Symphony 6 by Beethoven musical composition. Beethoven symphonies

Beethoven's “pastoral” symphony is a high philosophical idyll, prompted by the thought of the harmony of man and nature. The titles given by Beethoven to the parts of the symphony make it one of the first examples of program symphonism. At the same time, Beethoven emphasized in every possible way the primacy of the expressiveness of music. Here is his annotation for the Sixth Symphony:
“The listener is left to define the situations for himself. Sinfonia caracteristica, or Memories of rural life. Any figurativeness loses if it is excessively resorted to in instrumental music. – Sinfonia pastorella. Anyone who has an understanding of rural life can imagine what the author wanted even without many headlines. The whole is more an expression of feelings than an image; it will be recognized even without descriptions.”

1. “Awakening joyful feelings upon arrival in the village” (Angenehme, heitere Empfindungen, welche bei der Ankunft). Allegro ma non troppo
2. “Scene by the Stream” (Szene am Bach). Andante molto mosso
3. “A Merry Gathering of Peasants” (Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute). Allegro
4. “Thunderstorm. Storm" (Donner. Sturm). Allegro
5. “The Shepherd's Song” (Hirtengesang. Wohltatige, mit Dank and die Goltheit verbundene Gefuhle nach dem Sturm). Allegretto

Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

History of creation

The birth of the Pastoral Symphony falls on the central period of Beethoven's work. Almost simultaneously, three symphonies came out of his pen, completely different in character: in 1805 he began writing a heroic symphony in C minor, now known as No. 5, in mid-November of the following year he completed the lyrical Fourth, in B-flat major, and in 1807 he began composing the Pastoral. Completed at the same time as the C minor in 1808, it differs sharply from it. Beethoven, having come to terms with an incurable illness - deafness - here does not fight a hostile fate, but glorifies the great power of nature, the simple joys of life.

Like the C minor, the Pastoral Symphony is dedicated to Beethoven’s patron, the Viennese philanthropist Prince F. I. Lobkowitz and the Russian envoy in Vienna, Count A. K. Razumovsky. Both of them were first performed in a large “academy” (that is, a concert in which the works of only one author were performed by himself as a virtuoso instrumentalist or by an orchestra under his direction) on December 22, 1808 at the Vienna Theater. The first number of the program was “Symphony entitled “Memories of Rural Life”, F major, No. 5.” Only some time later she became Sixth. The concert, held in a cold hall where the audience sat in fur coats, was not a success. The orchestra was a mixed one, of a low level. Beethoven quarreled with the musicians during the rehearsal; conductor I. Seyfried worked with them, and the author only directed the premiere.

The pastoral symphony occupies a special place in his work. It is programmatic, and the only one of the nine has not only a general name, but also headings for each part. These parts are not four, as has long been established in the symphonic cycle, but five, which is connected specifically with the program: between the simple-hearted village dance and the peaceful finale there is a dramatic picture of a thunderstorm.

Beethoven loved to spend the summer in quiet villages in the vicinity of Vienna, wandering through forests and meadows from dawn to dusk, rain or shine, and in this communication with nature the ideas for his compositions arose. “No man can love rural life as much as I do, for oak groves, trees, rocky mountains respond to the thoughts and experiences of man.” The pastoral, which, according to the composer himself, depicts the feelings born of contact with the natural world and rural life, became one of Beethoven's most romantic compositions. It is not without reason that many romantics saw her as a source of inspiration. This is evidenced by Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique, Schumann's Rhine Symphony, Mendelssohn's Scottish and Italian symphonies, the symphonic poem "Preludes" and many of Liszt's piano pieces.

Music

The first part is called by the composer “Awakening joyful feelings during a stay in the village.” The simple, repeatedly repeated main theme sounded by the violins is close to folk round dance melodies, and the accompaniment by violas and cellos is reminiscent of the hum of village bagpipes. Several side topics contrast little with the main one. The development is also idyllic, devoid of sharp contrasts. A long stay in one emotional state is diversified by colorful comparisons of tonalities, changes in orchestral timbres, and increases and decreases in sonority, which anticipates the principles of development among the romantics.

The second part - “Scene by the Stream” - is imbued with the same serene feelings. The melodious violin melody slowly unfolds against a murmuring background of other strings, which persists throughout the movement. Only at the very end does the stream fall silent and the roll call of birds becomes audible: the trill of a nightingale (flute), the cry of a quail (oboe), the cuckoo's cuckoo (clarinet). Listening to this music, it is impossible to imagine that it was written by a deaf composer who has not heard birdsong for a long time!

The third part - “The Cheerful Pastime of the Peasants” - is the most cheerful and carefree. It combines the sly simplicity of peasant dances, introduced into the symphony by Beethoven's teacher Haydn, and the sharp humor of Beethoven's typically scherzos. The initial section is based on the repeated juxtaposition of two themes - abrupt, with persistent stubborn repetitions, and lyrical melodious, but not without humor: the bassoon accompaniment sounds out of time, as if from inexperienced village musicians. The next theme, flexible and graceful, in the transparent timbre of the oboe accompanied by the violins, is also not without a comical touch, which is given to it by the syncopated rhythm and the sudden entry of the bassoon bass. In the faster trio, a rough chant with sharp accents is persistently repeated, in a very loud sound - as if the village musicians were playing with all their might, sparing no effort. In repeating the opening section, Beethoven breaks with classical tradition: instead of going through all the themes in full, there is only a brief reminder of the first two.

The fourth part - “Thunderstorm. Storm" - begins immediately, without interruption. It forms a sharp contrast to everything that preceded it and is the only dramatic episode of the symphony. Painting a majestic picture of the raging elements, the composer resorts to visual techniques, expanding the composition of the orchestra, including, as in the finale of the Fifth, the piccolo flute and trombones, which had not previously been used in symphonic music. The contrast is especially sharply emphasized by the fact that this part is not separated by a pause from the neighboring ones: starting suddenly, it also passes without a pause into the finale, where the mood of the first parts returns.

Finale - “Shepherd's Songs. Joyful and grateful feelings after the storm.” The calm melody of the clarinet, answered by the horn, resembles the roll call of shepherd's horns against the background of bagpipes - they are imitated by the sustained sounds of violas and cellos. The roll call of instruments gradually fades into the distance - the last one to carry out the melody is the horn with a mute against the backdrop of light passages of strings. This is how this unique Beethoven symphony ends in an unusual way.

At the same time as the Fifth, Beethoven completed the Sixth, “Pastoral Symphony” in F major (op. 68, 1808). This is the only Beethoven symphonic work published with the author's program. On the title page of the manuscript there was the following inscription: “Pastoral Symphony, or Memoirs of Rural Life. More an expression of mood than sound painting.”

If the Third and Fifth Symphonies reflected the tragedy and heroism of life's struggle, the Fourth reflected a lyrical feeling of the joy of being, then Beethoven's Sixth Symphony embodies the Rousseauian theme - “man and nature.” This theme was widespread in the music of the 18th century, starting with Rousseau’s “The Village Sorcerer”; Haydn also embodied it in his oratorio “The Seasons.” The nature and life of villagers unspoiled by urban civilization, the poeticized reproduction of pictures of rural labor - such images were often found in art born of advanced educational ideology. The thunderstorm scene of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony also has many prototypes in 18th-century opera (Gluck, Monsigny, Rameau, Mareu, Campra), in Haydn's The Four Seasons, and even in Beethoven's own ballet The Works of Prometheus. “A Merry Gathering of Villagers” is familiar to us from numerous round dance scenes from operas and, again, from Haydn’s oratorio. The image of birds chirping in the “Scene by the Stream” is associated with the cult of imitation of nature, typical of the 18th century. Traditional pastoralism is also embodied in the serenely idyllic pastoral picture. It is palpable even in the instrumentation of the symphony, with its delicate pastel colors.

It should not be thought that Beethoven returned to the musical style of the past. Like all his mature works, the Sixth Symphony, with well-known intonation connections with the music of the Age of Enlightenment, is deeply original from beginning to end.

The first part - “Awakening of vigorous feelings upon arrival in the village” - is all imbued with elements of folk music. From the very beginning, the fifth background reproduces the sound of bagpipes. The main theme is a plexus of pastoral intonations typical of the 18th century:

All the themes of the first part express a mood of joyful tranquility.

Beethoven resorts here not to his favorite method of motivic development, but to uniform repetition, emphasized by clear cadences. Even in the development, calm contemplation prevails: development is based primarily on timbre-coloristic variation and repetition. Instead of the usual sharp tonal tensions for Beethoven, a colorful comparison of tonalities is given, spaced from each other by a third (B-Dur - D-Dur for the first time, C-Dur - E-Dur when repeating). In the first part of the symphony, the composer creates a picture of complete harmony between man and the world around him.

