Classics Explained: Beethoven - Symphony No. 6, 'Pastoral'

Jeremy Siepmann

Jul 2002•125 Songs

Jeremy Siepmann

Tracks

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

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