In one of the most eerie and tension-building passages in all the literature, the melody snakes up and down in a crescendo that jubilantly leads to the C major theme that resolves all previous troubled thought. For this glorious moment Beethoven brings in three trombones, contra-bassoon, and piccolo—thitherto found only in the opera orchestra. The last movement is long, as three themes are worked over, interrupted only by the striking innovation of a brief, serene reference to the third movement.
We hear the main three themes again, only in a kind of reverse order. The long coda is needed to erase all doubt as to what prevails over the diversions and dark moods of the other three movements. Victory is ours, and the fifty or so measures of emphatic C major chords seal the finale. Symphony No. Program Notes by William E. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.
However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Cookie Settings Accept All. Suddenly that new idea bursts forth in its proper tempo and fortissimo. The finale has begun. The theme is revealed as that of a robust German dance. Beethoven works out the movement with his own vast sense of space.
Just before the end, the timpani attain unexpected prominence in a passage of equally unexpected quiet. But this descent into adagio and pianissimo is undone in a coda as brilliant as it is brief. We are privileged to continue publishing his program notes. Instead, Beethoven distills everything down to a single idea—the rhythm that opened the whole symphony—played in the timpani. Gradually, Beethoven adds other instruments, creating an unequivocal sense of expectation that is resolved with the first notes of the fourth movement.
For the fourth movement, Beethoven adds trombone, contrabassoon, and piccolo, expanding the orchestral palette. Like the inner two movements, this first theme is rising; however, whereas the previous themes went only so far, this one continues to a more logical musical conclusion.
Having such a glorious moment at the beginning of the movement leaves a compositional conundrum: where to go from here?
He recalls the stunning transition from the third to the fourth movements, but shortens it so that what was a moment of anticipation becomes a way to propel the remainder of the movement forward. Carl Maria von Weber lived only a few years longer than Mozart, his cousin by marriage, and was, like both Mozart and Beethoven, well-versed in the compositional techniques of what is now called the Classical style.
But Weber was also steeped in theatrical traditions that inform his compositional voice as much as his studies with Michael Haydn, brother of Joseph. Beethoven, too, was known to have adopted this indication of nobility when to his advantage.
Weber spent a great deal of his life traveling, but his time in Darmstadt launched his career as a composer in unexpected ways. Here Weber met the former soldier and clarinet virtuoso Heinrich Baermann for whom Weber composed his Concertino for Clarinet. The premiere of this work in Munich in the summer of caused such excitement that the then King of Bavaria immediately commissioned two new clarinet concertos from the composer.
Heinrich Baermann studied at the School of Military Music in Potsdam before joining a military band at the age of The work received a huge ovation. After the concert there were so many whispers of future performances.
Also, congratulations on the birth of your daughter. There is a strong, beating heart in this concerto. Med vennlig hilsen. Instrumentation : solo piano, 2 flutes 2nd doubling piccolo , 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings. Approximate duration : 30 minutes. Born December 16, , Bonn, Germany.
Died March 26, , Vienna, Austria. Ludwig van Beethoven was 18 when the French Revolution erupted. Beethoven poured revolutionary fervor into music.
His first two symphonies were inspired by revolutionary hymns and symphonies sweeping Europe. The third was a portrait of Napoleon, its boldness challenging both players and listeners. The Fifth Symphony builds on these foundations. Yet martial sounds remain close by. The third movement provides no balm, horns braying, cellos and basses protesting.
In the finale, French military instruments—contrabassoon, trombone, and piccolo—are recruited. A four-note motto finds its feet. As Beethoven aged, revolutionary ideals failed, republics rose and fell, leaders abused power.
But he remained committed to the cause of liberty, and believed that his music had moral value. That it could make change.
0コメント