{"id":28,"date":"2020-06-01T08:05:13","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T12:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/?page_id=28"},"modified":"2020-10-05T14:13:50","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T18:13:50","slug":"symphony-no-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/symphony-no-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92 (1812)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Composition dates: 1811-12.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dedication: Count Moritz von Fries<\/strong><\/a> (portrait<\/strong><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

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

First performance:\u00a0 8 Dec. 1813, Akademie at University Concert Hall, Vienna.<\/span><\/p>\n

Orchestra size for first or early performance: 13+12.7.6.4\/single winds (estimated, based on Beethoven letter).<\/span><\/p>\n

Autograph Score: Biblioteka Jagiello\u0144ska, Krak\u00f3w. Biblioteka Jagiello\u0144ska website.<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

First published parts:\u00a0 Dec. 1816, S. A. Steiner & Co., Vienna.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published score:\u00a0 Dec. 1816, S. A. Steiner & Co., Vienna. SJSU Link.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

I. Poco sostenuto (C, MM=69)\u2014Vivace (6\/8, MM=104). A Major. Sonata-Allegro (w\/ slow intro.).<\/span><\/p>\n

II. Allegretto (MM=76). A Minor (i). Ostinato variation (developing, passacaglia) with fugato.<\/span><\/p>\n

III. Scherzo (Presto, MM=132)\/Trio (Assai meno presto, MM=84). F Major (VI). Scherzo\/Trio (ternary extended)<\/span><\/p>\n

IV. Finale. Allegro con brio (2\/4, MM=72). A Major. Sonata-Allegro, with hints of Rondo.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Beethoven\u2019s Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92 was composed in 1811-12, more than three years after the premiere of the Fifth and the Sixth Symphonies. Although Beethoven did not compose any symphony during the intervening years, he remained productive in other genres, especially keyboard and chamber music, and produced some of his most important works, including the \u201cEmperor\u201d Piano Concerto<\/strong><\/a>, the \u201cLebewohl\u201d (Farewell) Piano Sonata<\/strong><\/a>, and the \u201cArchduke\u201d Piano Trio<\/strong><\/a>. The vacancy of symphonic work did not imply that Beethoven was no longer interested in being publicly recognized as a symphonic composer (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 146). In 1809, he noted some short ideas marked \u201cSinfonia\u201d in his sketchbooks, though some of them were not used in the later symphonies. Beethoven finally started working on the A major Symphony in earnest in the fall of 1811 in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice, where he had travelled to improve his health, and completed it in April 1812.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Seventh Symphony was premiered in the great hall of the University in Vienna on December 8, 1813, as part of a charity concert for soldiers wounded in the Battle of Hanau<\/a>.\u00a0 This concert was probably the most successful in Beethoven\u2019s lifetime. The program also included the first performance of the \u201cBattle Symphony\u201d Wellington’s Victory<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, an anti-Napoleon patriotic showpiece which celebrated the British victory over the French at the Battle of Vitoria<\/strong><\/a> in Spain (Steinberg, The Symphony: A Listener\u2019s Guide<\/em>, 38-43). Unlike some of Beethoven\u2019s other symphonies such as the Third and the Fifth, which we now regard as great works but were initially resisted to some degree by the composer\u2019s contemporaries, the Viennese audience immediately embraced the Seventh Symphony, and considered it among their favorite orchestral works. Its huge popularity led to three performances in the ten weeks following its premiere.\u00a0 The second movement\u2014Allegretto\u2014was particularly loved, leading to outbreaks of applause before the third movement during a number of early performances. The Allegretto remained widely popular throughout the nineteenth century, and even today is often performed separately. According to a reviewer three years after the first performance, \u201cthe second movement\u2026which since its first performance in Vienna has been a favorite of all connoisseurs\u2026is still demanded to be repeated at every performance.\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 159.) Not only did the audience enjoy the \u201crustic simplicity\u201d of the work, the artistic value of the Seventh Symphony was also well-received by critics and composers such as Hector Berlioz who considered it \u201ca masterpiece \u2013 alike of technical ability, taste, fantasy, knowledge, and inspiration.\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 166.)<\/span><\/p>\n

