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Jeremy Siepmann

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

Classics Explained: BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 6, 'Pastoral' (Siepmann)

1 MINUTE AND 37 SECONDS • JUL 05 2002

Album Tracklist

1
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: On Beethoven's Openings
01:26
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
01:44
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
00:42
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...
00:04
5
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: ...and answered
00:12
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
00:19
7
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Starting with a stop
00:36
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
00:52
9
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Phrase One, Part One
00:09
10
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Phrase One, Part Two
00:06
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
01:03
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
00:27
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
00:47
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
00:33
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
00:18
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
00:29
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
00:34
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
00:19
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
00:25
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
00:49
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
00:09
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
00:36
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
00:32
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
00:30
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
00:55
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
02:15
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
01:09
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
00:30
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
00:51
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
01:05
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
00:22
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
00:48
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
00:18
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
02:22
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
00:35
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
00:38
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
00:42
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
00:08
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
00:28
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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
01:55
41
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: The Development continued
01:23
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
02:03
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
01:50
44
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: Beginning of Recapitulation
00:50
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
01:01
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
00:34
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
00:28
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
00:48
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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
00:58
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
00:32
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
00:37
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
00:59
53
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country: First movement (complete)
11:01
54
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: General introduction; the birth of a melody
01:59
55
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Brook music quickens; syncopated horns; theme changes hands; evocation of birdsong
01:19
56
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: The 'motto' theme introduced by violins and treated to round-like overlappings
00:52
57
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Transitional 'bridge' theme sets off for new key group. But is it? And does it?
00:39
58
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Will he, or won't he? Beethoven keeps us guessing
01:09
59
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: The run-up to the Second Group
01:14
60
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Arrival at the Second Group; but where is the actual Second Subject?
00:39
61
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: A new tune is introduced by the bassoon
00:38
62
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Tune is repeated three times
01:00
63
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: ...which the full orchestra now takes up in varied form
00:45
64
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Theme carried by flutes and first violins in a charmingly waltz-like development
00:48
65
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: A reminder of precedent
00:14
66
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Back to the prevailing triple-metre with violins, bassoons and flutes
00:16
67
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Another reminder of precedent...
00:16
68
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: ...and a cue to some unexpected departures
00:38
69
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: The transformational magic of Beethoven's 'tone-painting' - and a new varation
00:50
70
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Conversation of clarinet, flute and oboe on the way to the Development
00:43
71
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Harmonic movement emphasised by violins; oboe takes up the First Subject
00:39
72
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Flute and oboe discuss the First Subject, before arriving together at the Transition
01:04
73
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Gains in volume and intensity lead to a new key-change
00:47
74
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: More thematic transformation through the agency of tone-colour
01:11
75
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Harmonic fluideity - instability - as the central engine of the Development section
01:40
76
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Harmonic instability, thematic dissolution increase, then lessen with approach of Recapitulation
01:41
77
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Recap. and transformation: key and material are right, but what a change of presentation!
01:29
78
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Just when we know what's coming, Beethoven changes the rules (or at least the harmony)
00:53
79
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Transformation by reorchestration; switch to long sustained chords; then everything stops
01:20
80
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: The silence is broken by voices of nightingale (flute), quail (oboe) and cuckoo (clarinet)
00:40
81
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: First violins bring back motto theme
00:12
82
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Cue to complete movement on CD 2
00:33
83
Second Movement: Scene by the Brook: Second movement (complete)
12:03
84
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
01:31
85
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
00:23
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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
01:06
87
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
00:33
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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
01:18
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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
00:48
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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
00:46
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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
01:00
92
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
01:18
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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
00:42
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Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Third movement (complete)
05:14
95
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: Unparalled portrait of nature's power over humanity, with some stupendous orchestration
03:05
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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
01:34
97
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: The 'lashing rain' motif - downward-driving arpeggios from the first violins and violas
00:36
98
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: The 'lightning' motif, and its recurrnece later in the movement
00:22
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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
00:13
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Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: Shivering tremolandos from the strings and increasingly eerie harmonies from the wind
00:18
101
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: Steady crescendo in strings; terrifying, downward spelling-out of chords in the violins
01:37
102
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: Extremes of dynamic contrasts; the unsettling, disturbing, undermining effects of chromaticism
01:02
103
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: Abandonment of melody, and most traces even of rhythm; sustained, discordant harmony
00:20
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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
01:52
105
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: Cue to complete preformance of Fourth Movement
00:09
106
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral": IV. Thunderstorm: Fourth movement (complete)
03:55
107
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
00:59
108
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
01:06
109
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
01:06
110
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
00:36
111
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
00:43
112
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
00:38
113
Fifth Movement: Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Another rhythmic details of extended transition comes increasingly into the foreground
00:29
114
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
00:52
115
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
01:13
116
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
02:15
117
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
00:58
118
Fifth Movement: Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Main theme returns, but significantly altered, and not entirely intact
00:37
119
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
00:24
120
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
01:21
121
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
02:09
122
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
00:51
123
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
02:11
124
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
01:09
125
Fifth Movement: Shepherd's Song - Happy and Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Fourth and Fifth movements (complete)
13:47
Classics Explained: BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 6, 'Pastoral' (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
℗© 2002 Naxos