Classics Explained: BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 6, 'Pastoral' (Siepmann)

Format:

Sound recording

Author/Creator:

Siepmann, Jeremy, Author.

Contributor:

Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827, Composer.

Naxos Digital Services US.

Series:

Naxos Spoken Word Library.

Naxos Spoken Word Library

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Spoken Word.

Local Subjects:

Spoken Word.

Genre:

Video recordings.

Sound recordings.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

Hong Kong : Naxos Digital Services US Incorporated, 2002.

System Details:

Mode of access: Available online.

Contents:

On Beethoven's Openings ( 01 min., 26 sec. ) / Beethoven

Opening phrase of the 'Pastoral': ood, Symbolism and Musical Function ( 01 min., 44 sec. ) / Beethoven

Musical Acorns: the outline of melody; the shape of a question ( 42 sec. ) / Beethoven

The 'question' in the 'Pastoral' repeated... ( 04 sec. ) / Beethoven

...and answered ( 12 sec. ) / Beethoven

The opening phrase ends on a note full of pregnant expectation ( 19 sec. ) / Beethoven

Starting with a stop ( 36 sec. ) / Beethoven

The rhythmic profile of the opening phrase; a two-part construction ( 52 sec. ) / Beethoven

Phrase One, Part One ( 09 sec. ) / Beethoven

Phrase One, Part Two ( 06 sec. ) / Beethoven

The properties of rhythmic ambiguity; the 'question' of Phrase One answered ( 01 min., 03 sec. ) / Beethoven

Phrase Two: from meander to march ( 27 sec. ) / Beethoven

The makings of a conversation: contrast and variation ( 47 sec. ) / Beethoven

Repetition as A Major factor, but it's never mere repetition; each time something new is added ( 33 sec. ) / Beethoven

From soft to loud and back again; instrumental enrichment from horns and double-basses ( 18 sec. ) / Beethoven

Mega-repetition: violins play exactly the same little fragment ten times in a row ( 29 sec. ) / Beethoven

But no two repetitions are quite the same; varieties of contrast ( 34 sec. ) / Beethoven

More variation: pitch rises; violins joined frist by the clarinet, then by the oboe ( 19 sec. ) / Beethoven

Return to opening idea, but with new instrumentation and articulation ( 25 sec. ) / Beethoven

Clarinets, horns, bassoons and flutes now join expansive variation ( 49 sec. ) / Beethoven

'New' insistent rhythm derived from the first four notes of the piece ( 09 sec. ) / Beethoven

With the dawn chorus, a whole forest is waking up; feelings of rapture ( 36 sec. ) / Beethoven

First violins play a derivative of the opening figure, joined by wind and strings ( 32 sec. ) / Beethoven

Sudden change of key, from the home key (tonic) to the dominant ( 30 sec. ) / Beethoven

Arrival at the hightly contrasting second main theme ( 55 sec. ) / Beethoven

Unusual properties of second main theme ( 02 min., 15 sec. ) / Beethoven

Rhythmic clash between simultaneous groups of three beats and groups of two ( 01 min., 09 sec. ) / Beethoven

winds fall selent as the violins and violas interrupt with a new theme ( 30 sec. ) / Beethoven

Winds answer with the same morse-like rhythm but at half the speed ( 51 sec. ) / Beethoven

Crescendo leads to strings' acceleration of the pace with no increase in tempo ( 01 min., 05 sec. ) / Beethoven

Beginning of coda, directly based on morse-like rhythm of the main theme ( 22 sec. ) / Beethoven

Strings reiterate small fragment of the new theme 13 times in a row ( 48 sec. ) / Beethoven

A simple, rising violin phrase leads to a repeat of the Exposition ( 18 sec. ) / Beethoven

The nature and function of the Development section in sonata form; 'harmonic' rhythm explained ( 02 min., 22 sec. ) / Beethoven

The nature of harmonic rhythm illustrated ( 35 sec. ) / Beethoven

A typically Beethovenian exercise in the frustration of expectation ( 38 sec. ) / Beethoven

Repetitiousness and magic effected largely through instrumental colour ( 42 sec. ) / Beethoven

Then come four, almost identical bars ( 08 sec. ) / Beethoven

Even greater magic, with sudden switch of key and tone colour ( 28 sec. ) / Beethoven

Entire Development section up to this point ( 01 min., 55 sec. ) / Beethoven

The Development continued ( 01 min., 23 sec. ) / Beethoven

Increased unease and suspense as harmonic rhythm accelerates ( 02 min., 03 sec. ) / Beethoven