What has made the Seventh Symphony exceptional in the minds of critics since its earliest performances is its rhythmic vitality and momentum. Richard Wagner exalted the lively rhythm with this often-quoted poetic description:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

All tumult, all yearning and storming of the heart, become here the blissful insolence of joy, which carries us away with bacchanalian power through the roomy space of nature, through all the streams and seas of life, shouting in glad self-consciousness as we sound throughout the universe the daring strains of this human sphere-dance. The Symphony is the Apotheosis of the Dance itself: it is Dance in its highest aspect, the loftiest deed of bodily motion, incorporated into an ideal mold of tone.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The rhythmic vitality and simple rustic character cover an unusual choice of key layout for the movements. Rather than using a relative minor key or keys that are related by a fourth or fifth, Beethoven chose to exploit keys separated by a third, particularly between the inner movements.\u00a0 The second movement is in A Minor and the third movement is in F Major, with the trio in D Major. These third-related keys, and the rustic character supplied by woodwinds, are foreshadowed in the slow introduction of the first movement. The key of A Major is the first chord of the symphony, but the opening moves throughout various keys, such as C Major, led by the oboes<\/strong><\/a>, and F Major, led by the flutes<\/strong><\/a>, until orchestral arrival on the dominant E Major. The home key of A Major is not clear until the fifth measure of the Vivace section <\/strong><\/a>(3:33-3:59), with the flutes introducing the principal melody.<\/span><\/p>\n

[We refer the reader to the following recording for the ensuing discussion: Royal <\/strong>Concertgebouw Orchestra, Iv\u00e1n Fischer, conducting, Beethoven: Symphony No. 7.<\/strong><\/a><\/span>]<\/p>\n

The first movement opens with the longest introduction<\/a> (0:03-3:50) of any of Beethoven\u2019s symphonies. As in earlier opening-movement slow introductions, Beethoven brilliantly outlined important key areas, and highlighted scalar and chromatic motives found throughout the rest of the first movement. The harmonic movement of the introduction mirrors fundamental key areas in each of the four movements, specifically: A major (first and last movement)\u2014D major (trio of the third movement)\u2014C major (second movement, B theme)\u2014F major (third movement)\u2014E major (beginning of the fourth movement).<\/em> Following the introduction, the first movement Vivace moves forward with an unrelenting rhythmic motive <\/strong><\/a>(3:50-3:55):<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rarely does this rhythmic figure cease, only doing so in order to create moments of great anticipation. These characteristic Beethovenian moments of dramatic, blaring silences give way to major changes in the music, such as signaling structural changes in moving to the development section<\/a> (8:23-10:32) and the coda<\/a> (12:51-14:19), where rising chromatic figures suddenly stop before falling into the next section (8:23-8:34, 12:51-12:57). \u00a0Chromaticism is the third defining feature of the first movement. As with the use of silences, ascending and descending chromatic lines, often in the bass, lead towards and away from the different sections and key areas. Beethoven perfectly bookends the sonata form<\/strong><\/a> of the first movement with its introduction and coda, balanced at exactly 62 measures each. The exposition and recapitulation, being 114 and 115 measures respectively, also balance around a lengthier developmental center of 97 measures.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second movement\u2014<\/a>Allegretto (14:43-24:08)\u2014pulls back the frantic rush of the first movement into a melancholy march with a dramatic shift to the parallel key of A minor. The movement has been a favorite since its premiere in 1813, with early audiences often demanding encores before continuing on to the remaining movements. Its appeal could possibly be due to Beethoven\u2019s ingenuity in combining simple melodic lines, a consistent rhythmic motive, and unexpected harmonies, to draw the listeners into an aural journey of their own imagination. The movement\u2019s structure can be seen as a modified rondo<\/strong><\/a> or a hybrid between a theme and variations<\/strong><\/a> and a ternary form<\/strong><\/a>, with the outer sections carrying the theme and its variations, and the middle section providing a countering wistful themes in A major <\/strong><\/a>(18:19-19:38). Not content with only creating simple variations on the theme, Beethoven further developed the theme by turning it into a fugue. Like the first movement, the second movement features a rhythmic motive<\/strong><\/a> that is consistent throughout (14:48-15:41):<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This rhythm ties the two harmonically and melodically disparate sections together with its steady, plodding pace. Also related to the first movement, Beethoven used ascending and descending chromatic lines, but here in the melody of the theme and variation, as heard here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(15:43-16:33) played by the cellos and violas. After repeating the primary and secondary sections twice, the movement is brought to a close by returning to the main theme while gradually thinning out the orchestration and breaking apart the rhythmic motif, not unlike the end of the Marcia funebre movement of the Eroica<\/em> Symphony. The movement ends the way it began: a fading A-minor chord in winds<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with an abundance of the pitch e (23:57-24:08).<\/span><\/p>\n

