NOVE SINFONIE
First Show: 20/08/08 - Time: 21.30
Location: Teatro Antico
Special Project Euro Mediterranean Festival 2008
Lorin Maazel conducts THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES
Symphonic Toscanini
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Symphony N°2 & Symphony N° 5
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D major (Op. 36) was written between 1801 and 1802 and is dedicated to Prince Lichnowsky.
Contents
1 Background
2 Orchestration
3 Form
3.1 First movement
3.2 Second movement
3.3 Third movement
3.4 Fourth movement
4 External links
Background
Beethoven's Second Symphony was mostly written during Beethoven's stay at Heiligenstadt in 1802, which was near the time that he began to realize he was becoming deaf. Beethoven wrote the Second Symphony without having a standard minuet; a scherzo took its place, which gave the composition even greater scope and energy. After the symphony's premiere, critics noted the absence of the traditional minuet, and claimed the composition had great strength, but was altogether too eccentric.
The work was premiered in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on April 5, 1803, and was conducted by the composer. It is one of the last works of Beethoven's so-called "early period".
Orchestration
The symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, two horns in D and E, two trumpets in D, timpani and strings. The composer also made a transcription of the entire symphony for piano trio which bears the same opus number.
Form
This symphony consists of four movements:
Adagio molto — Allegro con brio
Larghetto
Scherzo: Allegro
Allegro molto
Its duration is thirty-six minutes.
First movement
The Introduction, Adagio molto, begins in D major, changing to B♭ major in measure 11. In measures 26-28, it briefly modulates to A major and immediately back to D. The exposition (Allegro con brio) begins in D major with the A theme lasting until measure 57. A transition towards the B theme lasts until measure 72, modulating to A minor at measure 61. The B theme begins in A major at 73, moving to A minor again at 113 with a codetta from measure 117-136 (moving to D major in measure 120). The development uses material from the A theme, going through several modulations throughout and making use of the main idea from Theme A in sequence. At measure 216, the A theme returns in the recapitulation, lasting until measure 228. There is a retransition from 229-244, bringing back the B theme at measure 245, this time in the tonic key. At 327, B♭ major returns briefly, moving back to D in 334 with a Coda from measures 340-360.
Second movement
This movement, Larghetto, is in A Major (dominant) and is one of Beethoven's longest symphonic slow movements. There are clear indications of the influence of folk music and the pastoral, presaging his Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral").
Third movement
This movement, Scherzo: Allegro, encloses a melodious oboe and bassoon quartet within typical-sounding Austrian side-slapping dance.
Fourth movement
The fourth movement, Allegro molto, is comprised of very rapid string passages.
"Beethoven's Fifth" redirects here. For the 4th sequel to the movie, "Beethoven", see Beethoven's 5th (film).
Composition
Beethoven in 1804, the year he began work on the Fifth Symphony. Detail of a portrait by W.J. MählerThe Fifth Symphony is notable for the amount of time it spent in gestation. The first sketches date from 1804, following the completion of the Third Symphony. However, Beethoven repeatedly interrupted his work on the Fifth to prepare other compositions, including the first version of Fidelio, the Appassionata piano sonata, the three Razumovsky string quartets, the Violin Concerto, the Fourth Piano Concerto, and the Fourth Symphony. The final preparation of the Fifth Symphony, which took place in 1807-1808, was carried out in parallel with the Sixth Symphony, which premiered at the same concert.
Beethoven was in his mid-thirties during this time; his personal life was troubled by increasing deafness.In the world at large, the period was marked by the Napoleonic Wars, political turmoil in Austria, and the occupation of Vienna by Napoleon's troops in 1805.
The coversheet to Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The dedication to Prince Lobkowitz and Count Rasumovsky is visible.Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 was written in 1804–08. This symphony is one of the most popular and well-known compositions in all of European classical music, and one of the most often-played symphonies. It comprises four movements: an opening sonata allegro, an andante, and a fast scherzo which leads attacca to the finale. First performed in Vienna's Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterwards. E.T.A. Hoffmann described the symphony as "one of the most important works of the time".
It begins by stating a distinctive four-note "short-short-short-long" motif twice: (listen (help·info))
The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are well known worldwide, with the motif appearing frequently in popular culture, from disco to rock and roll, to appearances in film and television. During World War II, the BBC used the four-note motif to introduce its radio news broadcasts because it evoked the Morse code letter "V" (for "victory") (dot-dot-dot-dash).
Cast:
