Classics Explained: Beethoven - Symphony No. 6, 'pastoral'

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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: On Beethoven's Openings
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Opening phrase of the 'Pastoral': Ood, Symbolism and Musical Function
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Musical Acorns: The outline of melody; the shape of a question
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The 'question' in the 'Pastoral' repeated...
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: ...And answered
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The opening phrase ends on a note full of pregnant expectation
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Starting with a stop
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The rhythmic profile of the opening phrase; a two-part construction
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   Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Phrase One, Pt. One
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Phrase One, Pt. Two
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The properties of rhythmic ambiguity; the 'question' of Phrase One answered
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Phrase Two: From meander to march
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The makings of a conversation: Contrast and variation
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14. 14
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Repetition as A Major factor, but It's never mere repetition; each time something new Is ad
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15. 15
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: From soft to loud and back again; instrumental enrichment from horns and double-basses
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Mega-repetition: Violins play exactly the same little fragment ten times in a row
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: But no two repetitions Are quite the same; varieties of contrast
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18. 18
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: More variation: Pitch rises; violins joined frist by the clarinet, then by the oboe
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Return to opening idea, but with new instrumentation and articulation
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Clarinets, horns, bassoons and flutes now join expansive variation
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: 'New' insistent rhythm derived from the first four notes of the piece
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: With the dawn chorus, a whole forest Is waking up; feelings of rapture
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: First violins play a derivative of the opening figure, joined by wind and strings
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Sudden change of key, from the home key (tonic) to the dominant
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25. 25
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Arrival at the hightly contrasting second main theme
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26. 26
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Unusual properties of second main theme
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27. 27
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Rhythmic clash between simultaneous groups of three beats and groups of two
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28. 28
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Winds fall selent as the violins and violas interrupt with a new theme
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29. 29
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Winds answer with the same morse-like rhythm but at half the speed
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30. 30
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Crescendo leads to strings' acceleration of the pace with no increase in tempo
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31. 31
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Beginning of coda, directly based on morse-like rhythm of the main theme
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32. 32
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Strings reiterate small fragment of the new theme 13 times in a row
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: A simple, rising violin phrase leads to a repeat of the Exposition
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The nature and function of the Development section in sonata form; 'harmonic' rhythm explai
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35. 35
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The nature of harmonic rhythm illustrated
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36. 36
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: A typically Beethovenian exercise in the frustration of expectation
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37. 37
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Repetitiousness and magic effected largely through instrumental colour
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Then come four, almost identical bars
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Even greater magic, with sudden switch of key and tone colour
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40. 40
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Entire Development section up to This point
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The Development continued
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Increased unease and suspense as harmonic rhythm accelerates
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Arrival at the point of Recapitulation; back to the beginning, as a reminder
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44. 44
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Beginning of Recapitulation
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: More Beethovenian frustrations of expectations which he himself has just set up
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Harmonic rhythm speeds up, giving the impression of an accent on every beat
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Prevailing mood restored; new theme from clarinets and bassoons
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Violins and violas take up theme; horns, cellos, double-basses accompany
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: A hush falls, followed by a return of the movement's most familiar tag in strings
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Clarinet takes up the running triplet figures of the main closing theme
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    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: First violins take up the opening phrase again, accompanied by double-basses
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52. 52
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Beethoven slips in one last surprise; cue to complete movement
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53. 53
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: First movement (complete)
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54. 54
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: General introduction; the birth of a melody
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55. 55
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Brook music quickens; syncopated horns; theme changes hands; evocation of birdsong
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56. 56
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: The 'motto' theme introduced by violins and treated to round-like overlappings
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57. 57
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Transitional 'bridge' theme sets off for new key group. But Is It? And does It?
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Will he, or won't he? Beethoven keeps us guessing
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59. 59
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: The run-up to the Second Group
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60. 60
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Arrival at the Second Group; but where Is the actual Second Subject?
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: A new tune Is introduced by the bassoon
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Tune Is repeated three times
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: ...Which the full orchestra now takes up in varied form
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Theme carried by flutes and first violins in a charmingly waltz-like development
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: A reminder of precedent
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Back to the prevailing triple-metre with violins, bassoons and flutes
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67. 67
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Another reminder of precedent...
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68. 68
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: ...And a cue to some unexpected departures
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69. 69
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: The transformational magic of Beethoven's 'tone-painting' - And a new varation
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70. 70
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Conversation of clarinet, flute and oboe on the way to the Development
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Harmonic movement emphasised by violins; oboe takes up the First Subject
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Flute and oboe discuss the First Subject, before arriving together at the Transition
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Gains in volume and intensity lead to a new key-change
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: More thematic transformation through the agency of tone-colour
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Harmonic fluideity - Instability - As the central engine of the Development section
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Harmonic instability, thematic dissolution increase, then lessen with approach of Recapitulation
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77. 77
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Recap. And transformation: Key and material Are right, but what a change of presentation!
