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BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6

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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) Symphony No.5 in C Minor, Op. 67 Symphony No.6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral" Beethoven wrote nine symphonies,...

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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

Symphony No.5 in C Minor, Op. 67

Symphony No.6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

Beethoven wrote nine symphonies, the first heralding the new century, in 1800, and the last completed in 1824. Although he made few changes to the composition of the orchestra itself, adding, when occasion demanded, one or two instruments more normally found in the opera-house, he expanded vastly the traditional form, developed in the time of Haydn and Mozart, reflecting the personal and political struggles of a period of immense change and turbulence.

To his contemporaries he seemed an inimitable original, but to a number of his successors he seemed to have expanded the symphony to an intimidating extent.

Beethoven's Symphony in C minor, Opus 67, is a work that has enjoyed enormous popularity, not least for its patriotic associations that accord well with the period of its composition and have proved to suit the sensibilities of later generations. For some of the work has become known as Fate, as the result of an alleged remark of the composer, reported by the unreliable Schindler, on the opening of the first movement - Thus Fate knocks at the door. It has been left for others to point out that there is plenty of evidence for similar knocking at doors in other compositions by Beethoven, the initial rhythmic figure being one that he found to his purpose on other occasions.

Beethoven composed music relatively slowly and carefully, and the early sketches for the C minor Symphony are found in notebooks of 1804, the period of the Eroica Symphony. The work was completed in 1808 and dedicated to Count Razumovsky, Prince Lichnowsky's brother-in-law, the Tsar's representative in Vienna and a patron of great munificence, while his money lasted, and to Prince Lobkowitz. It received its first performance at a concert on 22nd December, 1808. The taxing programme, that resulted in near disaster in the final Choral Fantasia, included the Pastoral Symphony and the Fourth Piano Concerto, as well as a number of items for soloists and chorus. It seems that the Fifth Symphony was at first intended, like the Fourth, for Count Franz von Oppersdorff, from whom the composer certainly received some payment. By September of the year of its completion, however, Beethoven had sold it to the publishers Breitkopf and Haertel. In orchestration the Fifth Symphony shows innovations in its inclusion of the piccolo, the double bassoon and three trombones in the final movement.

The sixth of Beethoven's nine symphonies, the Pastoral, was first performed at a concert in Vienna in December 1808. The occasion was an important one for the composer, since it was likely to prove the only significant source of income for him that year. In preparation for the event he had put aside work on his projected opera Macbeth and on the alternative text of Bradamante, both supplied by Heinrich von Collin, and assembled a programme of phenomenal length. The works played included the Fifth Symphony, the Fourth Piano Concerto, a piano fantasia, items for soloists and chorus and, in conclusion, a Fantasia for the Pianoforte which ends with the gradual entrance of the entire orchestra and the introduction of the choruses as a finale, the Choral Fantasia.

Predictably the concert was an embarrassment to Beethoven's friends, compelled to sit for four hours in the bitterly cold Theater-an-der-Wien. As one otherwise sympathetic observer reported, it proved possible to have too much of a good thing, and still more of a loud. The concert was under-rehearsed, and Beethoven had met considerable opposition from members of the orchestra. In the Choral Fantasia instructions about repeats had been misunderstood, so that the work had to be started again, and Beethoven intervened with audible comments on mistakes. Nevertheless the Sixth Symphony, which happily opened the concert, was well enough received, in spite of its unusual length.

The advertisement for Beethoven's December concert billed the Pastoral Symphony as A Recollection of Country Life, to be described by the composer, in a careful attempt to dispel any suspicion that he had written a crude imitation of nature, as more an expression of feeling than tone-painting. In some ways the work may be seen as a conclusion and summary of a tradition of music inspired by the country, although the Wordsworthian suggestion of emotion recollected in tranquillity is very much of its period.

In his early years in Bonn Beethoven had planned a symphony, the natural ambition of any composer. His first extant composition in this form, however, was written towards the end of the century and first performed in Vienna at the Imperial Court Theatre on 2nd April, 1800. The symphony was dedicated to Baron van Swieten, the arbiter of musical taste in Vienna, who had encouraged Mozart and provided the texts for Haydn's later oratorios.

