Beethoven symphonies. Beethoven

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“Music should strike fire from human hearts,” said Ludwig van Beethoven, whose work belongs to the highest achievements of human genius.

Beethoven's work opens up a new, 19th century. in music, his worldview was formed under the influence of the freedom-loving ideas of the Great french revolution 1789-1794, echoes of which (the intonations of mass songs, anthems, funeral marches) penetrate many of the composer’s works.

Based on the traditions of his predecessors, Beethoven significantly expands the horizons of music as an art, saturates it with hitherto unprecedented contrasts, intense development, reflecting the spirit of revolutionary transformations. A man of republican views, he affirms the dignity of the individual artist-creator.

Beethoven was inspired by heroic subjects: such were his only opera “Fidelio” and the music for J. W. Goethe’s drama “Egmont”. Winning freedom as a result of persistent struggle - that’s main idea his creativity. At the finale of the 9th symphony, the author, trying to emphasize its pan-human scale, introduces a choir and soloists singing to the text of Schiller’s ode “To Joy”: “Embrace yourself, millions!”

All mature creative life Beethoven is connected with Vienna; here, as a young man, he delighted W. A. Mozart with his playing, studied with J. Haydn, and here he became famous primarily as a pianist. Beethoven improvised excellently, and also performed his concertos and sonatas, which were not inferior to symphonies in the depth and power of musical ideas. The spontaneous power of dramatic clashes, the sublimity of philosophical lyrics, rich, sometimes rude humor - we can find all this in the infinitely rich, comprehensive world of his sonatas (in total, he wrote 32 sonatas).

The lyrical and dramatic images of the 14th (“Moonlight”) and 17th sonatas reflected the composer’s despair during the most difficult period of his life, when Beethoven was close to suicide due to hearing loss. But the crisis was overcome; the appearance of the 3rd symphony (1804) marked the victory of human will. The enormity of the scale of the new composition stunned the audience. Beethoven wanted to dedicate the symphony to Napoleon. However, having proclaimed himself emperor, the former idol became in the eyes of the composer the destroyer of the revolution. The symphony receives the name: “Heroic”. In the period from 1803 to 1813, the majority of symphonic works were created. The variety of creative endeavors is truly limitless. Thus, in the famous 5th symphony, the drama of the struggle with fate reaches a special intensity. And at the same time, one of the brightest, “spring” works appears - the 6th (“Pastoral”) symphony, which embodied the images of nature, which Beethoven loved deeply and unfailingly.

The composer is at the height of his fame. However, in last years life, the gap between Beethoven’s daring plans and the tastes of “dancing” Vienna widens. The composer is increasingly attracted to chamber genres. In the vocal cycle “To a Distant Beloved”, the last quartets and sonatas, Beethoven strives to penetrate the hidden depths inner world person. At the same time, the most grandiose canvases were created - the 9th Symphony (1823), the Solemn Mass (1823).

Never resting on his laurels, striving forward to new discoveries, Beethoven was far ahead of his time. His music has been and will be a source of inspiration for many generations.

At the same time as the Fifth, Beethoven completed the Sixth, “Pastoral Symphony” in F major (op. 68, 1808). This is the only thing symphonic work Beethoven, published with the author's program. On title page The manuscript bore the following inscription:

« Pastoral Symphony,
or
Memories of rural life.
More an expression of mood than sound painting.”

And then follow short titles for each movement of the symphony.

If the Third and Fifth Symphonies reflected the tragedy and heroism of life's struggle, the Fourth reflected a lyrical feeling of the joy of being, then Beethoven's Sixth Symphony embodies the Rousseauian theme - “man and nature.” This theme was widespread in the music of the 18th century, starting with Rousseau’s “The Village Sorcerer”; Haydn also embodied it in his oratorio “The Seasons.” The nature and life of villagers unspoiled by urban civilization, the poetic reproduction of pictures of rural labor - such images were often found in art born of advanced educational ideology. The thunderstorm scene of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony also has many prototypes in 18th-century opera (Gluck, Monsigny, Rameau, Mareu, Campra), in Haydn's The Four Seasons, and even in Beethoven's own ballet The Works of Prometheus. “A Merry Gathering of Villagers” is familiar to us from numerous round dance scenes from operas and, again, from Haydn’s oratorio. The image of birds chirping in the “Scene by the Stream” is associated with the cult of imitation of nature, typical of the 18th century. Traditional pastoralism is also embodied in the serenely idyllic pastoral picture. It is palpable even in the instrumentation of the symphony, with its delicate pastel colors.

