Artboard 2

An Introduction to Beethoven: The Pastoral Symphony

100

10,000

1,400

LABEL

Naxos

RELEASE DATE

April 1, 2002

DURATION

02:33:00

ALBUM ARTIST

Jeremy Siepmann

ALBUM ARTISTS

ARTIST PAGE DETAILS

Bela Drahos

ARTIST PAGE DETAILS

Jeremy Siepmann

ARTIST PAGE DETAILS

Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia

Album TRACKS

DISC 1

Jeremy Siepmann

Discussion/Introduction to Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" On Beethoven's Openings

1:26

Opening phrase of the 'Pastoral': Mood, Symbolism and Musical Function

1:44

Musical Acorns: the outline of melody; the shape of a question

:42

The 'question' in the 'Pastoral' repeated...

:04

...and answered

:12

The opening phrase ends on a note full of pregnant expectation

:19

Starting with a stop

:36

The rhythmic profile of the opening phrase; a two-part construction

:52

Phrase One, Part One

:09

Phrase One, Part Two

:06

The properties of rhythmic ambiguity; the 'question' of Phrase One answered

1:03

Phrase Two: from meander to march

:27

The makings of a conversation: contrast and variation

:47

Repetition as a major factor, but it's never mere repitition; each time something new is added

:33

From soft to loud and back again; instrumental enrichment from horns and double-basses

:18

Mega-repetition: violins play exactly the same little fragment ten times in a row

:29

But no two repetitions are quite the same; varieties of contrast

:34

More variation: pitch rises; violins joined first by the clarinet, then by the oboe

:19

Return to the opening idea, but with new instrumentation and articulation

:25

Clarinets, horns, bassoons and flutes now join expansive variation

:49

New' insistent rhythm derived from the first four notes of the piece

:09

With the dawn chorus, a whole forest is waking up; feelings of rapture

:36

First violins play a derivative of the opening figure, joined by wind and strings

:32

Sudden change of key, from the home key (tonic) to the dominant

:30

Arrival at the highly contrasting second main theme

:55

Unusual properties of second main theme

2:15

Rhythmic clash between simultaneous groups of three beats and groups of two

1:09

Winds fall silent as the violins and violas interrupt with a new theme

:30

Winds answer with the same morse-like rhythm but at half the speed

:51

Crescendo leads to strings' acceleration of the pace with no increase in tempo

1:05

Beginning of coda, directly based on morse-like rhythm of the main theme

:22

Strings reiterate small fragment of the new theme 13 times in a row

:48

A simple, rising violin phrase leads to a repeat of the Exposition

:18

The nature and function of the Development section in sonata form: 'harmonic' rhythm explained

2:22

The nature of harmonic rhythm illustrated

:35

A typically Beethovenian exercise in the frustration of experience

:38

Repetitiousness and magic effected largely through instrumental colour

:42

Then come four, almost identical bars

:08

Even greater magic, with sudden switch of key and tone colour

:28

Entire Development section up to this point

1:55

The Development continued

1:23

Increased unease and suspense as harmonic rhythm accelerates

2:03

Arrival at the point of Recapitulation; back to the beginning, as a reminder

1:50

Beginning of Recapitulation

:50

More Beethovenian frustrations of expectations which he himself has just set up

1:01

Harmonic rhythm speeds up, giving the impression of an accent on every beat

:34

Prevailing mood restored; new theme from clarinets and bassoons

:28

Violins and violas take up theme; horns, cellos, double-basses accompany

:48

A hush falls, followed by a return of the movement's most familiar tag in strings

:58

Clarinet takes up the running triplet figures of the main closing theme

:32

First violins take up the opening phrase again, accompanied by double-basses

:37

Beethoven slips in one last surprise; cue to complete movement

:59

First Movement (complete)

11:01

General introduction; the birth of a melody

1:59

Brook music quickens; syncopated horns; theme changes hands; evocation of birdsong

1:19

The 'motto' theme introduced by violins and treated to round-like overlappings

:52

Transitional 'bridge' theme sets off for new key group. But is it? And does it?

:39

Will he, or won't he? Beethoven keeps us guessing

1:09

The run-up to the Second Group

1:14

Arrival at the Second Group; but where is the actual Second Subject?

:39

A new tune is introduced by the bassoon

:38

Tune is repeated three times

1:00

...which the full orchestra now takes up in varied form

:45

Theme carried by flutes and first violins in a charmingly waltz-like development

:48

A reminder of the precedent

:14

Back to the prevailing triple-metre with violins, bassoons and flutes

:16

Another reminder of precedent...