The programme for what was in fact Beethoven's first benefit concert was a substantial one. A Mozart symphony was followed by an aria from Haydn's Creation. Then came a piano concerto by Beethoven, with the composer as soloist.

The Schuppanzigh Quartet was joined by three wind-players to perform a septet, by Beethoven. After this came the symphony.

As so often in Beethoven's career, reviews were decidedly cool, and we may gather that all did not run as smoothly as it should have done. There was a quarrel about who should direct the orchestra, and the players did not listen to the soloist in the concerto, while in the symphony the wind instruments were particularly unenthusiastic in their performance. The symphony later formed part of a concert in 1803, when Beethoven's oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives was first performed. On that occasion it was well enough received, in spite of the length of the programme.

Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra

Zagreb, the second city in modern Yugoslavia, occupies an important place in the musical life of the country. The Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra was established in 1920, inheriting the symphonic traditions of its predecessor, the orchestra of the opera-house. Since then it has won a national and international reputation, appearing in major cities throughout Eastern and Western Europe and the United States of America.

During the course of its existence the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra has worked with the most distinguished conductors, including Bruno Walter, Clemens Krauss, Felix Weingartner, Rafael Kubelik, Leopold stokowski, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Igor Markevich, Kyril Kondrashin, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Stanislav Skrowaczewsky, Zubin Mehta, Paul Kletzki, Otmar suitner, Jean Martinon, Vaclav Neumann and Sir John Barbirolli. The orchestra also has given concerts under the direction of Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland and Lukas Foss. Since 1980 Pavel Despalj has been principal conductor and artistic director of the orchestra.

Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava)

The Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava), the oldest symphonic ensemble in Slovakia, was founded in 1929 at the instance of Milos Ruppeldt and Oskar Nedbal, prominent personalities in the sphere of music. Ondrej Lenard was appointed its conductor in 1970 and in 1977 its conductor-in-chief. The orchestra has given successful concerts both at home and abroad, in Germany, Russia, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Hong Kong and Japan. For Marco Polo the orchestra has recorded works by Glazunov, Gli�re, Miaskovsky and other late romantic composers and film music of Honegger, Bliss, Ibert and Khachaturian as well as several volumes of the label's Johann strauss Edition. Naxos recordings include symphonies and ballets by Tchaikovsky, and symphonies by Berlioz and Saint-Sa�ns.

Richard Edlinger

The Austrian conductor Richard Edlinger was born in Bregenz in 1958 and directed his first concerts at the age of seventeen. He completed his studies at the Vienna Academy in conducting and composition in 1982, by which time he had already acquired considerable professional experience. He was the youngest finalist in the 1983 Guido Cantelli Conductors' Competition at La Scala, Milan.

Michael Halasz

Michael Halasz's first engagement as a conductor was at the Munich Gartnerplatz Theater, where, from 1972 to 1975, he directed all operetta productions. In 1975 he moved to Frankfurt as principal Kapellmeister under Christoph von Dohnanyi, working with the most distinguished singers and conducting the most important works of the operatic repertoire. Engagements as a guest-conductor followed, and in 1977 Dohnanyi took him to the staatsoper in Hamburg as principal Kapellmeister. From 1978 to 1991 he was General Musical Director of the Hagen opera house and in 1991 he took up the post of Resident Conductor of the Vienna State Opera.

Disc 1

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

(more info)

Performed by: Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
Composed by: Ludwig van Beethoven
Conducted by: Richard Edlinger
Recording date: September 1988
Produced by: Geest, Teije van

Allegro con brio - 6:56
Andante con moto - 9:18
Allegro - 4:56
Allegro - 11:03

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

(more info)

Performed by: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Composed by: Ludwig van Beethoven
Conducted by: Michael Halasz
Recording date: 2-6 March 1988
Produced by: Geest, Teije van

Allegro ma non troppo - 9:27
Andante molto mosso - 12:55
Allegro - 5:29
Allegro - 3:53
Allegretto - 11:22

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Composer(s):
Beethoven, Ludwig van

Conductor(s):
Edlinger, Richard; Halasz, Michael

Orchestra(s):
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra

Label: Naxos Classics
UPC: 730099422420
Item Number: 8553224
Release Date: Apr 7, 1995