In the second part - “Scene by the Stream” - a mood of dreaminess dominates. Here moments of musical imagery play an important role. A sustained background is created by two solo cellos with mutes and a horn pedal. This accompaniment resembles the babbling of a brook:

In the final bars it gives way to an imitation of bird chirping (nightingale, quail and cuckoo).

The three subsequent movements of the symphony are performed without interruption. An increase in events, an acute climax and release - this is how their internal structure develops.

The third part - “A cheerful gathering of villagers” - is a genre scene. It is distinguished by great figurative concreteness. Beethoven conveys in it the features of folk village music. We hear how the lead singer and choir, the village orchestra and singers call each other, how the bassoonist plays out of place, how the dancers stomp. The closeness to folk music is manifested in the use of alternating modes (in the first theme F-Dur - D-Dur, in the trio theme F-Dur - B-Dur), and in the metrics reproducing the rhythms of Austrian peasant dances (change of three- and two-beat sizes ).

“Thunderstorm Scene” (the fourth part) is written with great dramatic force. The growing sound of thunder, the sound of raindrops, flashes of lightning, whirlwinds of wind are felt almost with visible reality. But these bright visual techniques are designed to highlight the mood of fear, horror, and confusion.

The thunderstorm subsides, and the last weak clap of thunder dissolves in the sounds of the shepherd's pipe, which begins the fifth part - “The Shepherds' Song. Showing joyful, grateful feelings after the storm.” The intonations of the pipe permeate the thematic theme of the finale. Themes are freely developed and varied. Calmness and sunshine are poured into the music of this movement. The symphony ends with a hymn of peace.

The "Pastoral Symphony" had a great influence on the composers of the subsequent generation. We find echoes of it in Berlioz’s “Symphony Fantastique”, and in the overture to “William Tell” by Rossini, and in the symphonies of Mendelssohn, Schumann and others. Beethoven himself, however, never returned to this type of program symphony.

The sixth, Pastoral Symphony (F-dur, op. 68, 1808) occupies a special place in Beethoven’s work. It was from this symphony that representatives of romantic program symphony largely took their cues. Berlioz was an enthusiastic fan of the Sixth Symphony.

The theme of nature receives wide philosophical embodiment in the music of Beethoven, one of the greatest poets of nature. In the Sixth Symphony, these images acquired their most complete expression, for the very theme of the symphony is nature and pictures of rural life. For Beethoven, nature was not only an object for creating picturesque paintings. She was for him an expression of a comprehensive, life-giving principle. It was in communion with nature that Beethoven found those hours of pure joy that he so craved. Statements from Beethoven's diaries and letters speak of his enthusiastic pantheistic attitude towards nature (see pp. II31-133). More than once we come across statements in Beethoven’s notes that his ideal is “free,” that is, natural nature.

The theme of nature in Beethoven's work is connected with another theme in which he expresses himself as a follower of Rousseau - this is the poetry of a simple, natural life in communication with nature, the spiritual purity of the peasant. In the notes to the sketches of the Pastoral, Beethoven several times points to the “memory of life in the countryside” as the main motive of the content of the symphony. This idea was preserved in the full title of the symphony on the title page of the manuscript (see below).

The Rousseauist idea of the Pastoral Symphony connects Beethoven with Haydn (oratorio “The Seasons”). But in Beethoven the touch of patriarchy that is observed in Haydn disappears. He interprets the theme of nature and rural life as one of the variants of his main theme about the “free man” - This makes him similar to the “sturmers”, who, following Rousseau, saw a liberating principle in nature and opposed it to the world of violence and coercion.

In the Pastoral Symphony, Beethoven turned to a plot that was encountered more than once in music. Among the programmatic works of the past, many are devoted to images of nature. But Beethoven solves the principle of programming in music in a new way. From naive illustrativeness he moves on to a poetic, spiritual embodiment of nature. Beethoven expressed his view of programming with the words: “More an expression of feeling than painting.” The author gave such advance notice and program in the manuscript of the symphony.

However, one should not think that Beethoven abandoned the pictorial, pictorial possibilities of musical language here. Beethoven's Sixth Symphony is an example of the fusion of expressive and pictorial principles. Her images are deep in mood, poetic, inspired by a great inner feeling, imbued with a generalizing philosophical thought and at the same time picturesque.