The e of the last chord of the Allegretto movement moves up to an F-major chord to begin the third-movement Scherzo<\/a>\u00a0(24:30-33:52), the longest of any symphonic scherzo Beethoven had yet composed (the scherzo of the Ninth Symphony would eclipse it). While traditional key relationships in major symphonies focused on the dominant and subdominant relationships, Beethoven frequently preferred to explore third-related keys. The abundance of e in the last a-minor chord of the previous movement effectively serving as the leading tone moving up to the f major chord of the third movement neatly accommodates this mediant-key relationship. In the most general terms, the Scherzo alternates between a frolicking Presto<\/a>\u00a0(24:30-26:57) and the more relaxed yet majestic\u00a0Trio<\/a> (26:57-29:22) marked Assai meno presto (\u201cvery much less quick\u201d). The faster sections have all of the trademarks of a scherzo\u2014a fast tempo, irregular phrase lengths, and misplaced accents. There are two main melodic elements of the opening<\/strong><\/a>: an ascending third, stated first in unison by the strings and woodwinds and later passed around in dialogue, and descending scalar patterns, perhaps reminiscent of the scalar passages prevalent in the slow introduction of movement one. Beethoven expanded the global form of the traditional scherzo by repeating the Trio, creating an extended ternary form of ABABA, as in his Fourth and Sixth Symphonies. One of the most humorous gestures of this movement is Beethoven\u2019s use of a repeated two-note descending gesture<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(29:46-30:02). The motive is stated by different parts of the orchestra, creating a trance-like effect that is broken up by a fortissimo outburst. In the second repetition of the Scherzo, the outbursts are supplanted by soft arrivals, making their return in the final repetition ever-more satisfying.\u00a0 Many believe that the Trio borrows material from an Austrian folk tune, which supports the symphony\u2019s folksy character. It opens in D Major<\/strong><\/a> with horns, clarinets, and bassoons (Harmonie<\/em><\/strong><\/a>)<\/em> playing a simple theme over an insistent dominant pedal tone (30:43-31:22).\u00a0 Energy builds gradually as the orchestration and dynamics grow until the entrance of the timpani announces the climax. As mentioned above, the Trio is repeated in full and, in one last humorous touch, Beethoven begins it a third time<\/a> at the end of the movement, only to rapidly squelch it with a loud cadential explosion (33:35-33:52).<\/span><\/p>\n

Reversing the move from the second to the third movement, the F-major ending of the Scherzo falls back to e-heavy stentorian sonorities as the dominant of the return to A major, punctuated by full measures of silence, open the finale movement<\/a>\u00a0(34:08-end). This creates a sublime effect and signals that this movement\u00a0will offer no repose from the driving rhythmic intensity of the earlier movements. Several commentators on the fourth movement have rightfully characterized it as \u201cbacchanalian.\u201d Its driving rhythmic energy almost compels listeners to rise to their feet, recalling Richard Wagner\u2019s quote that this symphony was \u201cthe apotheosis of the dance.\u201d Indeed, this movement is a lively contredanse<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 The first theme is driven forward by sforzandi <\/em>on the second beat of each measure until the stymied resolution to tonic is achieved in measure twelve. The movement continues in a sonata-rondo form<\/strong><\/a>, momentum building with each return of the refrain.\u00a0 Driving dotted rhythms<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(35:01-35:18) give way to the second theme, which unfolds not in the dominant but in C-sharp minor, another mediant-key relationship.\u00a0 The development section travels even further afield from the home key, visiting C major and F major (both present in the slow introduction of the first movement) and finally to the extremely distant B-flat major, before the recapitulation firmly returns in the tonic key.\u00a0 As in previous symphonies, the coda serves as another opportunity for development by exploring various key areas. A very long dominant pedal emerges<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(40:10-40:19), growing to a marking of fff,<\/em> the first marking of its kind in Beethoven\u2019s symphonic oeuvre.\u00a0 Retrospectively, the finale is relentless exercise in exuberant energy and forward momentum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: CH, FJ, JM, YLiu, MER<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

