{"id":18,"date":"2020-06-01T08:03:29","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T12:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/?page_id=18"},"modified":"2020-10-05T14:11:04","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T18:11:04","slug":"symphony-no-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/symphony-no-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36 (1802)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Basics<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

General Information<\/span><\/p>\n

Composition dates: 1801-02.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dedication: Prince Carl Lichnowsky<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Instrumentation:\u00a0 Strings, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp.<\/span><\/p>\n

First performance: 4 or 5 April 1803, Theater-an-der-Wien.<\/span><\/p>\n

Orchestra size for first or early performance: 6+6.3(?).2.4\/single winds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Autograph Score: Not extant.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published parts:\u00a0 March 1804, Bureau d\u2019Arts et d\u2019Industrie, Vienna<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published score: Score 1820, Simrock. (Note: 1822 Simrock edition is available at Eastman\u2019s Sibley library rare collection.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Movements (Tempos. Key. Form.)<\/span><\/p>\n

I. Adagio molto\u2014Allegro con brio (MM=84\u2014100). D Major. Sonata-Allegro (w\/ slow Intro.).<\/span><\/p>\n

II. Larghetto (MM=92). A Major (V). Sonata-Allegro.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

III. Scherzo. Allegro (MM=100). D Major. Scherzo\/Trio (ternary).<\/span><\/p>\n

IV. Allegro molto (MM=152). D major. Sonata-Allegro.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Significance and Structure
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven began writing his Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36, during one of the most productive and paradoxically most depressed periods of his life. As a 30-year-old man at the end of 1800, Beethoven was receiving a sizable income of 600 florins from Prince Lichnowsky, his music was being received with great notoriety locally and abroad, and incoming commissions for new works were more than he could accommodate. In 1801, when Beethoven composed the majority of the Second Symphony, he \u201csaw the richest publishing harvest of his career so far, both in quantity and musical scope\u201d (Solomon 1998, 145). It was during this time he wrote the famous \u201cMoonlight\u201d Piano Sonata Op. 27, and his ballet score \u00a0The Creatures of Prometheus<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Op.43 was a resounding success, with 23 performances from 1801-02.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s autobiographical accounts from 1801-1802 shed light on the volatile nature and optimism prevalent throughout his Second Symphony. On June 29<\/strong><\/a> and July 1<\/strong><\/a>, 1801, Beethoven wrote two letters to his close friends Franz Gerhard Wegeler and Karl Amenda, respectively. In them, he describes his gradual deafness for the very first time and laments at its hindrance in his social life. (See \u201cBeethoven\u2019s Words\u201d essay below.) \u00a0By this point, his loss of hearing had been a secret kept to himself for several years, although exactly when it started is unknown.\u00a0 Beethoven wrote to Wegeler again on November 16, 1801<\/strong><\/a> about the continued decline of his hearing but overall improvement otherwise: \u201cMy poor hearing haunted me everywhere like a ghost; and I avoided – all human society.\u201d In an uplifting spirit, he expresses his ambitions and declares, \u201cFor some time now my physical strength has been increasing more and more, and therefore my mental powers also…I will seize Fate by the throat; it shall certainly not crush me completely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Europe, too, was standing on the precipice of war with France and Napoleon Bonaparte. The immensely popular general had previously defeated both Italian and Austrian armies, annexed a large portion of Germany, taken control of Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, and in 1799 had successfully staged a \u2018coup d’etat<\/em>\u2019 becoming the First Consul of France. By the time Beethoven finished the Second Symphony in 1802, the influence and fear of Napoleon loomed over all of Europe.\u00a0\u00a0Beethoven was aware of current world affairs and was even influenced by Bonaparte\u2019s revolutionary ideas as well as French march music. Some of those influences can already be seen in his Second Symphony, \u201cincluding the use of massive orchestral forces, a quality of grandeur and potency, and even some occasional references to military rhythms and instruments\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 44).<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the rapid deterioration of his hearing and increasing feeling of isolation from society, and the threats posed by the politics surrounding the figure of Napoleon Bonaparte, Beethoven\u2019s Symphony No. 2 generates and maintains a cheerful enthusiasm, demonstrating the composer\u2019s strength and resolve to seize the day despite the many negative obstacles. Even Hector Berlioz commented in 1862 that \u201c<\/strong>everything in this symphony smiles<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d While Beethoven\u2019s internal struggles can be heard through the music\u2019s stark contrasts, brief moments of darkness and chromaticism, and unpredictable behavior, no one could have anticipated the severity of his anguish and desperation that was expressed in the Heiligenstadt Testament<\/strong><\/a> of October, 1802.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although often overshadowed by both the First and Third Symphonies, Symphony No. 2 is universally characterized as an expressively positive composition. The bold, inspired, and adventurous spirit of this work foreshadows Beethoven\u2019s heroic style and new symphonic vision that would take full flight in the monumental Eroica<\/em> Symphony soon to follow. Lewis Lockwood notes that \u201cwithout the innovations of the Second Symphony the Eroica<\/em> might not have been possible.\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 37-38)\u00a0 Beethoven relied largely on the juxtaposition of extremes and surprises\u2014the tools of the sublime aesthetic\u2014to create the bold optimism of this work, and to prop open the door to the 19th<\/sup> century dramatic language of the symphony.\u00a0Throughout the work extremes of dynamics, sudden and powerful silences, new orchestral colors, harmonic surprises and modal shifts, and clever contrasting of sonata- and symphonic-style materials, all challenge but in the end push to the fore a cheerfulness and exuberance that would challenge any of his later works, until perhaps the finale of the Ninth Symphony (also in D major).\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[We refer you to the following recording for the ensuing discussion: Beethoven Symphonies, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conducting. 1st movement<\/a>, 2nd movement<\/a>, 3rd movement<\/a>, 4th movement<\/a>.<\/strong>]<\/span><\/p>\n