The thematic nature of the symphony is characteristic. Beethoven turns here to folk melodies (although he very rarely quoted genuine folk melodies): in the Sixth Symphony, researchers find Slavic folk origins. In particular, B. Bartok, a great connoisseur of folk music from various countries, writes that the main part of the I part of the Pastoral is a Croatian children's song. Other researchers (Becker, Schönewolf) also point to the Croatian melody from D. K. Kuhach’s collection “Songs of the South Slavs,” which was the prototype of the main part of the I part of the Pastoral:

The appearance of the Pastoral Symphony is characterized by a wide implementation of genres of folk music - landler (extreme sections of the scherzo), song (in the finale). The song origins are also visible in the scherzo trio - Nottebohm cites Beethoven's sketch of the song “The Happiness of Friendship” (“Glück der Freundschaft, op. 88”), which was later used in the symphony:

The picturesque thematic quality of the Sixth Symphony is manifested in the wide use of ornamental elements - gruppetto of various types, figurations, long grace notes, arpeggios; This type of melody, along with folk song, is the basis of the thematic theme of the Sixth Symphony. This is especially noticeable in the slow part. Its main part grows out of the gruppetto (Beethoven said that he captured the melody of an oriole here).

Attention to the coloristic side is clearly manifested in the harmonic language of the symphony. The tertian comparisons of keys in the development sections are noteworthy. They play a large role in the development of the first movement (B-dur - D-dur; G-dur - E-dur), and in the development of the Andante (“Scene by the Stream”), which is colorful ornamental variations on the theme of the main part. There is a lot of bright picturesqueness in the music of movements III, IV and V. Thus, not a single part goes beyond the plan of the programmatic picture music, while maintaining the full depth of the poetic idea of the symphony.

The orchestra of the Sixth Symphony is distinguished by an abundance of solo wind instruments (clarinet, flute, horn). In the “Scene by the Stream” (Andante), Beethoven uses the rich timbres of string instruments in a new way. He uses divisi and mutes in the cello part, reproducing the “murmur of a brook” (author's note in the manuscript). Such techniques of orchestral writing are characteristic of later times. In connection with them, we can talk about Beethoven's anticipation of the features of the romantic orchestra.

The dramaturgy of the symphony as a whole is very different from the dramaturgy of the heroic symphonies. In sonata forms (I, II, V movements) the contrasts and boundaries between sections are smoothed out. “There are no conflicts or struggles here. Smooth transitions from one thought to another are characteristic. This is especially clearly expressed in Part II: the secondary part continues the main one, entering against the same background against which the main part sounded:

Becker writes in this regard about the technique of “stringing melodies.” The abundance of thematic elements and the dominance of the melodic principle are indeed the most characteristic features of the style of the Pastoral Symphony.

The indicated features of the Sixth Symphony are also manifested in the method of developing themes - the leading role belongs to variation. In Part II and the finale, Beethoven introduces variation sections into sonata form (development in the “Scene by the Stream”, main part in the finale). This combination of sonata and variation will become one of the fundamental principles in Schubert's lyric symphonism.

The logic of the cycle of the Pastoral Symphony, while possessing typical classical contrasts, is determined, however, by the program (hence its five-part structure and the absence of caesuras between movements III, IV and V). Its cycle is not characterized by such effective and consistent development as in heroic symphonies, where the first part is the focus of the conflict, and the finale is its resolution. In the sequence of parts, factors of the program-picture order play a large role, although they are subordinated to the generalized idea of the unity of man with nature.

BEETHOVEN'S SYMPHONY WORK

Beethoven's symphonies arose on the ground prepared by the entire development of instrumental music of the 18th century, especially by his immediate predecessors - Haydn and Mozart. The sonata-symphonic cycle that finally took shape in their work, its reasonable, harmonious structures turned out to be a solid foundation for the massive architecture of Beethoven's symphonies.

