{"id":22,"date":"2020-06-01T08:04:26","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T12:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/?page_id=22"},"modified":"2020-10-05T14:34:56","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T18:34:56","slug":"symphony-no-4","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/symphony-no-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Symphony No. 4 in B-flat, Op. 60 (1806)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Composition dates: 1806.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dedication: Count Franz von Oppersdorff<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instrumentation:\u00a0 Strings, 1 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp.<\/span><\/p>\n

First performance: March 1807, Lobkowitz Palace, Vienna.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Orchestra size for first or early performance:\u00a0 6+6.3.4.2\/single winds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Autograph Score: Staatsbibliothek, Berlin.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published parts: March 1809, Bureau d\u2019Arts et d\u2019Industrie, Vienna<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

First published score: 1821, Simrock.\u00a0 Image of 1823 edition<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

I. Adagio\u2014Allegro vivace (MM=66-80[160]). B-flat Major. Sonata-Allegro (w\/ slow Intro.).<\/span><\/p>\n

II. Adagio (MM=84). E-flat Major (IV). Sonata-allegro\/(Rondo)\/Variation.<\/span><\/p>\n

III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace\u2014Un poco meno mosso (MM=100\u201488). B-flat Major. Scherzo\/Trio (ternary with extra repeats).<\/span><\/p>\n

IV. Finale. Allegro ma non troppo (MM=80). B-flat Major. Sonata-Allegro.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

The story of the Fourth Symphony\u2019s dedication is tumultuous, confirming historical tales of Beethoven mistreating his dedicatees by switching dedications of works from one patron to another. The Fourth Symphony was composed at about the same time Beethoven famously parted ways with longtime patron Prince Karl Lichnowsky<\/strong><\/a>. Lichnowsky became an ardent supporter of Beethoven during his early years in Vienna, bestowing on him an annuity from 1800-1807. The relationship was broken when Beethoven refused Lichnowsky\u2019s request to improvise at the piano for some dinner guests (French soldiers).\u00a0 Upon being dismissed by the prince, the composer stormed out of the room, smashing a bust of the prince on the way out. In a reported letter of \u201capology\u201d to Prince Lichnowsky, Beethoven famously wrote, \u201cPrince, what you are you are through the accident of birth; What I am, I am through myself.\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 84.)\u00a0 Possibly at that same event at Licknowsky\u2019s palace, Beethoven became acquainted with Silesian Count Franz Oppersdorf<\/strong><\/a>f<\/strong><\/a>. Oppersdorff commissioned Beethoven for a couple of symphonies, paying him 500 florins.\u00a0 After a delay caused by some crafty financial and dedicatory maneuvering, Beethoven eventually dedicated the Fourth Symphony to Oppersdorff, assuring Oppersdorff of exclusivity for six months, as was the practice. Even so, the first private performance of the work was given at the Lobkowitz Vienna home in March 1807, and Symphony No. 4 received its public premiere the following April in the Vienna Burgtheater. The publication of the parts by Breitkopf & H\u00e4rtel in 1808 included the description, \u201ca symphony, which I have written for [Count Oppersdorff].\u201d\u00a0 Count Opperdorff would never be given the agreed-upon second symphony.<\/span><\/p>\n

Robert Schumann had an affinity for Symphony No. 4.\u00a0 Unfortunately, his famous description of the work as \u201ca slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants\u201d in his book On Music and Musicians <\/em>(ca. 1840), set forth an idea which would become the stereotype: Beethoven\u2019s Symphony No. 4 is overshadowed and diminished in importance, sandwiched between the monumental Eroica<\/em> and Fifth Symphonies (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 79). While it may not have the fame of its bookends, Schumann recognized that the Fourth shines forth in a noble simplicity that the Romantic period inherited from the Enlightenment. In terms of its proportions, it is well-made and beautifully wrought\u2014\u201cGreek\u201d in its focus on beauty and artistic skill, and \u201cslender\u201d in its economy of materials and marvelously understated proportions. Hector Berlioz \u00a0<\/strong><\/a>would later say<\/a>, \u201cHere, Beethoven entirely abandons ode and elegy, in order to return to the less elevated and less somber, but not less difficult, style of the Second Symphony.\u00a0 The general character of this score is either lively, alert, and gay or of a celestial sweetness.\u201d Although many fans of Beethoven\u2019s symphonies may still think this symphony is a kind of regression towards musical styles of the past, Schumann and Berlioz recognized that it holds a unique and independent position between the Third and Fifth Symphonies, standing on its own as a masterpiece worthy of the master symphonist.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Classical economy of the symphony is most prominent in four aspects:<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Smaller orchestral dimensions. Instrumentation is reduced, eliminating the third horn found in the Eroica<\/em>, and using only one flute.\u00a0 The single flute results in a less sonorous upper register in the woodwinds, but at the same time draws attention to the solo character of the flute.\u00a0 An abundance of wind and even timpani solos add to this lightness of texture.<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Compact structure when compared with Eroica<\/em>. Although Symphony No. 4 is comprised of the standard four-movement form, as are all of Beethoven\u2019s symphonies, the performance time of nearly an hour for the Eroica<\/em> makes the typical 30-35 minutes performance time of the Fourth more economical.<\/span><\/p>\n

