beethoven symphony 7 essay

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony Essay

Beethoven’s Seventh symphony has no equal. The symphony is articulately arranged and established with unique flow of both chords and musical patterns. Listening to the seventh symphony one may note that the music is purely priceless; it is not an impersonation of someone’s ideas.

Thus, it can be argued that with its rich texture and timbre the symphony is exceptionally great. This illustrates that the seventh symphony is beyond any common explanation. The manner it stimulates thrills and captures the imagination of the listeners with its musical beauty and glory, it is awesome. The introduction, for instance, is developed and arranged in a manner that it strikes an addictive attention.

This can be allied to the manner the instruments have been arranged in order to synch with the tempo. More so, the symphony’s imposing orchestra chords, and the compliments of wind instruments such as oboe makes the symphony have a taste that is extremely majestic. Hence, the smooth ascendancy of its sonorities makes the symphony rhythm and movements have an effect that cannot be compared to any other symphony (Grove 80).

It ought to be noted that Beethoven gave the symphony its magnificent touch by establishing strong rhythms which are tied to the symphony’s themes. With the impact of individual dynamism the symphony is etched along the pillars of integrating diverse instruments with selected and tested alterations.

These measures seem to have aided the composer in developing the diverse elements which are apparent in the symphony. Consider the fact that the seventh symphony is almost without any elements of slow movement, yet its mood is extremely exuberant. Yet, it has less melody which is also complimented by less usage of strings.

From such a creative alteration of chord the symphony is equally propelled to its greater heights by the manner Beethoven injecting both major and minor chords interchangeably. Also, as the symphony gains in moment, it is evident that he introduced a new melody which is accompanied by dissimilar rhythm, bassoons as well as clarinets yet the temple and the pulse of the symphony remains intact.

More so, another notable feature of the seventh symphony is the way the diverse musical notes are exploited from a simple texture to the more complex key patterns we find the notes being craftily altered.

With the use of violin the symphony captures the imagination of orchestra lovers, while at the same capacity he sets motley of short notes against external rhythm of the symphony. And this established the allegretto movement in the composition (Steinberg 54). Subsequently, the arrangement of strings and the usage of G-sharp which is elaborately sustained by brilliant twining of horns, trumpets and other assorted instruments are superb.

What I have discovered is that the symphony has unique delay effect that is difficult to pick. This can be testified by the way singular octaves rise and drop creating a sublime melody. And this can be said to be the third feature that is unique to the seventh symphony. The instrumentation of this symphony indicates that it is divided into four major segments. Each segment is defined as a movement.

However, according to diverse music pundits the second movement which is popularly known as Allegretto is the most popular. Though, the symphony itself was developed with the core introduction being etched on the traditional orchestral traditions, it is no surprise that it has such a lengthy introduction, yet so impressive and aesthetically independent both in content and character and this separate the seventh symphony from the preceding symphonies.

It ought to be noted that it has definite and impressive structural design that can be said to be anchored within the range of C-major. And this makes the seventh symphony rhythmically a danceable piece. Note that, the rhythm is well tied to the entire instrumentation where the tempo is neither fast nor slow and this makes the entire piece to be a movement in the dancing context.

Thus,in exploring the entire configuration of seventh symphony we can argue that the arrangement sand the composition is total consigned to exposition which is equally transferred with dynamic transpositions. And this gives the symphony the movement depicted as allegro.

More so,the other factor is that the establishment of diverse tones ranging from the F-ajor scale with minor tones moving towards 6 th scale with the extent of A provides a sound explanation of symphonies tendency to move towards its unique simplicity which is in the domain of E, a dominant feature all through the symphony.

In essence, this establishes the symphony’s unique context both in presentation and performance. With unconventional method the tones,chords,harmonies as well as the tempo are all integrated to give the piece the unique timbre making the symphony danceable and equally enjoyable to listen, it has a smooth texture that is a product of harnessing the elements of treble G-major which happens to e the ultimate musical hierarchy.

The vivacity which is evident in tone and rhythm ascertains the symphony’s audacity and its splendid vitality. It ought to be noted that the manner the symphony transcends and descends is an ultimate score in symphonic movement.

With sustained chords, smooth flow of basses, violin and unassumed dominance-note- E establishes the resounding melodic tune swayed by elaborate accompanienment of D-major which is also supported by the home-keys. The seventh symphony can be said to be the genius composition by Beethoven in his earlier symphonies (Hopkins 155).

Beethoven Symphony Basics at ESM

General Information

Composition dates: 1811-12.

Dedication: Count Moritz von Fries ( portrait ).

Instrumentation: Strings, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp.

First performance:  8 Dec. 1813, Akademie at University Concert Hall, Vienna.

Orchestra size for first or early performance: 13+12.7.6.4/single winds (estimated, based on Beethoven letter).

Autograph Score: Biblioteka Jagiellońska, Kraków. Biblioteka Jagiellońska website.

First published parts:  Dec. 1816, S. A. Steiner & Co., Vienna.

First published score:  Dec. 1816, S. A. Steiner & Co., Vienna. SJSU Link.

Movements (Tempos. Key. Form.)

I. Poco sostenuto (C, MM=69)—Vivace (6/8, MM=104). A Major. Sonata-Allegro (w/ slow intro.).

II. Allegretto (MM=76). A Minor (i). Ostinato variation (developing, passacaglia) with fugato.

III. Scherzo (Presto, MM=132)/Trio (Assai meno presto, MM=84). F Major (VI). Scherzo/Trio (ternary extended)

IV. Finale. Allegro con brio (2/4, MM=72). A Major. Sonata-Allegro, with hints of Rondo.

Significance and Structure

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92 was composed in 1811-12, more than three years after the premiere of the Fifth and the Sixth Symphonies. Although Beethoven did not compose any symphony during the intervening years, he remained productive in other genres, especially keyboard and chamber music, and produced some of his most important works, including the “Emperor” Piano Concerto , the “Lebewohl” (Farewell) Piano Sonata , and the “Archduke” Piano Trio . The vacancy of symphonic work did not imply that Beethoven was no longer interested in being publicly recognized as a symphonic composer (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 146). In 1809, he noted some short ideas marked “Sinfonia” in his sketchbooks, though some of them were not used in the later symphonies. Beethoven finally started working on the A major Symphony in earnest in the fall of 1811 in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice, where he had travelled to improve his health, and completed it in April 1812.

The Seventh Symphony was premiered in the great hall of the University in Vienna on December 8, 1813, as part of a charity concert for soldiers wounded in the Battle of Hanau .  This concert was probably the most successful in Beethoven’s lifetime. The program also included the first performance of the “Battle Symphony” Wellington’s Victory , an anti-Napoleon patriotic showpiece which celebrated the British victory over the French at the Battle of Vitoria in Spain (Steinberg, The Symphony: A Listener’s Guide , 38-43). Unlike some of Beethoven’s other symphonies such as the Third and the Fifth, which we now regard as great works but were initially resisted to some degree by the composer’s contemporaries, the Viennese audience immediately embraced the Seventh Symphony, and considered it among their favorite orchestral works. Its huge popularity led to three performances in the ten weeks following its premiere.  The second movement—Allegretto—was particularly loved, leading to outbreaks of applause before the third movement during a number of early performances. The Allegretto remained widely popular throughout the nineteenth century, and even today is often performed separately. According to a reviewer three years after the first performance, “the second movement…which since its first performance in Vienna has been a favorite of all connoisseurs…is still demanded to be repeated at every performance.” (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 159.) Not only did the audience enjoy the “rustic simplicity” of the work, the artistic value of the Seventh Symphony was also well-received by critics and composers such as Hector Berlioz who considered it “a masterpiece – alike of technical ability, taste, fantasy, knowledge, and inspiration.” (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 166.)

What has made the Seventh Symphony exceptional in the minds of critics since its earliest performances is its rhythmic vitality and momentum. Richard Wagner exalted the lively rhythm with this often-quoted poetic description:

All tumult, all yearning and storming of the heart, become here the blissful insolence of joy, which carries us away with bacchanalian power through the roomy space of nature, through all the streams and seas of life, shouting in glad self-consciousness as we sound throughout the universe the daring strains of this human sphere-dance. The Symphony is the Apotheosis of the Dance itself: it is Dance in its highest aspect, the loftiest deed of bodily motion, incorporated into an ideal mold of tone.

As Lockwood says, the rhythmic events are so strong that they sometimes overshadow other musical elements. (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 151.) But this rhythmic vitality is one characteristic of a larger factor that may account for the Seventh Symphony’s appeal to audiences who may have no training in music: its rusticity suggesting folk music.  Lockwood goes on to say that Beethoven’s 6/8 theme in A major in the first movement reminded the listeners of Scottish and Irish folk songs. (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies, 166-167.) Colorful orchestration that favors woodwind solos and horn calls, particularly in the first and last movements, also serves the rustic character. This more Romantic orchestration is a long way from the criticism “too much of Harmoniemusik ” leveled at the “classical” First Symphony. (See Symphony No. 1 “Others’ Words” essay. ) 

The rhythmic vitality and simple rustic character cover an unusual choice of key layout for the movements. Rather than using a relative minor key or keys that are related by a fourth or fifth, Beethoven chose to exploit keys separated by a third, particularly between the inner movements.  The second movement is in A Minor and the third movement is in F Major, with the trio in D Major. These third-related keys, and the rustic character supplied by woodwinds, are foreshadowed in the slow introduction of the first movement. The key of A Major is the first chord of the symphony, but the opening moves throughout various keys, such as C Major, led by the oboes , and F Major, led by the flutes , until orchestral arrival on the dominant E Major. The home key of A Major is not clear until the fifth measure of the Vivace section (3:33-3:59), with the flutes introducing the principal melody.

[We refer the reader to the following recording for the ensuing discussion: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Iván Fischer, conducting, Beethoven: Symphony No. 7. ]

The first movement opens with the longest introduction (0:03-3:50) of any of Beethoven’s symphonies. As in earlier opening-movement slow introductions, Beethoven brilliantly outlined important key areas, and highlighted scalar and chromatic motives found throughout the rest of the first movement. The harmonic movement of the introduction mirrors fundamental key areas in each of the four movements, specifically: A major (first and last movement)—D major (trio of the third movement)—C major (second movement, B theme)—F major (third movement)—E major (beginning of the fourth movement) . Following the introduction, the first movement Vivace moves forward with an unrelenting rhythmic motive (3:50-3:55):

Rarely does this rhythmic figure cease, only doing so in order to create moments of great anticipation. These characteristic Beethovenian moments of dramatic, blaring silences give way to major changes in the music, such as signaling structural changes in moving to the development section (8:23-10:32) and the coda (12:51-14:19), where rising chromatic figures suddenly stop before falling into the next section (8:23-8:34, 12:51-12:57).  Chromaticism is the third defining feature of the first movement. As with the use of silences, ascending and descending chromatic lines, often in the bass, lead towards and away from the different sections and key areas. Beethoven perfectly bookends the sonata form of the first movement with its introduction and coda, balanced at exactly 62 measures each. The exposition and recapitulation, being 114 and 115 measures respectively, also balance around a lengthier developmental center of 97 measures.

The second movement— Allegretto (14:43-24:08)—pulls back the frantic rush of the first movement into a melancholy march with a dramatic shift to the parallel key of A minor. The movement has been a favorite since its premiere in 1813, with early audiences often demanding encores before continuing on to the remaining movements. Its appeal could possibly be due to Beethoven’s ingenuity in combining simple melodic lines, a consistent rhythmic motive, and unexpected harmonies, to draw the listeners into an aural journey of their own imagination. The movement’s structure can be seen as a modified rondo or a hybrid between a theme and variations and a ternary form , with the outer sections carrying the theme and its variations, and the middle section providing a countering wistful themes in A major (18:19-19:38). Not content with only creating simple variations on the theme, Beethoven further developed the theme by turning it into a fugue. Like the first movement, the second movement features a rhythmic motive that is consistent throughout (14:48-15:41):

This rhythm ties the two harmonically and melodically disparate sections together with its steady, plodding pace. Also related to the first movement, Beethoven used ascending and descending chromatic lines, but here in the melody of the theme and variation, as heard here  (15:43-16:33) played by the cellos and violas. After repeating the primary and secondary sections twice, the movement is brought to a close by returning to the main theme while gradually thinning out the orchestration and breaking apart the rhythmic motif, not unlike the end of the Marcia funebre movement of the Eroica Symphony. The movement ends the way it began: a fading A-minor chord in winds  with an abundance of the pitch e (23:57-24:08).

The e of the last chord of the Allegretto movement moves up to an F-major chord to begin the third-movement Scherzo  (24:30-33:52), the longest of any symphonic scherzo Beethoven had yet composed (the scherzo of the Ninth Symphony would eclipse it). While traditional key relationships in major symphonies focused on the dominant and subdominant relationships, Beethoven frequently preferred to explore third-related keys. The abundance of e in the last a-minor chord of the previous movement effectively serving as the leading tone moving up to the f major chord of the third movement neatly accommodates this mediant-key relationship. In the most general terms, the Scherzo alternates between a frolicking Presto  (24:30-26:57) and the more relaxed yet majestic  Trio (26:57-29:22) marked Assai meno presto (“very much less quick”). The faster sections have all of the trademarks of a scherzo—a fast tempo, irregular phrase lengths, and misplaced accents. There are two main melodic elements of the opening : an ascending third, stated first in unison by the strings and woodwinds and later passed around in dialogue, and descending scalar patterns, perhaps reminiscent of the scalar passages prevalent in the slow introduction of movement one. Beethoven expanded the global form of the traditional scherzo by repeating the Trio, creating an extended ternary form of ABABA, as in his Fourth and Sixth Symphonies. One of the most humorous gestures of this movement is Beethoven’s use of a repeated two-note descending gesture  (29:46-30:02). The motive is stated by different parts of the orchestra, creating a trance-like effect that is broken up by a fortissimo outburst. In the second repetition of the Scherzo, the outbursts are supplanted by soft arrivals, making their return in the final repetition ever-more satisfying.  Many believe that the Trio borrows material from an Austrian folk tune, which supports the symphony’s folksy character. It opens in D Major with horns, clarinets, and bassoons ( Harmonie ) playing a simple theme over an insistent dominant pedal tone (30:43-31:22).  Energy builds gradually as the orchestration and dynamics grow until the entrance of the timpani announces the climax. As mentioned above, the Trio is repeated in full and, in one last humorous touch, Beethoven begins it a third time at the end of the movement, only to rapidly squelch it with a loud cadential explosion (33:35-33:52).

Reversing the move from the second to the third movement, the F-major ending of the Scherzo falls back to e-heavy stentorian sonorities as the dominant of the return to A major, punctuated by full measures of silence, open the finale movement  (34:08-end). This creates a sublime effect and signals that this movement will offer no repose from the driving rhythmic intensity of the earlier movements. Several commentators on the fourth movement have rightfully characterized it as “bacchanalian.” Its driving rhythmic energy almost compels listeners to rise to their feet, recalling Richard Wagner’s quote that this symphony was “the apotheosis of the dance.” Indeed, this movement is a lively contredanse .  The first theme is driven forward by sforzandi on the second beat of each measure until the stymied resolution to tonic is achieved in measure twelve. The movement continues in a sonata-rondo form , momentum building with each return of the refrain.  Driving dotted rhythms  (35:01-35:18) give way to the second theme, which unfolds not in the dominant but in C-sharp minor, another mediant-key relationship.  The development section travels even further afield from the home key, visiting C major and F major (both present in the slow introduction of the first movement) and finally to the extremely distant B-flat major, before the recapitulation firmly returns in the tonic key.  As in previous symphonies, the coda serves as another opportunity for development by exploring various key areas. A very long dominant pedal emerges  (40:10-40:19), growing to a marking of fff, the first marking of its kind in Beethoven’s symphonic oeuvre.  Retrospectively, the finale is relentless exercise in exuberant energy and forward momentum. 

— Contributors : CH, FJ, JM, YLiu, MER

Beethoven’s Words

“At my last concert in the large Redoutensaal there were 18 first violins, 18 second, 14 violas, 12 violoncellos, 7 contra-basses, and 2 contra-bassoons.” Beethoven memorandum regarding the 27 December 1814 Akademie at the Redoutensaal, noted by Schindler to have been among Beethoven’s possessions. The Akademie included, along with the performance of Symphony No. 7, the first performance of Symphony No. 8, and Wellington’s Victory , and is reported to have had 3000-5000 in attendance. (Thayer, Life of Beethoven, 576.)

Großer Redoutensaal, c.1760. Wedding of Joseph II to Princess Isabella of Parma. Painting by Martin van Meytens, 1763.

The premiere concert of the Seventh Symphony in 1812 was a huge success. After the 1808 premiere of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, Beethoven ceased composing symphonic works for a few years, spending the time composing in other genres and reconsidering the symphonic genre. Symphonic work was still Beethoven’s “strongest ambition” (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies, 148), and this long pause gave Beethoven a good opportunity to continue to stretch the dramatic possibilities of the genre. His sketchbooks from this period show an abundance of ideas for symphonic works, and although not all of them resulted in complete works, they show that Beethoven continued exploring this genre.

After this dormancy, and with Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Vitoria fresh in the minds of the Viennese, Beethoven started to compose the Seventh Symphony. The long period of thoughtful study and planning Beethoven undertook for the new symphony bore marvelous fruit. Its energetic character and magnificent orchestral sonorities prompted a vibrant reaction from the audience of the first performance, and even more from the exceptionally large audience described by Beethoven in the above quote. Beethoven himself was very satisfied with this newly composed work, calling it his “most excellent symphony.” (Schwarm, Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 , 1.). One music critic said this symphony “is the richest melodically and the most pleasing and comprehensible of all Beethoven symphonies.” (Schwarm, Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 , 1.)

The Großer Redoutensaal where the concert took place was located within the Hofburg palace , home to the Hapsburg dynasty, in the heart of Vienna. At the time of this concert in 1814, the Redoutensaal was the largest concert hall in Vienna. (Harrer, Musical Venues in Vienna, Seventeenth Century to the Present, 84. ) Beethoven was struggling financially during these years; the Austrian currency had been devalued as a result of the war, and Beethoven was receiving less from his patrons than had been promised to him. With the popularity of the Seventh Symphony already ensured because of its first performance, Beethoven would have appreciated the possibility of additional ticket sales and increased patronage the such a large hall offered.  Furthermore, the size of the Redoutensaal well-accommodated the inordinately large orchestra Beethoven described, which surely would have given the audience a uniquely overwhelming experience.

Early performances of Beethoven’s first six symphonies used a string section one typically now associates with performances of works by Mozart and Haydn, with 6-8 first violins, 6-8 second violins, 3-4 violas, 2-4 cellos, and 2-5 basses. (Ruhling, The Classical Orchestra, 12.)  Beethoven’s own memorandum on the 1814 concert relates that for this performance of the Seventh Symphony the string section was heavily expanded, and the mention of two contrabassoons suggests that not only were the winds doubled in tutti sections for such a large string contingent, but that their listing along with only the strings probably means the contrabassoons were used to reinforce the double bass parts. (Ruhling, The Classical Orchestra, 14.) The use of such a large string section may have been a result of the instrumentation required by Wellington’s Victory , which called for extra wind and brass instruments including six trumpets, four horns, and a large percussion battery, even muskets and artillery. This expanded orchestra would have given profound life to the colorful instrumentation and vibrant rhythms of the Seventh Symphony as well, and may have influenced Beethoven and other composers to explore even further the dramatic potential of the orchestral ensemble, leading towards what would later be considered a Romantic aesthetic.  Consider the implications a string section of this size and the possibility of double winds would have from the very first bar of the symphony, with forceful tutti downbeats juxtaposed with a solitary oboe line, or with the arrival of the first theme in the full, tutti orchestra , after being presented by a single flute in a piano dynamic. The overwhelming jubilation and raucous character of the contredanse in the fourth movement would have only been increased by such a large orchestra, not to mention the mountainous fff at the end of the fourth movement . As a whole the symphony is full of moments of powerful tutti exclamations followed by soft solo sections , or even silences . This insertion of silence is even more striking on the 1814 audience when considering the effect in a hall the size of the Großer Redoutensaal itself, with a decay estimated at of 1.4 seconds. (Harrer, Musical Venues in Vienna, Seventeenth Century to the Present, 84. )

Discussion of Beethoven’s symphonies often focus on his communication of the sublime along with universal topoi relating back to humanity. This is sometimes lost in commentaries of the Seventh Symphony, which tend to focus on its omnipresent rhythmic character. This quote, however, brings our focus back on Beethoven’s use of the orchestra, and reminds us of his continual reconsideration of the endless dramatic possibilities of symphonic music, particularly pushing it towards monumentality.