\u201cAt my last concert in the large Redoutensaal there were 18 first violins, 18 second, 14 violas, 12 violoncellos, 7 contra-basses, and 2 contra-bassoons.\u201d Beethoven memorandum regarding the 27 December 1814 Akademie at the Redoutensaal, noted by Schindler to have been among Beethoven\u2019s possessions. The Akademie included, along with the performance of Symphony No. 7, the first performance of Symphony No. 8, and Wellington\u2019s Victory<\/em>, and is reported to have had 3000-5000 in attendance. (Thayer, Life of Beethoven, <\/em>576.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Gro\u00dfer Redoutensaal, c.1760. Wedding of Joseph II to Princess Isabella of Parma. Painting by Martin van Meytens, 1763.<\/p><\/div>\n

The premiere concert of the Seventh Symphony in 1812 was a huge success. After the 1808 premiere of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, Beethoven ceased composing symphonic works for a few years, spending the time composing in other genres and reconsidering the symphonic genre. Symphonic work was still Beethoven\u2019s \u201cstrongest ambition\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies,<\/em> 148), and this long pause gave Beethoven a good opportunity to continue to stretch the dramatic possibilities of the genre. His sketchbooks from this period show an abundance of ideas for symphonic works, and although not all of them resulted in complete works, they show that Beethoven continued exploring this genre.<\/span><\/p>\n