3) More \u201cClassical\u201d approach to tonal relationships.\u00a0 Beethoven follows key conventionality of his predecessors, staying in tonic B-flat major and going to the subdominant E-flat for the slow second movement, and development sections do not venture as far afield as in Eroica<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Fairly short composition time. Evidence shows that the composition was made in summer and fall of 1806, with only a few preliminary sketches extant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these more \u201cClassical\u201d techniques and proportions, Beethoven did experiment with some innovative ideas in the Fourth, thereby continuing to pursue his \u201cnew way\u201d (see Beethoven\u2019s Words essay regarding Symphony No. 3<\/a>). <\/strong>Notable is the modal journey of the first movement\u2019s introduction <\/strong><\/a>(0:00-2:40). Starting on a unison B-flat, the following G-flat starts the listener in a minor direction for over two minutes, before firmly concluding in B-flat major to launch into the Allegro vivace. This ambiguity and uneasiness would have raised eyebrows in Beethoven\u2019s audiences. The journey through the minor mode, beginning with the G-flat, had long-term structural implications.\u00a0 He used that G-flat moving to F (D-flat moving to C during sections in the dominant key of F) throughout not only the first movement, but the whole symphony; it permeates the Fourth as a subtle and colorful integrative motivic link akin to the short-short-short-long motive that would permeate Beethoven\u2019s next Symphony No. 5. \u00a0This integration of the cycle using such a subtle motivic gesture is one of the clever structural elements that constitute the Grecian beauty Schumann alluded to in his comments about Symphony No. 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

[We refer the reader to the following recording for the ensuing discussion: Gardiner conducts Orchestre R\u00e9volutionnaire et Romantique, Beethoven: Symphony No. 4.<\/strong><\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n