It should not be thought that Beethoven returned to the musical style of the past. Like all his mature works, the Sixth Symphony, with well-known intonation connections with the music of the Age of Enlightenment, is deeply original from beginning to end.

The first part - “Awakening vigorous feelings upon arrival in the village” - is all imbued with elements of folk music. From the very beginning, the fifth background reproduces the sound of bagpipes. The main theme is a plexus of pastoral intonations typical of the 18th century:

All the themes of the first part express a mood of joyful tranquility.

Beethoven resorts here not to his favorite method of motivic development, but to uniform repetition, emphasized by clear cadences. Even in development, calm contemplation prevails: development is based primarily on timbre-coloristic variation and repetition. Instead of the usual sharp tonal tensions for Beethoven, a colorful comparison of tonalities is given, spaced from each other by a third (B-Dur - D-Dur for the first time, C-Dur - E-Dur when repeating). In the first part of the symphony, the composer creates a picture of complete harmony between man and the world around him.

In the second part - “Scene by the Stream” - a mood of dreaminess dominates. Here big role moments of musical imagery play. The sustained background is created by two solo cellos with mutes and a horn pedal. This accompaniment resembles the babbling of a brook:

In the final bars it gives way to an imitation of bird chirping (nightingale, quail and cuckoo).

The three subsequent movements of the symphony are performed without interruption. An increase in events, an acute climax and release - this is how their internal structure develops.

The third part - “A cheerful gathering of villagers” - is a genre scene. It is distinguished by great figurative concreteness. Beethoven conveys in it the features of folk village music. We hear how the lead singer and choir, the village orchestra and singers call each other, how the bassoonist plays out of place, how the dancers stomp. Proximity to folk music is manifested both in the use of alternating modes (in the first theme F-Dur - D-Dur, in the trio theme F-Dur - B-Dur), and in the metrics reproducing the rhythms of Austrian peasant dances (change of three- and two-beat sizes).

“Thunderstorm Scene” (the fourth part) is written with great dramatic force. The growing sound of thunder, the sound of raindrops, flashes of lightning, whirlwinds of wind are felt almost with visible reality. But these bright visual techniques are designed to highlight the mood of fear, horror, and confusion.

The thunderstorm subsides, and the last weak clap of thunder dissolves in the sounds of the shepherd's pipe, which begins the fifth part - “The Shepherds' Song. Showing joyful, grateful feelings after the storm.” The intonations of the pipe permeate the thematic theme of the finale. Themes are freely developed and varied. Calmness and sunshine are poured into the music of this movement. The symphony ends with a hymn of peace.

"Pastoral Symphony" had big influence on composers of the next generation. We find echoes of it in Berlioz’s “Symphony Fantastique”, and in the overture to “William Tell” by Rossini, and in the symphonies of Mendelssohn, Schumann and others. Beethoven himself, however, never returned to this type of program symphony.

Pictures of the changing seasons, the rustling of leaves, bird voices, the splashing of waves, the murmur of a stream, thunderclaps - all this can be conveyed in music. Many famous people knew how to do this brilliantly: their musical works about nature became classics musical landscape.

Natural phenomena, musical sketches of flora and fauna appear in instrumental and piano works, vocal and choral works, and sometimes even in the form program cycles.

“The Seasons” by A. Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi

Four tripartite violin concert Vivaldi's The Seasons is without a doubt the most famous nature music of the Baroque era. The poetic sonnets for the concerts are believed to have been written by the composer himself and express the musical meaning of each part.

Vivaldi conveys with his music the rumble of thunder, the sound of rain, the rustling of leaves, the trills of birds, the barking of dogs, the howling of the wind, and even the silence of an autumn night. Many of the composer's remarks in the score directly indicate one or another natural phenomenon that should be depicted.

