Beethoven Symphony No. 9 “Choral”
Analysis of the Symphony
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Lawrence V. McCrobie First Movement Adagio molto - Allegro con brio The structure of the first movement follows the sonata principle (a formal structure which was developing in the Classical period and which would continue to develop even further with Beethoven) with the addition of a slow introduction:
Introduction (bars 1 – 12) Adagio molto Although only twelve bars long, probably more has been written on the Introduction to the first movement than on the whole symphony put together, and analyses are often as different as recorded contemporary reactions. The question is: does Beethoven begin the symphony in the wrong key? 7 Although the symphony is in the key of C major, Beethoven begins with a V – I, perfect cadence in F major (bar 7 1), but immediately moves away from this key as bar 2 begins with a G chord, which looks as if it might resolve onto the expected C major chord. However, this forms an interrupted cadence (V-VI), as Beethoven substitutes an A minor chord for the expected C major chord on beat 3. The next two bars see Beethoven seemingly modulate to G 7 major (via repeated D chords in bar 3 and a G major chord on beat 1 of bar 4). However, having introduced the F# in bars 3 and 4, Beethoven immediately naturalizes it in the violin parts on beat 3 in bar 4. He also negates the effect ?
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of establishing a sense of key by continuing the violin melody, after the G chord at the beginning of bar 4, with a G#, which rises to an A, thus acting as a chromatic passing note. This completes a rising chromatic melodic line (F# – G – G# – A) in the violin parts in bars 3 – 4 (3), which also helps to weaken any sense of having reached the key of G major at this point. 7 Beethoven continues to tease us in the remaining bars of the introduction. Bar 5 suggests G and G harmonies, st which do resolve onto the chord of C major in bar 6, but the effect is weakened by being in 1 inversion and by the addition of lower auxiliary F#s in the oboes and clarinets and the C# passing note in the violins. Again, in bars 8 – 10, Beethoven seems to be heading towards C major. There is a C major chord on beat 1 of bar 8, and the chord 7 7 progression thereafter suggests a II (bar 8 beat 3) - Ic – V cadential 6/4 progression (bar 9) but G#s in the bass and bassoon parts lead to an A minor chord on beat 1 of bar 10, instead of C major. This is followed by a chord of F nd major (bar 10, beat 3) and a chord of C major (bar 11, beat 1) which is in a weaker 2 inversion; and although Beethoven, tantalizingly, outlines the C major chord in the horn part in this bar, the key of C major is not firmly st established until bar 13, with the 1 subject. Beethoven cannot seem to resist this tonal ‘joke,’ even up to the last, as in bar 12, F#s occur in a rising G major scale in the strings only to be dismissed at the last second with Fas in a quicker, descending demisemiquaver flurry which leads into the Allegro.
Beethoven uses other musical elements to emphasize the apparent tonal ambiguity of the introduction: 7 The V – I chords in bars 1 and 2 are marked consecutively forte and piano thus emphasizing both the dominant chord and its resolution by contrasting dynamics. The strings play these chords pizzicato with rests in between, accompanied by sustained woodwind chords above. There is a crescendo in bar 3 leading to a forte G major chord (played arco) which emphasizes G major as the culmination of the first four bars, but which is immediately followed by piano dynamic markings as the tonality moves swiftly away from G. These dynamic contrasts are employed in a similar vein later in the introduction (bars 8 - 9) with forte chords seemingly emphasizing the arrival of C major in bars 10 and 11, followed by another bar of piano The notes C and G emphasized in the brass and timpani parts between bars 5 -12 and the outline of the chord of C in the horn part (bars 6 and 11) as this passage assumes a more harmonically settled character based around C major. It seems obvious that Beethoven intended this novel exploitation of tonality in the introduction. This is revealed not only by analysis of the harmony and tonality, but also by noting all the devices that Beethoven uses - textural, instrumental and dynamic - and the way in which he uses and combines these features to communicate his ideas effectively to his audience. •
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Exposition (bars 13 – 109) Allegro con brio st
1 subject (bars 13 – 33) Beethoven eventually confirms the tonic key of C major in an understated manner – p dynamics, woodwind and st horns have only the tonic chord on the first beat and the melody is played by 1 violins, thinly accompanied by st punctuated crotchet chords in the rest of the string section. The first subject (1 violins) emphasizes the tonic key by means of a strong dominant-tonic (G to C) relationship in the melody in bars 13 - 16: first with an idea which uses the notes C, G, B (back to C) in dotted minim- dotted quaver-semiquaver rhythms in bars 13 and 14 (not dissimilar in nature to the opening of Mozart’s Symphony no. 41 in C major ‘Jupiter ’) followed by a version of this idea in quavers (bar 15) and a rising crotchet idea (bar 16), which outlines the tonic chord. After a two-bar woodwind link, @
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where the key modulates to D minor, the opening melody is repeated a tone higher than original (bars 19 - 23). 7 Another two– bar woodwind link (bars 23 - 24) brings the harmony to a G chord (bar 25) where the rhythmic/melodic ideas from bars 14 and 15 are played twice, based on the dominant chord of G (bars 25 - 29), 7 before a descending G arpeggio in the violins (bar 30) and strong IV-V-I chordal harmonies in C major complete the first subject (bars 31 - 33). In contrast to the introduction, Beethoven firmly establishes the tonic key, not only through his use of the melodic ideas described above, but also by employing harmony which is strongly related to C major (chord II, D minor, and chord V, G major). Furthermore, apart from the first inversion chord of G in bar 25 (which is calculated to have a more gentle effect), the harmony is in root position and the tonic-dominant relationship is particularly emphasized towards the end of the first subject (bars 29 - 33) with repeated G and C notes in the brass and timpani and a full orchestral texture. Interestingly, in bar 18, the descending semiquaver figure in string octaves closely resembles the final descending demisemiquaver flourish of the Introduction (bar 12). Just as the original idea had the function of linking the Introduction to the first subject, the related idea in bar 18 links the C major version of the tune with its repeat a tone higher, in D minor. Integration of thematic and motivic ideas was an important feature of later Classical pieces and it would not be unusual for Beethoven to continue the practice. The difference in rhythmic value (demisemiquaver to semiquaver) reflects the adjustment in tempo from Adagio in the Introduction to Allegro in the Exposition.
Bridge passage (bars 33 – 52) Beethoven begins the bridge passage firmly in C major. A tonic (C) pedal underpins the music from bars 33 - 34, st st and the opening 1 violin idea in these bars outlines the tonic triad. (This idea is similar to the 1 violin motif in bar 16, but with the rhythm altered to dotted minim-crotchet, not dissimilar to the rhythm of the opening of the first subject.) Another feature that re-appears here is the descending [demi-] semiquaver motif (violins bar 34, woodwind bar 36) discussed in the previous paragraph. Texturally, there is a good deal of imitation (antiphonal exchange) between the strings and woodwind in this passage, notably bars 33 - 41 and bars 45 – 49. This kind of dialogue between strings and woodwind is a feature not only of this symphony but also more generally of Beethoven’s orchestral style. A contemporary complaint about the symphony was that it resembled ‘wind-band’ music. This use of woodwind instruments was a particular feature of music from northern Germany – and Beethoven was born and raised in Bonn. Perhaps the Viennese audience at the first performance was more used to the string (violin) orientated music of the south! Between bars 41 and 45, the music begins to modulate sequentially in a manner, which resembles the original modulation of the first subject from C major to D minor, and the rhythmic and melodic ideas first used in bar 15. This passage is strengthened by its octave texture. The passage from bars 45 – 52 is particularly interesting. The exchange in bars 45 – 49 between the lower strings and woodwind based on repeated Gs and descending quavers, is combined with a contrasting homophonic texture (notably the triple- stopping in the violins). Also, as in the Introduction, after having used an F# (bar 44) to establish G major (dominant) tonality, Beethoven again immediately employs F natural (violas and basses – bar 45). While other composers might have gone on to modulate to the dominant’s dominant here (in this case, D major) so as to reinforce the second subject key (dominant) with a perfect cadence, Beethoven adopts a different approach, arriving at G octaves in bar 52 via G and C chords. The absence of an F# indicates an imperfect cadence at this point, and G major (dominant) tonality is not firmly established until the second subject begins.