Beethoven's musical thinking is a complex synthesis of the most serious and advanced, born of the philosophical and aesthetic thought of his time, with the highest manifestation of national genius, imprinted in the broad traditions of centuries-old culture. Many artistic images were suggested to him by reality - the revolutionary era (3, 5, 9 symphonies). Beethoven was especially concerned about the problem of “hero and people.” Beethoven's hero is inseparable from the people, and the problem of the hero develops into the problem of the individual and the people, man and humanity. It happens that a hero dies, but his death is crowned by victory, bringing happiness to liberated humanity. Along with the heroic theme, the theme of nature was richly reflected (4th, 6th symphony, 15th sonata, many slow movements of symphonies). In his understanding and perception of nature, Beethoven is close to the ideas of J.-J. Rousseau. Nature for him is not a formidable, incomprehensible force opposing man; it is the source of life, from contact with which a person becomes morally cleansed, gains the will to act, and looks more boldly into the future. Beethoven penetrates deeply into the subtlest sphere of human feelings. But, revealing the world of a person’s inner, emotional life, Beethoven paints the same hero, strong, proud, courageous, who never becomes a victim of his passions, since his struggle for personal happiness is guided by the same thought of the philosopher.

Each of the nine symphonies is an exceptional work, the fruit of long labor (for example, Beethoven worked on symphony No. 9 for 10 years).

symphonies

In the first symphony C-dur the features of the new Beethoven style appear very modestly. According to Berlioz, “this is excellent music... but... not yet Beethoven.” There is a noticeable movement forward in the second symphony D-dur . The confidently masculine tone, dynamics of development, and energy reveal Beethoven’s image much more clearly. But a real creative takeoff occurred in the Third Symphony. Starting with the Third Symphony, the heroic theme inspires Beethoven to create the most outstanding symphonic works - the Fifth Symphony, the overtures, then this theme is revived with unattainable artistic perfection and scope in the Ninth Symphony. At the same time, Beethoven reveals other figurative spheres: the poetry of spring and youth in Symphony No. 4, the dynamics of the life of the Seventh.

In the Third Symphony, according to Becker, Beethoven embodied “only the typical, eternal... - willpower, the greatness of death, creative power - he combines together and from this creates his poem about everything great, heroic that can generally be inherent in a person” [Paul Becker. Beethoven, vol. II . Symphonies. M., 1915, p. 25.] The second part is the Funeral March, a musical heroic-epic picture of unsurpassed beauty.

The idea of heroic struggle in the Fifth Symphony is carried out even more consistently and directedly. Like an operatic leitmotif, the four-note main theme runs through all parts of the work, transforming as the action progresses and is perceived as a symbol of evil tragically invading a person’s life. There is a great contrast between the drama of the first part and the slow, thoughtful flow of thought in the second.

Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”, 1810

The word “pastoral” denotes the peaceful and carefree life of shepherds and shepherdesses among grass, flowers and fat herds. Since antiquity, pastoral paintings with their regularity and peace have been an unshakable ideal for the educated European and continued to be so in the time of Beethoven. “No one in this world can love the village as much as I do,” he admitted in his letters. - I can love a tree more than a person. Omnipotent! I am happy in the forests, I am happy in the forests where every tree speaks of you.”

The “Pastoral” Symphony is a landmark composition, reminding us that the real Beethoven is not a revolutionary fanatic, ready to give up everything human for the sake of struggle and victory, but a singer of freedom and happiness, in the heat of battle, not forgetting the goal for which sacrifices are made and feats are accomplished. For Beethoven, active-dramatic works and pastoral-idyllic ones are two sides, two faces of his Muse: action and reflection, struggle and contemplation constitute for him, as for any classic, an obligatory unity, symbolizing the balance and harmony of natural forces.

The “pastoral” symphony is subtitled “Memories of Rural Life.” Therefore, it is quite natural that in its first part there are echoes of village music: pipe tunes accompanying rural walks and dances of the villagers, lazily waddling bagpipe tunes. However, the hand of Beethoven, the inexorable logician, is visible here too. Both in the melodies themselves and in their continuation, similar features appear: recurrence, inertia and repetition dominate in the presentation of themes, in small and large phases of their development. Nothing will go away without being repeated several times; nothing will come to an unexpected or new result - everything will return to normal, join the lazy cycle of already familiar thoughts. Nothing will accept a plan imposed from the outside, but will follow the established inertia: every motive is free to grow unlimitedly or come to naught, dissolve, giving way to another similar motive.

Aren’t all natural processes so inertial and calmly measured, aren’t clouds floating in the sky uniformly and lazily, grasses swaying, streams and rivers babbling? Natural life, unlike the life of people, does not reveal a clear goal, and therefore it is devoid of tension. Here it is, life-stay, life free from desires and desires.