After this dormancy, and with Wellington\u2019s defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Vitoria fresh in the minds of the Viennese, Beethoven started to compose the Seventh Symphony. The long period of thoughtful study and planning Beethoven undertook for the new symphony bore marvelous fruit. Its energetic character and magnificent orchestral sonorities prompted a vibrant reaction from the audience of the first performance, and even more from the exceptionally large audience described by Beethoven in the above quote. Beethoven himself was very satisfied with this newly composed work, calling it his \u201cmost excellent symphony.\u201d (Schwarm, Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92<\/em>, 1.). One music critic said this symphony \u201cis the richest melodically and the most pleasing and comprehensible of all Beethoven symphonies.\u201d (Schwarm, Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92<\/em>, 1.)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Gro\u00dfer Redoutensaal<\/a><\/strong> where the concert took place was located within the Hofburg palace<\/a><\/strong>, home to the Hapsburg dynasty, in the heart of Vienna. At the time of this concert in 1814, the Redoutensaal was the largest concert hall in Vienna. (Harrer, Musical Venues in Vienna, Seventeenth Century to the Present, <\/em>84.)<\/em> Beethoven was struggling financially during these years; the Austrian currency had been devalued as a result of the war, and Beethoven was receiving less from his patrons than had been promised to him. With the popularity of the Seventh Symphony already ensured because of its first performance, Beethoven would have appreciated the possibility of additional ticket sales and increased patronage the such a large hall offered. \u00a0Furthermore, the size of the Redoutensaal well-accommodated the inordinately large orchestra Beethoven described, which surely would have given the audience a uniquely overwhelming experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Early performances of Beethoven\u2019s first six symphonies used a string section one typically now associates with performances of works by Mozart and Haydn, with 6-8 first violins, 6-8 second violins, 3-4 violas, 2-4 cellos, and 2-5 basses. (Ruhling, The Classical Orchestra, <\/em>12.) \u00a0Beethoven\u2019s own memorandum on the 1814 concert relates that for this performance of the Seventh Symphony the string section was heavily expanded, and the mention of two contrabassoons suggests that not only were the winds doubled in tutti<\/em> sections for such a large string contingent, but that their listing along with only the strings probably means the contrabassoons were used to reinforce the double bass parts. (Ruhling, The Classical Orchestra, <\/em>14.) The use of such a large string section may have been a result of the instrumentation required by Wellington\u2019s Victory<\/em>, which called for extra wind and brass instruments including six trumpets, four horns, and a large percussion battery, even muskets and artillery. This expanded orchestra would have given profound life to the colorful instrumentation and vibrant rhythms of the Seventh Symphony as well, and may have influenced Beethoven and other composers to explore even further the dramatic potential of the orchestral ensemble, leading towards what would later be considered a Romantic aesthetic.\u00a0 Consider the implications a string section of this size and the possibility of double winds would have from the very first bar<\/a><\/strong> of the symphony, with forceful tutti<\/em> downbeats juxtaposed with a solitary oboe line, or with the arrival of the first theme in the full, tutti<\/em> orchestra<\/a><\/strong>, after being presented by a single flute in a piano dynamic. The overwhelming jubilation and raucous character of the contredanse in the fourth movement would have only been increased by such a large orchestra, not to mention the mountainous fff<\/em><\/a> at the end of the fourth movement<\/a><\/strong>. As a whole the symphony is full of moments of powerful tutti<\/em> exclamations followed by soft solo sections<\/a><\/strong>, or even silences<\/a><\/strong>. This insertion of silence is even more striking on the 1814 audience when considering the effect in a hall the size of the Gro\u00dfer Redoutensaal itself, with a decay estimated at of 1.4 seconds. (Harrer, Musical Venues in Vienna, Seventeenth Century to the Present, <\/em>84.)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Discussion of Beethoven\u2019s symphonies often focus on his communication of the sublime along with universal topoi <\/em>relating back to humanity. This is sometimes lost in commentaries of the Seventh Symphony, which tend to focus on its omnipresent rhythmic character. This quote, however, brings our focus back on Beethoven\u2019s use of the orchestra, and reminds us of his continual reconsideration of the endless dramatic possibilities of symphonic music, particularly pushing it towards monumentality.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