— Contributors : EH, WZ, MER

Others’ Words

“The new symphony [No. 7 in A] was received with so much applause again. The reception was as animated as the first time; the Andante [second movement Allegretto] the crown of modern instrumental music, as at the first performance had to be repeated.”  Reviewer of AMZ regarding the Seventh Symphonies second performance on February 27, 1814, on a concert with the Eighth Symphony and Wellington’s Victory .  (Thayer, Life of Beethoven, 575.)

Beethoven completed the Seventh Symphony in 1812, after more than three years had passed since his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies were published in 1808.  The above quote by a reviewer of the 1814 performance suggests that the symphony continued to astound audiences well after its first performance in 1812.  The material such as scales, and melodies that outline common chords, described by some critics as having a “rustic simplicity,” must have been part of its noteworthy appeal. Additionally, the brilliant orchestration that favored woodwind colors, particularly the first-movement flute and oboe solos, and high horn calls of the first and last movements, further conveyed the rustic character. Berlioz notes this, stating, “I have heard this theme [the principal theme of the first movement] ridiculed for its rustic simplicity. Had the composer written in large letters at the head of this Allegro the words Dance of peasants , as he has done for the Pastoral symphony, the charge that it lacks nobility would probably not have been made.”

Lewis Lockwood speculates that some of the rhythmic and melodic aspects of this symphony related to Scottish, Irish, and Welsh folk-song traditions, themselves considered “rustic” by the Viennese. (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 166-67.) For example, the A major principal theme of the first movement emphasizes downbeats of the first two measures using grace-notes, and the fourth bar begins with a “ Scotch snap , “ reminding listeners of the melodic style of Scottish and Irish folk songs. Another example is in the finale, as Lockwood points out: “A connection between the Seventh Symphony and his folk-song setting is not just a matter of metrical identity, but is also shown by a direct melodic correspondence between the postlude to one of his Irish songs [“Save me from the grave and wise,” WoO 154/8] and the main theme of the finale of the Seventh.” (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 167.) 

The finale opens with two roaring gestures with each followed by a full measure of silence, making clear that there will be no slackening that the driving rhythms that have directed the work so far. As Lockwood wrote, “Tovey called this movement ‘a triumph of Bacchic fury,’” (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 165), and this finale overwhelms the audience with never-ending forward momentum as much as any Beethoven had written to date. Just as Berlioz said, “Beethoven did not write music for the eyes . The coda, launched by this threatening pedal , has extraordinary brilliance, and is fully worthy of bringing this work to its conclusion – a masterpiece of technical skill, taste, imagination, craftsmanship and inspiration.”

The second movement received special attention when it premiered and became an audience favorite quickly.  It was so popular that a Leipzig critic, who attributed the lack of enthusiasm from the audience for the Eighth Symphony to the lingering admiration for the Seventh Symphony performed right before, called the second movement the “crown of modern instrumental music.” (Thayer, Life of Beethoven, 575.)  What made it the crown of modern instrumental music? The first ten measures of this movement have few melodic or harmonic elements, with only a few notes repeated throughout, and no notable harmonic progression nor contrapuntal elements. The familiar long-short-short-long-long rhythm (see above essay “Significance and Structure”) that carries the almost divine selection of notes is one of the features that generated a strong, stirring effect that perhaps reminded the audience of the powerful Funeral March in the Eroica .  Lockwood speculates that Beethoven was well aware of the dramatic effects a slow march tempo might have on audiences, having composed marches for the Austrian army between 1809 and 1816. (Lockwood, Beethoven’s Symphonies , 161.) Given that the Viennese audience had been familiar with military marches from decades of war, it was perhaps inevitable that the second movement was received with such enthusiasm. But it continued to draw attention well after the immediate pain of the Napoleonic wars were forgotten. Leonard Bernstein , in an interview given by Maximillian Schell, commented: “[in the opening of the 2nd movement of the Seventh Symphony] there is no aspect of Beethoven in which you could say that Beethoven is great as a melodist, harmonist, contrapuntist, or tone painter. . . .” Bernstein goes on to say that Beethoven showed ingenuity in constructing the form, always choosing the right note to succeed every other note as though “he had some private telephone wire to heaven which told him what the next note had to be.” The right note? Consider the viola’s note e that sits on the repetitive rhythmic pattern in the opening and the subsequent development.  In the final analysis it is perhaps this one note that is the seed that grew into the captivating music which the Leipzig critic labelled “the crown of modern instrumental music.”

— Contributors : MCho, YS, MER

Topics and readings for further inquiry

The Redoutensaal and Other Performance Venues in Vienna Harer, Ingeborg. “ Musical Venues in Vienna, Seventeenth Century to the Present .” Performance Practice Review 8, No. 1 (1995), accessed July 30, 2020. A brief but thorough review of performance venues in Vienna and their use throughout the seventeenth century to present day.

Beethoven as a Concert Organizer “ Beethoven as a Concert Organizer .” Beethoven-Haus Bonn, accessed 07/30/2020. A brief discussion of Beethoven’s public concerts organized by Beethoven in Vienna.

Beethoven and Orchestration Botstein, Leon. “Sound and Structure in Beethoven’s Orchestral Music.” In Glenn Stanley, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Beethoven . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.   Available online through CambridgeCore .

Online Resources

Early Editions of Score and Parts Copyist’s manuscript

Autograph sketches at the Morgan Library & Museum

First published score:  Dec. 1816, S. A. Steiner & Co., Vienna

Modern Edition of the Score New York Philharmonic score with annotations from Leonard Bernstein.

Dover edition (reprint of Henry Litolff’s Verlag, n.d., ca.1880)

Recordings available online Period/HIP Performances— Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Harnoncourt 1st movement , 2nd movement , 3rd movement , 4th movement

Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Gardiner 1st movement , 2nd movement , 3rd movement , 4th movement

Orchestra of the 18th Century, Brüggen 1st movement , 2nd movement , 3rd movement , 4th movement Complete Set of Beethoven Symphonies by Orchestra of the 18th Century and Brüggen

Important Recordings by Modern Orchestras— Albert Coates conducting the London Symphony Orchestra (1921) One of the first, if not the first, recording of the Seventh Symphony ( link ).

Carlos Kleiber conducting Concertgebouw

Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic

Claudio Abbado conducting Vienna Philharmonic

Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 Includes two video performances by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, with or without commentary by conductor Iván Fischer.

Descriptions available online (videos, program notes, etc.,) Bernstein & Vienna Philharmonic commentary .

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 Includes two video performances by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, with or without commentary by conductor Iván Fischer. Additional program notes here .

Berlioz, A Critical Study of Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies , p. 83: digital scan of printed version , web version .

Steven Ledbetter, Aspen Music Festival Program Notes Quotes memoir of Beethoven’s conducting during its rehearsal.

Christopher Gibbs, NPR: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92   Includes interview with conductor Christoph Eschenbach.

Michael Steinberg, San Francisco Symphony Program Notes

Marianne Williams Tobias, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Program Notes

Ken Meltzer, Atlanta Symphony Program Notes

Interview with Leonard Bernstein. Discussion with Maximillian Schell on the second movement with demonstration at the piano.

Sean Rice and Alexander Shelley, National Arts Centre: Exploring Beethoven Symphonies No. 7, 8 and 9

Wikipedia analysis

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A guide to Beethoven's Symphony No. 7

We investigate Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and how the composer declares the 'glory of light' through darkness

Stephen Johnson

Vienna, 8 December 1813

After the titanic adventures in sound-colour, form and dramatic expression of Symphonies Nos 5 and 6, the Seventh might initially seem a return to safer, more classical ground. Except that Beethoven doesn’t really do ‘safer’ – not by this stage in his career, anyhow.

Madness and rhythmic patterns:

Composed after a much-needed restorative spa holiday in 1811, Symphony No. 7 sounds like what Beethoven would later call a ‘return to life’. The key of A major is often associated with light and buoyancy (Mendelssohn’s Italian , Schubert ’s Trout Quintet), but here the sheer physical energy – expressed in dancing muscular rhythms and brilliant orchestration – can, in some performances, border on the unnerving. Confronted with one particularly obsessive chain of repetitions (possibly the spine-chilling final crescendo in the first movement), Beethoven’s younger contemporary Carl Maria von Weber pronounced him ‘ripe for the madhouse’.

But there’s nothing mad about the way Beethoven draws together the seemingly diverse dance rhythms in this work. Just over a minute into the substantial slow introduction, the woodwind intone a rhythmic pattern: DA de-de – in classical metric terms, a ‘dactyl’.

This same pattern pulses expectantly in the audacious sustained one-note transition to the Vivace , then springs to life in its main theme. The wonderful veiled Allegretto that follows is haunted by the same rhythm, the Trio of the scherzo repeats it like a playground game, while the finale is positively possessed by it, right up to the ferocious elation of the final bars.

• A guide to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
• Beethoven's Symphonies: What did the 9th century think?

Just before the end, for the first time ever in an orchestral work, Beethoven uses the marking fff – fortississimo : ‘louder than as loud as possible’. There are times listening to this astonishing finale that one wonders if it wasn’t here that Stravinsky got the idea for the ‘Sacrificial Dance’ from the Rite of Spring – except that it is life, not death, that triumphs.

It isn’t all joyous assertion, of course. Like TS Eliot, Beethoven realised that it is darkness that ‘declares the glory of light’. The voluptuous nocturnal world of the Allegretto opens on a minor-key wind chord which, after the glowing A major that ends the first movement, feels like the deft extinguishing of a light.

Beethoven expands his tonal universe as never before in a symphony, allowing the bright A major to be continually undermined by a remote (and, in context, darker) F major – if that sounds technical, the effect in performance is fully visceral. But ultimately, the Seventh Symphony is testimony to Beethoven’s enduring ability to find energy and hope amidst inner and outer desolation, and as such it’s indispensible.

• A guide to Beethoven's Symphony No. 2
• How did Beethoven cope with going deaf?

Recommended recording:

Riccardo Chailly achieves the near-impossible, combining the classicising insights of period-style performers with the tonal richness and expressive gravity of old-school master interpreters such as Otto Klemperer or Carlos Kleiber. The rhythms are crisp and vital, the colours gorgeous, the expression intense and broad-ranging, and all is captured in superb recorded sound.

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Riccardo Chailly Decca 478 3496

Words by Stephen Johnson. This article first appeared in the December 2015 issue of BBC Music Magazine.

Read reviews of the latest Beethoven recordings here

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Ludwig Van Beethoven — An Examination Of Symphony No. 7 In D Minor Op 92 Of Ludwig Van Beethoven

An Examination of Symphony No. 7 in D Minor Op 92 of Ludwig Van Beethoven

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Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92

Portrait of Beethoven, by Joseph Willibrord Mähler in 1815

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 was composed in 1812, four years after his “ Pastoral ” symphony. What’s extraordinary about this work, in Sir George Grove’s words, is in “the originality, vivacity, power, and beauty of the thoughts, and in a certain romantic character of sudden and unexpected transition which pervades it.” [1] And one of the key characteristics that contribute to the “vivacity” and “power” here is its heavy use of rhythmic devices. To be completely honest, in the early years of listening to this piece, the endless and seemingly obsessive repetition of those rhythmic motifs throughout each movement sounded a bit annoying to me. It may be because, on a subconscious level, I was drawing contrasts between this work and all of Beethoven’s previous symphonies, which almost all carry memorable tunes and melodies, not to mention its immediate predecessor, the Pastoral symphony, of which the whole musical meaning builds on melodic motifs and phrases to express his feelings while submerging himself into the beauty of nature.

In the Seventh, however, such melodic features, if exist at all, are pushed (maybe deliberately) to the far back of Beethoven’s focus. In his conversation with Maximilian Schell, Leonard Bernstein didn’t consider the opening bars of the 2nd movement a legitimate melody at all (10 bars into the opening we hear only two notes) [2] . But, what makes this work unique (even peculiar) is it’s rhythmic features, with the general characteristics of the rhythms being incessantly forthcoming, fast and fiery. Lockwood stated that in the Seventh, “rhythmic consistency governs even more pervasively than in most of his other works…the streaming flow of rhythmic events … animates the discourse at every level and becomes a principal source of its organic unity.” [3]

1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace

Throughout the entire movement, the dance-like dotted rhythm in 6/8 meter permeates all the sections of its Sonata form, therefore produces this unstoppable energy that propels the

It is considered unusual for Beethoven to write first movement of his symphony in a fast 6/8 meter, and it’s incessant rhythmic power simply makes it a bold move compared to his previous symphonies.

2. Allegretto

Similar like the first movement yet in a relatively slower tempo, this movement’s opening also starts with a steady rhythmic pattern, played first by violas and cellos:

As the main subject develops, part two of the main subject (I-b) grows stronger and more prominent, then Beethoven threw in a short fugue on the subject, before the full force of the orchestra repeats it and ends the movement.

3. Presto – Assai meno presto

That sense of contradiction grows stronger when for the second round the strings takes over the melody, and the trumpet now holds the long note.

4. Allegro con brio

[1][4][5] George Grove: Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies Analytical Essays . Boston, 1888. [2] Bernstein discusses Beethoven’s 6th & 7th symphony, from Youtube.com [3] Lewis Lockwood: Beethoven’s symphonies: An artistic Vision . Norton, 2017.

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Of Beethoven�s �major� symphonies (that is, in the sense of innovation and prominence) the Seventh has aroused the widest spectrum of efforts to �interpret� its meaning. No such compulsion plagues the others � the �Choral� is guided by its text, the Fifth traces an emotional passage from grim determination to triumph, and Beethoven himself proclaimed his inspiration for the �Eroica� and labeled and described the movements of the �Pastoral.� But his Symphony # 7 in A major, Op. 92 is without such markers, and has drawn legions of commentators who felt compelled to explicate it. Arguably, that�s a sign of inspired subtlety � of the work, not the pundits � and a tribute to its remarkable ability to summon a broad spectrum of deeply personal and highly diverse response among listeners.

The sign of revolt is given; there is a rushing and running about of the multitude; an innocent man, or party, is surrounded, overpowered after a struggle and haled before a legal tribunal. Innocency weeps; the judge pronounces a harsh sentence; sympathetic voices mingle in laments and denunciations. � The magistrates are now scarcely able to quiet the wild tumult. The uprising is suppressed, but the people are not quieted; hope smiles cheeringly and suddenly the voice of the people pronounces the decision in harmonious agreement.

Alexander Wheeler Thayer asserted that �such balderdash disgusted and even enraged Beethoven� and that in 1819 �he dictated a letter � in which he protested energetically against such interpretations of his music.� Beethoven in 1814 by Louis-Rene Letronne The tide turned in due course. Writing in 1935, Donald Francis Tovey dismissed the �sad nonsense� of �a long time ago,� and proclaimed the Seventh �so overwhelmingly convincing and so obviously untranslatable that it has for many generations been treated quite reasonably as a piece of music, instead of an excuse for discussing the French Revolution.� Nowadays, most analysts seem content to follow Tovey�s approach. Thus Paul Affelder dismisses the irreconcilable range of all the past imagery as proof of its futility. William Mann agrees that the Seventh can only be viewed as abstract art, calling it �an argument in terms of music. � It is about melodic shapes, tunes and vestiges of tunes, about harmony and the effect that a new chord can make and build up, about keys and the effect one key can have on another, about the relationship of wind to string to brass instruments.� In that light, Richard Freed regards the Seventh as �a triumphant discourse by a man intoxicated with the spirit of creativity itself.� In a similar vein, although the Seventh has been choreographed, Charles O�Connell cautions that any association with the dance should not be literal, but rather in the sense of artistic spirituality � dancing with words and the pen rather than with feet.

Yet, while we may disparage the overblown literary efforts of past critics to attribute symbolic imagery to the Seventh , they provide a spur for fruitful thought. Thus, in retrospect, Maynard Solomon points to the common thread of a carnival or festival image as resonating our human desire for a temporary release from subjugation to the prevailing social order and a suspension of customary norms, a joyous lifting of restraints and an outpouring of mockery, all of which permeate the score. And Tim McDonald attributes the past tendency to the composer�s anti-social turbulent nature, which left the field wide open and, on a positive note, reflects the overriding sense of enthusiasm and excitement that the work generates.

Billed as a benefit for wounded Austrian and Bavarian soldiers and fueled in significant part by the celebratory mood now that Napoleon�s seemingly unstoppable conquest of Europe (and its threat of French hegemony) at last had run aground, the premiere was a gala affair, with many of Vienna�s celebrity musicians, including Hummel, Spohr, Salieri, Meyerbeer and Moscheles, recruited to play the percussion. Thayer, though, claimed that they viewed it as a gigantic professional frolic and a stupendous musical joke. Beethoven conducted but, according to Affelder, with difficulty as he could only hear the loudest passages; Spohr called his leadership �uncertain and often ridiculous.�

Modern disparagement aside, Wellington's Victory served a noble purpose � to provide the strongest launch of any major Beethoven work, even if only through association. Audiences at the time heard the Seventh Symphony's buoyant exuberance and irresistible rhythm as an ideal companion to the battle piece and embraced it as a deeply-felt patriotic gesture and a welcome manifestation of the jubilant public mood. Yet while Czerny echoed the popular assumption that it was inspired by the recent military victories, Schindler points out that it had been completed long before those events occurred. Reflecting modern scholarship, David Wyn Jones asserts that it had been written between the fall of 1811 and the summer of 1812. In any event, the Battle Symphony drew unprecedented attention to its more serious companion.

As a measure of the Seventh�s huge popularity, by early 1816 its publisher had issued not only the full score and orchestral parts but arrangements for wind band, quartet, trio, piano duet and piano solo. Early critics, though, were less enamored. Aside from some nonsensical, hyperbolic slurs (Carl Maria von Weber said that Beethoven was ripe for the madhouse and Friedrich Weick called it the work of a drunkard), several critics claimed to find it disorganized and repetitious. Thus, one called it �a true mixture of tragic, comic, serious and trivial ideals which spring from one level to another without any connection [and] repeat themselves to excess.� Over a decade later, the London Harmonicum echoed: �Often as we have heard it performed, we cannot yet discover any design in it, neither can we trace any connection in its parts.�

Beyond its extraordinary sense of rhythm, other commentators credit the Seventh as romantic, in the sense of �swift and unexpected changes and contrasts, exciting the imagination to the highest degree and whirling it into new and strange regions� (Grove). Tovey expands on this notion of "exciting the imagination," while rationalizing the compulsion to �interpret� it in diverse ways, �insofar as romance is a term which, like humor, every self-respecting person claims to understand, while no two people understand it in quite the same way.� Others laud its innovative orchestration. Basil Lam calls the scoring �wonderful beyond explanation, unsurpassed anywhere for grandeur of sound,� even though this is achieved with the same modest orchestra familiar to Haydn and Mozart. Irving Kolodin cites in particular the finale as the first real orchestral piece ever written, in that instruments are not used for mere color but in keeping with the potential sonority of their inherent character. Features cited by Barry Cooper include the use of horns crooked in A, giving them an unusually high register, and drone basses, an offshoot of the Irish songs Beethoven had been commissioned to arrange at the time, in which such sustained harmony was common. William Drabkin cites the use of winds as a self-contained group rather than as an amplifier of string-dominated textures. Also remarkable, especially in the finale, is the way that Beethoven creates a heightened sense of activity within the continuity of a musical line by quickly and fluently passing phrases back and forth among instruments. The net result of all this, according to Drabkin, is that its originality lies not in the materials or proportions, which he finds quite conventional, but rather in the way Beethoven is able to control our perception of musical time. And this is achieved without any sense of respite from the constant energy and momentum � as many commentators have pointed out, similar to his shorter and simpler companion Symphony # 8 in F, Op. 93 , there really is no slow portion at all, as the second movement specifies � allegretto � and even the trio is merely marked � assai meno presto � (much less quickly).