Second subject (bars 52 – 88) Now in the dominant key of G major, Beethoven immediately achieves a contrast with the first subject by using the woodwind to play the opening: the oboe and flute share an overlapping melodic idea with simple, staccato crotchet string accompaniment. This opening 4-bar phrase (with upbeat in bar 52) is followed by another 4-bar phrase A
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featuring a crotchet-minim-crotchet idea in the upper woodwind, with an emphasis on beat 3 (sf ) in the strings (bars 57 - 58) and a cadence in the dominant in bar 60 scored for woodwind and strings. These ideas are then repeated in bars 61 – 68, with the woodwind melody now shared between violins and oboe/flute in G major and with the addition of diminished harmony for dramatic effect at the sf markings (bars 65 and 66) as well as A minor harmony 7 (in bar 67) before ending on a D imperfect cadence in bar 68. This is resolved in bar 69 with a G major chord but, rather than ending the previous phrase, the music immediately launches into two 2-bar phrases based on repeated semiquaver-crotchet rhythms in the strings (bars 69 - 70 and 71 st 72) linked by a rising quaver figure in the 1 violins, flutes and oboes. The energy of this passage is reinforced by the addition of the brass and repeated f markings. In the phrase which follows (bars 73 - 77), the sequential pattern in the upper woodwind, based on the opening idea of the second subject (bar 53), is used initially in contrary motion in the violas and bass instruments, and is combined with descending and rising scale-like passages before culminating in a forceful perfect cadence in G major at the beginning of bar 77. An immediate change to pp and to the tonic minor (G minor) in bar 77 signals a new section, which passes through C minor (bar 78) before moving to Bb major in bar 80 and then chromatically returning to G minor in bar 83. Rather nd than end his exploration of the 2 subject material at bar 77, Beethoven continues to use the minim-quaver motif from the start of the second subject, this time in the cellos and basses (briefly doubled by the bassoon in bar 77). Above this the woodwind gradually unfold – first with the oboe (bar 79) and then with the addition of the bassoon. At bar 85 full woodwind are employed and the melodic material in the lower strings links into the codetta via a perfect cadence in G major at bars 88 - 89.
Codetta (bars 88 – 109) This starts with an emphatic statement of the opening of the first subject, in G major, played first by the lower strings and immediately imitated in octaves in the violins, flutes, oboes and bassoons. The horns, trumpets and timpani (doubled by the lower strings) play tonic (G) pedals starting on the third beat, and combined with the violin melody’s emphasis on the first beat and the sf markings, this creates strong emphasis on the first and third beats. The rising quaver passage in the violins (bars 90 – 91) resembles the earlier rising sequence in the bridge passage (bars 41 - 44) which itself is taken from bar 15 of the first subject. Beethoven increases the tension by using th diminished 7 harmony (bars 93, 95 and 97) resolving onto E major (bar 93) and A minor (bar 96), accompanied by rapid bowing in the violins and ff dynamics; using a strong octave texture (bars 98 - 99) this ends firmly on the note G on beat 1 of bar 100. At this point, Beethoven introduces a closing tune in the first violins which is accompanied by a G (tonic) pedal and a fluid crotchet countermelody in 3rds in the oboes and bassoons, punctuated by perfect nd cadences (marked sf ). The 2 violins play a gentle rocking accompaniment. The codetta affirms the dominant key of G major in bar 106 (marked ff ), but the last three bars before the repeat 7 7 form a V chord in C major, with descending woodwind parts outlining a G chord in minims preparing the way for a return to the opening of the Exposition. For these bars Beethoven marks a decrease in the volume for the woodwind and horns, but retains the ff marking for the string chords.