Vivaldi “The Seasons” – “Winter”

"The Seasons" by J. Haydn

Joseph Haydn

The monumental oratorio “The Seasons” was a unique result creative activity composer and became a true masterpiece of classicism in music.

Four seasons are sequentially presented to the listener in 44 films. Heroes of the oratorio - villager(peasants, hunters). They know how to work and have fun, they have no time to indulge in despondency. People here are part of nature, they are involved in its annual cycle.

Haydn, like his predecessor, makes extensive use of the possibilities different instruments to capture natural sounds such as summer thunderstorms, grasshoppers and frog choruses.

Haydn associates musical works about nature with the lives of people - they are almost always present in his “paintings”. So, for example, in the finale of the 103rd symphony, we seem to be in the forest and hear the signals of hunters, to depict which the composer resorts to a well-known means - . Listen:

Haydn Symphony No. 103 – final

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“Seasons” by P. I. Tchaikovsky

The composer chose the genre of piano miniatures for his twelve months. But the piano alone is capable of conveying the colors of nature no worse than the choir and orchestra.

Here is the spring rejoicing of the lark, and the joyful awakening of the snowdrop, and the dreamy romance of white nights, and the song of a boatman rocking on the river waves, and the field work of peasants, and hound hunting, and the alarmingly sad autumn fading of nature.

Tchaikovsky “Seasons” – March – “Song of the Lark”

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“Carnival of Animals” by C. Saint-Saens

Among musical works about nature, the “great zoological fantasy” of Saint-Saëns stands apart for chamber ensemble. The frivolity of the idea determined the fate of the work: “Carnival,” the score of which Saint-Saëns even forbade publication during his lifetime, was performed in its entirety only among the composer’s friends.

Original instrumental composition: in addition to strings and several wind instruments, this includes two pianos, a celesta and such a rare instrument in our time as a glass harmonica.

The cycle has 13 parts describing different animals, and a final part that combines all the numbers into a single piece. It’s funny that the composer also included novice pianists who diligently play scales among the animals.

The comic nature of “Carnival” is emphasized by numerous musical allusions and quotes. For example, “Turtles” perform Offenbach’s cancan, only slowed down several times, and the double bass in “Elephant” develops the theme of Berlioz’s “Ballet of the Sylphs”.

Saint-Saëns “Carnival of the Animals” – Swan

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Sea elements by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov

The Russian composer knew about the sea firsthand. As a midshipman, and then as a midshipman on the Almaz clipper, he made a long journey to the North American coast. His favorite sea images appear in many of his creations.

This is, for example, the theme of the “blue ocean-sea” in the opera “Sadko”. In just a few sounds the author conveys the hidden power of the ocean, and this motif permeates the entire opera.

The sea reigns both in the symphonic musical film “Sadko” and in the first part of the suite “Scheherazade” - “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship”, in which calm gives way to storm.

Rimsky-Korsakov “Sadko” – introduction “Ocean-sea blue”

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“The east was covered with a ruddy dawn...”

Another favorite theme of nature music is sunrise. Here two of the most famous morning themes immediately come to mind, having something in common with each other. Each in its own way accurately conveys the awakening of nature. This is the romantic “Morning” by E. Grieg and the solemn “Dawn on the Moscow River” by M. P. Mussorgsky.

Grieg's imitation of a shepherd's horn is picked up string instruments, and then by the whole orchestra: the sun rises over the harsh fjords, and the murmur of a stream and the singing of birds are clearly heard in the music.

Mussorgsky's Dawn also begins with a shepherd's melody, the ringing of bells seems to be woven into the growing orchestral sound, and the sun rises higher and higher over the river, covering the water with golden ripples.

Mussorgsky – “Khovanshchina” – introduction “Dawn on the Moscow River”

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It is almost impossible to list everything in which the theme of nature is developed - this list will be too long. Here you can include concertos by Vivaldi (“Nightingale”, “Cuckoo”, “Night”), “Bird Trio” from Beethoven’s sixth symphony, “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Les Goldfishes” by Debussy, “Spring and Autumn” and “ winter road"Sviridov and many other musical pictures of nature.

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, piccolo flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, strings.