The acute sense of expectation fittingly peaks with a disarmingly simple but hugely effective transition to the ensuing vivace � it consists of nothing but 55 repeated E�s that at first tease and then coalesce into the modest but alluring three-note pattern in triplet time (a dotted eighth note, a sixteenth note and an eighth note) that will carry through to the end of the movement. (Noting that the repeated note is the top open violin string, Sigmund Spaeth intriguingly calls this �a suggestion of tuning fiddles,� as if to stress preparation for all that lies ahead.) Yet after four suspenseful minutes devoted to the introduction, rather than relieve the tension by having the vivace erupt dramatically, instead it emerges gently and playfully in the soft winds and only after a series of sforzando urgings do the strings at last proudly proclaim it fortissimo . The rest of the movement is in sonata form, but for Grove provides a prime example of Beethoven�s inventive genius � although the recapitulation presents the same materials as the exposition, it does so with �treatment, instrumentation and feeling all absolutely different.�

Unlike a standard symphonic scherzo movement, comprising a scherzo , a trio and an abbreviated repeat of the scherzo (A-B-A), here both sections are repeated (A-B-A-B-A). McDonald suggests that this was to give the movement a dimension commensurate with the overall scale of the work. Yet, the first repetition of the scherzo presents a huge surprise, suppressing the ff stings of the initial appearance to the same pp whisper as the rest to lend it an entirely new and unsuspected sustained delicacy. In keeping with the nature of a scherzo (literally, a �joke�), Beethoven adds humorous touches, throwing off the regular musical periods with two-bar insertions, flavoring the trio with horn �burps� (Schumann�s term) and, above all, crafting an inspired ending, in which the music subsides to begin what promises to launch yet a third trio only to sour and then after a mere four bars plunge into a rapid five-note cadence.

A second issue is the size of the ensemble that best conveys a score that is full of power yet demands fleet precision. The historically-informed approach generally is to assume an orchestra of modest dimensions, presumably typical of Beethoven�s day. Yet Drabkin notes that for a February 14, 1814 performance of the Seventh the composer left a memorandum specifying 18 first violins, 18 seconds, 14 violas, 12 celli, 7 basses and 2 contrabassoons (thus suggesting that all winds were to be doubled) � the approximate complement of a full modern symphonic orchestra (which would have to reinforce brass and winds yet further to match our louder strings). A related question is whether Beethoven, by now profoundly deaf, wrote within the practical limits of his time or on a more abstract, idealized level that transcends the resources he had at his disposal.

Robert Philips raises a third challenge by stressing the often overlooked point that early 20th century practice, as preserved in early recordings, is often wrongly dismissed as bloated and indulgent, yet was closer in time to Beethoven than to our own era and thus should not be disdained as an aberration requiring correction but rather as a manifestation of a venerable performance tradition. In particular, Philips catalogs more flexible tempos, greater acceleration, clearly defined tempo changes, more flexible and casual treatment of rhythmic detail, more restrained vibrato, more rubato (dislocating melody from accompanying rhythm) more portamento (sliding between notes) to clarify contrapuntal textures, and the use of individual string fingering in lieu of modern uniformity. He concludes that expressive irregularities and personal touches that strike us as decadent perhaps are far more authentic than the neat, clean simplicity that we tend to mistake as genuine. That, in turn, relegates any attempt to denounce the value of any particular interpretive approach to little more than a mere personal preference.

• Coates, London Symphony Orchestra (HMV 78s, Pristine CD or download, 1921; 23' [abridged])

Coates�s Seventh remains remarkable for preserving interpretive traditions inherited from the 19th century. Relatively free of the improvisatory feeling of much of his superb discography, Coates�s tempos remain generally steady throughout each section, even though he does accelerate the allegretto at the first shift to A-major (bar 102). Otherwise, he feels free to ignore Beethoven�s tempo indications, although hardly in the sense that most attach to them as being too fast. Thus, while his trio is taken at a leisurely 64 bars to the minute compared to Beethoven�s specification of 84, his opening poco sostenuto is a startling 90 beats to the minute versus Beethoven�s 69, and his finale is a frantic 92 bars v. 72, gaining extraordinary visceral excitement despite some lapses in articulation at the breakneck speed. It would be tempting to discount the extreme rapidity in order to fit the work onto six 78 rpm sides were it not for the similarly wild pacing of isolated movements of Coates�s Eroica and Jupiter recordings. Yet there were practical compromises, as all movements but the allegretto are cruelly cut � while the poco sustenuto introduction is intact, 95 bars are bypassed in the first-movement vivace , both the second scherzo and trio are omitted, and the entire recapitulation (bars 254-428) is excised from the finale. (The first of these cuts, coming at the mid-point of the vivace , is far more noticeable now than at the time, as it occurred between side changes, when continuity would have lapsed anyway.) Despite the severe restrictions of the acoustic recording process, the pickup is remarkably detailed, with inner voices clearly audible, the ensemble well-balanced and accents closely observed, although the dynamics are heavily compressed and the texture is distorted by the attenuation of overtones (making the flutes sound like slide-whistles) and the substitution of tubas for basses (with a more rasping, flatulent sonority � a routine studio practice of the time). Cuts and compromised fidelity aside, this remains a compelling, vivid account, as enjoyable today as when it first astounded listeners.

• Weingartner, London Symphony Orchestra (Columbia 78s, 1923-4; 32')

Although remembered nowadays for launching, even ahead of Toscanini, the modern �objective� style that typified (or, depending on your taste, ruined) 20th century interpretation (or lack thereof), Weingartner�s roots extended a generation deeper into the 19th century than Coates�s. Here, already 60 years old, he reaches back to his artistic origins to present a deeply romanticized, heavily inflected vision. Like Coates, he takes the opening faster, and the scherzo slower, than the score�s specifications (although his finale nearly matches Beethoven�s tempo). The most radical feature, which literally sets the pace for the vast majority of recordings that would follow, comes with the trio, which he paces at a mere 48 bars to the minute v. Beethoven�s 84 (and Coates�s 64). The result is a feeling not only of considerable repose but of comfort, perhaps in part because we have grown accustomed to hearing it that way. Weingartner may have been only the second conductor to record the Seventh , or the first to record it complete if we discount Coates�s condensation, but he also was the first to re-record it, in 1927 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as part of a complete set to commemorate the centennial of Beethoven�s death (and he would wax it yet a third time in 1936 with the Vienna Philharmonic in a less distinctive rendition). The 1927 remake is fascinating in comparison to the acoustic venture, as the scherzo is considerably faster (140 bars to the minute v. 116), thus providing a further reminder of the tradition of individual interpretation that could vary drastically from one performance to another (here bridged by a mere few years).

• Wohllebe, Berlin State Opera Orchestra (Grammophon 78s, 1924; 32:40)

Very little seems to have been written about Walter Wohllebe, other than that he was a choral director who assisted Erich Kleiber at the Berlin State Opera in 1923. Yet he must have been held in sufficient esteem to have been chosen to lead the Seventh in the first integral set of Beethoven symphonies, alongside such luminaries as Klemperer, Fried, Pfitzner and Seidler-Winkler. As might be expected of a relatively unknown conductor (he may have led only one other recording, of the Wagner Tannhauser Overture ) he adheres rather closely to the prescribed tempos but with two hugely notable exceptions: he begins the allegretto at a snail�s pace of only 50 beats per minute (v. Beethoven�s 76), but then (like Coates) jumps to 69 at the first A-major section, which he maintains throughout the rest, and (like Weingartner) takes the entire trio at a lugubrious 45 bars per minute, barely half of the prescribed 84. As a further individualistic touch, he adds a melodramatic flourish to the finale by prolonging the held notes and thus disrupting the insistent rhythm. Possibly in an effort to avoid sinking below the inherent noise floor of acoustic recordings, dynamics are nearly uniformly loud throughout, thus denying us the exhilarating surges and sforzando impacts of the score. The finale fits on a single side thanks to the same cut as Coates. The fidelity is indistinct and blurry, ironically due in part to the apparent use of real basses (and their unfortunate mid-range harmonic resonance) rather than the crisper tubas that most acoustic recordings substituted. Overall, the execution is rather indifferent and slipshod, but even that may preserve a valuable tradition of sorts � by draining much of the spirit and invoking the impression of an under-rehearsed pick-up band, we can empathize with early critics who found the work long and tedious, and to marvel with appreciation at Beethoven�s care in arranging its orchestration, textures and dynamics well beyond any reasonable expectations of the concert conditions of his time.

• Strauss, Berlin State Opera Orchestra (Grammophon 78s, Koch CD, 1926; 32:15)

This first electrical recording of the Symphony # 7 serves to disprove a stereotype. Perhaps due to his economical gestures, rapid tempos, obsession with fees and facetious pronouncements (conductors should never perspire; woodwinds should never be heard; the proper place for a conductor�s left [expressive] hand is in his waist-coat pocket), Richard Strauss tends to be remembered as a lazy and indifferent conductor. The generally reliable Harold Schonberg calls his records �disgraceful. � He rushes through the music with no force, no charm, no inflection and with a metronomic rigidity.� Yet nearly all Strauss�s recordings belie this damning portrayal. While most were of his own work, even his earliest (1917 acoustics of Till Eulenspiegel and Don Juan ) crackle with excitement yet have plenty of repose in their central lyrical sections. (Peter Morse asserts that Strauss was late to the session and the first two sides of Don Juan in fact had been led by George Szell.) His 1926 Beethoven Seventh is generally calm but never bland, and has plenty of drama, from powerfully emphatic opening chords to setting up blazing endings of all but the allegretto , slowing in order to accentuate a final acceleration. If there is any �laziness� to Strauss�s conception, it lies in his rather formulaic tendency to link tempo and dynamics, so as to speed up for loud portions and slow down for softer ones. He even enlivens the normally steadfast finale with constant acceleration and deceleration. Strauss takes full advantage of the wider dynamic range of the then-new electrical recording process, although at the cost of some harsh sound, distortion and noise, inherent flaws of the Brunswick system which bypassed microphones for a more complex technology in which vibrations caused a mirror attached to a diaphragm to deflect a light ray onto a photocell. Unfortunately, while the rest of the symphony is presented complete, Strauss cuts the finale to fit on a single 78 rpm side and heightens the excitement by culminating in a wildly fast ending. (While the scherzo would seem the logical candidate for any necessary condensation, Strauss, despite his reputation as a speed demon, takes it at an abnormally slow pace, and his trio is barely half Beethoven�s specified tempo, so that the movement consumes a full two sides.) Any residual impression of Strauss as an uninspired conductor perhaps stems from the deep respect of one great composer for another.

• Stokowski, Philadelphia Orchestra (Victor 78s, Biddulph CD, 1927; 36')

Here we arrive at the first recording of the Seventh that requires few apologies or mental adjustment for its sheer sound. Richly recorded only two years after introduction of the new electrical system, it�s beautifully played with confidence and a sheen that makes Strauss sound tentative and scrappy (and perhaps emphasizes the difference between an esteemed guest conductor and a permanent music director). Stokowski�s approach is unabashedly romantic, constantly adjusting the tempos to craft an organic voyage of vibrant, shifting feeling. The allegretto , in particular, emerges as a deeply emotional journey that takes its time (10:30 v. 7:05 for Weingartner, 7:20 for Coates, 8:20 for Wohlebbe and 9:25 for Strauss) to plumb depths impossible at any tempo near Beethoven�s and slows yet further for a heart-rending conclusion. The trio, too, overflows with profound feeling. Even in the faster sections, Stokowski constantly shapes phrases and leans into climaxes, taking full advantage of the extended dynamic range to create impassioned surges in the vivace and snarling and swirling his strings in the finale (and extending held notes to break the tempo for melodramatic effect).

Ever the populist educator, Stokowski also recorded a companion �Outline of Themes� side in which he marvels at Beethoven�s creation of such a joyous work during a period of personal melancholy, repeats the clich� about the Seventh being a dance symphony and then announces and plinks out the major themes on a piano. While Stokowski�s lecture nowadays may strike us as shallow and condescending, Edward Johnson reminds us in his notes to the Biddulph CD reissue that this was the first American recording of the work, that radio and recordings were in their infancy and that many record-buyers would be hearing this symphony � and perhaps hearing of this symphony � for the very first time. That sobering thought prompts reflection on how much recordings have changed our culture from one in which the opportunity to hear a given work required the rare and taxing effort to attend a concert to one in which we have the luxury of summoning great performances at the push of a few buttons, although much may have been lost in the transition from an atmosphere demanding rapt attention to one that relegates music to superficial background.

Stokowski would record the Seventh again in 1958 with the Symphony of the Air (United Artists LP) and once more in 1973, his 91st year, near the very end of his extraordinarily prolific recording career, with the New Philharmonia Orchestra for Decca/London Phase Four. Exquisitely burnished, considerably slower and in superlative fidelity, it breathes with an autumnal perspective that lovingly transmutes impulsive energy into a smooth flow of tender affection. It also bears the dubious distinction of one of the very few stereo recordings of the Seventh to be truncated. According to the LP liner notes, �Maestro Stokowski has formed the opinion that the conventional Scherzo-Trio-Scherzo format is perfectly adequate and has subsequently omitted the second runthrough.� Even so, to all of us used to the five-part structure the abridgement comes as a surprise and is capped by an immediate leap into the finale � one more highly effective trick up the sleeve of an old master to compel us to focus our attention for a fresh experience.

• Toscanini, New York Philharmonic (Victor 78s, BMG CD, 1936; 34')

The ecstatic praise heaped on this 1936 recording is truly astounding: �The Beethoven Seventh� (Kolodin); �The most perfect recording of any Beethoven symphony ever put on disc� (Records and Recordings, 1969); �Justifiably considered one of the greatest symphonic recordings ever made� (Harvey Sachs); �The standard against which all subsequent ones have been judged (and found wanting). � It remains as close to a perfect recording as one is likely to encounter this side of Elysium� (Mark Obert-Thorn). While I would hardly dare to pit my humble amateur taste against the weight of such expert authority, I just don�t hear it. Indeed, I wonder if their encomia were in part a function of the modern trend of distancing ourselves from the 19th century cult of personality in favor of a more �neutral� approach to the classics. In any event, Toscanini�s achievement here was to document a near-literal translation into sound of a score that perhaps demands (or tolerates) less �interpretation� than any of Beethoven�s other major works. His only significant departures from the score are an extremely somber poco sustenuto of 50 beats per minute v. Beethoven�s specification of 69 and an allegretto of 60 v. Beethoven�s 76; all other pacing is closely aligned with the composer�s. The method yields a striking result, enabling Toscanini to mold tempos, dynamics, textures and phrasing with a degree of subtlety that only a highly objective approach permits. Obert-Thorn reports that Toscanini had become annoyed by the start-and-stop mechanics of recording 78 rpm sides and had refused to approve efforts to record his concerts continuously on sound film, but here, at the end of his seven-year tenure with the New York Philharmonic, he agreed to momentary stops between sides, only long enough to switch the line inputs between turntables, and the result is a fine forward sweep of continuity.

To my ears, the Philharmonic set sounds bland when compared to Toscanini�s concert recordings of the era. Thus, while the timings are nearly identical, a 1935 BBC Symphony Orchestra concert (BBC Music CD) is marginally more dramatic, with more urgent articulation and inflection and a somewhat quicker allegretto . As Sachs points out, the excellence and synchronization of conductor and orchestra are remarkable, as they had only worked together for two weeks at that point. Even more intense is a 1939 concert with the NBC Symphony Orchestra (Music and Arts CD), which substitutes precision for atmosphere, abetted by a sharply detailed recording with crisp timpani, winds and brass in lieu of the smoother blend and dull thuds of the Philharmonic studio recording. And tantalizing fragments from an April 1933 Philharmonic concert, despite miserable sound, evidence a tightly focussed yet pliant approach. In comparison, Toscanini�s highly-regarded NBC 1951 studio remake (RCA LP, BMG CD) sounds rather tired, with some �lazy� trumpet figures falling behind the beat, although it is partly redeemed by even stronger timpani-fueled climaxes. Any of the Toscanini outings exemplify a dedication to presenting the score with only minimal injection of the performer�s personality. Whether that is the epitome of integrity or a lack of imagination is, for me at least, an open question. In any event, what was once a daring pioneering approach has since become the norm and deserves to be remembered on that basis, even if its sense of boldness has long since dissipated.

• Furtwangler, Berlin Philharmonic (DG or Music and Arts CD, November 3, 1943 concert; 37�')

A simplistic myth contrasts Toscanini and Furtwangler as inhabiting the extreme opposite poles of music interpretation. Yet in Beethoven, and especially here, it seems warranted. While Toscanini presents the Symphony # 7 as pure music, Furtwangler delves deep beneath the surface to craft a radical and profoundly personal rethinking that seeks eternal truth where others are content with lyrical grace and invocations of the dance. As with so many of his interpretations, his most intense reading is preserved in a Berlin Philharmonic concert during World War II. Consider the opening � each of the tutti chords is marked staccato , indicating a sharp attack, but under Furtwangler they emerge rough and blurred, struggling to overcome the stifling silence and heralding his vision of the entire work as an elemental metaphysical struggle between energy and fatigue, light and dark, motion and stasis � a heavy, dark and brooding universe far removed from any notion of classical balance or delight, much less �the dance.� Indeed, the ensuing vivace , while taken on average at the specified pace, assumes a wholly different character as the basses growl with menace, the tympani thunder with power, the horns bray in dire warning and the whole ensemble surges ahead and then grinds to a halt on a precipice of the unknown before resuming more as a tentative searching question than an affirmative resolute conviction, pulled back to earth before it can truly soar. The opening chord of the allegretto is held for eight seconds � over twice its notated length � and also heralds the ensuing movement that is dominated by a mournful yet unstable undercurrent, smoothly gliding between 27 and 36 beats per minute (v. Beethoven�s 76). The scherzo is suitably fast but thick, underlining the difference between tempo and texture. The feeling of insecurity returns in the finale, also taken at the prescribed pace, but with huge timpani rolls, abrasive trumpet accents and insistent outbursts, sounding far more desperate than joyous. He ends with an enormous acceleration that seems more a cathartic emergence from tragedy than a triumphant outcome. Indeed, his entire interpretation invests this ostensibly festive work with a pervasive sadness that adds a fascinating level of meaning to challenge our expectations. (Furtwangler�s other extant recordings of the Seventh � a 1948 Stockkholm Philharmonic concert, a 1950 Vienna Philharmonic EMI studio recording, a 1953 Berlin Philharmonic concert and a 1954 Vienna Philharmonic concert � all follow the same general scheme, but without the intense focus of this wartime concert.)

• Mengelberg, Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam (Music and Arts CD, Pristine download, 1940 concert; 39�')

It would be tempting to say that Mengelberg followed firmly in Furtwangler�s footsteps, had his career not begun 15 years earlier. Chronology aside, though, their approaches to the Symphony # 7 are strikingly similar, full of rolled opening chords, constantly variable tempos and thick tympani-fueled climaxes. They finally part company in the trio, which Mengelberg takes at an astoundingly protracted 40 beats per minute. But even that is a mere average, as the tempo constantly shifts and at times grinds to a near-halt, after which the scherzo snaps in with startling impact. Indeed, the effect of both the pacing and the instability is to deny any feeling for a downbeat, which dissolves into a state of suspended time that is as far from the rudiments of the dance, with its reliably consistent tempo, as can be. From that point forward, any possibility of restoring elation through the finale is irreparably lost. Indeed, Mengelberg�s finale is even darker than Furtwangler�s, owing in substantial part to the recording that emphasizes the bass-heavy sonic anchor to keep the entire work not only earth-bound but incapable of even the momentary flights of escape that his surges of onrushing power might otherwise allow. Rather, the impression is one of hesitation and uncertainty. Like Furtwangler, Mengelberg transforms the symphony into something wholly distinctive.