Development (bars 110 – 178) 7 The second-time bar outlines a G chord, thus seemingly preparing the way for C major as in the Exposition repeat. However, in bar 110 Beethoven dramatically signifies the start of the development section with an A major chord – a tertiary relationship with C major. st Beethoven’s initial melodic material for the development is a fragment of the 1 subject, derived from bars 14 and st 15, in the 1 violin. This is punctuated by syncopated diminished chords in the woodwind and lower strings (eg. B
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nd bars 112, 113) - first heard in the 2 subject (bars 57 and 58). This syncopated motif uses diminished harmony, and strongly hints at D minor (bars 112 - 113) and G minor (bars 116 - 117), but each resolution is on the major chord ths 7 (D major in bar 114 and G major in bar 118). The cycle of 5 continues, and at bar 122 Beethoven resolves the G st harmony into C minor; here a melodic idea emerges in the basses, taken from the rising crotchet motif (1 violins) in bar 16. These rapid modulations are characteristic of sonata principle development sections, as is the use of imitation and antiphony; Beethoven uses the same motif between bars 122 and 136, incorporating exchanges between the basses, st flutes and oboes, 1 violins and bassoon. He also uses a descending version of the motif in the basses (bars 125 and 129) to link modulating sections: bars 122 - 125 C minor, 126 - 129 F minor, 130 Bb major). The notes of this st descending version of the motif become arpeggiated in an exchange between the 1 violins and basses between bars st 130 and 133, where the falling version (1 violins) and rising version (cellos and basses) are presented alternately. This coincides with rapid modulations to Eb major and Eb minor in successive bars, before a diminished harmony resolves onto a Bb major chord on beat 1 of bar 136 as the development of a different motif begins. Throughout this nd section, the use of diminished harmony, alternations of p and f , rapid bowing in the 2 violins and violas, and antiphonal exchanges all add to the general drama. The tight sound of the horn, emphasizing the tonic/dominant notes of the keys reached, also adds to the tension. st This mood is suddenly dispelled in bar 136. The descending quaver motif passed between the 1 and second violins here is taken from the bridge passage at bar 45 (lower strings) and its lighter manner, reduced scoring (strings only) 7 and major tonality (Bb/Bb ) provide a contrast to the preceding section. This motif is played in octaves by the st strings in bars 140 - 141 before the 1 violins alone move the tonality into Eb major; the section which follows is based on antiphonal exchanges of the opening notes of the first subject material combined with a variant of the descending quaver motif (bars 144 – 160) used as a simple accompaniment in the violins. This section passes through F minor (bar 148), G minor (152), D minor (156) and A minor (159), and with its hushed p dynamic, thinner scoring and rising motif passed from one instrument to another returns to the mysterious atmosphere of the opening of the development. This passage ends dramatically at bar 160 and the climax of the development section is reached: a fortissimo E major chord starts an exchange between the strings, in octaves, and the woodwind, playing in thirds. Although based around A minor, there is a strong emphasis on the dominant note E, in the horns’ and trumpets’ pedal note and in the string parts in bars 168 – 170, culminating in the whole orchestra emphatically playing the note E in octaves in bars 171 and 172. An additional effect is created by rising semiquaver upbeats in the strings in bars 163, 167, 168 and 169 – an inversion of the semiquaver motif from bar 18 (in turn taken from the string upbeat demisemiquavers at the end of bar 12). At bar 172 the E octaves in the woodwind are sustained for two bars as the dynamics decrease to piano . At bar 174, Beethoven simply shifts the tonality up a semitone to F a, and in the following three bars the woodwind outline a 7 descending G chord, thus quietly moving the music into the Recapitulation in a manner similar to that in which he moved into the Development.
Recapitulation (bars 178 – 298) The descending demisemiquaver upbeat from bar 12 reappears in its semiquaver form in bar 177, but now the recapitulation of the first subject material is played emphatically ff , in octaves in the woodwind and strings with the brass and timpani playing the tonic note. It continues in this manner in a recap of bars 13 - 23 of the Exposition. However, at bar 189, Beethoven suddenly changes course and, instead of repeating material as it was heard previously in the exposition, he changes the harmony, and embarks upon a passage, which is based on the C
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descending semiquaver motif. This motif is imitated between the upper and lower strings in octaves while the woodwinds play sustained minim chords. The passage starts quietly (a type of understatement which is characteristic in this symphony when Beethoven is introducing something new or different) but a crescendo to ff with sforzandi allows the music to reach a climax (bars 189 – 202). Although giving the impression of a further development, this is in fact the bridge passage. The section’s original nd function of modulating from the tonic (to the dominant in this case) is now redundant, since traditionally the 2 subject returns in the tonic key in the Recapitulation. This new bridge passage not only shows Beethoven’s ingenuity, but also how he is able to integrate and develop material used previously in order to fashion something new. Between bars 189 and 198 the music passes through F major, G major, A minor, Bb major, C major, D minor, F major and G major. This rising sequence adds to the excitement of this passage, particularly from bar 192 where Beethoven increases the harmonic rhythm from semibreves to minims. From bar 198 the tonality is firmly based in G major, with repeated G pedals in the cellos and basses, timpani and brass. This passage also reveals Beethoven’s integration of another previously heard idea: the descending semiquaver motif is combined with ansf minim on beat nd two in bars 198 and 200 (violins) which is derived from the woodwind rhythms in the 2 subject in bars 57 and 58. nd The dominant preparation for the recapitulation of the 2 subject (in the tonic key) continues at bar 202, where the rising and falling first five notes of the G major scale are played in octaves in the strings and woodwind (Beethoven is at pains to emphasize both the G and D, since the G occurs on the first beat of the bar and the D, on beat 3, is marked sf ). This idea (bars 202 – 203) resembles the bass motif in bar 45 of the original bridge passage. The nd repeated F#s in bar 204 and the first half of bar 205 suddenly, and quietly, change to an Fa as the 2 subject returns in the tonic key of C major. nd The string accompaniment to the 2 subject is similar to that of the corresponding passage in the Exposition, but the woodwind instruments playing the melody are doubled and enter in a different order. The use of diminished harmony is retained. Although, in comparison with the corresponding bars in the Exposition, there are some differences in the scoring of bars 222 – 259, and of course the tonality is now based around the tonic key of C major, the ideas are principally the same.