History of creation

The birth of the Pastoral Symphony occurs during the central period of Beethoven's work. Almost simultaneously, three symphonies came out of his pen, completely different in character: in 1805 he began writing a heroic symphony in C minor, now known as No. 5, in mid-November next year He finished the lyric Fourth, B-flat major, and in 1807 began composing the Pastoral. Completed at the same time as the C minor in 1808, it differs sharply from it. Beethoven, having come to terms with an incurable illness - deafness - does not struggle here with hostile fate, but glorifies great power nature, the simple joys of life.

Like the C minor, the Pastoral Symphony is dedicated to Beethoven’s patron, the Viennese philanthropist Prince F. I. Lobkowitz and the Russian envoy in Vienna, Count A. K. Razumovsky. Both of them were first performed in a large “academy” (that is, a concert in which the works of only one author were performed by himself as a virtuoso instrumentalist or by an orchestra under his direction) on December 22, 1808 in Vienna Theater. The first number of the program was “Symphony entitled “Memories of Rural Life”, F major, No. 5.” Only some time later she became Sixth. The concert, held in a cold hall where the audience sat in fur coats, was not a success. The orchestra was a mixed one, of a low level. Beethoven quarreled with the musicians during the rehearsal; conductor I. Seyfried worked with them, and the author only directed the premiere.

The pastoral symphony occupies a special place in his work. It is programmatic, and the only one of the nine has not only a general name, but also headings for each part. These parts are not four, as has long been established in the symphonic cycle, but five, which is connected specifically with the program: between the simple-minded village dance and the peaceful finale there is a dramatic picture of a thunderstorm.

Beethoven loved to spend the summer in quiet villages in the vicinity of Vienna, wandering through forests and meadows from dawn to dusk, rain or shine, and in this communication with nature the ideas for his compositions arose. “No person can love rural life as much as I do, for oak groves, trees, rocky mountains respond to the thoughts and experiences of man.” Pastoral, which, according to the composer himself, depicts the feelings born from contact with the natural world and rural life, has become one of the most romantic essays Beethoven. It is not without reason that many romantics saw her as a source of inspiration. This is evidenced by Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique, Schumann's Rhine Symphony, Mendelssohn's Scottish and Italian symphonies, the symphonic poem "Preludes" and many piano pieces Liszt.

Music

First part called by the composer “Joyful feelings upon arrival in the village.” Simple, repetitive main topic, sounding from the violins, is close to folk round dance melodies, and the accompaniment from the violas and cellos is reminiscent of the hum of a village bagpipe. Several side topics contrast little with the main one. The development is also idyllic, devoid of sharp contrasts. A long stay in one emotional state is diversified by colorful comparisons of tonalities, changes in orchestral timbres, increases and decreases in sonority, which anticipates the principles of development among the romantics.

Second part- “Scene by the Stream” is imbued with the same serene feelings. The melodious violin melody slowly unfolds against a murmuring background of other strings, which persists throughout the entire movement. Only at the very end does the stream fall silent and the roll call of birds becomes audible: the trill of a nightingale (flute), the cry of a quail (oboe), the cuckoo’s cuckoo (clarinet). Listening to this music, it is impossible to imagine that it was written by a deaf composer who has not heard birdsong for a long time!

The third part- “A cheerful gathering of villagers” - the most cheerful and carefree. It combines the sly simplicity of peasant dances, introduced into the symphony by Beethoven's teacher Haydn, and the sharp humor of typically Beethovenian scherzos. The initial section is based on the repeated juxtaposition of two themes - abrupt, with persistent stubborn repetitions, and lyrical melodious, but not without humor: the bassoon accompaniment sounds out of time, as if from inexperienced village musicians. The next theme, flexible and graceful, in the transparent timbre of the oboe accompanied by the violins, is also not without a comical touch, which is given to it by the syncopated rhythm and the sudden entry of the bassoon bass. In the faster trio, a rough chant with sharp accents is persistently repeated, in a very loud sound - as if the village musicians were playing with all their might, sparing no effort. In the repetition of the opening section, Beethoven violates classical tradition: Instead of going through all the topics in full, there is only a brief reminder of the first two.