• Scherchen, Italian Swiss Radio Orchestra (various Japanese CDs, 1965 Lugano concert; 31:40) � Of all the Sevenths I�ve encountered, after Coates, this is the only one that beats most of Beethoven�s own tempos (although not by much and not in the allegretto and trio � �for the record� his average tempos compared to Beethoven�s are: I: 78 v. 69 and 106 v. 104; II: 68 v. 76; III: 136 v. 132 and 66 v. 84; IV: 78 v. 72). Interestingly, Scherchen�s conventional 1951 Vienna studio recording (Westminster LP) was a full four minutes slower, so this testifies to either his radical rethinking of the work or the spontaneous exhilaration of a concert. (Probably the latter � in the same series he tore through the Pastoral in less than 35 minutes but languished in the Eroica for nearly 50.) It�s certainly worth hearing, if only as a basis for comparison with others, but to my ears it emerges as rushed and even frantic, with ragged playing and frayed ensemble that suggest that Beethoven set his tempos at the outer limit of even the most accomplished players� ability.
• Celibidache, Munich Philharmonic (EMI CD, 1989; 43') � At the other extreme, as is often the case, Celibidache weighs in with the slowest of all the recordings I�ve heard. In keeping with his Zen beliefs, both drama and animation are purged. But while I greatly admire most of his late work as revelatory (especially in Bruckner, Brahms, and the other Beethoven symphonies), here the result seems perverse. Drained of its essential energy, his Seventh emerges as stodgy and grueling. Although beautifully played � the opening chords materialize and recede with exceptional ease � we seem to miss the proverbial forest for the trees � a microscopic examination and dissection rather than a study of a thriving organism.
• Bernstein, Boston Symphony (DG CD, 1990, 45' [41']) � I�m including this only because of its apparently even slower timing, but: it includes first- and third-movement repeats and applause (about 4' total), Bernstein was fatally ill (it was his last public appearance), the execution sounds listless and fatigued, and reportedly he collapsed during the scherzo although the orchestra covered valiantly. More representative of the late stage of his art was a vibrant 1978 Vienna Philharmonic concert (DG CD, 1980; 39' [36']) or, for a bracing dose of his earlier vigor (and stamina � it includes the finale repeat, rarely heard at the time), his 1964 NY Philharmonic record (Columbia LP, Sony CD; 42' [37']), itself a remake of a 1959 LP.
• Asahina, New Japan Philharmonic (Fontec CD, 1989 Tokyo concert; 43�' [38']) � Only in part is this remarkable for its novelty � a thoroughly convincing rendition of German music by a Japanese conductor and orchestra. Yet, perhaps it�s not surprising coming from a Bruckner specialist and Furtwangler devotee. Superbly played with fine balances, polished phrasing and smooth dynamics, and with all repeats taken, it unfolds with assured logic and an insistent, if patient, rhythmic drive. There may be little joy in the scherzo , but a ravishing allegretto more than compensates.
• Klemperer, Philharmonia (EMI LP and CD, 1955 � 38�'; and 1960 � 41�') � Klemperer�s granitic, monumental approach to the classics in the final phase of his career could illuminate nearly any work. Even his 29-minute unfolding of Beethoven�s First serves to endow that youthful foray into the symphony with historical perspective so as to underline its serious aspect and thus places it firmly in perspective as a herald of the more profound works that were to come. But unlike his comparable treatment of the other Beethoven symphonies, Klemperer�s famed 1960 Philharmonia stereo remake of the Seventh strikes me as too humorless to convey its core spirit. A crisp opening deflates into patient unwieldy construction, as far a cry from vivace as the finale is from any sense of brio . More impressive was the same forces� 1955 mono version which, despite thicker textures, better manages to project a sense of gravity without becoming merely grim. (An experimental stereo edition was released only on tape at the time.) Despite his producers' misgivings, Klemperer insisted upon a third 1968 shot with the New Philharmonia but it lumbers in at nearly 43 minutes without repeats, is thoroughly dour and was issued only in the UK. Two Klemperer concert Sevenths present his extremes – a considerably more vital 1951 Concertgebouw presents his earlier, more variegated approach, while a 1970 Philharmonia (44+ minutes without repeats) is either engrossing or comatose, depending on your taste. A Philharmonia concert at the 1960 Vienna Festival is a relatively (for Klemperer) swift 39 minutes and, while far from rollicking, boasts a somewhat greater degree of flexibility and feeling than his other outings.
• Walter, Columbia Symphony (Columbia LP, Sony CD, 1958; 38') � Walter was the other major �Golden Age� conductor known for a radical change in style for his autumnal final series of stereo recordings in which he revisited familiar repertoire. Typical of his warm, genial and moderate late outlook, his Seventh is rather idealized, yet its muted accents, softened dynamics and overall sense of patience are relieved with subtle tempo adjustments and suspensions. The scherzo , in particular, is enlivened by contrasts and judicious transitions that differentiate yet meld its primary components, and the experience is capped with a relatively swift finale. Walter�s prior 1951 NY Philharmonic recording (Columbia LP; 35') is relatively free of distinctive attributes.
• Casals, Marlboro Festival Orchestra (Columbia LP, Sony CD, 1969; 40�' [39']) � Celibidache�s and Klemperer�s excesses aside, slow does not necessarily mean turgid. Here, Casals leads an ensemble of vacationing masters and rising stars with such tender loving care that the attentive phrasing, light textures, prominent winds and sheer enthusiasm of their playing complements and enlivens the leisurely pacing to imply an onward sense of momentum well beyond tempo alone. Thus, in lieu of Beethoven�s constant edgy urgency, the allegretto gains an aura of peacefulness, the scherzo one of relaxed grace, the trio repose and the finale controlled power. Lovingly crafted, the sheer tenderness of this reading is so affecting as to compel renewed esteem for the deep humanity that underlies all of Beethoven�s creations.
• Mravinsky, Leningrad Philharmonic (Melodiya CD, 1958; 38') � Political and social overtones inform this reading, in which the first movement vivace is tentative and stealthy, as if scared to fully reveal itself, followed by an allegretto infused with grim determination, after which the scherzo and finale project a degree of vitality if only by contrast. The CD notes by Sigrid Neef ascribe the sublimation and ambivalence to frustration over Soviet life at the height of the Cold War: �The way the Seventh Symphony is interpreted depends on the personal circumstances of the musicians. Those who enjoy the safety of a democratic state can allow themselves to be carried along by the impetus of an idealized revolution and indulge in colourful exaggerations. But those living in a state which confronts them daily with the dehumanizing effects of a revolution will make ethical, spiritual tenets the alpha and omega of their endeavours.� Any doubt as to the severe gravity of Mravinsky's approach is surely dispelled by the cover shot of the conductor.
• Beecham, Royal Philharmonic (EMI LP and CD, 1958-9; 35�' [34�']) � Although Sir Thomas reportedly disdained much of Beethoven�s output as second-rate Mozart, the Seventh seems custom-made to his flair. Despite being taped over six sessions from October 1958 through July 1959 (and even then a remake of a mono version he had cut just a year before), his Seventh constantly radiates sheer joy. His vivace is jaunty and buoyant, his scherzo bounds ahead with an irrepressible spirit and his finale barely contains its urgent energy. Even his allegretto and trio manage to stay lithe and graceful, belying their deliberate pacing. For pure enthusiasm and joie de vivre , Beecham�s Seventh is unique.
• Kleiber (Carlos), Vienna Philharmonic (DG CD, 1976; 38�' [33�']) � Two generations after the euphoric praise of the Toscanini/NYP, this recording was (and still is) universally hailed as the supreme stereo Seventh . I suppose that�s fine if you are apt to be satisfied with a single recording, but why would you ever want to limit your exposure to only one aspect of a work so rich in possibilities? And with all due respect for more learned experts, to merely suggest that a single performance of any masterpiece might suffice strikes me more as laziness or inexperience than credible judgment. Yet, to give credit where due, Kleiber gives a full-blooded reading rather lacking in grace but with broad dynamics and flexible tempos to underscore structural points. The dominant mid-range tone and blended sonority evoke concert-hall ambience but occasionally obscure detail that more closely-miked recordings reveal.
• Kleiber (Erich), Concertgebouw (Decca LP and CD, 1950; 33�') � An incisive reading � lean, precise and finely balanced (although the finale is incongruously weighty), and conveyed through an extraordinarily detailed recording.
• Ansermet, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Decca LP, 1960; 39' [37']) � Unjustly overlooked outside of French repertoire, the mathematically-trained Ansermet unfolds the Seventh with inexorable logic, capped by a stormy finale driven by forceful tympani. The confident execution flows from the continuous association between conductor and the orchestra he founded in 1918. Decca�s recording boasts a smooth, ambient acoustic with a fine degree of detail.
• Leibowitz, Royal Philharmonic (Reader�s Digest LP (!), Chesky CD, 1961; 35') � An exceptionally crisp and invigorating reading from another overlooked source.
• Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic (DG LP and CD, 1962; 33�') � The third of Karajan�s five studio recordings, is straightforward, yet projects the score with such precision and control as to make a compelling case for its excellence.
• Dorati, London Symphony (Mercury LP and CD, 1963; 40�' [35�']) � The earliest recording I�ve heard that includes all repeats. Even so, the rhythmic acuity and sharp, detailed sound suggest a far quicker pacing of the first movement than its actual timing.
• Schmidt-Isserstedt, Vienna Philharmonic (Decca LP and CD, 1969; 41' [39']) � Superlatively polished playing, measured pacing, a steady baton and an exceptionally rich recording convey the sheer grandeur of Beethoven's conception in a quintessentially German reading.

I�ve also encountered many pleasant surprises:

• Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra (Columbia 78s, 1944; 35') � This is impressive if only because it emanates with idiomatic authority from a conductor all too often inaptly slighted with a reputation of producing little more than pleasant sound or serving as a dutiful accompanist.
• Paray, Detroit Symphony (Mercury LP, 1953; 38') � From the same conductor who tore through the Pastoral in 35 minutes, the first two movements are remarkably deliberate and contrast rather jarringly with a rapid scherzo and finale, yielding a rather schizoid whole.
• Reiner, Chicago Symphony (RCA LP, BMG CD, 1955; 34') � Unexpected tempo flexibility and exaggerated pauses from a reputedly inflexible, precision-obsessed disciplinarian.
• Cantelli, Philharmonia (EMI LP and CD, 1956; 34�') � If Toscanini seems too brusque or tense, his prot�g� follows a similar approach but adds just enough grace, charm and elasticity to invite enjoyment of a �classical� and fundamentally objective style. His 1950 NBC Symphony concert (Music and Arts CD) is considerably more incisive.
• Schuricht, Stuttgart Radio Symphony (Hanssler CD, 1952, 33�') � The sound is heavy and typically Germanic, yet propelled by an uncommonly swift pace that provides a fascinating balance of tempo and texture.

Among so many fine versions of the Beethoven Seventh , just one major regret � that Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony never rerecorded their prosaic and heavily-compressed 1949 set (RCA LP, Tahra CD) � their first together. Judging from their ecstatic December 28, 1957 concert in Symphony Hall, Boston (privately circulated) plus a bracing 1963 Munch concert with the Orchestre National de France (Auvidis Valois CD), it would have been one for the ages.

• Goodman, The Hanover Band (Nimbus LP and CD, 1988; 40�' [36'])
• Norrington, The London Classical Players (EMI CD, 1989, 38�' [34'])
• Hogwood, The Academy of Ancient Music (L�Oiseau-Lyre, 1989, 38�' [34'])
• Bruggen, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century (Philips CD, 1990; 39' [34'])
• Gardiner, Orchestra Revolutionnaire et Romantique (Archiv CD, 1994; 38�' [33�'])

By the late 1980s the movement that sought to revive �authentic� performances of Baroque music plunged ahead into the classical and early Romantic eras. Within months a bounty arrived of four historically-informed Beethoven symphony cycles, each based on thorough research intended to replicate the sounds that the composer�s audiences would have heard (and the aural image he presumably had in mind when creating his middle-period work). Others soon would follow. Using surviving instruments of the time (or careful copies), avoiding interpretive gloss, lowering the pitch, adhering to the specified tempos, minimizing vibrato, taking all repeats and observing performance practices of the time, the results are remarkably similar. (The Hanover Band paces the two slower sections � the allegretto and trios � more leisurely than the others, and the acoustic of its venue � a church � is more resonant.) Most notable to modern ears is the unaccustomed balance of the instrumental choirs, resulting in a texture of incisive winds, brass and tympani that tends to emphasize inner voices at the risk of obscuring the melody when it is assigned to the mellow, gut-strung violins. The forces vary from Goodman�s 34 strings and 15 winds and brass to Hogwood's 70 and 24, but the relative proportions and impact are comparable. While often condemned at the time as mechanical perversions of human artistry, historically-informed recordings succeeded in conjuring an era before permanent orchestras, when concerts required the hasty assembly of local musicians, who essentially sight-read new music, leaving sparse opportunities for creative input. They also fueled a debate that continues to this day, as to whether we pay better respect to Beethoven by emulating the conditions he knew (and for which he presumably fashioned his work) or by applying all the resources and growth of the last two centuries, of which, being in the forefront of his own time, he surely would have welcomed and would have taken full advantage. (We might also speculate that, profoundly deaf, Beethoven may have composed on a more abstract and idealistic level, freed from and transcending the limits of his time.)

• Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Teldec CD, 1992; 40' [35�'])
• Zinman, Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich (Arte Nova CD, 1998; 37�' [33�'])

A further development sought to meld the two extremes of the foregoing debate by applying historically-informed techniques to modern resources. While deeply cognizant of Beethoven�s state of mind, Harnoncourt uses contemporary instruments (except for natural trumpets) and asserts the right to inject some mild interpretive touches, including variations of tempo and balances to reflect the sonic characteristics of the hall, audience mood and even the time of day. Yet sharp attacks and prominent winds offset the more forceful projection and sheer heft of current instruments and massed strings. Beyond his faster tempos, Zinman goes a step further by using a new edition based on original sources, with certain ambiguities in the notation resolved on the basis of stylistic practices of the time. Most of the revisions are relatively subtle nuances and details of accents, dynamics and phrasing that hold the greatest fascination for (and would only be evident to) those intimately familiar with the work, but two in particular stand out � an added oboe cadenza bridging the development and recapitulation at bar 300 of the first movement, and the final string figure of the andante played pizzicato and preceding the final wind and horn chord (similar to a deviation from the score that Carlos Kleiber had made).

• Katsaris (Teldec CD, 1986; 40' [35�']) � Back in the days before electronics, the only way to hear an orchestral work outside of a rare concert was a piano transcription. Despite the excellence of Cyprien Katsaris�s musicianship, much is lost in the translation, here by Liszt, for solo piano. In particular the glorious orchestration with its fascinating contrast among strings, wind and brass devolves into a homogenous texture, and the careful layering of sustained harmonic and discrete melodic notes blurs into a uniform consistency. While Liszt manages to fit nearly all the notes of the orchestral score onto a single keyboard (even most grace notes, although some sound clumsy), the limit of ten fingers attached to two hands forces some compromises, including changes in registration to clarify voices in the absence of textual differentiation, arpeggiated chords to cover an extended range, and tremolos to suggest pedal points and drones. Perhaps the most successful transformation is of the finale, in which the constant swirl of notes suits the percussive piano, as their cumulative impact invokes the excitement of perpetual motion and could serve as the finale of a middle-period piano sonata. Overall, though, the effort highlights recognition that Beethoven conceived the work in terms of an orchestra and reinforces appreciation for the brilliance of his realization.
• Barenboim, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (Decca DVD and CD, 2012; 37' [36']) � The significance of this set transcends matters of mere sound. Founded in 1999 by Israeli pianist/conductor/activist Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian scholar Edward Said, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra brings young Israeli and Arab musicians together each summer for intensive collaboration and world-wide tours. The hope, of course, is that cultural dialog will surmount political barriers to underline the shared aspirations of their respective societies and people. The effort may seem na�ve in light of present-day reality, but its compelling symbolism adds incalculable resonance to the impact of this essentially heavy, emphatic and solid reading. (Yet, before dismissing the effort as hopelessly idealistic, consider how athletics has bridged the equally vast gap of racism in a remarkably short time.) In purely sonic terms, this may not rank among the great Sevenths , and yet an intangible quality emerges from the commitment and enthusiasm of the playing. And that, in turn, serves as an essential reminder (which, hopefully, none of us needs) that music really is about much more than the music.
• Cooper, Barry: Beethoven (Oxford University Press, 2000)
• Deane, Basil: �The Symphonies and Overtures� in The Beethoven Companion (ed.: Denis Arnold and Nigel Fortune) (Faber & Faber, 1971)
• Grove, George: Beethoven and His Symphonies (Novello Evers & Co., 1898)
• Kinderman, Basil: Beethoven (University of California Press, 1995)
• Lockwood, Lewis: Beethoven � The Music and the Life (Norton, 2003)
• Marek: Beethoven � Biography of a Genius (Funk & Wagnalls, 1969)
• Philip, Robert: �Traditional Habits of Performance in Early Twentieth Century Recordings of Beethoven� in Performing Beethoven (ed.: Robin Stovall) (Cambridge University Press, 1994)
• Schindler, Anton Felix: Beethoven as I Knew Him (ed.: Donald W. MacArdle; tr.: Constance S. Jolly) (University of North Carolina Press, 1966 [originally published in 1866])
• Slonimsky, Nicolas: Lexicon of Musical Invective (Washington University Press, 1953)
• Solomon, Maynard: Beethoven (Schirmer, 1998)
• Steinberg, Michael: The Symphony (Oxford University Press, 1995)
• Tovey, Donald Francis: Essays in Musical Analysis (Oxford University Press, 1935)
• Thayer, Alexander Wheelock: Life of Beethoven (rev. and ed.: Elliot Forbes) (Princeton University Press, 1967)
• Notes to LPs and CDs:
• Affelder, Paul � notes to Ormandy/Philadelphia 78 set (Columbia M 557, 1944)
• Affelder, Paul � notes to Walter/NY Philharmonic LP (Columbia ML 4414, 1951)
• Deither, Jack � notes to Dorati/London Symphony CD (Mercury 289 462 958, 1999)
• Drabkin, William � notes to Bernstein/Vienna CD (DG 419 432 2, 1980)
• Drabkin, William � notes to Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music CD (Oiseau-Lyre 425 695-2, 1989)
• Freed, Richard � notes to Muti/Philadelphia LP (Angel S 37538, 1979)
• Gilman, Lawrence � notes to Toscanini/NBC LP box (RCA LM 6901, 1958)
• Jones, David Wyn � notes to Norrington/London Classical Players CD (EMI 7 49816 2 (1989)
• Kolodin, Irving � notes to Bernstein/NY Philharmonic LP (Columbia MS 6112, 1959)
• Lam, Basil � notes to Ansermet/Suisse Romande LP box (London Stereo Treasury STS 15464/9, 1975)
• McDonald, Tim � notes to Stokowski/New Philharmonia LP (London Phase Four SPC 21138, 1976)
• Neef, Sigrid � notes to Mravinsky/Leningrad Philharmonic CD (Melodiya/BMG 74321 29400 2, 1996)
• O�Connell, Charles � notes to Reiner/Chicago LP (RCA LSC-1991, 1958)
• Obert-Thorn, Mark � notes to Toscanini/NY Philharmonic CD set (Pearl GEMM CDS 9373, 1989)
• Sachs, Harvey � notes to Toscanini/BBC CD set (BBC BBCL 4016-2, 1999)

Copyright 2013 by Peter Gutmann

Ludwig van Beethoven ‘Symphony No. 7’: A Flurry of Triumph!

Published by alex burns on 5th october 2021 5th october 2021, ludwig van beethoven:  symphony no. 7.

Completed in 1812 and premiered in December 1813, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony has certainly remained one of his most popular works. The symphony is dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries – a nobleman and patron of the arts. The premiere of the symphony was at a charity concert in order to benefit the soldiers who had been wounded in the battle o Hanau. It has been recorded that Beethoven said this to the audience before the work was performed:

“We are moved by nothing but pure patriotism and the joyful sacrifice of our powers for those who have sacrificed so much for us.”

Also included in this charity concert was  Wellington’s Victory  – a triumphant and highly patriotic orchestral work also composed by Beethoven. The orchestra was conducted by the popular conductor of the time, and friend of Beethoven’s – Ignaz Schuppanzigh.

The work was very well received by audiences across Europe, with the second movement  Allegretto  being a particular highlight. The high energy that runs through the music, as well as the beauty and drama, makes this a stand-out orchestral work. The music of this symphony can be described as vivacious, victorious, powerful, bold and tender – a thrilling mixture of atmospheres and emotions.