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

\u201cThe new symphony [No. 7 in A] was received with so much applause again. The reception was as animated as the first time; the Andante [second movement Allegretto] the crown of modern instrumental music, as at the first performance had to be repeated.\u201d\u00a0 Reviewer of AMZ<\/em> regarding the Seventh Symphonies second performance on February 27, 1814, on a concert with the Eighth Symphony and Wellington\u2019s Victory<\/em>.\u00a0 (Thayer, Life of Beethoven, <\/em>575.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Beethoven completed the Seventh Symphony in 1812, after more than three years had passed since his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies were published in 1808. \u00a0The above quote by a reviewer of the 1814 performance suggests that the symphony continued to astound audiences well after its first performance in 1812. \u00a0The material such as scales, and melodies that outline common chords, described by some critics as having a \u201crustic simplicity,\u201d must have been part of its noteworthy appeal. Additionally, the brilliant orchestration that favored woodwind colors, particularly the first-movement flute<\/a> <\/b>and oboe<\/a><\/b> solos, and high horn calls of the first<\/a><\/b> and last<\/a><\/b> movements, further conveyed the rustic character. Berlioz<\/a><\/strong> notes this, stating, \u201cI have heard this theme [the principal theme of the first movement] ridiculed for its rustic simplicity. Had the composer written in large letters at the head of this Allegro<\/em> the words Dance of peasants<\/em>, as he has done for the Pastoral<\/em> symphony, the charge that it lacks nobility would probably not have been made.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lewis Lockwood speculates that some of the rhythmic and melodic aspects of this symphony related to Scottish, Irish, and Welsh folk-song traditions, themselves considered \u201crustic\u201d by the Viennese. (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 166-67.) For example, the A major principal theme of the first movement<\/a><\/strong> emphasizes downbeats of the first two measures using grace-notes, and the fourth bar begins with a “<\/strong>Scotch snap<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong>“<\/strong> reminding listeners of the melodic style of Scottish and Irish folk songs. Another example is in the finale, as Lockwood points out: \u201cA connection between the Seventh Symphony and his folk-song setting is not just a matter of metrical identity, but is also shown by a direct melodic correspondence between the postlude to one of his Irish songs<\/a><\/strong> [\u201cSave me from the grave and wise,\u201d WoO 154\/8] and the main theme of the finale<\/a><\/strong> of the Seventh.\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 167.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The finale opens with two roaring gestures<\/a><\/strong> with each followed by a full measure of silence, making clear that there will be no slackening that the driving rhythms that have directed the work so far. As Lockwood wrote, \u201cTovey called this movement ‘a triumph of Bacchic fury,’\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 165), and this finale overwhelms the audience with never-ending forward momentum as much as any Beethoven had written to date. Just as Berlioz<\/a><\/strong> said, \u201cBeethoven did not write music for the eyes<\/em>. The coda, launched by this threatening pedal<\/a><\/strong>, has extraordinary brilliance, and is fully worthy of bringing this work to its conclusion \u2013 a masterpiece of technical skill, taste, imagination, craftsmanship and inspiration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The second movement<\/a><\/strong> received special attention when it premiered and became an audience favorite quickly. \u00a0It was so popular that a Leipzig critic, who attributed the lack of enthusiasm from the audience for the Eighth Symphony to the lingering admiration for the Seventh Symphony performed right before, called the second movement the \u201ccrown of modern instrumental music.\u201d (Thayer, Life of Beethoven, <\/em>575.)\u00a0 What made it the crown of modern instrumental music? The first ten measures of this movement have few melodic or harmonic elements, with only a few notes repeated throughout, and no notable harmonic progression nor contrapuntal elements. The familiar long-short-short-long-long rhythm (see above essay \u201cSignificance and Structure\u201d) that carries the almost divine selection of notes is one of the features that generated a strong, stirring effect that perhaps reminded the audience of the powerful Funeral March in the Eroica<\/em>. \u00a0Lockwood speculates that Beethoven was well aware of the dramatic effects a slow march tempo might have on audiences, having composed marches for the Austrian army between 1809 and 1816. (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 161.) Given that the Viennese audience had been familiar with military marches from decades of war, it was perhaps inevitable that the second movement was received with such enthusiasm. But it continued to draw attention well after the immediate pain of the Napoleonic wars were forgotten. Leonard Bernstein<\/a><\/strong>, in an interview given by Maximillian Schell, commented: \u201c[in the opening of the 2nd movement of the Seventh Symphony] there is no aspect of Beethoven in which you could say that Beethoven is great as a melodist, harmonist, contrapuntist, or tone painter. . . .\u201d Bernstein goes on to say that Beethoven showed ingenuity in constructing the form, always choosing the right note to succeed every other note as though \u201che had some private telephone wire to heaven which told him what the next note had to be.\u201d The right note? Consider the viola\u2019s note e that sits on the repetitive rhythmic pattern<\/a><\/strong> in the opening and the subsequent development.\u00a0 In the final analysis it is perhaps this one note that is the seed that grew into the captivating music which the Leipzig critic labelled \u201cthe crown of modern instrumental music.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

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

The Redoutensaal and Other Performance Venues in Vienna
\n<\/u><\/span>Harer, Ingeborg. \u201cMusical Venues in Vienna, Seventeenth Century to the Present<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d Performance Practice Review <\/em>8, No. 1 (1995), accessed July 30, 2020.
\n<\/span>A brief but thorough review of performance venues in Vienna and their use throughout the seventeenth century to present day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven as a Concert Organizer
\n<\/u><\/span>\u201cBeethoven as a Concert Organizer<\/strong><\/a>.\u201d Beethoven-Haus Bonn, accessed 07\/30\/2020.
\n<\/span>A brief discussion of Beethoven\u2019s public concerts organized by Beethoven in Vienna.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven and Orchestration
\n<\/u><\/span>Botstein, Leon. \u201cSound and Structure in Beethoven\u2019s Orchestral Music.\u201d In Glenn Stanley, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Beethoven<\/em>. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. \u00a0Available online through CambridgeCore<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Early Editions of Score and Parts
\n<\/u><\/span>Copyist\u2019s manuscript<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Autograph sketches at the Morgan Library & Museum<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