The brilliant and somewhat chimerical opening movement sets in motion Beethoven’s dramatic use of extremes that leave the listener sensing challenges. It shows a kinship with Mozart’s last D-major symphony, the “Prague<\/a>,” in its long introduction, frequent shifts between major and minor modes, and colorful instrumental treatment, particularly the winds. The Adagio molto introduction<\/strong><\/a> (0:04-2:52) is almost three times the length of the First Symphony\u2019s introduction, full of dramatic contrasts, a melodic variety, and, like Mozart’s “Prague” introduction, presents a complex tonal plan for the entire work (sections in D, B-flat, g minor, d minor), all giving a hint at the character and expansiveness of the piece. It bursts forth in unison on the tonic D, which is answered with a soft lyrical passage carried by the oboes and bassoons. This instrumental discussion continues, including moments of scale passages passed around the orchestra, initiated by heavy accents, and accompanied by long crescendos, full-throated fortissimos followed by abrupt silences, and finally sweet bird-call trills in the flutes, introduce the sublime aesthetic found in much of the symphony. The Allegro con brio\u2019s Primary theme<\/strong><\/a> (2:52-3:09), announced by the violas and cellos, has a nervous gesture with a long dotted-half-note and four rapid sixteenth-notes supported by a repeated eighth-note pulse. These four rapid notes also serve as an upbeat to the next bar with the same pattern. The brilliant, brassy transition that follows consists of several statements from the Primary theme in different keys and leads into the Secondary theme group<\/strong><\/a> (3:44-4:05) on the dominant key, A major\u2014a soft, happy French-inspired march theme introduced by clarinets and alternating the sounds of the woodwind and string choirs. A vigorous new subject<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(4:41-4:57) is interrupted by strong, exaggerated chords which share the same rhythmic pattern as the symphony\u2019s opening unison passage, contrasted by unexpected silences, and finally the unison strings, piano, move to the upper register and the rhythm becomes more intense. \u00a0Many upbeat sforzando orchestral tuttis and trumpet\/timpani fanfare calls, in conversation with abrupt pianos, create an angular and somewhat rude yet happy dance of a drunk giant or a struggling beast to close the exposition<\/a> (4:57-5:09).\u00a0 The exposition\u2019s joyful close is juxtaposed to the primary theme in a foreboding D minor at the start of the development <\/strong><\/a>(7:25-9:16), which relies on fragments of the contrasting expository material and modulates through several keys before arriving back on the tonic D major.\u00a0 An unusually long coda<\/strong><\/a> (11:13-12:40) continues to rely on sharp contrasts, emphasizing an overall brightness and joy.\u00a0 John Eliot Gardiner summarizes the dramatic abruptness, variety, and vibrancy of the first movement, particularly during the coda up to the movement\u2019s explosive denouement, in this way<\/a> . . . (Gardiner discusses the Second Symphony, 6:42-8:02).<\/span><\/p>\n