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78. 78
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Just when we know what's coming, Beethoven changes the rules (or at least the harmony)
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    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Transformation by reorchestration; switch to long sustained chords; then everything stops
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80. 80
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: The silence Is broken by voices of nightingale (flute), quail [oboe] and cuckoo [clarinet]
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81. 81
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: First violins bring back motto theme
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82. 82
    Second Movement, Scene by the Brook: Cue to complete movement on CD 2
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83. 83
    Second movement (complete)
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84. 84
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Beethoven and the Scherzo. An introduction; Pt. One of opening phrase taken by the strings
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85. 85
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Immediate response; Pt. One Is answered by a march more singing, continuous legato
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86. 86
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Entire orchestra gives out opening theme, This time fortissimo and with powerful accents
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87. 87
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: A mustical ball game. The contrast of This and the first two movements could hardly be greater
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88. 88
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: After quietly teasing suspense, Beethoven mocks village band, first the oboe, then the bassoon
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89. 89
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Clarinet joins in, then horn takes the tune - The dance no longer boisterous but lyrical
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90. 90
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Strings sweep the village musicians aside and hurtle us into the new, boisterous 'Trio' section
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91. 91
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: The air Is alive with the sound of (mock) bagpipes, tambourines and fifes
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92. 92
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Coda; begins as the movement itself begins, but soon diverges in harmony and instrumentation
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93. 93
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Original layout compressed; order of events Is changed nd Beethoven springs a big surprise
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94. 94
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Third movement (complete)
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95. 95
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Unparalled portrait of nature's power over humanity, with some stupendous orchestration
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96. 96
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Self-generating form and terror of total unpredictability; 'anxiety motif' from the violins
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97. 97
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: The 'lashing rain' motif - Downward-driving arpeggios from the first violins and violas
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98. 98
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: The 'lightning' motif, and its recurrnece later in the movement
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99. 99
    Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: 'Rain' motif, derived from descending scale pattern from the violins at the outest
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100. 100
     Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Shivering tremolandos from the strings and increasingly eerie harmonies from the wind
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101. 101
     Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Steady crescendo in strings; terrifying, downward spelling-out of chords in the violins
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102. 102
     Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Extremes of dynamic contrasts; the unsettling, disturbing, undermining effects of chromaticism
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103. 103
     Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Abandonment of melody, and most traces even of rhythm; sustained, discordant harmony
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104. 104
     Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Storm dispersed, the sun reappears, bathing sodden earth below with its life-giving rays
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105. 105
     Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Cue to complete preformance of Fourth Movement
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106. 106
     Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral", IV. Thunderstorm: Fourth movement (complete)
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107. 107
     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
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108. 108
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Details of instrumental magic in the interplay of horns, cellos, clarinets and bassoons
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109. 109
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Main theme heard three times in a row - And yet never the same way twice
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110. 110
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Now we get the whole orchestra, playing full out, with violins all double-stopping
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111. 111
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Transition to the next section, based on the last two notes of the main theme
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112. 112
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: The rhythmic basis of new transition theme, first in violas, then takes up by first violins
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113. 113
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Another rhythmic details of extended transition comes increasingly into the foreground
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114. 114
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: ...And Is then heard in expanded version, taken in sequence by the strings, from the top down
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115. 115
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: New phrase, introduced by violins, brings us resoundingly back to the opening material
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116. 116
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Main theme, re-orchestrated; unexpected drift into another key and a new, gently flowing theme
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117. 117
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Hints of a return to main theme; long 'pedal point'; running commentary from the violins
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118. 118
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Main theme returns, but significantly altered, and not entirely intact
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119. 119
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Running commentary now heard in the middle, with alternating pizzicatos both above and below
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120. 120
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Pt. Three of main theme given to entire orchestra, leading to final appearance of Theme two
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121. 121
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Extended coda; overlapping variations of main theme, rather in the manner of a round
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122. 122
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Suddenly the scene changes. A variation of the 'running commentary' cited in Tracks 34 and 36
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123. 123
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: The crowning glory, as the Shepherd's Song of Thanksgiving takes on a 'heavenly' magnificence
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124. 124
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Cue into complete performance of Fifth Movement through the 'gateway' of the Fourth
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125. 125
     Fifth Movement, Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Fourth and Fifth movements (complete)
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