Coda (bars 259 – 298) Having reached a perfect cadence at the beginning of bar 259, Beethoven could have concluded the movement at 7 that point. However, using C harmony in the woodwind parts between bars 259 – 262, the tonality changes to F major in bar 263, despite the Bas in the violin parts as they play a variant of bars 14 -16 (first subject). This material is repeated, passing through A minor (bars 264 – 266), D minor (267) and G major (269 - 270). This transition is similar to that which Beethoven uses between the Exposition and the Development, and between the Development and the Recapitulation, but whereas other composers might have extended the codetta to reaffirm the tonic key, Beethoven embarks upon a new journey where modulation, rather than consolidation is the principal objective. This was to become a familiar trademark, where Beethoven would use the coda to explore and develop further ideas – resulting in longer and more complex codas, which resemble additional development sections. In this case, it is not too fanciful to point out the similarity between the tonal directions at the start of the coda (F major, A minor, G major) to that of the Introduction. A stark outline of this tonality is presented between bars 271 and 276, in powerful chords for full orchestra, with C pedals in the trumpet and timpani ensuring a triumphant return to the tonic key in bar 277. Note the timpani roll on G in bars 269 - 270, for the first time in the movement – perhaps an emphasis of the final resolution of dominant to tonic. These intentions are difficult to prove, but provide an opportunity for discussion – and again emphasize that the true nature of analysis goes beyond recognition of the mechanics of a piece! D
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The final bars of the movement, from bar 277, are a triumphant affirmation of C major. Fully scored and based on the opening of the first subject they never leave the tonic C major; on the contrary, Beethoven takes every st opportunity to emphasize it – outlining the tonic chord in the brass and 1 violins, sustaining the chord in the woodwind, repeating the tonic note in the timpani, writing rapid bowing of the triad in the inner string parts, and ending with four bold statements of the chord of C major. If Beethoven started the movement with an Introduction, which was purposefully tonally ambiguous, he has explored and developed his ideas and in the coda he has presented a clear and resounding resolution to the discussion. Although dramatic and often offering the unexpected to his contemporaries, Beethoven has maintained that ‘Classical’ balance between conflict and resolution, which is such a feature of the sonata principle. A final question which, although not one for an examination essay, might provoke further interesting research and discussion: why does Beethoven include a silent bar at the end of this movement? This is not uncommon in Beethoven’s music (see the first movement of the Pathe tique piano sonata, for example). Is this to allow the full orchestral sound to dissipate? A dramatic pause? To achieve balance, by having an even number of bars? To achieve a mathematical proportioned structure: the Golden Mean (Golden Section)? !