Scored in four movements, the Seventh Symphony typically lasts 40 minutes. The four movements are as follows:

I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace (A major)

II. Allegretto (A minor)

III. Presto – Assai meno presto (trio) (F major – D major)

IV. Allegro con brio (A major)

The Seventh is known for its development of rhythms and varying tonal centers, with Beethoven honing in on these particular aspects throughout. The symphony is full of tenacity and life, which makes it stand out in many concert programmes, even today.

I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace

The first movement, after an iconic Beethovian opening burst, is an expanded introduction. Most notable in this opening is Beethoven’s use of long ascending scalic movements, which are passed around the ensemble. Beethoven also applies a series of cascading modulations throughout the introduction where the music passes through A major, C major and F major.

The transition into the vivacious  Vivace  section is dominated by the shift to lively dance rhythms. Beethoven uses dotted rhythms to further explore the intricate relationship between compound time and complex rhythmic structures.

This movement is in sonata form, and the development section takes us into the sunny key of C major, with extensive musical episodes in F major. The movement, unusually, finishes with a very long coda. There is a famous section of music in the coda, which consists of a two-bar motif repeated ten times, with the bass instruments pedalling an impressive low E.  The triumphant horns, high strings complete this movement in the comfortable tonic key of A major.

II. Allegretto

The famous second movement, which was encored at its premiere in 1813, is in the darker key of A minor. Unlike many slow movements of classical symphonies, this one is still marked ‘Allegretto’, which means ‘a little lively’. So in the context of this symphony, it is the slowest movement, however, in the context of other classical-era symphonies, this is a rather quick slow movement.

This movement has been said to reflect Haydn’s musical impression on Beethoven, due to the heavy reliance of the string section. The advancements in this orchestral writing are following the same mission that Haydn carried out throughout his works.

Structured in a double variation form, the music begins with the main melody played by the violas and cellos, which turns into an ostinato. This very simple crotchet-quaver motif is passed onto the upper strings until the next theme is introduced by the upper string sections.

The shift to A major from A minor is led by the clarinets, who play a calm melody above the slightly uneasy triplets played by the violins below. The intricate string writing in this movement keeps the drive going through the music, and it is clear as to why it has remained such a popular movement of music. Today, orchestras often programme this movement alone to perform in concerts.

III. Presto – Assai meno presto 

The third movement, a classic scherzo-trio combo, is based in the dominant key of D major. What is noticeable in this movement is Beethoven’s extensive use of the upper winds, namely the flutes and oboes, who often bring the main melodies out.

The trio is based on an Austrian pilgrims’ hymn, and unusually, is played twice instead of once. The dramatic timpani hits bring life to the transitional cells of music throughout this movement, and indeed the whole symphony.

IV. Allegro con brio

The Finale movement to Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is in sonata form. The sheer force throughout this movement is one, if not the most striking aspect of the music. The dramatic changes in dynamic and the rich orchestration create quite the thrilling Finale!

The whirling dance energy throughout is brought to life by pointed dotted rhythms and swirling semiquaver runs. The music is precise, fiery and full of power. There is a rare marking of the dynamic  fff,  which, for Beethoven’s time, was rarely seen. The exchanges between the winds and strings are intricate and wonderfully resonant of past themes throughout the whole symphony.

The final movement sweeps along at an irrepressible pace, with the notes flying off the page! This inspired symphony is not only a work loved by the masses, but Beethoven himself regarded this as  “one of my best works” –  so who are we to disagree?!

Ⓒ Alex Burns

Happy Reading!

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Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92

Ludwig van Beethoven  (Composer)

Romantic composer Hector Berlioz when discussing the Allegretto of Beethoven ’s Symphony No. 7 quoted English poet Lord Byron: “ One fatal remembrance — on sorrow that throws/its bleak shade alike o’er our joys and our woes — ” Captivated by the second movement’s mystery and Saturnian sentiment, however, he added: “But a ray of hope appears: these heartbreaking sounds are followed by a transparent melody, pure, simple, gentle, sad and resigned, like patience smiling to suffering.” A cornerstone of the symphonic repertoire, Symphony No. 7 is famous for its fast-paced rhythm that blurs the boundaries between the main and secondary themes. The intricate canonical structure itself seems to crush under the bellicose orchestra’s sound. Between the almost whispered pianissimi and some titanic crescendos , the 7th Symphony  shares all the colors of its author’s personality. It is not by chance that Beethoven himself declared that it was “one of his best works!”

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medici.tv is the best online platform for live streaming Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92, offering you a VIP ticket to the most famous productions with world-class artists captured in the best audio quality and HD video! A cornerstone of the symphonic repertoire, Beethoven’s 7th is composed of four deeply provocative movements, each with its own character. According to the composer himself, the 2nd movement in particular, Allegretto , is “one of his best works.” Rediscover Beethoven’s eternal masterpieces, including his Symphony No. 7, Op. 92, streaming on medici.tv whenever you want: in any place and at any time!

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A selection of our live streamed performances of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony are available for free to all registered users, and the rest can be unlocked with a subscription. Our live video events stream right to your living room from the most famous concert halls, and you can watch them on your biggest screens with AirPlay, Chromecast, and our new Roku app! Watch one of the most celebrated Beethoven symphonies, the Seventh Symphony, performed by some of the best orchestras in the world, conducted by classical music’s most brilliant directors, such as Herbert von Karajan , Claudio Abbado , and Klaus Mäkelä .

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Wagner commented on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in his essay The Artwork of the Future , and his words made history: “The symphony is the apotheosis of the dance itself: it is dance in its highest aspect, the loftiest deed of bodily motion, incorporated into an ideal mold of tone. Beethoven in his works put the body in music, merging body and spirit.” Although his judgment comes under Romantic influences, there is some truth in it, since Symphony No. 7 is a paroxysm of rhythmic and melodic development. While some have found some echoes of popular Hungarian and Slavic music in this titanic sound architecture, the main inspiration of the 7th must be traced to the political situation of Beethoven’s time. Its ardor comes from the most animated patriotic feelings towards the war between Austria and the hated Napoleon I, the French Emperor. Come hear this cry for eternal freedom, played by some exceptional interpreters, on your favorite streaming platform, medici.tv!

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Moving from Life to Death and Back Again:

Beethoven's symphony no. 7 in a major (1812).

“This symphony is the Apotheosis of Dance ” — Richard Wagner, The Art-Work of the Future , 1849 1

This comment by Wagner, delivered as part of his historical rationale for his music dramas, has become inseparably connected to Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. Although derived partly from Wagner’s belief that symphonies arose from dance music, he hits upon a very important aspect of Beethoven's seventh, one that ties the work to the Promethean metaphor: rhythm.

In the Seventh, Beethoven suffuses each movement with a unique and persistent rhythmic pattern, which he develops alongside melody and harmony through changes in duration, orchestration, and texture. As you heard in the audio example, the first movement’s long-short-long rhythm acts as a sort of primeval soil from which musical themes spring. Although such a use of rhythm was not unknown, no one previously had attempted anything akin to what Beethoven did in the Seventh. Beethoven’s opening the door of rhythm for a future composer might be akin to a painter discovering oil paint after only using watercolors: entirely new ways of representation become available.

Wagner’s appellation is only part of the symphony’s story, as Franz describes below: The symphony is broadly explores different kinds of movement, of which dance is only one. The second movement, one of Beethoven’s most famous pieces and encored at the symphony’s premiere, is centered on a solemn processional rhythm. This dirge-like rhythm becomes the bedrock for layers of new musical lines, the pressure of which eventually culminates in an enormous outpouring of emotion.

Beethoven did not have to give the second movement a tragic cast. That he did is significant; following on the heels of the joyous, dance-like first movement, this movement seems to reflect the opposite, with intimations of mortality. Like dance, a funeral procession has a rhythm of its own, and in this movement, the inexorable progress of its long-short-short-long-long rhythmic pattern can reflect the unstoppable march of time. That the first movement introduces an idea and the second movement introduces complication is not unique to this symphony: Beethoven does it in the Fourth Symphony as well .

Perhaps as an antidote to such a dark second movement, the remaining two movements return to the high spirits of the first. The third movement, a scherzo, is at turns bubbly and rustic, with a signature rhythm of long-short. In the trio sections, Beethoven reveals the rhythm’s connection to that of the first movement, helping bridge the distance created by the tragic second. The finale, in the words of Beethoven biographer Jan Swafford, “resembles a Scottish reel,” 1 but also contains incredibly elaborate rhythmic transformations. Theorist Donald Tovey has analyzed how the opening seconds of the movement contain three different rhythmic patterns that Beethoven will develop. 2 That the symphony moves both toward greater abandon while upping the rhythmic ante seems to offer an answer to the question posed by the first and second movements: If all movement must end, then one can and must still move — and live.

1 Richard Wagner’s Prose Works, Vol. 1 : The Art-Work of the Future , translated by William Ashton Ellis (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1895), 124.

2 Jan Swafford. Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014), 617.

3 Donald Francis Tovey. Symphonies and Other Orchestral Works (Mineola, NY: Dover, 1981, 2015), 75-76.

Alexander Lawler

Alexander Lawler is a Historical Musicology PhD student at Case Western Reserve University. This is his third year working in the Orchestra’s Archives, having previously written “From the Archives” online essays (2015-2016) and designed a photo digitization and metadata project (2016-2017).

The Prometheus Project

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THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.7

On November 11 & 12, Kensho Watanabe and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present OLGA KERN PLAYS BEETHOVEN with pianist Olga Kern.

THE STORY BEHIND: Beethoven's Symphony No.7 Title: Symphony No.7, op.92, A major Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1770-1827 ) Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: Last performed March 17, 2018 with Victor Yampolsky conducting. This piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

The Story: The expression “from the sublime to the ridiculous” could have applied to the 1813 concert program on which Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was premiered. It began with the new symphony that the master had touted as “one of my best” (an opinion he later maintained). The concert continued with marches written by Dussek and Pleyel for Mälzel’s “Mechanical Trumpeter.” It concluded with the orchestral version of Beethoven’s Wellington’s Victory (the “battle symphony”). Contemporary reports confirm that the event was a great triumph for Ludwig van Beethoven and that the second movement of the Seventh Symphony even had to be encored.         Although the Seventh Symphony has its own unique personality, Beethoven carried over certain aspects of the Fifth and Sixth symphonies into it. From the Fifth came the motor impulse of a single driving rhythm. However, unlike the Fifth, each movement of the Seventh finds its own unique rhythm to generate themes. From the “Pastoral” Symphony, the Seventh inherits a celebration of Nature. In the Sixth, this often took the form of reflection and quiet reverence, but in the Seventh, it is a vibrant, life-affirming paean.This vibrancy is particularly apparent in the peasant round-dance character of the first movement after a lengthy slow introduction. One repetitive rhythm pervades the entire movement, generating nearly all the ideas Beethoven needs.         The second movement is based on one of Beethoven’s famous hymn-like themes, and this one suggests noble tragedy. Later, listen for brighter sections and growing complexity, leading to some of the most thrilling moments in all of Beethoven’s symphonic writing.         The sunny and exhilarating Scherzo movement comes at the right time, with a main section that features a bouncy quality and broad wit. However, a recurring contrast section stops that dance motion for a time, giving the music a magical, time-suspended quality.         Beethoven’s rhythmic impulse returns in the dance-like finale. However, it has more wildness than the first movement. Some older critics have found this to be somewhat “irresponsible” in spirit or even “terrifying.” However, Beethoven biographer J.W.N. Sullivan recognizes that here “we are in the region of pure ecstasy, a reckless, headlong ecstasy, a more than Bacchic festival of joy.”

Program Notes by Dr. Michael Fink © 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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music is a journey

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 [Concertgebouworkest, Iván Fischer]

Conducted by the Hungarian conductor and composer Iván Fischer, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (a symphony orchestra in the Netherlands, based at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw) performs Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92. Recorded at Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam in January 2014. Published by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra channel .

Beethoven composed his 7th symphony between 1811 and 1812, while improving his health in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice. The work is dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries. The premiere concert of the work was on December 8, 1813. It was performed to benefit the soldiers wounded a few months earlier in the battle of Hanau. It was one of Beethoven’s most successful concerts. The second movement, Allegretto, was the most popular movement and had to be encored. Even today, the second movement remains extremely popular and is often performed separately.

The symphony is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in A (E and D in the inner movements), 2 trumpets in D, timpani, and strings.

Related: Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 [Wiener Philharmoniker, Thielemann]

The Seventh Symphony of Beethoven is in four movements (with starting times in the video):

• 00:00 Poco sostenuto – Vivace starts with a slow introduction – Poco sostenuto – solemn and majestic in character. Then, on the rhythmical background we hear the motif of Part I. This first part brings many new elements, hard to decipher, because perfection expressed through sounds cannot be translated into words.
• 14:44 Allegretto Like the opening movement of his Fifth Symphony, the Allegretto of the Seventh is an astounding example of how Beethoven could fashion a vast world from the humblest of materials. Historically, it was the most celebrated movement by far. The audience at the premiere clamored for it to be repeated, and Richard Freed reports that it was so notoriously popular throughout the following two decades that it sometimes was substituted for the slow movements of Beethoven”s earlier symphonies. While in the first part the A major sonorities conferred greatness and sumptuousness, the theme in Part II, in A minor, brings a whole new atmosphere, thus emphasizing the contrast between the two.
• 24:31 Presto – Assai meno presto (trio) represents a splendid triumph in rendering the scherzo form. As a whole, it conveys a genuine bucolic scene with pictural meanings and associations. In Trio, the composer uses a theme from an Austrian folkloric song, the theme of which had been jotted down while Beethoven was in Teplitz.
• 34: 07 Allegro con brio manages an immense joy from beginning to the end. Practically, this is the point where dance begins. Everything is captured by movement like a popular folkloric song. The second theme is in fact a typical tune from a Hungarian dance. The great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky thought that this segment captures “a whole series of images, full of unrestrained joy, full of bliss and pleasure of life”. Listening to this symphony’s grand finale one can hardly decide what to think more astonishing: Beethoven’s amazing creative fantasy, the impeccable form, the amazing talent in using all the musical resources in developing the themes or his compact, luscious, sumptuous instrumentation. A profusion of secondary themes obsessively hammer home forceful figures, dotted accents and sustained notes, all reminiscent of the elements animating the prior movements but now concentrated and cohesively united. The movement, and the entire symphony, culminates in a final brickbat at customary expression – the first use of a startling triple forte (fff) in any of Beethoven’s scores.

Related: Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 [Pan-European Philharmonia, Peter Tiboris]

• Symphony No. 7 (Beethoven) on Wikipedia
• Beethoven, Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 on awesomestories.com
• Symphony No.7 on all-about-beethoven.com
• classicalnotes.net
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Hector Berlioz:

A critical study of the symphonies of beethoven.

(From A travers chants )

Translated by Michel Austin

© Michel Austin

Contents of this page:

Introduction Symphony no. 1 Symphony no. 2 Symphony no. 3 Symphony no. 4 Symphony no. 5 Symphony no. 6 Symphony no. 7 Symphony no. 8 Symphony no. 9

This page is also available in the original French

Introduction

    Some thirty six or seven years ago, Beethoven’s works, which at the time were completely unknown in France, were tried out at the Opéra’s concerts spirituels . Today it would be hard to believe the storm of criticism from the majority of musicians that greeted this wonderful music. It was described as bizarre, incoherent, diffuse, bristling with harsh modulations and wild harmonies, bereft of melody, over the top, too noisy, and horribly difficult to play. To satisfy the demands of the men of good taste who at the time held sway at the Académie royale de musique , M. Habeneck, who later organised and directed with such care the performance of the symphonies at the Conservatoire, found himself obliged to make monstrous cuts in them, of a kind that would only be tolerated in a ballet by Gallemberg or an opera by Gaveaux. Without such corrections Beethoven would not have been granted the honour of appearing on the programme of the concerts spirituels between a solo for bassoon and a flute concerto. At the first hearing of those passages that had been marked with a red pencil, Kreutzer took to flight blocking his ears, and he had to summon all his courage to steel himself to listen at the other rehearsals to what was left of the symphony in D major ( no. 2 ). Let us not forget that M. Kreutzer’s opinion on Beethoven was shared by ninety nine per cent of musicians in Paris at the time, and that without the persistent efforts of the tiny fraction who took the opposite view, the greatest composer of modern times would probably still be largely unknown today. The mere fact that fragments of Beethoven were performed at the Opéra was therefore of considerable significance, and we can state this with good reason, since without this the Société des concerts du Conservatoire would probably not have been founded. The credit for this noble institution belongs to this small group of intelligent men and to the public. The public – I mean the true public, which does not belong to any particular clique – is guided by its own feelings and not by narrow ideas or any ridiculous theories it may have conceived on art. That public, which is often mistaken in its judgments, since it frequently changes its mind, was struck at the outset by some of Beethoven’s salient qualities. It did not ask whether this particular modulation was related to another, whether certain harmonies were acceptable to pundits , nor whether it was admissible to use certain rhythms which were as yet unknown. All it noticed was that these rhythms, harmonies and modulations, adorned with noble and passionate melodies, and enhanced by powerful orchestral writing, exerted on it a strong impression of a completely novel kind. Nothing more was needed to stimulate its applause. Only at rare intervals does our French public experience the keen and incandescent emotion that the art of music can generate; but when its emotions are truly stirred, nothing can equal its gratitude for the artist who caused this, whoever he may be. Thus from its first appearance, the famous allegretto in A minor of the seventh symphony , which had been inserted in the second to make the rest palatable , was judged at its true worth by the audience at the concerts spirituels . A loud clamour arose for the piece to be repeated, and at the second performance the first movement and scherzo of the symphony in D ( no. 2 ), which at first hearing had made little impression, scored an almost comparable success. The obvious interest in Beethoven that the public began to show from then on doubled the energy of his defenders and reduced to inaction, if not to silence, the majority of his detractors. Little by little, thanks to these glimmerings of dawn which tell the clear-sighted on which side the sun is about to rise, the core of supporters increased in size and the result was the foundation, almost entirely for Beethoven’s sake, of the magnificent Société du Conservatoire , which nowadays has scarcely a rival in the world.

    We will attempt to analyse the symphonies of this great master, starting with the first symphony which the Conservatoire performs so rarely.

I Symphony in C major

    Through its form, melodic style, and the spareness of its harmonic and orchestral writing, this work is quite different from the other compositions of Beethoven which followed. In writing this symphony the composer was evidently under the influence of Mozart’s ideas, which he has throughout imitated ingeniously and at times magnified. But in the first and second movements one can notice from time to time certain rhythmic patterns which the author of Don Giovanni has admittedly used, but very rarely and in a much less striking way. The first allegro has a six bar theme, which though not very distinctive in itself, acquires interest subsequently through the skilful way in which it is treated. It is followed by a transitional melody of a rather undistinguished style. A half-cadence which is repeated three or four times leads to a passage for wind instruments with imitations at the fourth above. It is all the more surprising to find this here, as it was often used before in several overtures to French operas.

    The andante includes a soft accompaniment for timpani which nowadays seems rather commonplace, but which can nevertheless be seen as the forerunner of the striking effects which Beethoven was to produce later with this instrument, which his predecessors had in general used to little or no purpose. This piece is full of charm; the theme is graceful and lends itself well to fugal developments, through which the composer has been able to exploit it in ingenious and witty ways.

    The scherzo is the first born in this family of delightful musical jests (scherzi), a form invented by Beethoven who established its tempo. In almost all his instrumental works it takes the place of the minuet of Mozart and Haydn, which is only half the speed of the scherzo and very different in character. This one is delightful in its freshness, nimbleness, and charm. It is the only really novel piece in this work, in which the poetic idea, which plays such a large and rich part in the majority of works which followed, is completely absent. This is admirably crafted music, clear, alert, but lacking in strong personality, cold and sometimes rather small-minded, as for example in the final rondo, which has the character of a musical amusement. In a word, this is not Beethoven. We are about to meet him.