The structural outline of Symphony No. 4 remains consistent with Beethoven\u2019s earlier symphonies.\u00a0\u00a0 The movements are: Allegro vivace with an Adagio introduction<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0 Adagio<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> an Allegro vivace Scherzo<\/strong><\/a>, and a brisk Allegro ma non troppo finale<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0 The musical texture of the first movement\u2019s introduction<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(0:00-2:35) is hushed and introspective, with a dark and interesting tonal journey that evades the key of the symphony\u2014B-flat major\u2014by emphasizing its minor mode.\u00a0 This creates an astounding contrast of color between the introduction and the following Allegro vivace. Carl Maria von Weber once sarcastically complained about the introduction\u2019s steady, almost motionless progression: \u201cEvery quarter of an hour we hear three or four notes.\u201d (Grove, Beethoven and His Nine Symphonies<\/em>, 101-02.)\u00a0\u00a0The introduction starts with a tutti unison B-flat. While the winds sustain the B-flat, the strings play a succession of descending thirds in unison, which determines the b-flat minor key horizontally but not vertically. To create the contrasting atmosphere between the introduction and the later section, Beethoven avoided announcing the B-flat major key until the end of the introduction. Instead, the music shifts from B-flat minor to B minor<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(1:13) using the common tone G-flat\/F-sharp. The dominant chord of the home key B-flat major finally appears<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(2:19) at the end of the introduction and rushes to the Allegro vivace with help from 32nd quintuplets in the violins, creating a fine connection between the introduction and the first theme. \u00a0Such streams of contrasting rhythmic activity become characteristic of the whole symphony.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Allegro vivace is full of dynamic and textural contrasts. The first theme<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(2:35-2:54) contains two juxtaposed gestures, starting with the lively arpeggiated chords on the first violin, responded to by a lyrical stepwise melody played by woodwinds. The two motives provide a firm basis for the development section. After the transition’<\/strong><\/a>s\u00a0<\/strong>arrival on the dominant (4:48), the suggestion of a second theme<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(5:30-5:40) in the dominant is introduced by solo woodwinds, starting with bassoon, then oboe and flute.\u00a0 But it is destabilized by a modulation to D minor, followed by an Eroica-<\/em>inspired metric shift. This finally settles to a true, stable contrasting theme <\/a>(5:58-6:12). The exposition ends with an exciting closing theme which recalls the syncopated rhythm<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0from the transition section (6:27-6:35). The development<\/strong><\/a> section (6:36-8:36) begins with the two contrasting gestures from the first theme. Again calling on lessons learned from the Eroica<\/em>, and the tertian key relationships of the Second Symphony (see essay on Symphony No. 2<\/a>), Beethoven introduced a melodic four-bar new theme<\/strong><\/a> in D major (7:01-7:17) that continues to modulate to different keys, as had the pseudo-second theme in the exposition. After the conversation of the new theme between the strings and the woodwinds, music arrives at a G-flat chord<\/a>, recalling the introduction, and then modulates back to B-flat, creating both the harmonic and emotional resolutions in a soft dynamic. In a twist of orchestral genius, Beethoven interjects a timpani roll on B-flat for 22 measures while the strings play the rising sixteenth-note fragments, creating an extraordinary long crescendo and a grand welcome to the recapitulation.\u00a0 The recapitulation and coda<\/a>\u00a0(8:36-10:56) are much shorter and more direct than in the Eroica<\/em>; one might say they bring the movement to a slender conclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Adagio second movement<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(10:57-20:18) is in sonata form, combining a sonata-style and chamber character with more obvious symphonic gestures. It starts with an opening dotted ostinato<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(10:57-11:03) pattern leading to a contrasting lovely, song-like cantabile theme<\/strong><\/a>, (11:03-12:22) unfolding from the string ensemble to the tutti in its first statement, and echoed by the woodwinds in the second statement. The underpinning of this cantabile melody with the rhythmically more intense ostinato pattern creates a sense of reminiscence, not unlike the middle major-mode section of the marcia funebre narrative of Eroica<\/em>.\u00a0 The clarinet solo of the second theme<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(13:11-13:55) continues this sense of nostalgia. It is worth noting that the opening ostinato<\/strong><\/a> continues through the entire movement, sometimes as background to vocally-modelled themes, sometimes coming to the foreground as the main idea, including Beethoven again calling on the timpani: once before the recapitulation <\/a>(16:35) and again just before the fortissimo conclusion <\/a>(20:20).<\/span><\/p>\n

