An Introduction To...Beethoven The "Pastoral" Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven

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An Introduction
To...Beethoven
The "Pastoral"
Symphony

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

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Record Label: Naxos

Originally released: 05-APR-2002

Disc 1

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	1. On Beethoven's openings
	2. Opening phrase of the 'Pastoral': Mood, Symbolism and Musical Function
	3. Musical Acorns: the outline of melody; the shape of a question
	4. The 'question' in the 'Pastoral' repeated...
	5. ...and answered
	6. The opening phrase ends on a note full of pregnant expectation
	7. Starting with a stop
	8. The rhythmic profile of the opening phrase; a two-part construction
	9. Phrase One, Part One
	10. Phrase One, Part Two
	11. The properties of rhythmic ambiguity; the 'question' of Phrase One answered
	12. Phrase Two: from meander to march
	13. The makings of a conversation: contrast and variation
	14. Repetition as a major factor, but it's never mere repetition; each time something new is added
	15. From soft to loud and back again; instrumental enrichment from horns and double-basses
	16. Mega-repetition: violins play exactly the same little fragment ten times in a row
	17. But no two repetitions are quite the same; varieties of contrast
	18. More variation: pitch rises; violins joined first by clarinet, then by the oboe
	19. Return to opening idea, but with new instrumentation and articulation
	20. Clarinets, horns, bassoons and flutes now join expansive variation
	21. 'New' insistent rhythm derived from the first four notes of the piece
	22. With the dawn chorus, a whole forest is waking up; feelings of rapture
	23. First violins play a derivative of the opening figure, joined by wind and strings
	24. Sudden change of key, from the home key (tonic) to the dominant
	25. Arrival at the highly contrasting second main theme
	26. Unusual properties of second main theme
	27. Rhythmic clash between simultaneous groupe of three beats and groups of two
	28. Winds fall silent as the violins and violas interrupt with a new theme
	29. Winds answer with the same morse-like rhythm but at half the speed
	30. Crescendo leads to strings' acceleration of the pace with no increase in tempo
	31. Beginning of coda, directly based on morse-like rhythm of the main theme
	32. Strings reiterate small fragment of the new theme 13 times in a row
	33. A simple, rising violin phrase leads to a repeat of the Exposition
	34. The nature and function of the Development section in sonata form; 'harmonic' rhythm explained
	35. The nature of harmonic rhythm illustrated
	36. A typically Beethovenian excersize in the frustration of expectation
	37. Repetitiousness and magic effected largely through instrumental colour
	38. The come four, almost identical bars
	39. Even greater magic, with sudden switch of key and tone colour
	40. Entire Development section up to this point
	41. The Development continued
	42. Increased unease and suspense as harmonic rhythm accelerates
	43. Arrival at the point of Recapitulation; back to the beginning, as a reminder
	44. Beginning of Recapitulation
	45. More Beethovenian frustrations of expectations which he himself has just set up
	46. Harmonic rhythm speeds up, giving the impression of an accent on every beat
	47. Prevailing mood restored; new theme from clarinets and bassoons
	48. Violins and violas take up theme; horns, cellos, double-basses accompant
	49. A hush falls, followed by a return of the movement's most familiar tag in strings
	50. Clarinet takes up the running triplet figures of the main closing theme
	51. First violins take up the opening phrase again, accompanied by double-basses
	52. Beethoven slips in one last surprise; cue to complete movement
	53. First movement (complete)		Album Only
	54. General introduction; the birth of a melody
	55. Brook music quickens; syncopated horns; them changes hands; evocation of birdsong
	56. The 'motto' theme introduced by violins and treated to round-like overlappings
	57. Transitional 'bridge' theme sets off for new key group. But is it? And does it?
	58. Will he, or won't he? Beethoven keeps us gueesing
	59. The run-up to the Second Group
	60. Arrival at the Second Group; but where is the actual Second Subject
	61. A new tune is introduced by the bassoon
	62. Tune is repeated three times
	63. ...which the full orchestra now takes up in varied form
	64. Theme carried by flutes and first violins in a charmingly waltz-like development
	65. A reminder of precedent
	66. Back to the prevailing triple-metre with violins, bassoons and flutes
	67. Another reminder of precedent...
	68. ...and a cue to some unexpected departures