The second movement, Larghetto, provides a beautiful contrast to its neighbors through its use of elegant melodies, slow pacing, and intimate orchestration, calling on moments of \u201csonata-style\u201d writing reminiscent of chamber music to contrast the big symphonic gestures of the surrounding movements. Rather than the usual relaxed and pleasant andante, Beethoven\u2019s contemplative Larghetto is one of his longest slow movements. The exposition is built from an abundance of themes characteristic of sonata style, including the opening intimate, linearly-conceived string quartet themes<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> repeated by winds (0:00-1:14) and equally intimate Mozartian wind serenade material<\/a><\/strong> (1:14-1:48). He even includes some coquettishly innocent laughter<\/strong><\/a> (2:47-3:05).\u00a0 Beethoven\u2019s intimate, delicate style here, including soft dynamics and elaborated ornamentations, couldn\u2019t be more different than the bright, brilliant symphony style of the first movement. The development<\/a> (3:44-5:55) continues the sonata-style approach in its subtle but unusual harmonic progressions, often utilizing enharmonic pitches<\/strong><\/a> and augmented sixth chords<\/strong><\/a>, into unexpected key areas, particularly in the minor mode. A noteworthy moment<\/a><\/strong> is the unprepared move from the a-minor key that begins the development, to a smiling C major a third away (3:44-4:02).\u00a0 This type of mediant key relationship\u2014separated not by typical fourths and fifths but by thirds\u2014becomes a useful tool in Beethoven\u2019s key relationship toolbox, getting more and more use through his oeuvre. Overall, this Larghetto has a strong sense of contemplation and reposed joy, rather than a sense of a relaxed walk through the park that is typical of more moderately paced andante movements. Berlioz aptly described this lovely movement as \u201ca delineation of innocent happiness hardly clouded by a few melancholy accents.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The third movement exhibits the character not of the graceful minuet, but the great humor, playfulness, and sprightly energy of the scherzo. Its fast pace, crisp articulations, displacement of metric accents, unsettling bouncing around between instruments, and frequent shifts in dynamics and registers recalls the vitality of the first movement. Every measure of the first theme<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(0:00-0:19) is a contrast: quickly shifting dynamics, instrumentation and register accompany the laughing, three-note gestures, leading to the key of the dominant<\/a><\/strong>. But a sudden harmonic shift<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(0:20-0:26) following the theme\u2019s repeat unexpectedly leaves the listener in D minor and then B-flat major, two prominent keys in the first movement\u2019s introduction and development, and as with the second movement\u2019s development, exhibiting a mediant key relationship. The Trio section<\/a>\u00a0(1:37-2:41) reminds the listener of Harmoniemusik<\/em> quality of the First Symphony with an almost childlike tune played by the woodwinds, shockingly interrupted by a Haydnesque joke with the strings playing unison F-sharp major arpeggios. This bellicose interruption proves to be errant, as the strings sheepishly diminuendo to near silence, and the winds and brass insist on the \u201cright\u201d key<\/a>\u00a0and reinstatement to the Harmonie<\/em> ensemble theme (2:20-2:41), before returning to the laughing scherzo. The movement is full of colorful, dramatic harmony and character changes, all which serve to highlight joie de vivre. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the fourth movement, Allegro molto, is an energetic, frantic finale, full of Beethovenian jokes that continues the scherzo-like joie de vivre<\/em>, and highlights Beethoven\u2019s emerging propensity for adding weight to the end of the four-movement cycle by making the closing section (coda) nearly one-third the length of the whole movement. The rustic principal theme<\/a><\/strong> begins with unison comic-opera gestures: a two-note slur mimicking a stumble, and a trill imitating laughter (0:00-0:09). This mimetic opening serves as the motivic basis for the whole movement, and takes on a rondo<\/a><\/strong>-like function. Following a brief silence, the strings continue in another laughing string of eighth-notes, extending the regular four-bar phrase to six bars. However, the strings are unable to finish their phrase, for they are interrupted by two hammering chords by the full orchestra, including the timpani and trumpets, which themselves give way to a contrasting lyrical string-quartet instrumentation, given some relief from the comedy (0:09-0:42). The second theme<\/a><\/strong> features a gentle conversation between the woodwinds accompanied by the strings in long singing phrases, and another mode and mediant key shift (A major to a minor to C major; 0:42-1:08). The contrast of this theme to the vivacious principal theme which serves to bring the exuberance into relief, confirmed by the laughing closing theme. Like the developments in the first two movements, this development<\/a> (1:26-2:27) goes quickly through many keys, shifting constantly between major and minor modes, all tied together with a pervasive “chuckling” motive. \u00a0The expansive 149-bar coda<\/a><\/strong> (3:53-6:08), which once again picks up developmental techniques before coming to an inevitable and exhilarating conclusion, has been criticized as \u201cthe dragon that never dies\u201d (see \u201cOthers Words\u201d essay below). It is both comic and tragic, full of starts and stops, fake endings, lilting slurs, chordal blasts, and harmonic surprises. Again, as in the first and third movements, keys of B-flat and F-sharp are prominent, expanding further and further until it finally reaches a triumphant, bright, full-throated D major to drive to the end. \u00a0Here, Beethoven is pulling the listener to a strong victorious ending, generating a form that is more teleological is its dramatic thrust. This becomes his vision for his future symphonies, and the way of 19th<\/sup>-century composers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: AL, JM, WM, YLiu, MER<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s Words
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut what a humiliation for me when someone standing next to me heard a flute in the distance and I heard nothing<\/em>, . . . Such incidents drove me almost to despair, a little more of that and I would have ended my life\u2014it was only my art<\/em> that held me back. Ah, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt was within me. . . . Patience<\/em>, they say, is what I must now choose for my guide, and I have done so\u2014I hope my determination will remain firm to endure until it pleases the inexorable Parcae to break the thread. . . . Forced to become a philosopher already in my 28th<\/sup> year, . . . Divine One, thou seest my inmost soul, thou knowest that therein dwells the love of mankind and the desire to do good.\u201d Beethoven in a letter to his brothers known as the Heiligenstadt Testament<\/a><\/strong>, written October 1802 as he was finishing Symphony No. 2.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Heiligenstadt Testament<\/a> <\/strong>represents a pivotal moment in Beethoven\u2019s life. It was penned in October 1802 in Heiligenstadt<\/a>, and was addressed to his two young brothers, Carl and Johann, and to the public. The testament was written as a culmination of the composer\u2019s increasing agony as he realized his hearing loss would become permanent. Biographical accounts reveal the letter was never sent. Instead, it was kept with the composer\u2019s personal belongings, only to be discovered following his death.<\/span><\/p>\n