Fourth part- "Storm. Storm" - begins immediately, without interruption. It forms a sharp contrast to everything that preceded it and is the only dramatic episode of the symphony. Painting a majestic picture of the raging elements, the composer resorts to visual techniques, expanding the composition of the orchestra, including, as in the finale of the Fifth, those not previously used in symphonic music piccolo flute and trombones. The contrast is especially sharply emphasized by the fact that this part is not separated by a pause from the neighboring ones: starting suddenly, it also passes without a pause into the finale, where the mood of the first parts returns.

The final- “Shepherd's song. Joyful and grateful feelings after the storm.” The calm melody of the clarinet, answered by the horn, resembles the roll call of shepherd's horns against the background of bagpipes - they are imitated by the sustained sounds of violas and cellos. The roll call of instruments gradually fades into the distance - the last one to carry out the melody is the horn with a mute against the background of light passages of strings. This is how this unique Beethoven symphony ends in an unusual way.

A. Koenigsberg

Nature and the merging of man with it, a sense of peace of mind, simple joys inspired by the gracious charm of the natural world - these are the themes, the range of images of this work.

Among Beethoven's nine symphonies, the Sixth is the only programmatic one in the direct sense of the term, that is, it has a general name that outlines the direction of poetic thought; in addition, each of the parts of the symphonic cycle is entitled: the first part is “Joyful feelings upon arrival in the village”, the second is “Scene by the stream”, the third is “Merry gathering of villagers”, the fourth is “Thunderstorm” and the fifth is “Shepherd’s song” (“Joyful and grateful feelings after the storm”).

In his attitude to the problem " nature and man“Beethoven, as we have already mentioned, is close to the ideas of J.-J. Rousseau. He perceives nature lovingly, idyllically, reminiscent of Haydn, who glorified the idyll of nature and rural labor in the oratorio “The Seasons”.

At the same time, Beethoven also acts as an artist of modern times. This is reflected in the greater poetic spirituality of the images of nature, and in picturesqueness symphonies.

Keeping the basic pattern intact cyclic forms- contrast of compared parts, - Beethoven forms the symphony as a series of relatively independent paintings that depict various phenomena and states of nature or genre and everyday scenes from rural life.

The programmatic nature of the Pastoral Symphony was reflected in the features of its composition, musical language. This is the only time that Beethoven deviates from the four-part composition in his symphonic works.

The Sixth Symphony can be seen as a five-movement cycle; if we take into account that the last three parts go without interruption and in a sense continue one another, then only three parts are formed.

This “free” interpretation of the cycle, as well as the type of programming and the characteristic nature of the titles, anticipate future works by Berlioz, Liszt and other romantic composers. The very figurative structure, including new, more subtle psychological reactions caused by communication with nature, makes the Pastoral Symphony a harbinger of the romantic direction in music.

IN first part Beethoven himself emphasizes in the title of the symphony that this is not a description of a rural landscape, but feelings, called by him. This movement is devoid of illustrativeness and onomatopoeia, which are found in other parts of the symphony.

Using a folk song as the main theme, Beethoven enhances its characteristicity with the originality of harmonization: the theme sounds against the background of a sustained fifth in the bass (a typical interval of folk instruments):

The violins freely and easily “bring out” the spreading pattern of the melody of the side part; “It’s important” is echoed by the bass. The contrapuntal development seems to fill the theme with ever new juices:

Serene peace and transparency of the air are felt in the theme of the final part with its naive and ingenuous instrumental playing ( new option primary chant) and a roll call against the background of the fading rustling of the bass, based on the tonic organ sound of C-dur (the tonality of the secondary and final parts):

The development, especially its first section, is interesting due to the novelty of development methods. Taken as an object for development, the characteristic chant main party is repeated many times without any changes, but it is colored by the play of registers, instrumental timbres, and the movement of keys through thirds: B-dur - D-dur, G-dur - E-dur.

Techniques of this kind of colorful comparisons of tones, which would become widespread among the romantics, are aimed at evoking a certain mood, a feeling of a given landscape, scenery, picture of nature.