The Scherzo The scherzo of Beethoven’s 9th symphony has always captured my attention. As an inner movement in a composition that is monumental in both its musical and its historical significance, it understandably receives less attention than the opening movement and the Finale. The outer movements present us with numerous yetunresolved questions about form, tonality and the state of the symphonic genre at the end of the classical period. The scherzo, on the other hand, does not seem to diverge very radically from established norms for its form and function in the symphony. It is long, for a scherzo, but its length is not unusual in relation to the symphony’s other movements. I find that the scherzo of the 9th symphony stands out in its unrelenting sense of thrust and forward drive. The feeling of perpetual momentum maintained through the scherzo – though momentarily alleviated during the trio section – stems not only from the movement’s extremely fast molto vivace (several features in the musical material set to that tempo. The scherzo is set in triple meter but its basic rhythmic unit is the single measure. This in itself is not unusual for a Beethoven scherzo; many of his scherzos are written in this format. I feel that in this particular movement the handling of the thematic material in terms of tonal and melodic phrasing creates a sense of continuity that works alongside the even, rapid pulse of the scherzo to create the experience of sustained energetic motion throughout the movement. The scherzo avoids very clear cadences within its body; the strong tonal caesuras appear only on primary section boundaries and coincide with long rests. Although the thematic phrases and periods do not escape the ear, without clear tonal punctuation there is always a feeling of one musical element flowing into another. I feel that Beethoven manages to achieve a sense of continuity akin to fugues or other polyphonic writing both on the larger scale and in the transitions between the phrases. As well as almost making his phrases and periods sound like a long, through-composed musical stream, he also presents the rhythmic details of his theme in a way that, at times, both subverts this sense of constant flow and promotes it. Before proceeding to analyze the movement and to demonstrate how it’s handling of the musical material is unique, a brief glance at another movement set in the same form would be helpful. One obvious rhythmic element that permeates the 9th symphony scherzo (and the trio as well) is the quarter-note as the prevailing note duration for most of the musical material. One symphonic scherzo by Beethoven exhibiting a similar fundamental texture is the 3rd symphony scherzo. It begins with the entire string section softly reciting the tonic chord in strict homophonic texture at the steady pace of the quarter-note. This consistent quarter-note foundation is maintained throughout the movement; it is used both to support the significant thematic material, and to sustain the lulls that fall between the appearances of the various subjects. Still, the scherzo of the Eroica symphony differs from that of the 9th symphony, among other things, in the way that it exhibits very clear punctuation in its presentation of thematic material. For E
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example, the first appearance (in the dominant) of the first subject begins very clearly when the oboe enters in m. 7, and its 8-bar phrase ends with an unmistakable melodic and harmonic cadence at m. 14. Throughout the movement, clear phrases can be identified using punctuation devices native to the classical idiom and the formal significance of these devices comes across even in cases where the music does not actually stop, but continues its quarter-note flow. However, in the 9th symphony scherzo the quarter-note texture does not support any distinct melodic material nor does it serve as filler between separate thematic blocks; here this texture is the material itself, and strong thematic cadences –when they appear – are pronounced with full measure rests. The overview of the movement that follows will hopefully further clarify these distinctions. The symphony’s 2nd movement is set in traditional A-B-A form with a contrasting trio between two scherzo sections. The two scherzo sections, set in binary form, are virtually identical except for the missing repeat mark on the second half of the second instance of the scherzo, and the added coda at the end, which is not very different from the segment leading into the trio at the end of the first scherzo section. The trio is inD major in contrast the D minor key of the entire movement, though the parallel major appears in several other significant places in the movement, echoing the minor/major duality that was present in the opening movement. The scherzo begins with open octaves reminiscent of the open fifths from the beginning of the previous movement. From the outset, rhythm is established as a central element, with these dropping octaves presented in a dotted figure. Some of the devices that Beethoven uses to generate the feeling of motion in the scherzo can be found in the first 2 measures. They open with a dotted quarter note followed by an eighth note and a quarter-note. This dotted rhythmic figure in itself is not a pattern foreign to music set to triple meter; it would actually promote a dance-like swing were it to be set in the context of a longer phrase. In this case, however, the octave drop between the first dotted quarternote and the following eighth-note serves to clearly break the bar into 2 equal-length beats. Within the single-stroke bar, the clear separation of pitches between its two halves renders the eighth-note as prominent second – weaker – beat, while the quarter note that