As a counterbalance to the prevailing tastes, Beethoven in his last creative years created works of exceptional depth and grandeur.

Although the Ninth Symphony is far from Beethoven’s last work, it was the work that completed the composer’s ideological and artistic quest. The problems outlined in symphonies No. 3 and 5 here acquire a pan-human, universal character. The genre of the symphony itself has changed fundamentally. Beethoven introduces into instrumental music word. This discovery of Beethoven was used more than once by composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Beethoven subordinates the usual principle of contrast to the idea of continuous figurative development, hence the non-standard alternation of parts: first two fast movements, where the drama of the symphony is concentrated, and the slow third movement prepares the finale - the result of the most complex processes.

The Ninth Symphony is one of the most outstanding creations in the history of world musical culture. In terms of the greatness of the idea, the breadth of concept and the powerful dynamics of musical images, the Ninth Symphony surpasses everything created by Beethoven himself.

+MINIBONUS

BEETHOVEN'S PIANO SONATAS.

The late sonatas are distinguished by their great complexity of musical language and composition. Beethoven largely deviates from the patterns of formation typical of a classical sonata; the attraction at that time to philosophical and contemplative images led to a fascination with polyphonic forms.

VOCAL CREATIVITY. "TO A DISTANT LOVED." (1816?)

The first in a series of works of the last creative period was the song cycle "KDV". Completely original in concept and composition, it was an early harbinger of the romantic vocal cycles of Schubert and Schumann.

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, piccolo flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, strings.

History of creation

The birth of the Pastoral Symphony occurs during the central period of Beethoven's work. Almost simultaneously, three symphonies came out of his pen, completely different in character: in 1805 he began writing a heroic symphony in C minor, now known as No. 5, in mid-November of the following year he completed the lyrical Fourth, in B-flat major, and in 1807 he began composing the Pastoral. Completed at the same time as the C minor in 1808, it differs sharply from it. Beethoven, having come to terms with an incurable illness - deafness - here does not fight a hostile fate, but glorifies the great power of nature, the simple joys of life.

Music

First part called by the composer “Joyful feelings upon arrival in the village.” The simple, repeatedly repeated main theme sounded by the violins is close to folk round dance melodies, and the accompaniment by violas and cellos is reminiscent of the hum of village bagpipes. Several side topics contrast little with the main one. The development is also idyllic, devoid of sharp contrasts. A long stay in one emotional state is diversified by colorful comparisons of tonalities, changes in orchestral timbres, and increases and decreases in sonority, which anticipates the principles of development among the romantics.

Second part- “Scene by the Stream” is imbued with the same serene feelings. The melodious violin melody slowly unfolds against a murmuring background of other strings, which persists throughout the movement. Only at the very end does the stream fall silent and the roll call of birds becomes audible: the trill of a nightingale (flute), the cry of a quail (oboe), the cuckoo's cuckoo (clarinet). Listening to this music, it is impossible to imagine that it was written by a deaf composer who has not heard birdsong for a long time!

Third part- “A cheerful gathering of villagers” - the most cheerful and carefree. It combines the sly simplicity of peasant dances, introduced into the symphony by Beethoven's teacher Haydn, and the sharp humor of Beethoven's typically scherzos. The initial section is based on the repeated juxtaposition of two themes - abrupt, with persistent stubborn repetitions, and lyrical melodious, but not without humor: the bassoon accompaniment sounds out of time, as if from inexperienced village musicians. The next theme, flexible and graceful, in the transparent timbre of the oboe accompanied by the violins, is also not without a comical touch, which is given to it by the syncopated rhythm and the sudden entry of the bassoon bass. In the faster trio, a rough chant with sharp accents is persistently repeated, in a very loud sound - as if the village musicians were playing with all their might, sparing no effort. In repeating the opening section, Beethoven breaks with classical tradition: instead of going through all the themes in full, there is only a brief reminder of the first two.

Part four- "Storm. Storm" - begins immediately, without interruption. It forms a sharp contrast to everything that preceded it and is the only dramatic episode of the symphony. Painting a majestic picture of the raging elements, the composer resorts to visual techniques, expanding the composition of the orchestra, including, as in the finale of the Fifth, the piccolo flute and trombones, which had not previously been used in symphonic music. The contrast is especially sharply emphasized by the fact that this part is not separated by a pause from the neighboring ones: starting suddenly, it also passes without a pause into the finale, where the mood of the first parts returns.

