonata 14, Op.27, No.2 "Moonlight" (Brendel)    (Orig. Post)
Piano Sonata 15, Op.28 "Pastoral"
Playlist
All performances below feature Annie Fischer:
Piano Sonata 16, Op.31, No.1
Piano Sonata 17, Op.31, No.2 "Tempest"
Piano Sonata 18, Op.31, No.3 "The Hunt"
Piano Sonata 19, Op.49, No.1
Piano Sonata 20, Op.49, No.2
Piano Sonata 21, Op.53 "Waldstein"
Piano Sonata 22, Op.54
Piano Sonata 23, Op.57 "Appassionata"
Piano Sonata 23, Op.57 "Appassionata" (Brendel)     (Orig. Post)
Piano Sonata 24, Op.78 "For Therese"
Piano Sonata 25, Op.79
Piano Sonata 26, Op.81a "Les Adieux / Farewell" 
Piano Sonata 27, Op.90
Piano Sonata 28, Op.101
Piano Sonata 29, Op.106 "Hammerklavier"
Piano Sonata 30, Op.109
Piano Sonata 31, Op.110
Piano Sonata 32, Op.111
Playlist

Piano Sonata 3, Op.2, No.2 (Annotated Performance)
Piano Sonata 14, Op.27, No.2, Mvmt 3 "Moonlight" (Annotated Waveform)
Piano Sonata 8, Op. 13 "Pathétique" (Annotated Waveform)
32 Variations (in C minor) on an Original Theme WoO.80 (Annotated video)

Concertos

4th Piano Concerto, Op.58 (Orig. Post)
5th Piano Concerto, Op.73, "Emperor" (Orig. Post)
Violin Concerto in D, Op.61


Chamber and Choral

Violin Sonata 9, Op.47, "Kreutzer"     (Orig. Post)
Piano Trio 5, Op.70, No. 1, "Ghost"     (Orig. Post)
Piano Trio 7, Op. 97, "Archduke"      (Orig. Post)
Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123     (Orig. Post)
Mass in C, Op.86     (Orig. Post)
6 Dances and a Coda, WoO 15     (Orig. Post)

Violin Sonata 9, Op.47, 'Kreutzer' Mvmt 1 (Annotated Performance)
Piano Trio 5, Op.70, No. 1, "Ghost" Mvmt 1 (Annotated Waveform)
                                                        Mvmt 2, 3 (Annotated Waveform)


Béla Bartók:
String Quartet 1
String Quartet 2
String Quartet 3
String Quartet 4

String Quartet 5 
String Quartet 6 

Piano Concerto 1
Piano Concerto 2
Concerto for Orchestra 


Playlist 

Claude Debussy:
La Mer  
3 Nocturnes for Orchestra

11 comments:

  1. hi! the name of the SW you used for give colors? thanks!

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  2. Was hoping you would have one of Gassenhauer Trio

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  3. I used the Beethoven Piano Son 3, Great help, thanks.

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  4. Hello Ivan!! I finally know what to listen for when I listen to a sonata by Beethoven, Mozart, Hayden, or string quintets, quartets, etc, and symphonic works. Thanks Ivan!! Listening to my BEETHOVEN BICENTENTIAL COLLECTECTION is a lot more meaningful to me. Before I just listened to the music saying to myself how nice this part is, etc. But now I enjoy it much much more listening to it saying to myself: this is exposition- the first subject.....and now the second, repeat of the exposition, etc. It DEFINATELY adds more meaning to really listen and to pay attention to what’s going on when listening to classical music.
    Would you consider doing this to help us to understand a fugue and even a toccata? Would you consider doing a color coded analysis of the latter mentioned style of music?
    Alex

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  5. I am a huge fan of the colour-coded piano sonatas and string quartets. They have made a wonderful difference to my listening experience. I was distraught to find that the analyses have disappeared from the YouTube videos. Is is me or are the gone for good?

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    1. Hi! The Annotations feature has been discontinued on the YouTube platform so the section labels unfortunately no longer appear.
      HOWEVER, in the description of each video can be found a link where I saved snapshots of all of the annotations. This is the best solution I can come up with for now...

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  6. Hi Ed, That's brilliant and should go a long way to fill the void. Thanks! Where are the links for each work - sorry, I'm probably being blind as well as stupid

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  7. Clearly I am blind and stupid. Hit SHOW MORE and the links you said were under each video are indeed under each video. Thanks again Ed, this is a fantastic resource. Pass the hat round!

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    Replies
    1. Great! Glad you found it. It's a short-term solution but has its own rewards I guess.

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  8. I will use several of your analyses. It's very helpful.

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