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

CD - 1

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country (1808)

 

1. On Beethoven's Openings

00:01:26

 

2. Opening phrase of the 'Pastoral': ood, Symbolism and Musical Function

00:01:44

 

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

00:00:42

 

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

00:00:04

 

5. ...and answered

00:00:12

 

6. The opening phrase ends on a note full of pregnant expectation

00:00:19

 

7. Starting with a stop

00:00:36

 

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

00:00:52

 

9. Phrase One, Part One

00:00:09

 

10. Phrase One, Part Two

00:00:06

 

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

00:01:03

 

12. Phrase Two: from meander to march

00:00:27

 

13. The makings of a conversation: contrast and variation

00:00:47

 

14. Repetition as A Major factor, but it's never mere repetition; each time something new is added

00:00:33

 

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

00:00:18

 

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

00:00:29

 

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

00:00:34

 

18. More variation: pitch rises; violins joined frist by the clarinet, then by the oboe

00:00:19

 

19. Return to opening idea, but with new instrumentation and articulation

00:00:25

 

20. Clarinets, horns, bassoons and flutes now join expansive variation

00:00:49

 

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

00:00:09

 

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

00:00:36

 

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

00:00:32

 

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

00:00:30

 

25. Arrival at the hightly contrasting second main theme

00:00:55

 

26. Unusual properties of second main theme

00:02:15

 

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

00:01:09

 

28. winds fall selent as the violins and violas interrupt with a new theme

00:00:30

 

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

00:00:51

 

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

00:01:05

 

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

00:00:22

 

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

00:00:48

 

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

00:00:18

 

34. The nature and function of the Development section in sonata form; 'harmonic' rhythm explained

00:02:22

 

35. The nature of harmonic rhythm illustrated

00:00:35

 

36. A typically Beethovenian exercise in the frustration of expectation

00:00:38

 

37. Repetitiousness and magic effected largely through instrumental colour

00:00:42

 

38. Then come four, almost identical bars

00:00:08

 

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

00:00:28

 

40. Entire Development section up to this point

00:01:55

 

41. The Development continued

00:01:23

 

42. Increased unease and suspense as harmonic rhythm accelerates

00:02:03

 

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

00:01:50

 

44. Beginning of Recapitulation

00:00:50

 

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

00:01:01

 

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

00:00:34

 

47. Prevailing mood restored; new theme from clarinets and bassoons

00:00:28

 

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

00:00:48

 

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

00:00:58

 

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

00:00:32

 

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

00:00:37

 

52. Beethoven slips in one last surprise; cue to complete movement

00:00:59

 

53. First movement (complete)

00:11:01

Second Movement: Scene by the Brook

 

54. General introduction; the birth of a melody

00:01:59

 

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

00:01:19

 

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

00:00:52

 

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

00:00:39

 

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

00:01:09

 

59. The run-up to the Second Group

00:01:14

 

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

00:00:39

 

61. A new tune is introduced by the bassoon

00:00:38

 

62. Tune is repeated three times

00:01:00

 

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

00:00:45

 

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

00:00:48

 

65. A reminder of precedent

00:00:14

 

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

00:00:16

 

67. Another reminder of precedent...

00:00:16

 

68. ...and a cue to some unexpected departures

00:00:38

 

69. The transformational magic of Beethoven's 'tone-painting' - and a new varation

00:00:50

 

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

00:00:43

 

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

00:00:38

 

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

00:01:04

 

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

00:00:47

 

74. More thematic transformation through the agency of tone-colour

00:01:11

 

75. Harmonic fluideity - instability - as the central engine of the Development section

00:01:40

 

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

00:01:41

 

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

00:01:29

 

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

00:00:53

 

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

00:01:20

 

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

00:00:40

 

81. First violins bring back motto theme

00:00:12

 

82. Cue to complete movement on CD 2

00:00:32

CD - 2

Ludwig van Beethoven

Second Movement: Scene by the Brook

 

1. Second movement (complete)

00:12:03

Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk (1808)

 

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

00:01:32

 

3. Immediate response; Part One is answered by a march more singing, continuous legato

00:00:23

 

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

00:01:06

 

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

00:00:33

 

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

00:01:18

 

7. Clarinet joins in, then horn takes the tune - the dance no longer boisterous but lyrical

00:00:48

 

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

00:00:46

 

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

00:01:00

 

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

00:01:18

 

11. Original layout compressed; order of events is changed nd Beethoven springs a big surprise

00:00:42

 

12. Third movement (complete)

00:05:14

Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm (1808)

 

13. Unparalled portrait of nature's power over humanity, with some stupendous orchestration

00:03:05

 

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

00:01:34

 

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

00:00:36

 

16. The 'lightning' motif, and its recurrnece later in the movement

00:00:22

 

17. 'Rain' motif, derived from descending scale pattern from the violins at the outest

00:00:13

 

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

00:00:18

 

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

00:01:37

 

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

00:01:02

 

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

00:00:20

 

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

00:01:52

 

23. Cue to complete preformance of Fourth Movement

00:00:09

 

24. Fourth movement (complete)

00:03:55

Fifth Movement: Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm

 

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

00:00:59

 

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

00:01:06

 

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

00:01:06

 

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

00:00:36

 

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

00:00:43

 

30. The rhythmic basis of new transition theme, first in violas, then takes up by first violins

00:00:38

 

31. Another rhythmic details of extended transition comes increasingly into the foreground

00:00:29

 

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

00:00:51

 

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

00:01:13

 

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

00:02:15

 

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

00:00:58

 

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

00:00:37

 

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

00:00:24

 

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

00:01:21

 

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

00:02:09

 

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

00:00:51

 

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

00:02:10

 

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

00:01:09

 

43. Fourth and Fifth movements (complete)

00:13:47