Arrival at the point of Recapitulation; back to the beginning, as a reminder ( 01 min., 50 sec. ) / Beethoven

Beginning of Recapitulation ( 50 sec. ) / Beethoven

More Beethovenian frustrations of expectations which he himself has just set up ( 01 min., 01 sec. ) / Beethoven

Harmonic rhythm speeds up, giving the impression of an accent on every beat ( 34 sec. ) / Beethoven

Prevailing mood restored; new theme from clarinets and bassoons ( 28 sec. ) / Beethoven

Violins and violas take up theme; horns, cellos, double-basses accompany ( 48 sec. ) / Beethoven

A hush falls, followed by a return of the movement's most familiar tag in strings ( 58 sec. ) / Beethoven

Clarinet takes up the running triplet figures of the main closing theme ( 32 sec. ) / Beethoven

First violins take up the opening phrase again, accompanied by double-basses ( 37 sec. ) / Beethoven

Beethoven slips in one last surprise; cue to complete movement ( 59 sec. ) / Beethoven

First movement (complete) ( 11 min., 01 sec. ) / Beethoven

General introduction; the birth of a melody ( 01 min., 59 sec. ) / Beethoven

Brook music quickens; syncopated horns; theme changes hands; evocation of birdsong ( 01 min., 19 sec. ) / Beethoven

The 'motto' theme introduced by violins and treated to round-like overlappings ( 52 sec. ) / Beethoven

Transitional 'bridge' theme sets off for new key group. But is it? And does it? ( 39 sec. ) / Beethoven

Will he, or won't he? Beethoven keeps us guessing ( 01 min., 09 sec. ) / Beethoven

The run-up to the Second Group ( 01 min., 14 sec. ) / Beethoven

Arrival at the Second Group; but where is the actual Second Subject? ( 39 sec. ) / Beethoven

A new tune is introduced by the bassoon ( 38 sec. ) / Beethoven

Tune is repeated three times ( 01 min. ) / Beethoven

...which the full orchestra now takes up in varied form ( 45 sec. ) / Beethoven

Theme carried by flutes and first violins in a charmingly waltz-like development ( 48 sec. ) / Beethoven

A reminder of precedent ( 14 sec. ) / Beethoven

Back to the prevailing triple-metre with violins, bassoons and flutes ( 16 sec. ) / Beethoven

Another reminder of precedent... ( 16 sec. ) / Beethoven

...and a cue to some unexpected departures ( 38 sec. ) / Beethoven

The transformational magic of Beethoven's 'tone-painting' - and a new varation ( 50 sec. ) / Beethoven

Conversation of clarinet, flute and oboe on the way to the Development ( 43 sec. ) / Beethoven

Harmonic movement emphasised by violins; oboe takes up the First Subject ( 38 sec. ) / Beethoven

Flute and oboe discuss the First Subject, before arriving together at the Transition ( 01 min., 04 sec. ) / Beethoven

Gains in volume and intensity lead to a new key-change ( 47 sec. ) / Beethoven

More thematic transformation through the agency of tone-colour ( 01 min., 11 sec. ) / Beethoven

Harmonic fluideity - instability - as the central engine of the Development section ( 01 min., 40 sec. ) / Beethoven

Harmonic instability, thematic dissolution increase, then lessen with approach of Recapitulation ( 01 min., 41 sec. ) / Beethoven

Recap. and transformation: key and material are right, but what a change of presentation! ( 01 min., 29 sec. ) / Beethoven

Just when we know what's coming, Beethoven changes the rules (or at least the harmony) ( 53 sec. ) / Beethoven

Transformation by reorchestration; switch to long sustained chords; then everything stops ( 01 min., 20 sec. ) / Beethoven

The silence is broken by voices of nightingale (flute), quail (oboe) and cuckoo (clarinet) ( 40 sec. ) / Beethoven

First violins bring back motto theme ( 12 sec. ) / Beethoven

Cue to complete movement on CD 2 ( 32 sec. ) / Beethoven

Second movement (complete) ( 12 min., 03 sec. ) / Beethoven

Beethoven and the Scherzo: an introduction; Part One of opening phrase taken by the strings ( 01 min., 32 sec. ) / Beethoven

Immediate response; Part One is answered by a march more singing, continuous legato ( 23 sec. ) / Beethoven

Entire orchestra gives out opening theme, this time fortissimo and with powerful accents ( 01 min., 06 sec. ) / Beethoven

A mustical ball game. The contrast of this and the first two movements could hardly be greater ( 33 sec. ) / Beethoven

After quietly teasing suspense, Beethoven mocks village band, first the oboe, then the bassoon ( 01 minutes, 18 sec. ) / Beethoven

Clarinet joins in, then horn takes the tune - the dance no longer boisterous but lyrical ( 48 sec. ) / Beethoven

Strings sweep the village musicians aside and hurtle us into the new, boisterous 'Trio' section ( 46 sec.