Final- “Shepherd's song. Joyful and grateful feelings after the storm.” The calm melody of the clarinet, answered by the horn, resembles the roll call of shepherd's horns against the background of bagpipes - they are imitated by the sustained sounds of violas and cellos. The roll call of instruments gradually fades into the distance - the last one to carry out the melody is the horn with a mute against the background of light passages of strings. This is how this unique Beethoven symphony ends in an unusual way.

A. Koenigsberg

Nature and the merging of man with it, a sense of peace of mind, simple joys inspired by the gracious charm of the natural world - these are the themes, the range of images of this work.

Among Beethoven's nine symphonies, the Sixth is the only programmatic one in the direct sense of the term, that is, it has a general name that outlines the direction of poetic thought; in addition, each of the parts of the symphonic cycle is entitled: the first part is “Joyful feelings upon arrival in the village”, the second is “Scene by the stream”, the third is “Merry gathering of villagers”, the fourth is “Thunderstorm” and the fifth is “Shepherd’s song” (“Joyful and grateful feelings after the storm”).

In his attitude to the problem " nature and man“Beethoven, as we have already mentioned, is close to the ideas of J.-J. Rousseau. He perceives nature lovingly, idyllically, reminiscent of Haydn, who glorified the idyll of nature and rural labor in the oratorio “The Seasons”.

At the same time, Beethoven also acts as an artist of modern times. This is reflected in the greater poetic spirituality of the images of nature, and in picturesqueness symphonies.

Keeping intact the basic pattern of cyclic forms - the contrast of compared parts - Beethoven forms the symphony as a series of relatively independent paintings that depict different phenomena and states of nature or genre-related scenes from rural life.

The programmatic and picturesque nature of the Pastoral Symphony was reflected in the features of its composition and musical language. This is the only time that Beethoven deviates from the four-part composition in his symphonic works.

The Sixth Symphony can be seen as a five-movement cycle; if we take into account that the last three parts go without interruption and in a sense continue one another, then only three parts are formed.

This “free” interpretation of the cycle, as well as the type of programming and the characteristic nature of the titles, anticipate future works by Berlioz, Liszt and other romantic composers. The very figurative structure, including new, more subtle psychological reactions caused by communication with nature, makes the Pastoral Symphony a harbinger of the romantic direction in music.

IN first part Beethoven himself emphasizes in the title of the symphony that this is not a description of a rural landscape, but feelings, called by him. This movement is devoid of illustrativeness and onomatopoeia, which are found in other parts of the symphony.

Using a folk song as the main theme, Beethoven enhances its characteristicity with the originality of harmonization: the theme sounds against the background of a sustained fifth in the bass (a typical interval of folk instruments):

The violins freely and easily “bring out” the spreading pattern of the melody of the side part; “It’s important” is echoed by the bass. The contrapuntal development seems to fill the theme with ever new juices:

Serene peace and transparency of the air are felt in the theme of the final part with its naively ingenuous instrumental strumming (a new version of the primary chant) and the roll call against the backdrop of the fading rustling of the bass, based on the tonic organ sound of C-dur (the tonality of the secondary and final parts):

The development, especially its first section, is interesting due to the novelty of development techniques. Taken as an object for development, the characteristic chant of the main part is repeated many times without any changes, but it is colored by the play of registers, instrumental timbres, and the movement of keys through thirds: B-dur - D-dur, G-dur - E-dur.

Techniques of this kind of colorful comparisons of tones, which would become widespread among the romantics, are aimed at evoking a certain mood, a feeling of a given landscape, scenery, picture of nature.

But in second part, in "Scene by the Stream", as well as in fourth- “The Thunderstorm” - an abundance of figurative and onomatopoeic techniques. In the second part, short trills, grace notes, small and longer melodic turns are woven into the fabric of the accompaniment, conveying the calm flow of the stream. The soft colors of the entire sound palette paint an idyllic picture of nature, its tremulous calls, the slightest fluttering, the whisper of leaves, etc. Beethoven completes the entire “scene” with a witty depiction of the colorful hubbub of birds:

The next three parts, connected into one series, are scenes of peasant life.