His struggle with deafness was gradual and was first acknowledged in a succession of letters to his childhood friend, Franz Gerhard Wegeler<\/a><\/strong> (1765-1848). In one of the letters dated June 29, 1800<\/a><\/strong> he tells Wegeler, \u201cOnly my envious demon, my bad health, has thrown obstacles in my way. For instance, my hearing has become weaker during the last three years.\u201d Beethoven also provided details on the treatment he was receiving to improve his condition,\u00a0reporting no progress. In this same letter, he states he had been avoiding all of society for two years in order to avoid any uncomfortable social situations, such as the ones mentioned in the above testament.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most dramatic phrases from his Testament is; \u201c…a little more of that and I would have ended my life – it was only my art that held me back. Oh, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had produced all the works that I felt the urge to compose.\u201d Such an attitude can be seen as a heroic standard in conformity with the philosophical and artistic values of the eighteenth century. These values were expressed in many works of philosophers and writers, such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe<\/a><\/strong> (1749-1842) and Friedrich Schiller<\/a><\/strong> (1759-1805).\u00a0As it was understood from the writings of those, a hero was someone whose life ran against societal norms, who had to face a tragic destiny and, in their journey, would overcome all suffering to attain understanding of the sublime<\/a><\/strong>. Additionally, in the age of Goethe, Scott Burnham observes the existence of the \u201call-embracing concept of self\u2026 [these concepts] are based on the rhythms and scenarios of the individual self, such as birth and death, personal freedom and destiny, self-consciousness, and self-overcoming.\u201d (Burnham, Beethoven Hero<\/em>, 112). Beethoven was known to be familiar with such heroic concepts and his resolve in the Testament can be interpreted as him taking the role of a hero. Thus, in the high literary tone of the phrase, \u201cDivine One, thou seest my inmost soul, thou knowest that therein dwells the love of mankind and the desire to do good.\u201d, Beethoven expresses his compulsive desire to continue composing and shedding light on all that he feels within; a desire so strong it holds him back from ending his life due to the unbearable position he had found himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Beethoven\u2019s heroic style will be the hallmark of his symphonic works following the writing of the Heiligenstadt Testament, the Second Symphony is judged to not fully reflect such concepts, despite being considered progressive at the time. It does not portray consistently an image of despair and abandonment requiring overcoming, but throughout is full of brilliance, passion, and cheer juxtaposed with serenity and ease. The Second Symphony contains increasing intensity, energy, dynamic contrast, surprise, happiness, and expressiveness, which is a big contrast and contains more novel and striking effects to the First Symphony. Lewis Lockwood observes that \u201cthe Second Symphony [is] a decisive departure from tradition. In intensity, energy, and individuality, it leaps beyond those modestly progressive tendencies that we have found in the First.\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 37.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Berlioz\u2019s essay on the Second Symphony<\/a><\/strong> recognizes the character conflict of the symphony with the Heiligenstadt Testament, and thereby challenges the emerging (and current) assumption that the emotional character of a composition should directly reflect the artist’s psychological emotion and situation:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn this work everything is noble, energetic and stately\u2026\u00a0 the scherzo is just as frankly gay in its capricious fantasy as the andante was completely happy and calm; for everything in this symphony is genial, even the warlike sallies of the first allegro being exempt from violence, so that one can trace in them no more than the youthful ardour of a noble heart which retains intact the most beautiful illusions of life. The composer still has faith in immortal glory, in love and self-sacrifice. Hence the degree to which he abandons himself to his gaiety, and the felicity of his sallies of wit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Berlioz, although Beethoven was suffering from hearing loss, the brilliance, passion, cheerful and lightness of the first and last movements, contrasted by the peaceful and calm slow movement do not indicate any of Beethoven\u2019s pain over realizing his oncoming deafness. As Christopher H. Gibbs states in npr music<\/a>, \u201cBeethoven may have sought refuge in musical \u2018comedy\u2019 at times of personal \u2018tragedy.\u2019\u201d Therefore, perhaps Beethoven attempted to find a harbor for himself in his own art as well as prevent him from suicide; in the meanwhile, Beethoven\u2019s resolve represented the embodiment of the philosophical concepts of triumph over adversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: HdS, YS, MER<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Others\u2019 Words
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe second symphony is a crass ogre, a stabbed, unbound writhing dragon that refuses to die, and although bleeding in the Finale, angrily beats about with tail erect.\u201d (Reviewer in the Zeitung f\u00fcr die Elegente Welt, <\/em>Vienna, May 1804.)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The innovative musical style of Symphony No. 2 was substantially different not only from Beethoven\u2019s own First Symphony, which was gaining popularity, but also showed a distancing from the influence of Haydn and Mozart through a surge of Beethoven\u2019s own increasingly dramatic symphonic language. This shift was recognized as mildly revolutionary at best, upsettingly barbaric at worst, causing different perspectives to be voiced after its premiere in 1803 at Theater an der Wien.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, the Zeitung f\u00fcr die Elegente Welt<\/em> reviewer quoted above seemed to have recognized Beethoven\u2019s new symphonic approach, but compared it unfavorably to Beethoven\u2019s earlier work: \u00a0\u201cthe First symphony is better than the later one because it is developed with lightness and is less forced, whereas in the Second the striving after the new and the surprising is already more apparent.\u201d He then goes on to use the monstrous metaphorical language quoted above.<\/span><\/p>\n

