We composers are not musical stenographers of our emotions in real time. With the right set of ears screwed on one's head, one finds that the weaknesses of Beethoven's Second Symphony are actually its greatest strengths.īut first, let me argue that far too much has been made of how a "happy"-sounding piece could be composed when Beethoven was in a "sad" period of his life, realizing that he was going deaf. I have a box with various sets of ears that should be used for different kinds of music.
36 (premiered 1803) - by Michael Kurek, Composer If the First Symphony is a nod to both Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven would soon increasingly turn his face from his esteemed predecessors as he embarked on a new path.
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The finale is an effervescent affair, reminiscent of the finale of Mozart's last symphony, the so-called "Jupiter," ending, like the first movement, with a series of strong, Beethovenian orchestral chords. It is quirky, with alternating loud and soft passages, showcasing the wide dynamic range that would be a hallmark of Beethoven's music. For this is truly a scherzo, a musical jest, a term that Beethoven would not hesitate to use for third movements in later symphonies. In the third-movement Minuet - which Berlioz called "the only really novel piece in this work" - Beethoven, that unkempt upstart from small-town Bonn, seems to be poking fun at the proper, stately dances of the snobby Viennese, his audience for the premier of the First. Yet there are those Beethovenian touches everywhere: At the very opening of the piece, for example, Beethoven teases his audience by having an uncertain, quiet exchange among the woodwinds, with plucked strings, as the players seem to cast about for the correct key of the piece. Set in the key of C major, it is bright, musical, and generally untroubled. Yes, the First Symphony runs a modest, classical length - about 25 minutes - and contains the typical four movements of the classical symphony, in the prescribed formula. Indeed, Hector Berlioz said of the First Symphony: "This is not Beethoven. Though he would achieve immortality in this genre, to contemporary audiences the First would not have sounded like a radical break with the symphonies of Mozart and Haydn, in whose shadow Beethoven was clearly working. 21 (premiered 1800) - by Stephen Klugewicz, Editor of The Imaginative Conservativeīeethoven did not embark on writing a symphony until he was 29 years old, when he was still known primarily as a great piano virtuoso who also composed. Clicking on the CD cover art next to each symphony will guide you to a listening recommendation on Spotify, (subscription required).įirst Symphony in C major, Op. Please enjoy this symposium on the nine symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, with contributions from our distinguished panel, including composer Michael Kurek and Principal Trumpet of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Balio.
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