But in second part, in "Scene by the Stream", as well as in fourth- “The Thunderstorm” - an abundance of figurative and onomatopoeic techniques. In the second part, short trills, grace notes, small and longer melodic turns are woven into the fabric of the accompaniment, conveying the calm flow of the stream. The soft colors of the entire sound palette paint an idyllic picture of nature, its tremulous calls, the slightest fluttering, the whisper of leaves, etc. Beethoven completes the entire “scene” with a witty depiction of the colorful hubbub of birds:

The next three parts, connected into one series, are scenes of peasant life.

The third part symphonies - “A Merry Gathering of Peasants” - a juicy and lively genre sketch. There is a lot of humor and sincere fun in it. Great charm is given to it by subtly noticed and sharply reproduced details, such as a bassoonist from a simple village orchestra entering out of place or a deliberate imitation of a heavy peasant dance:

A simple village celebration is suddenly interrupted by a thunderstorm. The musical image of a thunderstorm - a raging element - is often found in a variety of musical genres XVIII and XIX centuries. Beethoven's interpretation of this phenomenon is closest to Haydn's: a thunderstorm is not a disaster, not devastation, but grace, it fills the earth and air with moisture and is necessary for the growth of all living things.

Nevertheless, the image of a thunderstorm in the Sixth Symphony is an exception among works of this kind. It amazes with its true spontaneity, the limitless power of reproducing the phenomenon itself. Although Beethoven uses characteristic onomatopoeic techniques, the main thing here is dramatic power.

the last part- “Shepherd’s Song” is a logical conclusion to the symphony that follows from the whole concept. In it, Beethoven glorifies the life-giving beauty of nature. The most significant thing that the ear notices in the last part of the symphony is its songfulness, the national character of the music itself. The slowly flowing pastoral melody that dominates throughout is saturated with the finest poetry, which spiritualizes the entire sound of this unusual finale:

Ludwig van Beethoven. Symphony No. 6, F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

Ludwig van Beethoven. Symphony No. 6, F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, piccolo flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, strings.

History of creation

The birth of the Pastoral Symphony falls on the central period of Beethoven's work. Almost simultaneously, three symphonies came out of his pen, completely different in character: in 1805 he began writing a heroic symphony in C minor, now known as No. 5, in mid-November of the following year he completed the lyrical Fourth, in B-flat major, and in 1807 he began composing the Pastoral. Completed at the same time as the C minor in 1808, it differs sharply from it. Beethoven, having come to terms with an incurable illness - deafness - here does not fight a hostile fate, but glorifies the great power of nature, the simple joys of life.

The first number of the program was “Symphony entitled “Memories of Rural Life”, F major, No. 5.” Only some time later she became Sixth. The concert, held in a cold hall where the audience sat in fur coats, was not a success. The orchestra was a mixed one, of a low level. Beethoven quarreled with the musicians during the rehearsal; conductor I. Seyfried worked with them, and the author only directed the premiere.

Beethoven loved to spend the summer in quiet villages in the vicinity of Vienna, wandering through forests and meadows from dawn to dusk, rain or shine, and in this communication with nature the ideas for his compositions arose. “No person can love rural life as much as I do, for oak groves, trees, rocky mountains respond to the thoughts and experiences of man.” The pastoral, which, according to the composer himself, depicts the feelings born of contact with the natural world and rural life, became one of Beethoven's most romantic compositions. It is not without reason that many romantics saw her as a source of inspiration. This is evidenced by Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique, Schumann's Rhine Symphony, Mendelssohn's Scottish and Italian symphonies, the symphonic poem "Preludes" and many of Liszt's piano pieces.

The first part is called by the composer “Awakening joyful feelings while staying in the village.” The simple, repeated main theme heard by the violins is close to folk round dance melodies, and the accompaniment by violas and cellos is reminiscent of the hum of village bagpipes. Several side topics contrast little with the main one. The development is also idyllic, devoid of sharp contrasts. A long stay in one emotional state is diversified by colorful comparisons of tonalities, changes in orchestral timbres, increases and decreases in sonority, which anticipates the principles of development among the romantics.

The second part - “Scene by the Stream” - is imbued with the same serene feelings. The melodious violin melody slowly unfolds against a murmuring background of other strings, which persists throughout the entire movement. Only at the very end does the stream fall silent and the roll call of birds becomes audible: the trill of a nightingale (flute), the cry of a quail (oboe), the cuckoo’s cuckoo (clarinet). Listening to this music, it is impossible to imagine that it was written by a deaf composer who has not heard birdsong for a long time!