II Symphony in D major

    Everything in this symphony is noble, energetic and proud; the introduction ( largo ) is a masterpiece. The most beautiful effects follow in quick succession, always in unexpected ways but without causing any confusion. The melody has a touching solemnity; from the very first bars it commands respect and sets the emotional tone. Rhythms are now more adventurous, the orchestral writing richer, more sonorous and varied. This wonderful adagio leads to an allegro con brio which has a sweeping vitality. The grupetto in the first bar of the theme played by violas and cellos in unison is subsequently developed it its own right, either to generate surging crescendo passages or to bring about imitations between wind and strings, all of them at once novel and lively in character. In the middle comes a melody, played by clarinets, horns and bassoons for the first half, and rounded off as a tutti by the rest of the orchestra; it has a masculine energy which is further enhanced by the felicitous choice of accompanying chords. The andante is not treated in the same way as that of the first symphony; instead of a theme developed in canonical imitation it consists of a pure and innocent theme, presented at first plainly by the strings, then exquisitely embellished with delicate strokes; they faithfully reproduce the tender character of the main theme. This is the enchanting depiction of innocent joy, scarcely troubled by passing touches of melancholy. The scherzo is as openly joyful in its capricious fantasy as the andante was completely happy and calm. Everything in this symphony smiles, and even the martial surges of the first allegro are free from any hint of violence; they only speak of the youthful ardour of a noble heart which has preserved intact the most beautiful illusions of life. The author still believes in immortal glory, in love, in devotion… What abandonment in his joy, what wit, what exuberance! The various instruments fight over particles of a theme which none of them plays in full, yet each fragment is coloured in a thousand different ways by being tossed from one instrument to the other. To hear this is like witnessing the enchanted sport of Oberon’s graceful spirits. The finale is of the same character: it is a scherzo in double time, perhaps even more delicate and witty in its playfulness.

III Eroica Symphony

    It is a serious mistake to truncate the title which the composer provided for the symphony. It reads: Heroic symphony to commemorate the memory of a great man . As will be seen, the subject here is not battles or triumphal marches, as many, misled by the abbreviated title, might expect, but rather deep and serious thoughts, melancholy memories, ceremonies of imposing grandeur and sadness, in short a funeral oration for a hero. I know few examples in music of a style where sorrow has been so unfailingly conveyed in forms of such purity and such nobility of expression.

    The first movement is in triple time and in a tempo which is almost that of a waltz, yet nothing could be more serious and more dramatic than this allegro . The energetic theme on which it is built is not at first presented in its complete form. Contrary to normal practice, the composer has initially provided only a glimpse of his melodic idea, which is only revealed in its full power after a few bars’ introduction. The rhythmic writing is extremely striking in the frequent use of syncopation and, through the stress on the weak beat, the insertion of bars in duple time into bars in triple time. When to this irregular rhythm some harsh dissonances are added, as we find towards the middle of the development section, where the first violins play a high F natural against an E natural, the fifth of the chord of A minor, it is difficult not to shudder at this depiction of indomitable fury. This is the voice of despair and almost of rage. Yet one wonders, Why this despair, Why this rage? The reason for it is not obvious. Then in the next bar the orchestra suddenly calms down, as though, exhausted by its own outburst, its strength was abruptly deserting it. A gentler passage follows, which evokes all the most painful feelings that memory can stir in the mind. It is impossible to describe or merely to indicate the multiplicity of melodic and harmonic guises in which Beethoven presents his theme. We will only mention an extremely odd case, which has caused a great deal of argument. The French publisher corrected it in his edition of the score, in the belief it was an engraving error, but after further enquiry the passage was reinstated. The first and second violins on their own are playing tremolando a major second (B flat, A flat), part of the chord of the seventh on the dominant of E flat, when a horn gives the impression of having made a mistake by coming in four bars too soon, and rudely intrudes with the beginning of the main theme which consists only of the notes E flat, G, E flat, B flat. The strange effect produced by this melody built on the three notes of the tonic chord against the two discordant notes of the dominant chord can easily be imagined, even though the distance between the parts greatly softens the clash. But just as the ear is about to protest against this anomaly, an energetic tutti cuts off the horn, ends piano on the tonic chord and gives way to the entry of the cellos which then play the complete theme with the appropriate harmony. Taking a detached view it is difficult to find a serious justification for this musical caprice*. But it is said that the author attached much importance to it. It is even related that at the first rehearsal of the symphony, M. Ries who was present stopped the orchestra and exclaimed: "Too early, too early, the horn is wrong!". As a reward for his indiscretion, he was roundly taken to task by a furious Beethoven.

    *However you look at it, if that was really what Beethoven wanted, and if there is any truth in the anecdotes which circulate on the subject, it must be admitted that this whim is an absurdity.

    There is no comparable oddity in the rest of the score. The funeral march is a drama in its own right. It is like a translation of Virgil’s beautiful lines on the funeral procession of the young Pallas:

Multaque praeterea Laurentis praemia pugnae Adgerat, et longo praedam jubet ordine duci. Post bellator equus, positis insignibus, Aethon It lacrymans, guttisque humectat grandibus ora.

    The ending in particular is deeply moving. The theme of the march returns, but now in a fragmented form, interspersed with silences, and only accompanied by three pizzicato notes in the double basses. When these tatters of the sad melody, left on their own, bare, broken and lifeless, have collapsed one after the other onto the tonic, the wind instruments utter a final cry, the last farewell of the warriors to their companion in arms, and the whole orchestra fades away on a pianissimo pause.

    Following normal practice the third movement is entitled scherzo . In Italian the word means play, or jest. At first sight it is hard to see how this kind of music can find a place in this epic composition. It has to be heard to be understood. The piece does indeed have the rhythm and tempo of a scherzo ; these are games, but real funeral games, constantly darkened by thoughts of death, games of the kind that the warriors of the Iliad would celebrate around the tombs of their leaders. Even in his most imaginative orchestral developments Beethoven has been able to preserve the serious and sombre colouring, the deep sadness which of course had to predominate in such a subject.

    The finale is just a continuation of the same poetical idea. There is a very striking example of orchestral writing at the beginning, which illustrates the kind of effect that can be produced by juxtaposing different instrumental timbres. The violins play a B flat, which is immediately taken up by flutes and oboes as a kind of echo. Although the sound is played at the same dynamic level, at the same speed and with the same force, the dialogue produces such a great difference between the notes that the nuance between them might be likened to the contrast between blue and purple . Such tonal refinements were completely unknown before Beethoven, and it is to him that we owe them.

    For all its great variety this finale is nevertheless built on a simple fugal theme. Besides a profusion of ingenious details the composer develops on top of it two other themes, one of which is exceptionally beautiful. The melody is as it were derived from a different one, but its shape conceals this. On the contrary it is much more touching and expressive, far more graceful than the original theme, which has rather the character of a bass line and serves this function very well. This melody returns shortly before the end, in a slower tempo and with different harmonies which further enhance its sad character. The hero costs many a tear. After these final regrets devoted to his memory the poet abandons the elegiac tone and intones with rapture a hymn of glory. Though rather brief this conclusion is very brilliant and provides a fitting crown to the musical monument.

    Beethoven may have written more striking works than this symphony, and several of his other compositions make a greater impact on the public. But it has to be admitted that the Eroica symphony is so powerful in its musical thought and execution, its style so energetic and so constantly elevated, and its form so poetic, that it is the equal of the composer’s very greatest works. Whenever this symphony is performed I am overcome with feelings of deep and as it were antique sadness; yet the public seems hardly moved. One must feel sorry for the predicament of the artist: though fired with such enthusiasm he has not managed to make himself intelligible even to an élite audience and make it rise it to the level of his own inspiration. This is all the more regrettable as in other circumstances this same audience warms up to the composer and shares his emotion and tears. It is fired with an ardent and genuine passion for some of his compositions, which may be equally worthy of admiration but are nevertheless no more beautiful than this work. It appreciates at its true worth the allegretto in A minor of the seventh symphony , the allegretto scherzando of the eighth , the finale of the fifth , the scherzo of the ninth . It even appears to be deeply moved by the funeral march of this symphony – the Eroica . But as far as the first movement is concerned, there is no escaping the truth, and I have observed this for more than twenty years: the public listens to it with composure, regards it as a well crafted and quite powerful piece, but beyond that … nothing. There is no point in philosophising. It is no good saying to oneself that the same has always been true everywhere for all artistic creations of an elevated kind, that the springs of poetic emotion are hidden and difficult to fathom, that the feeling for beauty which some individuals possess is completely absent from the masses, even that it cannot possibly be otherwise… None of this provides any consolation or can appease the anger – call it instinctive, involuntary, even absurd if you like – which fills one’s heart at the sight of a misunderstood masterpiece, of a composition of such nobility which the crowd observes but does not see, listens to but does not hear, and allows to pass by with hardly a sideways glance, as though dealing with something mediocre or ordinary. It is dreadful to have to say to oneself with total certainty: what I find beautiful is beauty itself for me, but may not be so for my best friend. Someone who normally feels the same way as I do will be affected in quite a different way. It may be that the work which sends me into raptures, makes me shiver, and moves me to tears, leaves him cold, or even annoys and irritates him…

    The majority of great poets have no feeling for music and only enjoy melodies of a trivial or childish character. Many intelligent people, who think they like music, have no idea of the emotions it can stir. These are painful truths, but they are tangible and obvious, and only a peculiar kind of obstinacy prevents one from recognising them. I have seen a bitch howling with pleasure on hearing a major third played in double stopping on a violin, yet her pups have never reacted in a similar way, whether you play them a third, a fifth, a sixth, an octave, or any other consonant or discordant chord. Whatever the composition of the public, it always reacts to great musical conceptions in the same way as that bitch and her pups. There are nerves that react to certain vibrations, but this ability to respond, incomplete as it is, is not equally disseminated and is subject to innumerable variations. It follows that it is virtual lunacy to rely on some artistic means rather than others to affect it and that the best a composer can do is to remain blindly true to his own feelings and resign himself in advance to all the whims of fortune. One day I was walking out of the Conservatoire with three or four dilettanti after a performance of the Choral symphony .

– How do you find this work? one of them asked me.

– Immense! magnificent! overwhelming!

– That is strange, I was bored stiff. And what about you? he added, turning to an Italian…

– Well, I find this unintelligible, or rather intolerable, there is no melody… But here are some papers talking about it, and let us see what they say:

– Beethoven’s Choral symphony is the pinnacle of modern music; art has yet to produce anything comparable for the nobility of its style, the grandeur of the design and the finish of the details.

(Another paper) – Beethoven’s Choral symphony is a monstrosity.

(Another paper) – This work is not completely barren of ideas, but they are poorly presented and the sum total is incoherent and devoid of charm.

(Another paper) – Beethoven’s Choral symphony has some wonderful passages, but the composer was obviously short of inspiration. As his exhausted imagination let him down he had to devote his energies, sometimes to good effect, to making up through craftsmanship what he was lacking in inspiration. The few themes found in the work are superbly treated and set out in a perfectly clear and logical sequence. In short, it is a very interesting work by a tired genius .

    Where is the truth, and where is the error? Everywhere and nowhere. Everybody is right. What to someone seems beautiful is not so for someone else, simply because one person was moved and the other remained indifferent, and the former experienced profound delight while the latter acute boredom. What can be done about this?… nothing… but it is dreadful; I would rather be mad and believe in absolute beauty.

IV Symphony in B flat

    Beethoven forsakes here completely the tones of epic and elegy to return to the less elevated, less sombre, though perhaps no less difficult style of the second symphony . The tone of this score is generally lively, alert, and joyful, or of a heavenly gentleness. Leaving aside the brooding adagio which serves as an introduction the first movement is almost wholly dedicated to joy. The theme in detached notes with which the allegro begins is no more than a canvas on which the composer lays out subsequently other more substantial melodies, and what looked at the start of the movement like the principal theme is made to appear of secondary importance.

    Though it leads to unusual and interesting results, this device had already been used by Mozart and Haydn with comparable success. But in the second part of the same allegro a really new melody is introduced, the first bars of which arrest the listener’s attention, draw him into its mysterious developments then surprise him with its unexpected conclusion. This is what happens. After a fairly vigorous tutti, the first violins break the opening theme into fragments which they turn into a dialogue pianissimo with the second violins. This leads to held notes on the dominant seventh of the key of B natural, each of which is separated by two bars of silence, filled only by a soft tremolo on the timpani on the note B flat, the enharmonic major third of the fundamental F sharp. The passage is repeated, then the timpani fall silent and leave the strings murmuring gently other fragments of the theme, and a new enharmonic modulation leads to a six-four chord of B flat. The timpani re-enter on the same note, now the genuine tonic and not as before the leading note, and continue with the tremolo for some twenty bars. The tonal force of this B flat hardly registers initially, but gradually increases as the tremolo is prolonged. Then the other instruments intersperse their forward momentum with short and incomplete fragments under the continuous rumble of the timpani, and this leads to a general forte where the perfect chord of B flat is finally established in all its majesty in the full orchestra. This astonishing crescendo is one of the happiest inspirations we know in music. The only passage that could be compared is the conclusion of the famous scherzo of the symphony in C minor , though despite its overwhelming impact it is not conceived on such a vast scale, as it starts from piano to reach the final explosion but without departing from the home key, whereas the crescendo we have just described starts mezzo forte , disappears for a while in a pianissimo under harmonies of constantly vague and indeterminate colour, then reappears with chords in a more defined tonality, and only bursts out when the cloud obscuring this modulation has completely dissipated. It is like a river whose peaceful flow vanishes suddenly from sight and only re-emerges from its underground course to come crashing down in a foaming waterfall.

    As for the adagio , it defies analysis… So pure are the forms, so angelic the expression of the melody and so irresistibly tender, that the prodigious skill of the craftsmanship is completely hidden from view. From the very first bars one is gripped by emotion which by the end has reached an unbearable pitch of intensity. It is only among one of the giants of poetry that it is possible to find something to compare to this sublime movement from the giant of music. Nothing resembles more the impression made by this adagio than the feelings one experiences when reading the touching episode of Francesca di Rimini in the Divina Commedia , the narrative of which Virgil cannot hear without bursting into tears, and which at the last verse causes Dante to fall, just as a dead body collapses . This movement seems to have been breathed by the archangel Michael when, seized with a fit of melancholy, he contemplated the universe, standing on the threshold of the empyrean.

    The scherzo consists almost entirely of phrases in two beats that are forced to fit into the framework of bars in triple time. Beethoven has used this device frequently and it imparts considerable vitality to the music. Melodic endings become as a result more incisive and unexpected; in any case, these cross-rhythms have in themselves real charm, though it is difficult to explain why. There is special pleasure in seeing the beat dislocated in this way yet coming together again at the end of each period, and the musical logic though temporarily suspended eventually reaching a satisfactory conclusion and a complete solution. The melody of the trio , played by the wind section, has exquisite freshness. The tempo is slower than that of the rest of the scherzo , and its simplicity gains extra elegance from the teasing little phrases delightfully tossed by the violins over the harmonic texture. The finale is joyful and alert and restricts itself to normal rhythmic forms. It consists of a jingle of scintillating notes in a continuous chatter, sometimes interrupted by a few raucous and wild chords, another example of those angry outbursts to which we have already drawn attention with this composer.

V Symphony in C minor

    This, without doubt the most famous of the symphonies, is also in our opinion the first in which Beethoven gave wings to his vast imagination without being guided by or relying on any external source of inspiration. In the first , second and fourth symphonies, he has more or less enlarged already existing forms, suffusing them with all the poetry his youthful vigour was capable of adding in terms of brilliant and passionate inspiration. In the third (the Eroica ) the forms are admittedly broadened and the musical thought rises to great heights, yet there is no mistaking the influence of one of those divine poets whom the great artist had long worshipped in his heart. Beethoven, faithful to the precept of Horace:

«Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna»,

regularly read Homer, and in his magnificent musical epic, inspired, it is said rightly or wrongly, by a contemporary hero, the memories of the ancient Iliad self-evidently play a wonderfully beautiful part.

    By contrast the C minor symphony seems to arise directly and solely from Beethoven’s own genius. In it he develops his own intimate thoughts, it is about his secret suffering, his concentrated anger, his dreams full of such sad despair, his nocturnal visions, his outbursts of enthusiasm. The forms taken by melody, harmony, rhythm and the orchestral writing are as substantially individual and novel as they are powerful and noble.

    The first movement depicts those turbulent feelings which move a great soul seized with despair – not the calm and concentrated despair which has an air of resignation, nor the sombre and silent despair of Romeo learning of the death of Juliet, but rather the terrifying fury of Othello when he hears from the mouth of Iago the poisonous calumnies which convince him of Desdemona’s crime. At times the mood is one of frenzied delirium which breaks out in terrifying cries, at others one of exaggerated despair which can express nothing but regret and self-pity. Listen to those orchestral hiccoughs, the chords exchanged between wind and strings which grow fainter as they come and go, like the painful breathing of a dying man, then give way to a violent gesture, where the orchestra seems to rise again revived by a flash of anger. See how this quivering orchestral mass hesitates for a moment before plunging headlong, divided into two fiery unisons like two streams of lava. Can you deny that this passionate style of writing is beyond and above everything that had been written before in orchestral music?

    There is a striking example in this movement of the effect produced by the occasionally excessive doubling of parts and of the raw character of the chord of a fourth on the supertonic, in other words the second inversion of the dominant. It occurs frequently without preparation or resolution, and once even without the leading note and on a pause: the low D is in all the string voices, while there is a bare and dissonant G on top in some wind parts.

    The character of the adagio is rather reminiscent of the allegretto in A minor of the seventh symphony and of the slow movement in E flat of the fourth . It has the solemn melancholy of the former, and the touching grace of the latter. The theme played first by the cellos and violas in unison, with a simple pizzicato accompaniment in the double basses, is followed by a passage for wind instruments which keeps returning in identical form and in the same key from beginning to end of the movement, whatever the successive changes undergone by the first theme. This persistent repetition of the identical phrase, constantly repeated with the same simple and deep sadness, gradually stirs in the mind of the listener an indescribable feeling, without doubt the most intense of its kind that we have experienced. Among the most daring harmonic effects in this sublime elegy we may mention: 1 0 the high note held by flutes and clarinets on the dominant E flat while the strings are active lower down and progress through the chord of the sixth, D flat, F, B flat, which has no connection with the high pedal note; 2 0 the episodic passage played by a flute, an oboe and two clarinets in contrary motion, which occasionally results in unprepared dissonances of the second, between the leading note G and F, the major sixth of A flat. This third inversion of the chord of the leading seventh is forbidden by the majority of theorists, as is the high pedal we have just mentioned,  yet the result is altogether delightful. There is also at the last entry of the first theme a canon in unison at an interval of one bar , between the violins and flutes, the clarinets and bassoons, which would give added interest to the melody treated in this way if the imitation by the wind instruments could be heard; unfortunately the whole orchestra is playing loud at the same moment and makes it almost inaudible.

    The scherzo is a strange composition. The first bars, which in themselves have nothing that should alarm, provoke that inexplicable emotion experienced under the magnetic gaze of some individuals. Everything here is mysterious and sombre; the orchestral effects, all more or less sinister in character, seem to belong to the world of thought of the famous scene of Blacksberg in Goethe’s Faust . The prevailing dynamics are piano and mezzo forte . The central section (the trio) is taken up by a passage for the basses, bowed with full vigour, the ponderous roughness of which rattles the feet of the music stands and sounds rather like the antics of an exhilarated elephant… But the monster moves away, and the sound of its wild frolics gradually fades. The theme of the scherzo reappears pizzicato ; gradually silence is established, and only a few lightly plucked notes are heard from the violins together with the strange clicking sounds produced by the high A flat of the bassoons clashing with G, the octave of the tonic of the dominant minor ninth. The strings then break the sequence and settle gently on a bowed chord of A flat on which they doze off. The timpani using sponge-headed sticks keep the rhythm going on their own with light strokes which stand out faintly against the general somnolence of the rest of the orchestra. These timpani notes are Cs; the piece is in C minor, but the chord of A flat, long held by the other instruments, seems to be introducing a different key; for its part the solitary pulsing of the timpani on C tends to preserve the feeling of the original key. The ear hesitates… where will this harmonic mystery end?… and then the soft throbbing of the timpani gradually increase in volume, joined by the violins which have started to move again, changing the harmony. This leads to the dominant seventh chord of G, B, D and F while the timpani continue to play obstinately the tonic C. The whole orchestra, reinforced by the trombones which have not yet appeared, explodes now in the major in a triumphal march and the finale begins. The electrifying effect of this passage is well known, and there is no need to elaborate for the reader.

