Clarinets Bassoons. Flutes Oboes

Transcription

1 LISTENING GUIDE BEETHOVEN ( ) rguably the central masterwork of Western classical music, Beethoven s Ninth Symphony was revolutionary in its scope and ambition. Its structure is so complex that it is said to have inspired the discipline of musical analysis. The symphony was given its premiere at Vienna s Theater am Kärtnertor on May 7, 1824 and was enthusiastically received. It has been performed for major cultural and historical events throughout the world, including the fall of the Berlin Wall in Female Chorus Male Chorus Vocal Quartet Timpani Trumpets Horns Trombones Clarinets Bassoons Percussion Flutes Oboes Cellos Basses Violas 1st Violins Conductor 2nd Violins This diagram shows the seating plan for the Berliner Philharmoniker performance of this work with conductor Sir Simon Rattle, the orchestra s chief conductor, on October 16,

2 I. LLEGRO M NON TROPPO E UN POCO MESTOSO Exposition mm Development mm Recapitulation mm mm Development Exposition Recapitulation 00:43 Primary Theme The movement begins with a sustained open harmony that builds slowly. Suddenly, the orchestra erupts in a furious outburst. This scheme is repeated before leading into the transition. 02:23 Transition The orchestra plays motivic fragments based on the primary theme to create transitional music. t the cadence, the music dissipates and reveals short wind phrases in thirds. 02:50 Secondary Theme The secondary theme begins with the winds playing a lyrical melody over rhythmic strings. Falling gestures in the winds and strings trade off as the theme concludes. 03:26 Closing The closing begins with dialogue between loud tutti chords and more introverted lyrical phrases. Beethoven extends the closing section dramatically, with a diversity of contrasting material. 05:06 Development The development begins with a return to the texture of the start of the movement, but it eventually becomes clear that Beethoven is not following the convention of repeating the exposition. 05:57 Development Beethoven references a motive from the primary theme, here thinly scored for quiet winds. 06:39 Development Several important motives from the primary theme appear simultaneously in multiple streams of melody. Beethoven shows his technical mastery by maintaining this texture for a considerable amount of time. 08:08 Development s the music transitions to the recapitulation, the secondary theme momentarily emerges in the violins. 08:52 Primary Theme Beethoven transforms the primary theme in the recapitulation, thickening the texture and filling in the rests that existed in the exposition. 09:54 Transition s the winds play their phrases in thirds, the recapitulation becomes more recognizable as a varied repeat of the exposition. 10:04 Secondary Theme The secondary theme begins with the winds playing a lyrical melody over rhythmic strings, just as it did in the exposition. 10:44 Closing Like the opening of the exposition, this passage begins with dialogue between loud tutti chords and more introverted lyrical phrases. 12:22 The coda is like a second development section. It begins with material from the primary theme in multiple streams of counterpoint and then builds in volume with louder material from the secondary theme used to create a climax. 14:50 The music has become much quieter and thinner by this point. It gradually builds to a final climactic statement of the primary theme. 2

3 II. MOLTO VIVCE PRESTO mm B mm mm mm B 16:25 (a) The section is a scherzo. This (a) section acts as a sonata exposition: it has a primary theme, transition, and secondary theme. fter a brief introduction, Beethoven begins the exposition quietly and slowly accumulates in volume by adding in members of the orchestra, leading to a turbulent climax. The winds play the second theme beneath a bouncing string accompaniment. 18:53 (b) This section acts as a development, spinning out motives from the primary theme of the (a) section. It begins by repeating the wandering music at the end of the exposition, as if trying to navigate its way through the form. The timpani plays an important role throughout the movement, and is especially prominent here. 19:58 (a ) This section serves as a recapitulation: it brings back all of the material from the exposition in the home key. The recapitulation occurs immediately on the loud statement of the opening theme, skipping a considerable amount of material from the exposition. 23:18 B(a) The trio is significantly shorter than the scherzo. Here the oboe plays the melody with bassoons providing a counter-melody. This melody is reminiscent of the Ode to Joy theme that will appear in the fourth movement. 23:30 B(b) The strings provide a momentary break from the wind instrument sound. 23:41 B(a ) The B (a) music returns, now in the horns and violins. It is later given back to the oboe and bassoon and then expanded to the full orchestra. Beethoven re-orchestrates and inverts the two lines to keep things interesting. 26:03 (a) This is an exact repeat of the (a) section. 27:21 (b) This is an exact repeat of the (b) section. 28:23 (a ) This is an exact repeat of the (a) section. 29:40 Here Beethoven incorporates a device that he often used at the end of his scherzi: the B section attempts to return, but can play only a few beats before the orchestra silences it. 3

4 III. DGIO MOLTO E CNTBILE NDNTE MODERTO Theme I mm Theme II mm Variation I mm Variation II mm Episode I mm Variation III mm Episode II mm mm :55 Theme 1 The winds play a short introduction, introducing a falling step gesture that comes back throughout the movement. For the theme proper, the violins play a long, floating melody with echoes in the woodwinds. t 32:40, the horn asserts itself an unusual feature that develops incrementally as the variations unfold. 33:42 Theme 2 The violins and violas play the second theme, which incorporates the falling step from the introduction. 35:08 Variation 1 This variation is based on Theme 1. The violins play figuration instead of their melody; the wind echoes still occur in the corresponding place, nearly verbatim. The simpler horn can again be heard sticking out of the texture, playing an uncharacteristic falling arpeggio. 37:22 Variation 2 For this variation, based on Theme 2, the roles of the winds and violins have been swapped; the winds play the continuous melody and the violins provide commentary. 38:38 Episode 1 This variation, based on Theme I, is transitional, passing the falling gesture at the start of the Theme 1 melody around the orchestra. 40:07 Variation 3 This variation transforms the fragmented Theme 1 into a different time signature. The violins again play figuration. Listen for the return of the horn solo, especially at 41:17. 42:32 Episode 2 fanfare by the brass interrupts the flow of the music. The ensuing passage focuses on splitting up Theme 1 among different members of the orchestra. The violins play figuration very similar to their material in Variation 3, as if the music is trying to return to where it was before the fanfare derailed it, but the same fanfare interrupts again. 45:48 The winds briefly spin out the falling step motive that appears in both Theme 1 and Theme 2. The final gesture of the movement is a quiet chord for the full orchestra. 4