) / Beethoven

The air is alive with the sound of (mock) bagpipes, tambourines and fifes ( 01 min. ) / Beethoven

Coda; begins as the movement itself begins, but soon diverges in harmony and instrumentation ( 01 min., 18 sec. ) / Beethoven

Original layout compressed; order of events is changed nd Beethoven springs a big surprise ( 42 sec. ) / Beethoven

Third movement (complete) ( 05 min., 14 sec. ) / Beethoven

Unparalled portrait of nature's power over humanity, with some stupendous orchestration ( 03 min., 05 sec. ) / Beethoven

Self-generating form and terror of total unpredictability; 'anxiety motif' from the violins ( 01 min., 34 sec. ) / Beethoven

The 'lashing rain' motif - downward-driving arpeggios from the first violins and violas ( 36 sec. ) / Beethoven

The 'lightning' motif, and its recurrnece later in the movement ( 22 sec. ) / Beethoven

'Rain' motif, derived from descending scale pattern from the violins at the outest ( 13 sec. ) / Beethoven

Shivering tremolandos from the strings and increasingly eerie harmonies from the wind ( 18 sec. ) / Beethoven

Steady crescendo in strings; terrifying, downward spelling-out of chords in the violins ( 01 min., 37 sec. ) / Beethoven

Extremes of dynamic contrasts; the unsettling, disturbing, undermining effects of chromaticism ( 01 min., 02 sec. ) / Beethoven

Abandonment of melody, and most traces even of rhythm; sustained, discordant harmony ( 20 sec. ) / Beethoven

Storm dispersed, the sun reappears, bathing sodden earth below with its life-giving rays ( 01 min., 52 sec. ) / Beethoven

Cue to complete preformance of Fourth Movement ( 09 sec. ) / Beethoven

Fourth movement (complete) ( 03 min., 55 sec. ) / Beethoven

'Yodelling' figure from clarinet, then horn, the violins, who introduce the main theme ( 59 sec. ) / Beethoven

Details of instrumental magic in the interplay of horns, cellos, clarinets and bassoons ( 01 min., 06 sec. ) / Beethoven

Main theme heard three times in a row - and yet never the same way twice ( 01 min., 06 sec. ) / Beethoven

Now we get the whole orchestra, playing full out, with violins all double-stopping ( 36 sec. ) / Beethoven

Transition to the next section, based on the last two notes of the main theme ( 43 sec. ) / Beethoven

The rhythmic basis of new transition theme, first in violas, then takes up by first violins ( 38 sec. ) / Beethoven

Another rhythmic details of extended transition comes increasingly into the foreground ( 29 sec. ) / Beethoven

...and is then heard in expanded version, taken in sequence by the strings, from the top down ( 51 sec. ) / Beethoven

New phrase, introduced by violins, brings us resoundingly back to the opening material ( 01 min., 13 sec. ) / Beethoven

Main theme, re-orchestrated; unexpected drift into another key and a new, gently flowing theme ( 02 min., 15 sec. ) / Beethoven

Hints of a return to main theme; long 'pedal point'; running commentary from the violins ( 58 sec. ) / Beethoven

Main theme returns, but significantly altered, and not entirely intact ( 37 sec. ) / Beethoven

Running commentary now heard in the middle, with alternating pizzicatos both above and below ( 24 sec. ) / Beethoven

Part Three of main theme given to entire orchestra, leading to final appearance of Theme two ( 01 min., 21 sec. ) / Beethoven

Extended coda; overlapping variations of main theme, rather in the manner of a round ( 02 min., 09 sec. ) / Beethoven

Suddenly the scene changes. A variation of the 'running commentary' cited in Tracks 34 and 36 ( 51 sec. ) / Beethoven

The crowning glory, as the Shepherd's Song of Thanksgiving takes on a 'heavenly' magnificence ( 02 min., 10 sec. ) / Beethoven

Cue into complete performance of Fifth Movement through the 'gateway' of the Fourth ( 01 min., 09 sec. ) / Beethoven

Fourth and Fifth movements (complete) ( 13 minutes, 47 sec. ) / Beethoven

Participant:

Siepmann, Jeremy, Artist -- Beethoven, Ludwig van, Composer

Notes:

Naxos Digital Services electronic collection.

Streaming audio.

Publisher Number:

0636943803424

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.