Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country
On Beethoven's Openings
Opening phrase of the 'Pastoral': ood, Symbolism and Musical Function
Musical Acorns: the outline of melody; the shape of a question
The 'question' in the 'Pastoral' repeated...
...and answered
The opening phrase ends on a note full of pregnant expectation
Starting with a stop
The rhythmic profile of the opening phrase; a two-part construction
Phrase One, Part One
Phrase One, Part Two
The properties of rhythmic ambiguity; the 'question' of Phrase One answered
Phrase Two: from meander to march
The makings of a conversation: contrast and variation
Repetition as a major factor, but it's never mere repetition; each time something new is added
From soft to loud and back again; instrumental enrichment from horns and double-basses
Mega-repetition: violins play exactly the same little fragment ten times in a row
But no two repetitions are quite the same; varieties of contrast
More variation: pitch rises; violins joined frist by the clarinet, then by the oboe
Return to opening idea, but with new instrumentation and articulation
Clarinets, horns, bassoons and flutes now join expansive variation
'New' insistent rhythm derived from the first four notes of the piece
With the dawn chorus, a whole forest is waking up; feelings of rapture
First violins play a derivative of the opening figure, joined by wind and strings
Sudden change of key, from the home key (tonic) to the dominant
Arrival at the hightly contrasting second main theme
Unusual properties of second main theme
Rhythmic clash between simultaneous groups of three beats and groups of two
winds fall selent as the violins and violas interrupt with a new theme
Winds answer with the same morse-like rhythm but at half the speed
Crescendo leads to strings' acceleration of the pace with no increase in tempo
Beginning of coda, directly based on morse-like rhythm of the main theme
Strings reiterate small fragment of the new theme 13 times in a row
A simple, rising violin phrase leads to a repeat of the Exposition
The nature and function of the Development section in sonata form; 'harmonic' rhythm explained
The nature of harmonic rhythm illustrated
A typically Beethovenian exercise in the frustration of expectation
Repetitiousness and magic effected largely through instrumental colour
Then come four, almost identical bars
Even greater magic, with sudden switch of key and tone colour
Entire Development section up to this point
The Development continued
Increased unease and suspense as harmonic rhythm accelerates
Arrival at the point of Recapitulation; back to the beginning, as a reminder
Beginning of Recapitulation
More Beethovenian frustrations of expectations which he himself has just set up
Harmonic rhythm speeds up, giving the impression of an accent on every beat
Prevailing mood restored; new theme from clarinets and bassoons
Violins and violas take up theme; horns, cellos, double-basses accompany
A hush falls, followed by a return of the movement's most familiar tag in strings
Clarinet takes up the running triplet figures of the main closing theme
First violins take up the opening phrase again, accompanied by double-basses
Beethoven slips in one last surprise; cue to complete movement
First movement (complete)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Second Movement: Scene by the Brook
General introduction; the birth of a melody
Brook music quickens; syncopated horns; theme changes hands; evocation of birdsong
The 'motto' theme introduced by violins and treated to round-like overlappings
Transitional 'bridge' theme sets off for new key group. But is it? And does it?
Will he, or won't he? Beethoven keeps us guessing
The run-up to the Second Group
Arrival at the Second Group; but where is the actual Second Subject?
A new tune is introduced by the bassoon
Tune is repeated three times
...which the full orchestra now takes up in varied form
Theme carried by flutes and first violins in a charmingly waltz-like development
A reminder of precedent
Back to the prevailing triple-metre with violins, bassoons and flutes
Another reminder of precedent...
...and a cue to some unexpected departures
The transformational magic of Beethoven's 'tone-painting' - and a new varation
Conversation of clarinet, flute and oboe on the way to the Development
Harmonic movement emphasised by violins; oboe takes up the First Subject
Flute and oboe discuss the First Subject, before arriving together at the Transition
Gains in volume and intensity lead to a new key-change
More thematic transformation through the agency of tone-colour
Harmonic fluideity - instability - as the central engine of the Development section
Harmonic instability, thematic dissolution increase, then lessen with approach of Recapitulation
Recap. and transformation: key and material are right, but what a change of presentation!
Just when we know what's coming, Beethoven changes the rules (or at least the harmony)
Transformation by reorchestration; switch to long sustained chords; then everything stops
The silence is broken by voices of nightingale (flute), quail (oboe) and cuckoo (clarinet)
First violins bring back motto theme
Cue to complete movement on CD 2
Second movement (complete)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk
Beethoven and the Scherzo: an introduction; Part One of opening phrase taken by the strings
Immediate response; Part One is answered by a march more singing, continuous legato
Entire orchestra gives out opening theme, this time fortissimo and with powerful accents
A mustical ball game. The contrast of this and the first two movements could hardly be greater
After quietly teasing suspense, Beethoven mocks village band, first the oboe, then the bassoon
Clarinet joins in, then horn takes the tune - the dance no longer boisterous but lyrical
Strings sweep the village musicians aside and hurtle us into the new, boisterous 'Trio' section
The air is alive with the sound of (mock) bagpipes, tambourines and fifes
Coda; begins as the movement itself begins, but soon diverges in harmony and instrumentation
Original layout compressed; order of events is changed nd Beethoven springs a big surprise
Third movement (complete)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm
Unparalled portrait of nature's power over humanity, with some stupendous orchestration
Self-generating form and terror of total unpredictability; 'anxiety motif' from the violins
The 'lashing rain' motif - downward-driving arpeggios from the first violins and violas
The 'lightning' motif, and its recurrnece later in the movement
'Rain' motif, derived from descending scale pattern from the violins at the outest
Shivering tremolandos from the strings and increasingly eerie harmonies from the wind
Steady crescendo in strings; terrifying, downward spelling-out of chords in the violins
Extremes of dynamic contrasts; the unsettling, disturbing, undermining effects of chromaticism
Abandonment of melody, and most traces even of rhythm; sustained, discordant harmony
Storm dispersed, the sun reappears, bathing sodden earth below with its life-giving rays
Cue to complete preformance of Fourth Movement
Fourth movement (complete)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Fifth Movement: Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm
'Yodelling' figure from clarinet, then horn, the violins, who introduce the main theme
Details of instrumental magic in the interplay of horns, cellos, clarinets and bassoons
Main theme heard three times in a row - and yet never the same way twice
Now we get the whole orchestra, playing full out, with violins all double-stopping
Transition to the next section, based on the last two notes of the main theme
The rhythmic basis of new transition theme, first in violas, then takes up by first violins
Another rhythmic details of extended transition comes increasingly into the foreground
...and is then heard in expanded version, taken in sequence by the strings, from the top down
New phrase, introduced by violins, brings us resoundingly back to the opening material
Main theme, re-orchestrated; unexpected drift into another key and a new, gently flowing theme
Hints of a return to main theme; long 'pedal point'; running commentary from the violins
Main theme returns, but significantly altered, and not entirely intact
Running commentary now heard in the middle, with alternating pizzicatos both above and below
Part Three of main theme given to entire orchestra, leading to final appearance of Theme two
Extended coda; overlapping variations of main theme, rather in the manner of a round
Suddenly the scene changes. A variation of the 'running commentary' cited in Tracks 34 and 36
The crowning glory, as the Shepherd's Song of Thanksgiving takes on a 'heavenly' magnificence
Cue into complete performance of Fifth Movement through the 'gateway' of the Fourth
Fourth and Fifth movements (complete)
