Each of these two formal final essays should be 600 to 1,100 words and be presented in your best writing style.

Write in paragraph format; this will help you organize your own thoughts and help me to better understand your essay. Be sure to document any directly quoted material with quotation marks. Keep things simple for yourself: keep quoted material to a minimum and only quote from our primary course materials: the textbook, the CD listening examples, and the course Discussion threads to write your essay.

Beethoven is the only composer to whom an entire chapter in our textbook is dedicated. Consequently, from a stylistic point of view we can conclude that: there is music before Beethoven, Beethoven's music, and music after Beethoven. In Discussion 8 the class considered the Classical and the Romantic style traits found in all four movements of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Which parts of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony are Classically derived and which parts are Romantically inspired? Start by comparing and contrasting how the sonata form is used by Beethoven as opposed to the sonata form in the earlier symphonies of the Classical composers, such as Haydn and Mozart. Next, briefly mention the Classically and Romantically inspired features of the final three movements of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

How did composers like Schubert, the Schumanns, Chopin, Berlioz, Wagner, Verdi, or any of the Modern composers write music that was different than or similar to Beethoven's musical style? You only need to choose two or three composers who you found the most interesting to compare and contrast with Beethoven's musical style. Make this a thought provoking exercise and an enjoyable academic experience. Look over the syllabus, listen to the music examples on the CD set, review the readings and quizzes taken after the midterm, and re-read the D2L discussion to help construct your final essay. Finally, check any comments left for you in the Grades section of our Course. Above all, be creative.