    Critics have nevertheless sought to diminish the composer’s merit by asserting that he had merely resorted to a commonplace device in making the brilliance of the major mode follow the darkness of a pianissimo in a minor key, that the triumphal theme was lacking in originality, and that interest flagged as the movement progressed instead of increasing. We would answer: is it because the transition from piano to forte , and from minor to major , are known devices that there is less genius in creating such a work?… How many other composers have not tried to achieve this same effect? And how can their efforts compare with the gigantic hymn of victory, in which the soul of the poet musician, liberated from earthly shackles and suffering, seems to soar radiantly to heaven?… It is true that the first four bars of the march are not of striking originality; but there is a limit to what can be done with the genre of the fanfare, and we do not believe it possible to invent new types of fanfare without giving up completely its simple, grandiose and festive character. Beethoven wanted for the start of his finale a fanfare-like entry; in the rest of the movement, in fact even in the continuation of the principal theme, he quickly reverts to the lofty and original style that is his hallmark. 

    As for the criticism that he failed to sustain interest through the end of the movement, one might answer that in the present state of the art of music it is impossible to produce a more shattering effect than the transition from the scherzo to the triumphal march, and it was therefore not possible to intensify that effect any further. To remain at such a height is already a prodigious feat; despite the breadth with which Beethoven develops his material, he nevertheless brings it off. But this consistency of level from the beginning to the end is enough to give the impression of a fall-off; so great has been the initial impact on the listener, whose emotional response has been raised to the highest pitch, that it is all the more difficult to sustain it subsequently at the same level. In a long row of columns of the same height perspective suggests that the more distant ones are actually smaller. It could be that our inadequate constitutions would adapt better to a more laconic ending such as Gluck’s Our general is calling you back : the audience would thus not have the time to cool down, and the symphony would be over before fatigue prevented the audience from following in the composer’s footsteps. But this remark only applies so to speak to the way the work is presented; it does not disqualify this finale from being in itself of a magnificence and richness next to which very few pieces could stand comparison without being obliterated.

VI Pastoral Symphony

    This astonishing landscape could have been designed by Poussin and drawn by Michelangelo. The author of Fidelio and of the Eroica symphony sets out to depict the tranquillity of the countryside and the shepherds’ gentle way of life. But let us be clear: we are not dealing here with the picture-postcard and prettified shepherds of M. de Florian, still less those of M. Lebrun, who wrote the Rossignol [The Nightingale], or those of J.-J. Rousseau, the composer of the Devin du Village [The Village Soothsayer]. We are dealing here with real nature. The title given by the composer to his first movement is Gentle feelings stirred by the sight of a beautiful landscape . The shepherds begin to move about nonchalantly in the fields; their pipes can be heard from a distance and close-by. Exquisite sounds caress you like the scented morning breeze. A flight or rather swarms of twittering birds pass overhead, and the atmosphere occasionally feels laden with mists. Heavy clouds come to hide the sun, then suddenly they scatter and let floods of dazzling light fall straight down on the fields and the woods. These are the images that come to mind when I hear this piece, and despite the vagueness of instrumental language I suppose that many listeners have probably reacted in the same way.

    Further on there is a Scene by the brook . Contemplation… The composer probably created this wonderful adagio lying on his back in the grass, his eyes turned to heaven, his ear listening to the wind, fascinated by countless reflections of sound and light, observing and listening at once to the white ripples of the river as they break gently on the stones of the bank. This is delightful. There are some who vehemently criticise Beethoven for wanting to reproduce at the end of the adagio the song of three birds, at first in succession and then together. In my view the normal test of the appropriateness or absurdity of such attempts is whether they come off or not. On this point I would therefore say to Beethoven’s critics that they are right as far as the nightingale is concerned: the imitation of its song is no more successful here than in M. Lebrun’s well-known flute solo, for the very simple reason that since the nightingale only emits indistinct sounds of indeterminate pitch it cannot be imitated by instruments with a fixed and precise pitch. But it seems to me that the case is different with the quail and the cuckoo, whose cry involves either one or two real notes of fixed pitch, and can therefore be fully imitated in a realistic way.

    Now if the composer is criticised for introducing a childishly literal imitation of bird-song in a scene where all the quiet voices of heaven, earth and water must naturally find their place, I would say in reply that the same objection could be made when in the storm he also imitates faithfully the gusts of wind, the flashes of lightning and the bellowing of animals. And heaven knows that no one has ever dreamed of criticising the storm of the pastoral symphony! But let us proceed. The poet now brings us in the midst of a Joyful gathering of peasants. The dancing and laughter are restrained at first; the oboe plays a cheerful refrain accompanied by a bassoon that can only manage to produce two notes. Beethoven’s intention was probably to suggest in this way an old German peasant, sitting on a cask with a decrepit old instrument, from which all he can draw are the two principal notes of the key of F, the dominant and the tonic. Every time the oboe plays its naïve and jolly tune like a girl in her Sunday clothes, the old bassoon blows his two notes. When the melody modulates to a different key the bassoon falls silent and quietly counts his rests, until the original key returns and he is able to interject again unruffled his F, C and F. This burlesque effect is wonderfully apt but the public seems to miss it almost completely. The dance gets more animated and becomes wild and noisy. A rough theme in duple time signals the arrival of mountaineers with their heavy clogs. The first section in triple time is repeated, but even more animated. The dancers mingle excitedly, the women’s hair flies loose over their shoulders, the mountaineers add their noise and intoxication, there is clapping, shouting and running, and the scene goes wild and furious… Then suddenly a distant clap of thunder strikes terror in the midst of this rustic ball and scatters the dancers.

     Storm, lightning . I despair of being able to convey an idea of this prodigious piece. It has to be heard to understand how realistic and sublime imitative music can become in the hands of someone like Beethoven. Listen to the gusts of wind gorged with rain, the dull growl of the basses, the shrill hissing of piccolos announcing the fearful storm that is about the break out. The hurricane approaches and increases in intensity. A huge chromatic scale, starting in the upper instruments, plunges to the depths of the orchestra, picks up the basses on the way, drags them upwards, like a surging whirlwind that sweeps everything in its way. The trombones then burst out, the thunder of the timpani intensifies in violence; this is no longer rain and wind but a terrifying cataclysm, a universal deluge and the end of the world. In truth the piece induces dizziness, and there are many who on hearing this storm are not sure whether the emotion they experience is one of pleasure or of pain. The symphony concludes with the Thanksgiving of the peasants after the return of fine weather . Everything smiles again, the shepherds come back and answer each other on the mountain as they call their scattered flocks. The sky is clear, the torrents gradually dry out, calm returns and with it the rustic songs with their gentle tones. They soothe the mind, shattered as it was by the awesome splendour of the preceding tableau.

    Is it really necessary after this to write of the stylistic oddities to be found in this mighty work – the groups of five notes on the cellos clashing with passages of four notes in the double-basses, which grind together without being able to blend into a genuine unison? Must one mention the horn call which plays an arpeggio on the chord of C while the strings hold that of F?… In truth I cannot. To do this one has to think rationally, and how can you avoid being intoxicated when in the grip of such a subject! Far from it – if only one could sleep and go on sleeping for months on end, and inhabit in one’s dreams the unknown sphere which for a moment genius has allowed us to glimpse. After such a concert should one have the misfortune to have to see some comic opera, attend a soirée of fashionable songs and a flute concerto, one would have a look of stupefaction. Should someone ask you:

– How do you find this Italian duet? You would reply in all seriousness – Quite beautiful. – And these variations for clarinet? – Superb. – And the finale of the new opera? – Admirable.

    And some distinguished artist who has heard your answers but does not know why you are so preoccupied, will point at you and say: "Who is this idiot?"

…………………………………………………………

    How the ancient poems, for all their beauty and the admiration they evoke, pale before this marvel of modern music! Theocritus and Virgil were great landscape artists; lines like the following are music to the ears:

«Te quoque, magna Pales, et te, memorande, canemus Pastor ab Amphryso; vos Sylvae amnesque Lycaei.»

especially when they are not recited by barbarians like us French, who pronounce Latin in such a way that it could be mistaken for a peasant dialect…

    But Beethoven’s poem!… these long periods so full of colour!… these speaking images!… these scents!… this light!… this eloquent silence!… these vast horizons!… these magic hideouts in the woods!… these golden harvests!… these pink clouds like wandering specks in the sky!… this vast plain dozing under the midday sun!… Man is absent!… nature alone reveals herself glorying in her splendour… And the deep rest of everything that lives! And the wonderful life of everything that rests!… The little stream that pursues its murmuring course towards the river!… the river, the source of all water, which descends towards the ocean in majestic silence!… Then man appears, the man from the countryside, robust and full of religious feeling… his joyful play interrupted by the storm… his fears… his hymn of thanksgiving…

    Hide your faces, poor great poets of antiquity, poor immortals. Your conventional language, so pure and harmonious, cannot compete with the art of sound. You are vanquished, no doubt with glory, but vanquished all the same! You have not experienced what nowadays we call melody, harmony, the combination of different timbres, instrumental colour, modulations, the skilful clashes of conflicting sounds which fight and then embrace, the sounds that surprise the ear, the strange tones which stir the innermost recesses of the soul. The stammering of the childish art which you referred to as music could not give you any idea of this. For cultured minds you alone were the great melodists, the masters of harmony, rhythm, and expression. But these words had a very different meaning in your vocabulary from what we give them now. The art of sound in its true meaning, independent of anything else, was only born yesterday. It has scarcely reached manhood, and is barely twenty years old. It is beautiful and all-powerful: it is the Pythian Apollo of modern times. We owe to it a world of emotion and feeling which was closed to you. Yes, great venerated poets, you are vanquished: Inclyti sed victi .

VII Symphony in A

    The seventh symphony is famous for its allegretto *. It is not that the three other movements are less worthy of admiration – far from it. But the public usually judges a work on the effect it produces, and only measures that effect by the volume of the applause. Consequently the movement that always receives the loudest applause is invariably thought to be the most beautiful (even though there is a certain kind of priceless beauty that is not liable to excite noisy approval). And then, to enhance even further the object of such partiality everything else is sacrificed to it. In France at least that is invariably the custom. That is why when talking of Beethoven one refers to the Storm of the pastoral symphony , the finale of the symphony in C minor , the andante of the symphony in A, etc., etc.

    *Which is always referred to as the adagio or andante .

    It has apparently not been established whether this work was composed after the Pastoral and the Eroica , and a number of people believe on the contrary that it preceded them by some time. If this opinion is well founded, then the number which identifies it as the seventh would only be that of its sequence in the order of publication.

    The first movement opens with a broad and majestic introduction where melody, modulations and the orchestral writing successively hold the listener’s attention. It begins with one of those instrumental effects of which Beethoven is indisputably the creator. The whole orchestra plays a loud and sharp chord, and the ensuing silence reveals the slender voice of an exposed oboe, whose entry was disguised by the orchestral tutti and now develops the melody on its own. There could hardly be a more original way of starting. At the end of the introduction the note E, the dominant of A, returns after a series of excursions into neighbouring keys and forms the subject of a series of exchanges between violins and flutes, similar to the effect found in the opening bars of the finale of the Eroica symphony . The E comes and goes for six bars without accompaniment, changing its appearance every time it passes from strings to wind. Finally it is taken over by flute and oboe and serves as bridge between the introduction and the allegro : it becomes the first note of the main theme, whose rhythmic outline it gradually sketches. I have heard this theme ridiculed for its rustic simplicity. Had the composer written in large letters at the head of this allegro the words Dance of peasants , as he has done for the Pastoral symphony, the charge that it lacks nobility would probably not have been made. This shows that while some listeners do not like to be forewarned of the subject treated by the composer, there are others on the contrary who are inclined to react unfavourably to any theme that comes in an unfamiliar guise, if the explanation for the anomaly is not provided in advance. Given the impossibility of deciding between such conflicting views the best course for a composer in such circumstances is to follow his own instinct instead of pursuing the vain delusion of universal approval.

    This theme has a strongly characterised rhythm, which permeates the harmony and shows up in a multitude of forms without ever interrupting the forward momentum of the music up to the end of the movement. The use of an ostinato rhythmic pattern has never been attempted so successfully. The ample developments of the allegro constantly revolve around the same idea, and so incredible is the skill with which it is written, so frequent and ingenious the variations in tonality, so novel the chordal progressions and their grouping, that the movement is over before the attention and warm response generated in the listener can lose any of their keenness.

    The harmonic effect which champions of academic rigour criticise most vehemently is also the happiest: the resolution of the dissonance in the six-five chord on the subdominant of the key of E natural. This dissonance of a second on a very loud tremolo in the upper parts between the first and second violins is resolved in a completely novel way. One might have sustained the E and raised the F sharp to G, or sustained the F and brought the E down to D: but Beethoven did neither, and without changing the bass he merged the two dissonant parts into an octave on F natural, by moving the F sharp a semitone lower and the E down by a major seventh. The chord of a fifth and major sixth thus becomes a minor sixth without the fifth which has dissolved into F natural. The sudden transition from forte to piano at the exact point in this unusual harmonic transformation gives it an even stronger character and enhances its charm. Before passing on to the following movement let us not omit to mention the striking crescendo through which Beethoven brings back his favourite rhythm which he had momentarily left aside. This is done by means of a two bar phrase (D, C sharp, B sharp, B sharp, C sharp) in the key of A major, which is repeated eleven times in the lower register by the basses and violas, while the wind instruments sustain an E at the top, bottom and middle of the range in quadruple octaves, and the violins sound a bell-like phrase, the three notes E, A, E, C, repeated in increasingly fast figuration and combined in such a way as to present always the dominant when the basses play D or B sharp, and the tonic or its third when they play C. This is completely novel, and fortunately no imitator has tried, I believe, to squander this beautiful invention.

    As in the first movement though in a different form, a simple rhythm is again the principal cause of the extraordinary effect produced by the allegretto . The rhythmic pattern consists merely of a dactyl followed by a spondee played relentlessly, either in three parts, or in only one, then in all parts together. Sometimes it serves as an accompaniment, but frequently it focuses attention on itself, and also provides the starting point for a small fugal episode with two subjects played by the strings. It appears first in the lower strings – violas, cellos, double-basses – played piano , then is repeated soon after in a pianissimo full of melancholy and mystery. From there it passes to the second violins while the cellos sing a kind of lament in the minor mode. The rhythmic pattern rises from octave to octave, reaches the first violins who then pass it in a crescendo to the wind instruments at the top of the orchestra, where it bursts out in its full force. Sounded with even greater vehemence the melody now assumes the character of an anguished lament. Conflicting rhythms clash painfully with each other; these are tears, sobs and supplications, this is the expression of limitless grief and all-consuming suffering… But a ray of hope appears: these heartbreaking sounds are followed by a transparent melody, pure, simple, gentle, sad and resigned like patience smiling to suffering . The basses continue on their own with their inexorable rhythm under this melodic rainbow; to borrow yet another quotation from English poetry,

« One fatal remembrance, one sorrow, that throws  Its black shade alike o'er our joys and our woes. »

    After a similar alternation of anguish and resignation, the orchestra, as though drained by such a painful struggle, plays only fragments of the main theme and collapses in exhaustion. Flutes and oboes pick up the theme in a dying voice, but do not have the strength to finish it, which the violins do with a few barely audible pizzicato notes. At this point the wind instruments, reviving like the flame of a candle on the point of extinction, utter a deep sigh on an unresolved harmony and… the rest is silence . This mournful cry, which begins and ends the andante , is produced by a six-four chord, which always tends to resolve itself onto another one. Ending on an unresolved harmony is the only way to conclude, by leaving the listener in suspense and thereby increasing the impression of dreamy sadness into which everything that came before must have plunged him.

    The theme of the scherzo modulates in a very novel way. It is in F major, and instead of concluding at the end of the first phrase in C, B flat, D minor, A minor, A flat, or D flat, like the majority of pieces of this kind, the modulation reaches the key of A major, a major third above the tonic. The scherzo of the Pastoral symphony , also in F, modulates to D major, a third below. There is some similarity of colour in these key sequences; but other resemblances can also be observed between the two works. The trio of the seventh symphony ( presto meno assai ), in which the violins hold the dominant almost continuously, while oboes and clarinets play underneath a bright rustic melody, is very much in the spirit of landscape painting and the idyll. Yet another new type of crescendo can be found there, played in the lower register by the second horn, who repeats softly the notes A and G sharp in duple time, though the main beat is in triple time, with emphasis on the G sharp though A is the real note.

    The public always seems taken by surprise on hearing this passage.

    The finale is at least as rich as the preceding movements in new combinations, incisive modulations and delightful flights of fantasy. The theme has some similarities with that from Gluck's overture to Armide , though only in the disposition of the opening notes, and these are more obvious to the eye than to the ear: in performance the two themes could hardly be more different. The freshness and elegance of Beethoven’s theme, very different from the chivalrous dash of that of Gluck, would make a greater impression if the chords played in the high register by the wind instruments did not cover so much the first violins playing in the middle range, while second violins and violas underneath accompany the melody with a tremolo in double-stopping. Throughout this finale Beethoven has achieved effects as graceful as they are unexpected with the sudden transition from the key of C sharp minor to that of D major. Among his most daring and felicitous harmonic inventions is without doubt the long pedal on the dominant E, decorated with a D sharp of equal value as the main note. The chord of the seventh is sometimes brought about in the upper part, with the result that the D natural of the upper parts coincides precisely with the D sharp of the basses. One might imagine that the result would be a dreadful dissonance, or at least a lack of harmonic clarity; yet this is not the case, and the tonal thrust of this dominant is such that the D sharp does not disfigure it in any way, and that only the buzzing E registers. Beethoven did not write music for the eyes . The coda, launched by this threatening pedal, has extraordinary brilliance, and is fully worthy of bringing this work to its conclusion – a masterpiece of technical skill, taste, imagination, craftsmanship and inspiration.

VIII Symphony in F

    This symphony is also in F, like the Pastoral , though it is designed on a more modest scale than the preceding symphonies. Yet though it hardly exceeds the first symphony (in C major) in the breadth of its forms, it is at least far superior to it in three respects – instrumental writing, rhythm and melodic style.

    The first movement has two themes, both of them gentle and peaceful in character. The second and in our view the more striking of the two always seems to avoid the perfect cadence, by modulating first in a completely unexpected way (the phrase begins in D major and ends in C major), and then dissipating itself inconclusively on the diminished seventh chord of the subdominant.

    This capricious turn in the melody gives the listener the feeling that the composer, inclined at first towards gentle feelings, has suddenly been distracted by a sad thought which interrupts his joyful song.

    The andante scherzando is one of those creations for which there is neither model nor counterpart: it drops from heaven complete into the composer’s imagination; he writes it at a single stretch and we are amazed to hear it. The role of the wind instruments is here the opposite of their normal one: they accompany with repeated chords, played pianissimo eight times in every bar, the airy dialogue a punta d’arco between violins and basses. This has a gentle innocence which is delightful in its nonchalant manner, like the song of two children picking flowers in a field on a fine spring morning. The main theme consists of two sections of three bars each, the symmetry of which is broken by the silence which follows the basses’ reply; as a result the first section ends on the weak beat and the second on the strong. The harmonic ticking of the oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons so captivates the listener that he does not notice the lack of symmetry in the strings’ melody which results from the additional silent bar.

    The function of this bar is evidently to leave exposed for longer the delightful chord over which the lively melody flutters. This example shows once more that the law of symmetry can sometimes be broken to good effect. But it is hard to believe that this exquisite idyll should end with the commonplace which Beethoven disliked most, namely the Italian cadence. At the moment when the instrumental dialogue of the two small orchestras of wind and strings is at its most enchanting, the composer, as though suddenly obliged to stop, makes the violins play tremolo the four notes G, F, A, B flat (sixth, dominant, leading note, tonic), repeat them several times in a hurry, exactly as when the Italians sing Felicità , and then come to an abrupt halt. I have never been able to make sense of this musical joke.

    At this point a minuet, similar in design and tempo to those of Haydn, takes the place of the scherzo in triple time which Beethoven invented and which he has used in all his other symphonic works in such an ingenious and striking way. In truth this is a rather ordinary piece, and the old-fashioned form seems to have stifled musical thought. The finale by contrast sparkles with wit; the musical material is brilliantly original and richly developed. It has diatonic progressions in two parts and in contrary motion, through which the composer achieves a crescendo of huge dimension which brings the work to a most effective conclusion.

    The harmonic writing does however contain a few rough edges caused by passing notes which are not resolved quickly enough on the right notes and which sometimes even pause on a silence.