:16

...and a cue to some unexpected departures

:38

The transformational magic of Beethoven's 'tone-painting' - and a new variation

:50

Conversation of clarinet, flute and oboe on the way to the Development

:43

Harmonic movement emphasised by violins; oboe takes up the First Subject

:38

Flute and oboe discuss the First Subject, before arriving together at the Transition

1:04

Gains in volume and intensity lead to a new key-change

:47

More thematic transformation through the agency of tone-colour

1:11

Harmonic fluidity - instability - as the central engine of the Development section

1:40

Harmonic instability, thematic dissolution increase, then lessen with approach of Recapitulation

1:41

Recap. and transformation: key and material are right, but what a change of presentation!

1:29

Just when we know that's coming, Beethoven changes the rules (or at least the harmony)

:53

Transformation by reorchestration; switch to long sustained chords; then everything stops

1:20

The silence is broken by voices of nightingale (flute), quail (oboe) and cuckoo (clarinet)

:40

First violins bring back the motto theme

:12

Cue to complete movement on CD 2

:32

DISC 2

Second Movement (complete)

12:03

Beethoven and the Scherzo: and introduction; Part One of opening phrase taken by the strings

1:32

Immediate response; Part One is answered by a much more singing, continuous legato

:23

Entire orchestra gives out opening theme, this time fortissimo and with powerful accents

1:06

A musical ball game. The contrast of this and the first two movements could hardly be greater

:33

After quietly teasing suspense, Beethoven mocks village band, first the oboe, then the bassoon

1:18

Clarinet joins in, then horns take the tune - the dance no longer boisterous but lyrical

:48

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

:46

The air is alive with the sound of (mock) bagpipes, tambourines and fifes

1:00

Coda; begins as the movement itself begins, but soon diverges in harmony and instrumentation

1:18

Original layout compressed; order of events is changed and Beethoven springs a big surprise

:42

Third movement (complete)

5:14

Unparalleled portrait of nature's power over humanity, with some stupendous orchestration

3:05

Self-generating form and terror of total unpredictability; 'anxiety motif' from the violins

1:34

The 'lashing rain' motif - downward-driving arpeggios from the first violins and violas

:36

The 'lightning' motif, and its recurrence later in the movement

:22

Rain' motif, derived from descending scale pattern from the violins at the outset

:13

Shivering tremolandos from the strings and increasingly eerie harmonies from the wind

:18

Steady crescendo in strings; terrifying, downward spelling-out chords in the violins

1:37

Extremes of dynamic contrasts; the unsettling, disturbing, undermining effects of chromaticism

1:02

Abandonment of the melody, and most traces even of rhythm; sustained, discordant harmony

:20

Storm dispersed, the sun reappears, bathing sodden earth below with its life-giving rays

1:52

Cue to complete performance of Fourth Movement

:09

Fourth movement (complete)

3:55

Yodelling' figure from clarinet, then horn, then violins, who introduce the main theme

:59

Details of instrumental magic in the interplay of horns, cellos, clarinets and bassoons

1:06

Main theme heard three times in a row - and yet never the same way twice

1:06

Now we get the whole orchestra, playing full out, with violins all double-stopping

:36

Transition to the next section, based on the last two notes of the main theme

:43

The rhythmic basis of new transition theme, first in violas, then taken up by first violins

:38

Another rhythmic detail of extended transition comes increasingly into the foreground

:29

...and is then heard in expanded version, taken in sequence by the strings, from the top down

:51

New phrase, introduced by violins, brings us resoundingly back to the opening material

1:13

Main theme, re-orchestrated; unexpected drift into another key and a new, gently flowing theme

2:15

Hints of a return to main them; long 'pedal point'; running commentary from the violins

:58

Main theme returns, but significantly altered, and not entirely intact

:37

Running commentary now heard in the middle, with alternating pizzicatos both above and below

:24

Part Three of main theme given to entire orchestra, leading to final appearance of Theme two

1:21

Extended coda; overlapping variations of main theme, rather in the manner of a round

2:09

Suddenly the scene changes. A variation of the 'running commentary' cited in tracks 34 and 36

:51

The crowning glory, as the Shepherd's Song of Thanksgiving takes on a 'heavenly' magnificence

2:10

Cue into complete performance of Fifth Movement through the 'gateway' of the Fourth

1:09

Fourth and Fifth movements (complete)

13:47

ALBUM SHOUTS