Learning with Ludwig

Name: Learning with Ludwig
Brand: Anthem Press
Price: 49.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder

Eight Lessons in Music Theory from Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy'

By: Matthew Brown

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Paperback | 8 September 2026

At a Glance

Paperback
100 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.3

Paperback

$49.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $12.50 with

Available: 8th September 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

Explores how Beethoven's iconic 'Ode to Joy' theme and the finale of his Ninth Symphony encapsulate a masterclass in tonal composition, grounded in his rigorous training and deep theoretical knowledge.

Beethoven's Freude theme or 'Ode to Joy' is perhaps the most iconic melody ever created. This book sets out to show why the Freude theme has acquired this almost mythic status and what its use in the finale of the Ninth Symphony reveals about the mechanics of tonal composition. The book explains how the finale of the Ninth Symphony offers a crash course in music theory made possible by Beethoven's extensive training with Neefe, Haydn, Albrechtsberger, and others, and his enormous library of theory treatises, by the likes of Fux, C. P. E. Bach, Riepel, and Koch. That course covers everything from the basics of tonal voice leading and motivic development to advanced topics such as double counterpoint, canon, and ars combinatoria. The book also draws on details from his own students such as Ries and Czerny.

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