First published score:\u00a0 Dec. 1816, S. A. Steiner & Co., Vienna<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Modern Edition of the Score
\n<\/u><\/span>New York Philharmonic score<\/strong><\/a> with annotations from Leonard Bernstein.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dover edition (reprint of Henry Litolff’s Verlag, n.d., ca.1880)<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Recordings available online
\n<\/u><\/span>Period\/HIP Performances\u2014
\n<\/span>Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Harnoncourt
\n<\/span>1st movement<\/a>, <\/strong>2nd movement<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>3rd movement<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>4th movement<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Orchestre R\u00e9volutionnaire et Romantique, Gardiner
\n<\/span>1st movement<\/a>, <\/strong>2nd movement<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>3rd movement<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>4th movement<\/strong><\/a><\/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>Albert Coates conducting the London Symphony Orchestra (1921)<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>One of the first, if not the first, recording of the Seventh Symphony (link<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Carlos Kleiber conducting Concertgebouw<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Bernstein conducting Vienna Philharmonic<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Claudio Abbado conducting Vienna Philharmonic<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Royal <\/strong>Concertgebouw Orchestra, Beethoven: Symphony No. 7<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/span>Includes two video performances by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, with or without commentary by conductor Iv\u00e1n Fischer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Descriptions available online (videos, program notes, etc.,)
\n<\/u><\/span>Bernstein & Vienna Philharmonic commentary<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Royal <\/strong>Concertgebouw Orchestra, Beethoven: Symphony No. 7<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/span>Includes two video performances by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, with or without commentary by conductor Iv\u00e1n Fischer. Additional program notes here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Berlioz, A Critical Study of Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies<\/em>, p. 83:digital scan of printed version<\/strong><\/a>, web version<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Steven Ledbetter, Aspen Music Festival Program Notes<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/span>Quotes memoir of Beethoven\u2019s conducting during its rehearsal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christopher Gibbs, NPR: Beethoven\u2019s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0
\n<\/span>Includes interview with conductor Christoph Eschenbach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Michael Steinberg, San Francisco Symphony Program Notes<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Marianne Williams Tobias, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Program Notes<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Ken Meltzer, Atlanta Symphony Program Notes<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Interview with Leonard Bernstein.<\/strong><\/a>
\nDiscussion with Maximillian Schell on the second movement with demonstration at the piano.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sean Rice and Alexander Shelley, National Arts Centre: Exploring Beethoven Symphonies No. 7, 8 and 9<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Wikipedia analysis<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Basics General Information Composition dates: 1811-12. Dedication: Count Moritz von Fries (portrait). Instrumentation: Strings, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp. First performance:\u00a0 8 Dec. 1813, Akademie at University Concert Hall, Vienna. Orchestra size for first or early performance: 13+12.7.6.4\/single winds (estimated, based on Beethoven letter). Autograph Score: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"coauthors":[2],"class_list":["post-28","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28","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=28"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=28"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

As Lockwood says, the rhythmic events are so strong that they sometimes overshadow other musical elements. (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 151.) But this rhythmic vitality is one characteristic of a larger factor that may account for the Seventh Symphony\u2019s appeal to audiences who may have no training in music: its rusticity suggesting folk music. \u00a0Lockwood goes on to say that Beethoven\u2019s 6\/8 theme in A major in the first movement reminded the listeners of Scottish and Irish folk songs. (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies, <\/em>166-167.) Colorful orchestration that favors woodwind solos and horn calls, particularly in the first and last movements, also serves the rustic character. This more Romantic orchestration is a long way from the criticism “too much of Harmoniemusik<\/em>”\u00a0leveled at the “classical” First Symphony. (See Symphony No. 1<\/a> “Others’ Words” essay.<\/a>)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n