The revolutionary quality of Beethoven\u2019s symphonic writing certainly distinguished the Second Symphony from his own popular earlier works, including the First Symphony, the song “Adelaide” and the Septet, Op. 20, and those of his predecessors Haydn and Mozart. But what about it might have led the contemporary critics to such irritable criticism? <\/span><\/p>\n

The thirty-four-minute long symphony is longer than other symphonies at the time, but certainly not to the degree the Eroica<\/em>\u00a0Symphony would notably achieve a few years later. Surely, this long and harmonically challenging coda taking up one-third of the length of the finale\u2014a traditionally light-hearted movement\u2014is what prompted the reviewer to make the clever \u201cbleeding, but refuses to die\u201d statement. But the negative reaction seems to suggest an additive effect of one unusual musical gesture after another, leading \u201ctail erect\u201d to the final writhing of the finale\u2019s coda.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each movement showed structural innovations: the first movement starts with an unusually long introduction; the third movement did not follow Haydn\u2019s typical character, being written as scherzo and trio instead of minuet and trio; and the last movement ended with the lengthy and development-like coda. \u00a0Beethoven\u2019s harmonic and tonal language would also have proven challenging.\u00a0 Take for example the modulation in the introduction of the first movement, which follows the tonal path D-B-flat-g-C-F, then arrives at an unexpected d-minor. Similar tonal motion occurs in all of the movements, with unexpected shifts to the minor mode and the use of unprepared and prepared movement to keys a third apart, rather than fourth or fifth. (See the \u201cSignificance and Structure\u201d essay above.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s use of sonata-style materials in the second movement, contrasting the obvious symphonic-style gestures, may have proven challengingly inconsistent. The second movement opens with the texture of a strings quartet follower by a repeat in the winds, like a peaceful serenade. But the symphonic style returns soon after this material, with the dotted tutti rhythms and full orchestra, reminding audiences of the energy and passion from the previous movement. This bravura symphonic style continues in the third movement\u2019s lively scherzo, full of unexpected accents and highly fragmented orchestration. In the trio, jolting sforzandi in the winds bring a joyful surprise to audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps what was most disconcerting to the reviewer, however, were the pervasive, incessant, constantly interruptive gestural extremes:\u00a0 delicate pianissimo passages grow quickly to fortissimo conclusions, or would simply be interrupted by tutti explosions; bright, brilliant, driving motives are suddenly interrupted by ear-shattering silences<\/em>; and there are all manner of sudden emotional swings. The almost constant use of such gestures would suggest to the listener, whose ears were accustomed to the more tamed language of Haydn and Mozart rooted in the beautiful<\/em> aesthetic, the monstrous violence and fearful state that was associated with the aesthetic of the sublime<\/em> to a degree not yet realized in a symphonic work. The criticism from Zeitung f\u00fcr die Elegente Welt<\/em> recognized that Beethoven\u2019s explosive passion was, for better or for worse, fully presented here, unrelenting, pushing the entire work toward the finale\u2019s coda, as the wounded but unstoppable dragon refusing to expire.\u00a0 Beethoven\u2019s pupil and early biographer Ferdinand Ries<\/a><\/strong> confirms the exceptional character of the Second Symphony.\u00a0 He recalled that a rehearsal ran from 8am to 2:30pm, by which time everyone was exhausted by the great challenges including technical difficulties in the piece. Given this reaction of musicians, it is not surprising that audiences of the time would have found his works different and somewhat difficult to absorb.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not all reviewers took exception to Symphony No. 2. A review of the 1804 publication of the parts that appeared in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung<\/em>\u00a0praised the composer\u2019s \u201cdepth, power, and artistic knowledge like very few.\u201d However, due to a large amount of musical content and creative symphonic writing, the critic of AMZ <\/em>also suggested that repeated hearings were necessary to appreciate and understand music properly. Commentaries from that point on continued to reflect that Symphony No. 2 was highly distinct from Beethoven\u2019s previous musical style. As Beethoven and others pushed the dramatic scope and musical language of the symphony during the early years of the 19th<\/sup> century, critics and audiences quickly transformed their opinion and appreciation of Beethoven\u2019s new musical language. Beethoven\u2019s revolutionary ideas that filled the Second Symphony would prove relatively tame in comparison of what was to come, but no less skillful or inspired.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: ST, ZW, MER<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Topics and readings for further inquiry<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Napoleon Bonaparte and the conquest of Europe
\n<\/u><\/span>Geo History, \u201cNapoleon (Part-1)-Birth of an Emperor (1768-1804).<\/strong><\/a>\u201d Uploaded Oct 1st, 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sonata style vs. Symphonic style
\n<\/u><\/span>See above essay \u201cSymphony in the Late Eighteenth\u00a0Century<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Broyles, Michael. The Emergence and Evolution of Beethoven\u2019s Heroic Style.<\/em> New York, Excelsior Music Publishing Co., 1987.\u00a0<\/span>Chapter 1, \u201cThe Two Instrumental Styles of Classicism,\u201d is especially helpful.\u00a0 For those with JStor access, Broyles essay on the two styles can be accessed here: \u00a0<\/span>Broyles, Michael. \u201cThe Two Instrumental Styles of Classicism<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d Journal of the American Musicological Society <\/em>36\/2 (Summer 1983): 210-42.<\/span><\/p>\n