	69. The transformational magic of Beethoven's 'tone-painting' - and a new variation
	70. Conversation of clarinet, flute and oboe on the way to the Development
	71. Harmonic movement emphasised by violins; oboe takes up the First Subject
	72. Flute and oboe discuss the First Subject, before arriving together at the Transition
	73. Gains in volume and intensity lead to a new key-change
	74. More thematic transformation through the agency of tone-colour
	75. Harmonic fluidity - instability - as the central engine of the Development section
	76. Harmonic instability, thematic dissolution increase, then lessen with approach of Recapitulation
	77. Recap. and transformation: key and material are right, but what a change of presentation
	78. Just when we know what's coming, Beethoven changes the rules (or at least the harmony)
	79. Transformation by reorchestration; switch to long sustained chords; then everything stops
	80. The silence is broken by voices of nightingale (flute), quail (oboe), and cuckoo (clarinet)
	81. First violins bring back motto theme
	82. Cue to complete movement on CD 2
Disc 2
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	1. Second movement (complete)		Album Only
	2. Beethoven and the Scherzo: an introduction; Part One of opening phrase taken by the strings
	3. Immediate response; Part One is answered by a much more singing, continuous legato
	4. Entire orchestra gives out opening theme, this time fortissimo and with powerful accents
	5. A musical ball game. The contrast of this and the first two movements could hardly be greater
	6. After quietly teasing suspense, Beethoven mocks village band, first the oboe, then the bassoon
	7. Clarinet joins in, then horn takes the tune - the dance no longer boisterous but lyrical
	8. Strings sweet the village musicians aside and hurtle is into the new, boisterous 'Trio' section
	9. The air is alive with the sound of (mock) bagpipes, tambourines and fifes
	10. Coda; begins as the movement itself begins, but soon diverges in harmony and instrumentation
	11. Original layout compressed; order of events is changed and Beethoven springs a big surprise
	12. Third movement (complete)
	13. Unparalleled partrait of nature's power over humanity, with some stupendous orchestration
	14. Self-generating form and terror of toal unpredictability; 'anxiety motif' from the violins
	15. The 'lashing rian' motif - downward-driving arpeggios from the first violins and violas
	16. The 'lightning' motif, and its recurrence later in the movement
	17. 'Rain' motif, derived from descending scale pattern from the violins at the outset
	18. Shivering tremolandos from the strings and increasingly eeire harmonies from the wind
	19. Steady crescendo in strings; terrifying, downward spelling-out of chords in the violins
	20. Extremes of dynamic contrasts; the unsettling, disturbing, undermining effects of chromaticism
	21. Abandonment of melody, and most traces even of rhythm; sustained, discordant harmony
	22. Storm dispersed, the sun reappears, bathing sodden earth below with life-giving rays
	23. Cue to complete performance of Fourth Movement
	24. Fourth movement (complete)
	25. 'Yodelling' figure from clarinet, the horn, then violins, who introduce the main theme
	26. Details of instrumental magic in the interplay of horns, cellos, clarinets and bassoons
	27. Main theme heard three times in a row - and yet never the same way twice
	28. Now we get the whole orchestra, playing full out, with violins anll double-stopping
	29. Transition to the next section, based on the two last notes of the main theme
	30. The rhythmic basis of new transition theme, first in violas, then taken up by the first violins
	31. Another rhythmic detail of extended transition comes increasingly into the foreground
	32. ...and is then heard in expanded version, taken in sequence by the strings, from the top down
	33. New phrase, introduced by violins, brings us resoundingly back to the opening material
	34. Main theme, re-orchestrated; unexpected drift into another key and a new, gently flowing theme
	35. Hints of a return to main theme; long 'pedal point'; running commentary from the violins
	36. 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
	38. Part Three of main theme given to entire orchestra, leading to final appearance of Theme Two
	39. Extended coda; overlapping variations of main theme, rather in the manner of a round
	40. Suddenly the scene changes. A variation of the 'running commentary' cited in Tracks 34 and 36
	41. The crowning glory, as the Shepard's Song of Thanksgiving takes on a 'heavenly' magnificence
	42. Cue into complete performance of the Fifth Movement through the 'gateway' of the Fourth
	43. Fourth and Fifth movements (complete)		Album Only