The third part - “Happy pastime of peasants” - is the most cheerful and carefree. It combines the sly simplicity of peasant dances, introduced into the symphony by Beethoven's teacher Haydn, and the sharp humor of typically Beethovenian scherzos. The initial section is based on the repeated juxtaposition of two themes - abrupt, with persistent stubborn repetitions, and lyrical melodious, but not without humor: the bassoon accompaniment sounds out of time, as if from inexperienced village musicians. The next theme, flexible and graceful, in the transparent timbre of the oboe accompanied by the violins, is also not without a comical touch, which is given to it by the syncopated rhythm and the sudden entry of the bassoon bass. In the faster trio, a rough chant with sharp accents is persistently repeated, in a very loud sound - as if the village musicians were playing with all their might, sparing no effort. In repeating the opening section, Beethoven breaks with classical tradition: instead of going through all the themes in full, there is only a brief reminder of the first two.

The fourth part - “Thunderstorm. Storm " - begins immediately, without interruption. It forms a sharp contrast to everything that preceded it and is the only dramatic episode of the symphony. Painting a majestic picture of the raging elements, the composer resorts to visual techniques, expanding the composition of the orchestra, including, as in the finale of the Fifth, the piccolo flute and trombones, which had not previously been used in symphonic music. The contrast is especially sharply emphasized by the fact that this part is not separated by a pause from the neighboring ones: starting suddenly, it also passes without a pause into the finale, where the mood of the first parts returns.

Final - “Shepherd's tunes. Joyful and grateful feelings after the storm.” The calm melody of the clarinet, to which the horn responds, resembles the roll call of shepherd's horns against the background of bagpipes - they are imitated by the sustained sounds of violas and cellos. The roll call of instruments gradually fades into the distance - the last one to carry out the melody is the horn with a mute against the background of light passages of strings. This is how this unique Beethoven symphony ends in an unusual way.
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A. Koenigsberg

Beethoven Symphony No 6 in F Major Op 68 "The Pastoral" Mvt. 1 Allegro ma non troppo. Performed by the Peter Seymour Orchestra PSO led by the legendary John Ockwell at the Sydney Youth Orchestra SYO concert, December 4, 2010.

01 Allegro ma non troppo, Beethoven, Symphony 6/1, F major, Op 68, "Pastoral", Thielemann, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Pastoral (derived from the French pastorale, pastoral, rural) is a genre that poetizes peaceful and simple rural life.
Pastoral is a genre in literature, painting, music and theater that poetizes peaceful and simple rural life. Pastoral can be called:

Pastoral music, which can include both large and small works, dedicated to the depiction of nature or rural life. Musical pastoral is characterized by 6/8, 12/8 time signatures, a smooth, calm movement of the melody, often doubled in thirds. There are examples of pastorals in the works of A. Vivaldi, D. Scarlatti, F. Couperin, J. S. Bach and other composers. Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" is also famous.

A pastoral can also be called a symphonic episode in a musical stage work that paints pictures of nature (for example, a pastoral in the music of J. Bizet to A. Daudet's Le d'Arlesienne).

Small opera, pantomime, ballet, written on idealized scenes from rural life. The first pastorals, which arose in the 14th and 15th centuries. are the predecessors of classical opera (for example, the French “performance with songs” The Tale of Robin and Marion). IN musical theater the pastoral survived until the 18th–19th centuries. (Mozart's opera The Shepherd King, 1775; Delibes' ballet Sylvia, 1876; etc.). Pastoral operas were written by K. V. Gluck, W. A. Mozart, J. B. Lully, J. F. Rameau.
Bucolic (from the Greek “shepherd”) poetry of antiquity, dedicated to depicting the life of shepherds. Synonyms are eclogue and idyll.

View European literature, copying the bucolic worldview.
A genre of court theater that arose in Italy in the 16th century. and became widespread in countries Western Europe. The pastoral was a short play, often included in the program of court festivities. It depicted the rural life of gallant shepherds and shepherdesses, endowed with the manners, feelings and vocabulary of the aristocracy.

Quiart Pierre-Antoine - Pastoral.