By 1806 it had become Beethoven\u2019s (and others\u2019) practice to write a scherzo third movement <\/a>(20:20-25:36). Even so, and although the character of Symphony No. 4 recalls the Classical symphony, Beethoven continued to find ways to expand the last two movements of the cycle. Here, the standard A-B-A ternary form is stretched to a five-part form: Scherzo\u2014Trio\u2014Scherzo\u2014Trio\u2014Scherzo (with a brief coda). Upbeat and surprising rhythmic patterns thrust the scherzo forward with a light and lively character, followed by call-and-response between the woodwinds and the strings. The slurred two-note gestures introduced by first violins at the beginning of the movement dominate the second half of the scherzo. The Trio<\/a><\/strong> relaxes into a marked \u201cun poco meno Allegro\u201d tempo, creating a smooth and dolce pastoral atmosphere highlighted by Harmoniemusik<\/em><\/a>, as in earlier symphonies, while the strings comment with accompanying texture in the background. The G-flat\u2014to\u2014F motion from the first movement is repeatedly emphasized in this movement, integrating the cycle: in the second half of the scherzo <\/a>(21:13-22:09) the two notes end the slurred phrase; in the trio section (22:09-23:11), the string accompaniment<\/strong><\/a> starts on the fragmentation of the F and G-flat, creating a subtle and beautiful moment reminiscent of the first movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Allegro ma non troppo finale<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(25:37-end) is full of energy and excitement.\u00a0 Brisk sixteenth-notes permeate this duple meter movement, generating a moto perpetuo<\/em>. \u00a0Similar to the previous movements, the thematic musical gesture G-flat\u2014to\u2014F appears frequently in the finale. The first theme<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(25:37-25:58) announces the start of the movement with the vivid sixteenth-notes in the strings, and interrupted by tutti chords. By contrast, the second theme <\/strong><\/a>(26:08-26:30) starts in the woodwinds, with the oboe and flute solo playing the dolce melody and accompanied by triplets in the clarinet. The energy of the first theme comes from the entire orchestra, whereas the beauty of the second theme is expressed from the dialogue between different instrumental groups and solo passages. In another orchestral surprise parallel to the timpani solos, the solo bassoon<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(22:30-22:34) introduces the first theme in the recapitulation. This bassoon theme is called \u201cthe great bassoon joke\u201d by some, and \u201c24 notes to glory\u201d by many other bassoonists. With the special timbre of this low woodwind instrument, marked dolce, the unexpected instrumentation recalls the comic finales of Classical symphonies, particularly those of Papa Haydn, and Beethoven\u2019s own Second Symphony. The same gesture appears as a clarinet solo<\/a>\u00a0(30:59-31:03) in the expansive coda <\/strong><\/a>(30:44-end), a lively and uplifting last-movement summary of the themes, and some final resolutions of G-flat\u2014to\u2014F idea. As a last comic wink, the cellos and basses muddle through<\/a> the sixteenth-note thematic material (31:19-31:26), followed by three comic fermatas<\/strong><\/a> interrupting solo passages (31:42-31:52), and the symphony rushes to a brilliant descending-scale close.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: JF, YLi, ZW, MER<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

\u201cFor a long period a certain event made me despair of ever achieving any happiness during my life on this earth<\/em>\u2014but now things are no longer so bad. I have won your heart<\/em>. . . to founding my happiness<\/em> by means of your love\u2014to increasing it\u2014Oh, beloved J[osephine], it is no desire to the other sex that draws me to you, no, it is just you, your whole self<\/em> with all your individual qualities\u2014this has compelled my regard\u2014this has bound all my feelings\u2014all my emotional power to you.\u201d Beethoven letter to Josephine Deym (n\u00e9e Brunsvik), spring 1805<\/a>. <\/strong>(Anderson, Vol. I, letter 110.)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the context of Beethoven\u2019s nine symphonies, the audiences tend to focus on his heroic symphonies that expressed his maturity, but Symphony No. 4 surprisingly shows the joyful side of Beethoven, who at the time of its composition was fiercely in love with Josephine Brunsvik<\/strong><\/a>.<\/a> Several love letters as the one above were written to Josephine at around the time Beethoven began work on the Symphony No. 4.\u00a0 In 1803, the famous Symphony No. 3 appeared to the public, showing Beethoven\u2019s \u201cnew way\u201d that emphasized the heroic ideal, and arguably placing himself in the role of the tragic warrior who fought against the fate of suffering through his hearing loss, as expressed in the Heiligenstadt Testament<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Many have suggested that the heroic overcoming of this despair is the true topic of the Eroica <\/em>Symphony, with Beethoven himself being the hero of the story. The nineteenth-century concept of the artistic hero, and the attachment of the composer\u2019s own biography to his artistic output, would generate the expectation that Beethoven would have to continue along the heroic, gargantuan path of Eroica.<\/em> \u00a0But instead, Symphony No. 4 presented an entirely different image, with witty contrasts and comedic ideas, and a focus more on artistic beauty rather than sublime effects. \u00a0In contrast to the Eroica<\/em> and the Fifth, in which Beethoven expanded the orchestral resources through additional wind instruments, in the Fourth he reduced the scoring to the level of Haydn and Mozart. Additionally, the proportions of musical materials are more moderate.\u00a0 Other than that, the musical contents even display deep personal emotion which fits in the style of Romantic.\u00a0 Robert Schumann seems to have recognized this, as discussed in the essay above, when he labelled the Fourth Symphony, \u201ca slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants.\u201d Berlioz claims<\/a>, too, that \u201cBeethoven forsakes here [in Symphony No. 4] completely the tones of epic and elegy to return to the less elevated, less sombre . . . the tone of this score is generally lively, alert, and joyful, or of heavenly gentleness.\u201d Perhaps the beauty and moderation of this Greek maiden reflects a joy he felt in his relationship with Josephine Brunsvik, as expressed in the 1805 letter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven was never married, but he had several relationships with different women who were of the aristocratic class or already married, thus out of Beethoven\u2019s reach. The romantic relationship with Josephine Brunsvik certainly played an important role in Beethoven\u2019s life, and Josephine has been put forth as the prime suspect for being Beethoven\u2019s \u201cImmortal Beloved.\u201d In 1957, Joseph Schmidt-Gorg<\/strong><\/a> published thirteen love letters written by Beethoven to Josephine between 1804-1809. These were later published in English translation by Emily Anderson<\/a><\/strong> in her book The Letters of Beethoven<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Josephine was Beethoven\u2019s piano student, and it can be assumed that Beethoven had fallen in love with Josephine shortly after they met. According to Marie-Elisabeth\u00a0Tellenbach, \u201cConsidering Beethoven\u2019s spontaneous behavior in 1799 the many lessons with which he honored Josephine, the house concerts he willingly performed, one can assume that she had aroused his interest immediately.\u201d (Tellenbach, Beethoven and His Immortal Beloved . . . <\/em>, 59.) Josephine married Count Joseph Deym in 1799 in order to maintain social standing. Beethoven\u2019s love for Josephine was hidden during her marriage: \u201chope had in the formation of a love passion. Beethoven did not permit himself such a hope regarding Josephine during the lifetime of her husband.\u201d (Tellenbach, 60.) However, Josephine unexpectedly became a widow after count Deym died in 1804, and so \u201chope and love\u201d entered Beethoven\u2019s life again. Therefore, \u201cthe change of the external situation changed for Beethoven also the internal…now the word \u201chope\u201d appeared frequently and in important places.\u201d (Tellenbach, 61.) As the letters stated, love entered Beethoven\u2019s life with hope, his mindset was changed from a tragic self to a sweet lover.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second movement of Symphony No. 4 implicitly evokes its Romantic feeling through graceful cantabile<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0melodies to completely express the sustained lyricism. The gentle song-like melodies differentiate themselves from the funeral march in the Eroica,<\/em> and the famous slow movement of Symphony No. 2. Among all his slow movements in the symphonies, this Adagio fully anticipates the Romantics idea that will appear four decades later. One could argue that the second movement presented the ease in his soul after falling in love with Josephine Brunsvik. As discussed in the above essay, a sense of calm reminiscence seems to permeate the movement, as the lyrical melodies will allow the more urgent dotted rhythms which generally accompany them to take a moment in the foreground. Is this reminiscence one of Josephine? \u00a0Whether or not this direct connection can be made, she could have influenced Beethoven\u2019s middle-period compositions, including many pieces dedicated to Josephine and her sister Theresa, towards an expressive and personal Romantic quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