Musical Sublime and eighteenth-century German Aeshetics
\n<\/u><\/span>Youtube video:\u00a0 Burke on the Sublime.<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Burke, Edmund. A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful.<\/em><\/strong><\/a> London, 1757.\u00a0 Of particular help are Part I<\/strong><\/a>, Part II<\/strong><\/a>, and Part IV<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tymoczko, Dmitry. \u201cArts in Society: The Sublime in Beethoven<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d Boston Review <\/em>1 Dec. 1999. Accessed 07\/15\/2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201c18th<\/sup> Century German Aesthetics<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy<\/em>, Jan. 16, 2007, rev. July 13, 2020.\u00a0 Accessed 07\/15\/2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burnham, Scott. Beethoven Hero.<\/em> Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven and the dramatic use of silence.
\n<\/u><\/span>Cooper, Barry. \u201cBeethoven\u2019s uses of silence<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d The Musical Times <\/em>Vol. 152, no. 1914 (Spring 2011): 25-43.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Heiligenstadt Testament
\n<\/u><\/span>Beethoven, Ludwig van. 2001-2013. \u201cThe Heiligenstadt Testament<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d Ludwig van Beethoven<\/em>. Accessed July 7, 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

Musical Mimesis
\n<\/u><\/span>See above essay \u201cSymphony in the <\/a>Late Eighteenth\u00a0<\/a>Century<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Contemporary and 19th<\/sup>-century commentary on Beethoven\u2019s music
\n<\/u><\/span>\u201cBeethoven: What did the 19th\u00a0 <\/sup>Century Think<\/a>?\u201d BBC Music Magazine<\/em>. Accessed 07\/05\/2020.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Slonimsky, Nicholas. Lexicon of Musical Invective (2nd ed)<\/em>. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ries, Wegeler, and Beethoven
\n<\/u><\/span>Beethoven Remembered: The Biographical Notes of Franz Wegeler and Ferdinand Ries<\/em> (English and German Edition).\u00a0Arlington, VA: Great Ocean Publishers, 1987.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wallace, Lady Grace, trans. \u201cBeethoven\u2019s Letters 1790-1826, from the Collections of Dr. Ludwig Nohl and Dr. Ludwig Ritter von K\u00f6chel<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d \u00a0Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 1865. Accessed 07\/04\/ 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Online Resources<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Early Editions of Score and Parts
\n<\/u><\/span><\/u>Early English edition of Score<\/a><\/strong>. Published by London: Cianchettini & Sperati.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published parts<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern Edition of the Score
\n<\/u><\/span>Dover Edition<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recordings available online
\n<\/u><\/span>Period\/HIP Performances\u2014
\n<\/span>Orchestre R\u00e9volutionnaire et Romantique, Gardiner<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Harnoncourt
\n<\/span>1st movement<\/a>, 2nd movement<\/a>, 3rd movement<\/a>, 4th movement<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Complete set of Beethoven Symphonies<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Orchestra of the 18th Century, Br\u00fcggen
\n1st movement<\/a>, 2nd movement<\/a>, 3rd movement<\/a>, 4th movement<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Complete Set of Beethoven Symphonies by Orchestra of the 18th Century and Br\u00fcggen<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Important Recordings by Modern Orchestras\u2014
\n<\/span>Simon Rattle conducts Vienna<\/a><\/strong> Philharmonic Orchestra
\n<\/strong><\/span>In the beginning of the video, Sir. Rattle talks about trying to create a performance that was historically accurate, reproducing a performance that is close to how Beethoven might have expected it to be played, based on information from Beethoven\u2019s time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kubel\u00edk\/ Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (1969)<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Includes excerpts from the rehearsals. By watching the rehearsal process, it gives the audience a better understanding of their interpretation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Descriptions available online (videos, program notes, etc.)
\n<\/span><\/span>Phillip Huscher,<\/span>Chicago Symphony Orchestra Program Notes: Beethoven Symphony No. 2<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Introduced Beethoven\u2019s deafness and its connection to this symphony.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Video Program Notes: Symphonies No. 2 & 5.
\n<\/strong><\/span>Conductor: Muti, Date: Feb. 20-23, 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Christopher Gibbs,\u00a0<\/span>NPR: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major.<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Discussion of Beethoven\u2019s deafness, the Heiligenstadt Testament, life experiences and their relationships to this symphony.<\/span><\/p>\n

Michael Steinberg, <\/span>San Francisco Symphony Program Notes.<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Includes a brief discussion of each movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gardiner talks about the second symphony<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>A discussion of Gardiner\u2019s personal interpretive ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hector Berlioz\u2019s Description.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Basics General Information Composition dates: 1801-02. Dedication: Prince Carl Lichnowsky.\u00a0 Instrumentation:\u00a0 Strings, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp. First performance: 4 or 5 April 1803, Theater-an-der-Wien. Orchestra size for first or early performance: 6+6.3(?).2.4\/single winds. Autograph Score: Not extant. First published parts:\u00a0 March 1804, Bureau d\u2019Arts et […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"coauthors":[2],"class_list":["post-18","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=18"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}