5 IV. FINLE Part 1 mm Part 2 mm Part 3 mm Part4 mm PRT 1 PRT 2 PRT 3 PRT 4 46:57 Part 1 The orchestra plays loud, dramatic music more typical of a call to attention, much like an opera recitative, perhaps as a bridge to prepare for the entry of the vocalists. t 47:35, the orchestra tests themes of the previous movements, trying to find a theme suitable for the finale. Ultimately, none of these themes is acceptable, and the Ode to Joy theme emerges. 49:41 Part 1 The Ode to Joy theme begins quietly in the cellos and basses. The theme is in a rounded binary :: :B: form. Beethoven slowly accumulates more instruments until the music reaches a glorious climax. The bassoon duet in this section is a particularly striking feature. 53:12 Part 1 Now the intro music returns with a bass soloist added. The baritone has put words to the orchestra s previous attempt at recitative. 54:07 Part 1 The Ode to Joy theme is taken by the vocalists. First the bass continues his solo, now against a countermelody in the oboe. Soon the full vocal quartet and chorus enter, and the music overflows into an exuberant climax. 56:43 Part 2 Part 2 begins a long series of variations on the Ode to Joy theme. The instrumentation of this section makes reference to the sound of pseudo-turkish marching band music, featuring percussion, piccolo, and clarinets. The section begins clumsily, slowly adding wind instruments to the texture. Once the accompaniment is established, the piccolo plays a transformation of the Ode to Joy theme. The vocalists return later in the section. 58:22 Part 2 The Turkish march spins out into an exciting double fugue in the orchestra. The music briefly winds down, then explodes again with the strings returning to material from the fugue, now played as accompaniment for the chorus singing the Ode to Joy theme. 1:00:48 Part 3 The tempo slows as the chorus sings a majestic new theme, with the trombones prominently sounding in the orchestra. This theme is a disguised variation of the Ode to Joy theme. 1:02:18 Part 3 Beethoven creates a very muted sound in the orchestra for this section by dividing the viola section into four parts, not using the violins, and writing for the flute in a lower register. 1:04:10 Part 4 Part 4 returns to a faster, finale tempo. The theme from Part 3 is overlaid with another transformation of the Ode to Joy theme as the two themes move freely between the orchestra and chorus. 1:06:20 Part 4 This fast section starts quietly but quickly overflows with exuberance from the full ensemble. Twice the tempo drops to an adagio to feature more lyrical and ornamented vocal lines. 1:08:39 Part 4 The entire orchestra, including the auxiliary instruments and voices Beethoven specifically added for this symphony (piccolo, percussion, trombones, contrabassoon, chorus, and vocal quartet), comes together again for the triumphant culmination. 5

6 FOURTH MOVEMENT TEXT ND TRNSLTION The italicized words are Beethoven s; the rest are excerpted from Friedrich Schiller s poem n die Freude ( Ode to Joy ). O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen, und freudenvollere. Freude! Freude! Freude, schöner Götterfunken, / Tochter aus Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken, / Himmlische, dein Heiligtum! Deine Zauber binden wieder, / Was die Mode streng geteilt; lle Menschen werden Brüder, / Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt. Wem der große Wurf gelungen, / Eines Freundes Freund zu sein; Wer ein holdes Weib errungen, / Mische seinen Jubel ein! Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele / Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund! Und wer s nie gekonnt, der stehle / Weinend sich aus diesem Bund. Freude trinken alle Wesen / n den Brüsten der Natur; lle Guten, alle Bösen / Folgen ihrer Rosenspur. Küsse gab sie uns und Reben, / Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod; Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben, / Und der Cherub steht vor Gott. Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen / Durch des Himmels prächt gen Plan, Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn, / Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen. Seid umschlungen, Millionen! / Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt! Brüder, über m Sternenzelt / Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen. Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen? / hnest du den Schöpfer, Welt? Such ihn über m Sternenzelt! / Über Sternen muß er wohnen. Oh friends, not these sounds! Instead let us agree to more pleasing and more joyful ones! Joy! Joy! Joy, beautiful spark of the gods, daughter from Elysium, Drunk with fervor, we enter your sanctuary, o heavenly one! Your magic reunites whatever custom has severely divided. ll men become brothers, wherever your gentle wings hover. Whoever has had the good fortune to be a friend to a friend, Whoever has found a loving wife, should take part in our jubilation! Yes and anyone who can at least call his soul his own in this earthly world! But anyone who never could, let him steal away from this gathering in tears. ll creatures drink in joy at Nature s breast; The good and evil alike follow her trail of roses. She gives us kisses and wine, a friend, tested in death; The worm, too, was given desire, and the cherub also stands before God. Cheerfully, as His suns fly through heaven s splendid plan, Run your own course, brothers, with joy, like a conquering hero. Be embraced, you millions! Here s a kiss is for the whole world! Brothers, above the canopy of stars a loving Father must dwell. re you falling to your knees, you millions? Do you have any idea of your Creator, o world? Look for Him above the canopy of the stars! He must dwell beyond the stars. 6