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

\u201cOverall, the work is cheerful, comprehensible, and very engaging, and approaches more this master\u2019s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 than Nos. 5 and 6. In our energized enthusiasm, we would like most to place it together with No. 2; the occasional strange turns and [those] that impede the effect rather than enhancing it, with which B. has lately driven some players away and some listeners crazy, are not in abundance here.\u201d Reviewer in AMZ<\/em> 23 January 1811. (Brown, The Symphonic Repertoire<\/em> Vol. II, 484.)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This AMZ <\/em>reviewer of Beethoven\u2019s Fourth Symphony suggests two perspectives: 1) it is a relatively conservative symphony that is not as heroic and revolutionary as its adjacent symphonic works such as the Third, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, with structure and instrumentation leaning towards the traditional; 2) but at the same time, it is an enjoyable and pleasing work that received more appreciation from its audience than had its more closely-related siblings, the First and Second Symphonies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared with the Eroica<\/em> Symphony, the Symphony No. 4 presents a retreat in terms of the scale of structure and orchestration. Perhaps this is because of the public\u2019s not-so-enthusiastic response to Eroica\u2019s <\/em>ambitiousness. The performing forces for the Fourth Symphony are the smallest among all of Beethoven\u2019s symphonies, calling for only one flute and no additional instruments beyond those of the typical Classical symphony.\u00a0 From an instrumentation standpoint, then, the Fourth is rooted in the tradition of symphonies by Haydn and Mozart. \u00a0The above essay \u201cSignificance and Structure\u201d discusses this in more detail.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before the Eroica<\/em> Symphony, however, Beethoven\u2019s First and Second Symphonies were criticized for their untraditional use of harmonies and experiments with instrumental timbers. These experiments were quite challenging for the listeners of the time who were used to the traditions created by earlier symphony composers such as Haydn and Mozart. But although formally and stylistically very similar to the first two symphonies, the Fourth Symphony received wide acceptance after the stunning Eroica <\/em>Symphony. Why? \u00a0Beethoven did not stop experimenting with new ideas and possibilities for the symphonic genre.\u00a0 Perhaps the solution was that the unusual and experimental formal and instrumental elements in the Fourth Symphony were not presented in ways that abruptly called attention to them, creating an unrelenting sublime aesthetic, as in the Eroica<\/em>, but instead the revolutionary elements were more subtle, with Beethoven weaving them into the music in a much smoother way, achieving a more beautiful aesthetic.<\/span><\/p>\n