Third part symphonies - “A Merry Gathering of Peasants” - a juicy and lively genre sketch. There is a lot of humor and sincere fun in it. Great charm is given to it by subtly noticed and sharply reproduced details, such as a bassoonist from a simple village orchestra entering out of place or a deliberate imitation of a heavy peasant dance:

A simple village celebration is suddenly interrupted by a thunderstorm. The musical image of a thunderstorm - a raging element - is often found in a variety of musical genres of the 18th and 19th centuries. Beethoven's interpretation of this phenomenon is closest to Haydn's: a thunderstorm is not a disaster, not devastation, but grace, it fills the earth and air with moisture and is necessary for the growth of all living things.

Nevertheless, the image of a thunderstorm in the Sixth Symphony is an exception among works of this kind. It amazes with its true spontaneity, the limitless power of reproducing the phenomenon itself. Although Beethoven uses characteristic onomatopoeic techniques, the main thing here is dramatic power.

Last part- “The Shepherd’s Song” is a logical conclusion to the symphony that follows from the whole concept. In it, Beethoven glorifies the life-giving beauty of nature. The most significant thing that the ear notes in the last part of the symphony is its songfulness, the national character of the music itself. The slowly flowing pastoral melody that dominates throughout is saturated with the finest poetry, which spiritualizes the entire sound of this unusual finale:

Sixth, Pastoral Symphony

At the same time as the Fifth, Beethoven completed the Sixth, “Pastoral Symphony.” This is the only Beethoven symphonic work published with the author's program. The title page of the manuscript bore the following inscription:

"Pastoral Symphony"
or
Memories of rural life.
More an expression of mood than sound painting.”

The sixth, Pastoral Symphony occupies a special place in Beethoven’s work. It was from this symphony that representatives of romantic program symphony largely took their cues. Berlioz was an enthusiastic fan of the Sixth Symphony.

The theme of nature receives wide philosophical embodiment in the music of Beethoven, one of the greatest poets of nature. In the Sixth Symphony, these images acquired their most complete expression, for the very theme of the symphony is nature and pictures of rural life. For Beethoven, nature was not only an object for creating picturesque paintings. She was for him an expression of a comprehensive, life-giving principle. It was in communion with nature that Beethoven found those hours of pure joy that he so craved. Statements from Beethoven's diaries and letters speak of his enthusiastic pantheistic attitude towards nature. More than once we come across statements in Beethoven’s notes that his ideal is “free,” that is, natural nature.

The Rousseauist idea of the Pastoral Symphony connects Beethoven with Haydn (oratorio “The Seasons”). But in Beethoven the touch of patriarchy that is observed in Haydn disappears. He interprets the theme of nature and rural life as one of the variants of his main theme about the “free man” - this makes him similar to the “sturmers”, who, following Rousseau, saw a liberating principle in nature and opposed it to the world of violence and coercion.

Seventh Symphony

The symphony genre in Beethoven's work was in constant development. Four years after the Pastoral, the Seventh and Eighth symphonies were created (1812), in which Beethoven's symphony is revealed from new sides, thanks to the strengthening of national features.

The fusion of heroic and genre principles in these symphonies determines the increased importance of song intonations and dance rhythms. The powerful simplicity of Beethoven's democratic language, with its energy of rhythms, relief of active intonations, is combined with the subtle development of melodic, timbre, and harmonic details. In harmony, the variety of shades and contrasts, the enhancement of colorfulness is to a large extent carried out by means of major-minor, various tertian ratios. In the structure of the cycle there is a well-known deviation from classical tempo contrasts (instead of the slow part - Allegretto).

All this allowed Serov to see in these symphonies the beginning of the late Beethoven style, although both of them, not only in time of creation, but also in style, are the final works of the central period. They carried out a synthesis of the principles of Beethoven's heroic and lyric-genre symphonism (which is especially clearly manifested in the Seventh Symphony). The nationality of Beethoven's images appears here in a new capacity; it is brighter in its national manifestation, although it does not lose its general heroic orientation.

Between the symphonies of 1812 and the previous Pastoral, such works as the Fifth Piano Concerto, Egmont, and music for the play King Stephen were published. Immediately after the Seventh and Eighth, the program symphony “Wellington's Victory, or the Battle of Vittoria” was written. All these works (with all the differences in their artistic significance) are in one way or another connected with the patriotic ideas of that time. Together with the Battle of Vittoria, the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies were performed in patriotic concerts in Vienna in 1813 and 1814 to celebrate the victory over Napoleon.

Created in the same year, united by a common actively joyful tone, the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, however, contrast with each other, complementing each other.