    At the cost of some violence to the letter of musical theory it is easy to explain away these passing dissonances, but in performance they always grate on the ear to a greater or lesser degree. But consider the high pedal held by the flutes and oboes on F, while the timpani underneath repeat the same note in octaves at the return of the theme, and the violins play the notes C, G and B flat from the dominant seventh chord, preceded by the third F, A from the tonic chord. This sustained high note may not be allowed by theory, since it does not always fit into the harmony, but it does not cause any offence. On the contrary, thanks to the skilful layout of the instruments and the character of the musical phrase, the result of this bunching of sounds is excellent and remarkably smooth. Before concluding we cannot omit mentioning an orchestral effect which perhaps more than any other takes the listener by surprise when this finale is performed: the note C sharp played very loud by the mass of the orchestra in unison and in octaves after a diminuendo which has faded out in the key of C major. The first two times this rasp is immediately followed by the return of the theme in F, and it becomes clear that the C sharp was simply an enharmonic D flat, the flattened sixth of the main key. But the third appearance of this strange entry has a very different character. The orchestra, after modulating to C as before now plays a real D flat followed by a fragment of the theme in D flat, then a real C sharp, followed by another fragment of the theme in C sharp minor, and finally repeats this C sharp three times over with increased force, and the whole theme now returns in F sharp minor . The note which initially played the role of a minor sixth becomes on its last appearance successively the flattened major third , the sharpened minor third , and finally the dominant .

    This is very striking.

IX  Choral Symphony

    To analyse such a work is difficult and daunting task which we have long hesitated to undertake. The excuse for such a foolhardy venture can only lie in our persistent efforts to see the work through the composer’s eyes, to penetrate its intimate meaning, to experience its impact, and to study the impressions it has made so far on a few who are gifted with exceptional sensitivity, as well as on the general public. Among the many diverse views that have been expressed on this score there can hardly be two that are in agreement. Some critics regard it as a monstrous insanity ; others can only see in it the fading glimmers of a dying genius ; more cautiously a few declare they find it at the moment completely unintelligible, but do not despair of achieving at least an approximate understanding of it later; the majority of artistically minded people regard it as an extraordinary conception, though some of its parts nevertheless remain unexplained or without apparent purpose. A small number of musicians who are temperamentally inclined to examine carefully anything that might enlarge the realm of art, and who have thought deeply about the general layout of the Choral symphony after studying the score and listening to it attentively on several occasions, assert that this work seems to them the most magnificent expression of Beethoven’s genius: we believe we have said at some earlier point that this is the opinion we share.

    Without enquiring what purely personal ideas the composer might have wanted to express in this vast musical poem – a subject wide open to individual conjecture – let us see whether the novelty of the form is not justified in this case by an intention that is quite independent of any philosophical or religious thought, which might seem equally reasonable and beautiful to anyone, be he a fervent Christian, a pantheist or an atheist, in short by an intention of a purely musical and poetic kind.

    Beethoven had already written eight symphonies before this one. To progress beyond the point he had already reached solely with the resources of orchestral instruments, what further means were available? The answer is the addition of voices to instruments. But in order to observe the law of crescendo , and enhance in the work itself the power of the additional resource he wanted to provide to the orchestra, it was surely necessary to allow the instruments to figure on their own in the first section of the musical canvas he intended to display… Granted this premise, it is easy to see that he must have been led to search for a mixed musical genre to serve as link between the two major articulations of the symphony. The instrumental recitative was the bridge he had the audacity to throw between the chorus and the orchestra, over which the instruments crossed to go and join the voices. The transition once established the composer must have wanted to announce and motivate the fusion that was about to take place. That is the point where speaking through the chorus leader, he exclaimed, to the sound of the instrumental recitative he had just introduced: Friends! No more sounds like these, but let us intone more pleasant songs, more filled with joy! That is, so to speak, the treaty of alliance concluded between chorus and orchestra; the same theme of the recitative, used by both orchestra and chorus, seems to constitute the oath formula. Thereafter it was up to the composer to select the text for his choral composition: for this Beethoven turned to Schiller and took over the Ode to Joy . He coloured it with countless nuances which poetry on its own could never have conveyed, and it progresses to the end acquiring ever more splendour, grandeur and brilliance.

    Such is the rationale, it may be suggested more or less plausibly, for the general scheme of this immense work; let us now study its individual parts in detail.

    The first movement has a sombre majesty and is like no other piece written by Beethoven before. The harmony is at times excessively daring: the most original patterns, the most expressive gestures crowd in and criss-cross in every direction, but without causing any obscurity or congestion. On the contrary the result has perfect clarity, and the numerous orchestral voices that plead or threaten, each in its own way and its own special style, seem to form a single voice, such is the emotional charge that drives them.

    This allegro maestoso , written in D minor, begins nevertheless on the chord of A without the third, in other words on the notes A and E sustained as a fifth, and played as an arpeggio above and below by the first violins, violas and double-basses. The listener is therefore not sure whether he is hearing the chord of A minor, or of A major, or that of the dominant of D. This prolonged tonal ambiguity gives great power and character to the entry of the full orchestra on the chord of D minor. At the end of the movement there are moments that move the soul to its depths. It would be hard to hear anything more profoundly tragic than the song of the wind instruments beneath which a chromatic phrase played tremolo by the strings swells and rises gradually, like the roar of the sea before an approaching storm. This is a passage of magnificent inspiration.

    On several occasions in this work we will be drawing attention to clusters of notes which cannot possibly be described as chords, and we will be forced to admit that the reason for these anomalies escapes us completely. For example on page 17 of the wonderful movement we have been describing there is a melodic passage for clarinets and bassoons, which is accompanied as follows in the key of C minor: the bass plays first an F sharp supporting a diminished seventh, then an A flat supporting a third, fourth and augmented sixth, and finally G over which flutes and oboes play the notes E flat, G, C which gives a six-four chord. This would be an excellent resolution of the previous chord if the second violins and violas did not add to the harmony the two notes F natural and A flat which disfigure it and cause a most unpleasant confusion which fortunately is of short duration. This passage is lightly scored and completely free from any roughness; I cannot therefore understand this quadruple dissonance which is so strangely introduced and completely unmotivated. One might suppose there is an engraving error, but a careful inspection of these two bars and those that precede dispels all doubts and one remains convinced that this is really what the composer intended.

    The scherzo vivace which follows contains nothing of the same kind. Admittedly there are a number of pedal notes on the tonic in the upper and middle voices which are sustained through the dominant chord. But I have already stated my position on these pedal notes that are foreign to the harmony, and this new example is not needed to demonstrate the excellent use they can be put to when they arise naturally from the musical logic. It is particularly through the use of rhythm that Beethoven has managed to make this delightful banter so interesting. The theme with its fugal response four bars later is full of vitality, and sparkles with wit when the response then comes a bar earlier and follows a ternary instead of the initial binary rhythm.

    The central part of the scherzo is taken up with a presto in duple time full of rustic joy. The theme is deployed over an intermediary pedal note which is either the tonic or the dominant, accompanied by a counter-subject which harmonises equally well with either of the held notes, the dominant and the tonic . The melody is finally brought back by a phrase of delightful freshness in the oboe; after staying poised for a moment over the dominant major chord of D it finally blossoms in the key of F natural in a way that is as graceful as it is unexpected. This is another echo of the gentle impressions that Beethoven loved so much, impressions that are aroused by the sight of a radiant and peaceful landscape, pure air and the first rays of dawn in spring.

    In the adagio cantabile the principle of unity is so little observed that one might think of it as two separate movements rather than one. The first melody in B flat in quadruple time is followed by a completely different melody in D major in triple time. The first theme, slightly altered and varied by the first violins, appears for the second time in the original key and leads to the return of the melody in triple time, unchanged and without embellishments but in the key of G major. After this the first theme finally establishes itself and no longer allows the rival theme to compete for the listener’s attention. Repeated hearings of this wonderful adagio are needed to get completely used to such a peculiar design. As for the beauty of all these melodies, the infinite grace of the ornaments which decorate them, the feelings of sad tenderness, passionate despair and religious reverie they express, if only my words could give even an approximate idea of them, then music would have found in the written word a rival which even the greatest of poets will never be able to oppose to it. It is an immense movement, and once the listener has succumbed to its powerful charm, the only answer to the criticism that the composer has violated here the law of unity has to be: so much the worse for the law!

    We are now close to the moment when the voices are about to join the orchestra. Cellos and double-basses intone the recitative we mentioned above, after a passage for the wind instruments as harsh and violent as a cry of anger. The chord of the major sixth, F, A and D, with which this presto begins, is altered by an appogiatura on B flat, played simultaneously by flutes, oboes and clarinets; the sixth of the key of D minor grinds dreadfully against the dominant and produces an excessively harsh effect. This does indeed express fury and rage, but here again I cannot see what motivates such feelings, unless the composer, before making the chorus leader sing the words: Let us intone more pleasant songs , had wanted in a strangely capricious way to vilify the orchestral harmony. Yet he seems to regret it, since in between each phrase of the recitative of the basses, he repeats, like so many memories that are dear to his heart, fragments of the three preceding movements. What is more, after this first recitative, he puts in the orchestra, in the midst of exquisitely chosen chords, the beautiful theme which is about to be sung by all the voices on Schiller’s ode. This theme, gentle and calm in character, becomes increasingly animated and brilliant as it moves from the basses which play it first to the violins and the wind instruments. After a sudden interruption, the whole orchestra plays again the furious ritornello mentioned above which now introduces the vocal recitative.

    The first chord is again built on an F which is supposed to carry the third and the sixth and does indeed do so, but this time the composer not content with the appogiatura of B flat adds those of G, E and C sharp, with the result that ALL THE NOTES OF THE MINOR DIATONIC SCALE are played at once and produce the hideous assembly of notes: F, A, C sharp, E, G, B flat, D.

    Forty years ago, the French composer Martin, known as Martini, wanted to produce in his opera Sapho a similar howl for the orchestra, and did so by using at once all the diatonic, chromatic and enharmonic intervals of the scale at the moment when Phaon’s mistress hurls herself into the sea – but he did not ask himself whether his attempt was appropriate and whether it enhanced or assaulted the dignity of art, though admittedly there could be no mistaking his intentions. But in this case my efforts at discovering Beethoven’s purpose are completely in vain. I can see a formal intention, a deliberate and calculated attempt to produce a double discordance, both at the point which precede the appearance of the recitative, instrumental at first and later vocal. I have searched hard for the reason for this idea, and I have to admit that it is unknown to me.

    The chorus leader, after singing his recitative on words by Beethoven himself, as we have mentioned, introduces on his own the theme of the Ode to Joy , with a light accompaniment of two wind instruments and the strings playing pizzicato . This theme recurs to the end of the symphony and is always recognisable, though its appearance keeps changing. A study of these diverse transformations is all the more absorbing as each of them brings out a new and distinctive nuance in the expression of a single feeling, that of joy. At first this joy is full of gentleness and peace; it becomes somewhat livelier when the voice of women is heard. The beat changes; the theme, sung initially in quadruple time, returns in 6/8 time in syncopated style and now takes on a more robust and agile character that has a martial quality. This is the song of a departing hero who is confident of victory; you can almost imagine his shining armour and hear the rhythmic tread of his step. A fugal theme in which the original melody can be recognised, serves for a while as subject for a lively orchestral development, which recalls the bustling activity of a crowd full of ardour… But the chorus soon re-enters and sings energetically the joyful hymn in its original simplicity, supported by chords of the wind instruments which shadow the melody, and criss-crossed by a diatonic passage played by the whole mass of strings in unison and octaves. The andante maestoso which follows is a kind of chorale intoned first by the tenors and basses of the chorus, in unison with a trombone, the cellos and double-basses. Joy here assumes a religious dimension and becomes solemn and immense. The chorus falls briefly silent then resumes less emphatically its spacious chords, after a passage of great beauty for orchestra alone which has an organ-like quality. The imitation of the majestic instrument of Christian churches is produced by flutes in the lower register, clarinets in the chalumeau register, the lower notes of the bassoons, the violas divided into two parts, upper and lower, and the cellos playing on their open strings G and D, or the low C (open string) and the C in the middle range, always in double-stopping. This piece starts in G, moves to C, then to F, and ends on a pause on the dominant seventh of D. There follows a great allegro in 6/4 where from the start are combined the beginning of the first theme, already used frequently with such variety, and the chorale of the preceding andante . The contrast between these two ideas is made even more striking by a fast variation of the joyful theme, on top of the long notes of the chorale, played not only by the first violins but also by the double-basses. Now it is impossible for double-basses to perform a succession of notes at that speed, and once again it is hard to understand how a composer as familiar as Beethoven with the art of orchestration could have committed such a lapse in writing a passage like this for this unwieldy instrument. There is less fire and grandeur, and greater lightness in the style of the following piece: its keynote is that of innocent joy, expressed first by four solo voices and then given greater warmth through the addition of the chorus. Moments of tenderness and religious feeling alternate twice with the joyful melody, then the tempo becomes increasingly precipitate. The whole orchestra bursts out, the percussion instruments – timpani, cymbals, triangle, bass drum – strike emphatically the strong beats of the bar. Joy resumes her sway, a popular and tumultuous joy which might look like an orgy if at the end the voices did not pause once more on a solemn rhythm to send, in an ecstatic cry, their final greeting of love and respect for religious joy. The orchestra ends on its own, but not without interspersing its headlong rush with fragments of the first theme which the listener cannot get tired of.

    A translation as accurate as possible of the German poem set by Beethoven will convey to the reader the stimulus for this profusion of musical combinations, masterly supports of unceasing inspiration and obedient tools of a powerful and tireless genius * .

« Joy! Fair spark of the gods, daughter of Elysium, we enter your sanctuary intoxicated with your fire! Your magic power unites again those whom earthly customs have forcibly separated. All men will be brothers again under your gentle wing. « Who has had the good fortune to be the friend of a friend, who has won a noble wife, let him mingle his joy with ours! Yes, any who can call even one soul on earth his own. But who cannot, let him steal away in tears from this gathering. « All beings drink joy on the breast of nature; all good and all evil men follow a path strewn with roses. She gave us kisses and vintage, a friend who is true unto death. The worm receives the joy of life and the cherub stands before God! « Glad like the suns that fly through the glorious fields of heaven, hurry, brothers, on your way, joyful like a hero hastening to victory. « Millions, be embraced! This kiss to the whole world! Brothers, above the starry heaven, a dear father must have his dwelling. « You fall prostrate, o you millions? World, do you sense the creator? Seek him above the starry heaven! He must dwell over the stars! « Joy! Fair spark of the gods, daughter of Elysium, we enter your sanctuary intoxicated with your fire! « Daughter of Elysium, joy, fair spark of the gods!! »

    Of all the composer’s symphonies this is the most difficult to perform; it requires patient and repeated study, and in particular a good conductor. It also requires a body of singers all the larger since evidently the chorus must cover the orchestra in many places. In addition, the way the music is written for the words and the excessive height of some of the choral parts make voice production very difficult and reduce considerably the volume and power of the sound.

…………………………………………………. ………………………………………………….

    Be that as it may, when Beethoven had finished his work and could contemplate the majestic dimensions of the monument he had just built, he must have said to himself: «Death may come now, but my task is accomplished.»

______________________

The Hector Berlioz Website was created by Michel Austin and Monir Tayeb on 18 July 1997; This page was created on 3 October 2004.

© Michel Austin. All rights reserved.

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Subscriber only, arts | annapolis symphony stages world premiere of climate change work, features pianist awadagin pratt.

When Nicky Sohn was 20 months old, she picked out the melody for “Brahms Lullaby” on her battery-powered toy piano after hearing the song at daycare in her native South Korea.

“My parents totally freaked out,” the petite 32-year-old said. “They got me a piano and lessons right after that.”

She progressed so rapidly that when she was 14, her five-member family emigrated to the U.S. so she could pursue professional-level musical training. But it turned out that what really fascinated the teen wasn’t the piano — it was composing new combinations of notes and chords.

“I’ve always had a lot to say,” Sohn said, laughing. “And I really like working collaboratively with other people.”

This weekend, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra will perform the world premiere of Sohn’s 23-minute “Symphony No. 1” a four-movement piece inspired by climate change which the Maryland group co-commissioned with the California-based Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.

But Sohn’s world premiere is merely part of an ambitious weekend concert series that also will bring the acclaimed pianist Awadagin Pratt to Annapolis to perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano No. 4, a piece with which the pianist is closely associated. In addition, the orchestra will tackle the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s challenging, infrequently-performed “Roman Festivals.”

It’s the kind of adventurous and sophisticated line-up that music lovers might expect to find in the nation’s major concert halls, not in the multipurpose, 750-seat Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. And it’s just one more example of how the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra is offering its audiences the musical equivalent of caviar on a chicken dinner budget. Its roster of 70 professional freelance musicians performs over a 9-month season on a $3 million budget.

But José-Luis Novo, the Annapolis Symphony’s music director since 2005, has acquired a formidable contact list in his decades-long international conducting career, and he’s not afraid to use it.

“Since my time as a student at Peabody [in the 1980s] I have known of the excellence of the Annapolis Symphony,” Pratt wrote in an email. “José-Luis and I were colleagues together at [North Carolina’s Eastern Music Festival] for a number of years and got to know each other a bit. We are looking forward to working together.”

Pratt originally was scheduled to perform in Annapolis in May 2020.  But the concert was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it took four years to reschedule.

The pianist wrote that he thinks of Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto as “a dear old friend” that he first performed in 1992 when he burst onto the international scene by winning the Naumberg International Piano Competition.

Over the decades, Pratt wrote, he has acquired the familiarity with the concerto and “comfort level needed to continue asking questions, to probe deeper, and understand more and more layers as the personality of the piece fully unveils over time.”

Nor is Pratt the only world-class performer on the Annapolis Symphony’s schedule this season; the Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero soloed with the symphony in September, and the legendary Spanish guitarist Pepe Romero took the stage in November.

Novo said he thinks his symphony’s reputation has “gone up quite a lot” in recent years since the musicians began performing more regularly at Strathmore Hall in North Bethesda with its pristine acoustics. That attracted top-flight talent and generated music industry buzz.

“Once we started bringing in these high-level artists, they began talking among themselves,” Novo said, “and that creates future collaborations.”

Sohn’s commission came about through Novo’s ties to Frank, who was composer-in-residence at the Annapolis Symphony from 2011 to 2013. The Annapolis Symphony formed a partnership with Frank’s Creative Academy of Music to support emerging artists, and the two groups jointly commissioned Sohn to create a symphonic work inspired by climate change.

“It’s been really an eye-opening experience,” Sohn said. “Musicians can get so caught up in our training that it’s easy to lose sight of what’s going on in the world.”

Her symphony is inspired by memories of the deep blue sky she loved as a child — an experience she fears is being denied her younger countrymen.

“When I was growing up in South Korea, we took it for granted that we would see the blue sky every day,” she said.

“But when I went back as an adult, pollution blowing in from the coast of China meant that people rarely saw blue sky. Kids in Korea today sometimes paint the sky gray, and I think that’s sad.”

She suggested that audience members listen for a theme in the first movement performed by the celeste, which resembles a small piano. That theme will repeat in different guises throughout all four movements. And she wants listeners to ask themselves why she chose to write about such a serious topic in a way that is lively and even optimistic.

“I didn’t want to write a gloomy climate piece, which happens a lot,” Sohn said.

“My symphony ends in a way that is very positive and energetic. It is important to think about the future in a hopeful way.”

The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra will perform “Masterworks V: Roman Festivals” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St, Annapolis and at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets cost $10-$91 and can be purchased at annapolissymphony.org and strathmore.org.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct season length and status of the musicians as permanent, rather than rotating.

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• Date: Friday 08.06.2010 at 01:00 AM ET
• Venue: Dr. Pepper StarCenter
• Location: Frisco, Texas, United States
• Bout Billing: Co-Main Event
• Pro/Am: Professional
• Weight: 135 lbs (61.2 kg)
• Frey Total Disclosed Pay: Frey Disclosed Pay: None Disclosed
• Sandoval Total Disclosed Pay: Sandoval Disclosed Pay: None Disclosed

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Joseph Sandoval speaks with Vince Harris of MMAHotwire.com about his just-completed victory over Douglas Frey at the Steele Cage 3 event in 2010.

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