The introduction section to the first movement can serve as a good example of this aspect. Unlike the tonal ambiguity presented in the First Symphony\u2019s slow introduction, the tonal center in the Fourth Symphony\u2019s introduction seems much clearer from the very beginning, but this is deceptive. Beethoven plays with the audience\u2019s ears by implying the tonic\u2019s minor mode. When the music arrives at the B-flat major at the end of the opening, it surprises its audience, but only mildly, because Beethoven\u2019s contrapuntal skill and use of instrumental colors smoothed away the ambiguous edges. Most notable, the G-flat introduced in the second bar, taking the listener to b-flat minor, resolves down to an F the first time it is stated, keeping the material close to the B-flat tonality.\u00a0 But on its repeat, the G-flat is rewritten to function as an F-sharp, remaining then \u00bd step higher, to the distant key of B minor. One can hardly recognize this change without studying the score.\u00a0 Another demonstration of this harmonic subtlety and smoothness occurs in the slow harmonic rhythm of the development section of the first movement. According to Charles Rosen, the typical development section of a sonata form should have rapid modulations and \u201cnever give the impression of a second tonality as strong as the dominant.\u201d (Ferraguto, Beethoven 1806<\/em>, 40.) Here in the Fourth Symphony\u2019s development section, the power that pushes the music forward is the repetition of motifs rather than an active harmony, which is reiterated for long periods of time without change.<\/span><\/p>\n

The joy and pleasure of this symphony comes from its spirit of optimism. Beethoven completed most of his Fourth Symphony when he was a guest of Prince Lichnowsky in Gr\u00e4tz. He appeared to overcome the suicidal despair over his deafness that was expressed in the Heiligenstadt Testament, and arguably in the Eroica <\/em>Symphony. In the sketch made when he was in Gr\u00e4tz, he wrote: \u201c<\/em>Just as you plunge yourself here into the whirlpool of society, so in spite of all social obstacles it is possible for you to write operas. Your deafness shall be a secret no more, even where art is involved.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Symphony No. 4 is often neglected by historians and scholars. Formally and spiritually, it is not as revolutionary as its adjacent symphonies, but it proved less controversial than the First and Second Symphonies. Undoubtedly, it is a well-rounded work that shows another side of Beethoven\u2019s compositional maturity in his middle period.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: WM, WZ, MER<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

General Commentar<\/span>y
\n<\/span><\/span>Ferraguto, Mark Christopher. \u201cBeethoven\u2019s Fourth Symphony: Reception, Aesthetics, Performance History.\u201d<\/a> PhD Dissertation, Cornell University, 2012.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s \u201cImmortal Beloved\u201d
\n<\/u><\/span>Tellenbach, Marie-Elisabeth, and John E. Klapproth. Beethoven and His Immortal Beloved Josephine Brunsvik: Her Fate and the Influence on Beethoven’s Oeuvre<\/em>. John E. Klapproth, 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schumann\u2019s comments on Beethoven
\n<\/u><\/span>Schumann, Robert. On Music and Musicians<\/em><\/a><\/strong> (1834-1844). Translated Fanny Raymond Ritter.\u00a0 London: William Reeves, 1891.<\/span><\/p>\n

Comparison of even- and odd-numbered symphonies
\n<\/u><\/span>Huscher, Phillip. \u201cSymphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em>\u201d Chicago Symphony Orchestra Program Notes. Accessed 07\/13\/2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDiscovering Music\u201d by <\/a>BB<\/a>C Radio 3.<\/a>\u00a0
\n25-minute video clip that explores the importance of Symphony No. 4 when it is regarded as less challenging than nos. 3 and 5.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cleveland Orchestra \u201cPrometheus Project\u201d<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0
\nAn interesting discussion of the Fourth Symphony by Alexander Lawler, placing it in the context of other works composed around the same time, and early Romantic artistic principles.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sublime and Beautiful
\n<\/u><\/span>Youtube video:\u00a0 Burke on the Sublime.<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Burke, Edmund.\u00a0A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful.<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0London, 1757.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201c18th<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Century German Aesthetics<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy<\/em>, Jan. 16, 2007, rev. July 13, 2020.\u00a0 Accessed 07\/15\/2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tymoczko, Dmitry. \u201cArts in Society: The Sublime in Beethoven<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0Boston Review\u00a0<\/em>1 Dec. 1999. Accessed 07\/15\/2020. Somewhat more concise and accessible than the Stanford Encyclopedia. Burnham, Scott.\u00a0Beethoven Hero.<\/em>\u00a0Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

First and Early editions of Scores and Parts
\n<\/span>First edition of Parts: March 1809, Bureau d\u2019Arts et d\u2019Industrie, Vienna<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Early edition of the Score:Simrock<\/a>, 1823 edition<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern scores
\n<\/span>Dover<\/a> Edition,\u00a0 edited by Henry Charles Litolff<\/span><\/p>\n

CCARH<\/a>, 2008, with measure numbers<\/span><\/p>\n

Online Recordings
\n<\/span>Period\/HIP recordings\u2014
\n<\/span>Gardiner conducts Orchestre R\u00e9volutionnaire et Romantique<\/a><\/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
\n<\/span>1st movement<\/a>, 2nd movement<\/a>, 3rd movement<\/a>, 4th movement<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Complete Set of Beethoven Symphonies by Orchestra of the 18th Century and Br\u00fcggen<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Norrington, London Classical Players. Beethoven, Symphony No. 4, mvt. I.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Modern orchestra recordings\u2014
\n<\/span>Bernstein conducts <\/a>Wiener Philharmoniker<\/a>, 1978 live, with the conductor\u2019s commentary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carlos Kleiber conducts Concertgebouw Orchestra<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Daniel Barenboim conducts the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, BBC Proms 2012 live<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Christian Thielemann conducts Wiener Philharmoniker<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Descriptions available online (videos, program notes, etc., with links)
\n<\/u><\/span>Program notes by New York Philharmonic.<\/a>\u00a0
\nGives basic information about the symphony and explains a specific moment in the finale<\/em> where bassoon makes a solo appearance playing the main theme.<\/span><\/p>\n

Program notes by BBC Proms.<\/a>
\nDescribes the surrounding history when the symphony was written. It also compares the slow introduction to that of Haydn\u2019s oratorio, \u201cThe Creation.\u201d Overall, it is easily written for the general public.<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve Ledbetter, program notes from Aspen Music Festival.<\/a>
\n<\/span>Program notes with detailed descriptions of each movement. With slight technical terms, it is still easy enough to be read by the general public.<\/span><\/p>\n

Commentary by Gardiner: Symphony No. 4: Composing for all eternity.<\/a>
\nGardiner talks about his understanding of this symphony as a pairing of the \u201cEroica\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Comments by Hector Berlioz, from \u201cA Critical Study of Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies\u201d.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDiscovering Music\u201d by <\/a>BB<\/a>C Radio 3.<\/a>\u00a0
\n25-minute video clip that explores the importance of Symphony No. 4 when it is regarded as less challenging than Nos. 3 and 5.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cleveland Orchestra \u201cPrometheus Project\u201d<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0
\nAn interesting discussion of the Fourth Symphony by Alexander Lawler, placing it in the context of other works composed around the same time, and early Romantic artistic principles.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Basics General Information Composition dates: 1806. Dedication: Count Franz von Oppersdorff. Instrumentation:\u00a0 Strings, 1 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp. First performance: March 1807, Lobkowitz Palace, Vienna.\u00a0 Orchestra size for first or early performance:\u00a0 6+6.3.4.2\/single winds. Autograph Score: Staatsbibliothek, Berlin. First published parts: March 1809, Bureau d\u2019Arts et […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"coauthors":[2],"class_list":["post-22","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22","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=22"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=22"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}