follows it sound more like the trailing edge of the previous note at the same pitch, rather than a significant rhythmic element within the written triple subdivision of the bar. It is noteworthy to examine how this figure is manipulated later in the movement, in the transition into the trio; the dotted figure appears hurriedly at single-bar entrances until it emerges in m. 412 in its clear duple-meter form, the octave drops dividing each alla-breve stroke in two, much like they do in the opening bars. Thus, the dotted-rhythm pattern, when followed by a bar of silence in the movement’s introduction, functions as a musical “brake”. The dropping octaves in each bar, not only affect the bars’ inner division – resisting the natural motion prescribed by the time signature – they also inherently evoke a sense of cadential finality. The ensuing pause, followed by the appearance of the same motif in the dominant, and then once again in the tonic would fit very well as a concluding cadence in any symphonic movement. This 8-bar introduction is divided into two 4-bar phrases (later in the movement designated by “ Ritmo di quattro battute”) and within this structure the final re-statement of the octave motif in the tonic is syncopated — delayed by a bar in which only the timpani accent the figure in F. Thus, the introductory passage at once both presents rhythmic irregularity on several levels, and communicates a very clear stop. In fact the rests marked “G.P.” in these first eight bars will recur later in the scherzo and will serve as the most forceful punctuation marks in this movement that, for the most part, does not greatly rely on clear tonal phrasing and the implicit and explicit punctuation that comes with it. Once the scherzo commences, it seems that such an arresting figure as the dotted-rhythm pattern would go against the movement’s natural grain, but Beethoven actually uses it as the kernel for most of the musical material in the movement, in the sense that he transforms it into an element of forward motion that is totally organic to the prevailing rhythmic texture that it was originally foreign to. He manages to weave it into the continuous flow of the scherzo to such an extent that it becomes a propellant, rather than a restraining device. The movement’s first and primary theme seems rhythmic in nature – consisting entirely of quarter-notes, except for the opening dotted-rhythm bar. Beethoven begins the movement after the above introduction in what can only be described as a fugue. The fugue’s subject is four bars long and the fugal plan consists of answers on the dominant that are for the most part real; while the answers are all set onA minor and transposed note-for-note a fifth above the 9
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subject, they open with the dotted octaves onD and not on E — the only tonal modification to the answers. The statements and answers appear in tight succession between the five string parts. The use of the fugue at the beginning of the movement is yet another deceptive device. A fugue traditionally brings with it a polyphonic texture between its various voices; one voice usually proceeds at a faster or slower pace than the others at any given point, while all of the voices together maintain a single cohesive pulse. In the fugue that opens the scherzo, the five voices are not only adhering to a single pulse, but they are also uniform in their individual rhythms, except for the dotted opening bar when it appears in each voice. Beethoven transforms the fugue into a strictly homophonic texture moving quickly and steadily in quarter notes. In fact, after the exposition of the fugue, almost all other musical parameters become stagnant and only the rhythmic thrust remains as the salient force supporting a slow and constant crescendo. Not only is the entire orchestra playing over a dominant pedal-point in mm. 33-55, rendering a harmonic stasis, but also the carefully maintained contrary motion between the upper voices dissolves any sense of identifiable melodic material. At this point, it seems that Beethoven’s theme is the constant quarter-note motion itself. The first significant cadence on D minor occurs in m. 57 after this long dominant preparation. The tonal resolution coincides with a thematic one, when a consolidated theme emerges stringing together the fugue’s subject and counter-subject in one line set in a strictly homophonic texture. The fugue is thus abandoned after being used merely as a generative device. Although the orchestral melodic motion is not as balanced at this point, with the theme’s simple (almost simplistic) contour more clearly heard in the two violins and the 1st flute, the other instruments mostly alternate brief contrapuntal passages with longer passages that consist of a repeating single note, all in quarter-note rhythm. This accompaniment serves to reinforce the forward thrust of this section, carrying the theme along on a massive “wave” of sound. The opening dotted figure plays an interesting part in the onset of this wave. While the cadence onD appears clearly in m. 57 with almost the entire orchestra playing the dotted figure in fortissimo as the beginning of the theme, the end of the dominant preparation in m. 56 is marked not only by a release of the pedal point in the basses, but also by the “premature” sounding of the dotted figure in the first violin and flutes while the rest of the orchestra are still maintaining the constant quarter-note motion. This early announcement of the theme serves as a pickup beat to its full statement, making the downbeat on m. 57 all the more forceful, in line with the tonal resolution and the dynamic fortissimo climax at the end of the long crescendo of the dominant preparation. It appears both in m. 56 and in m. 57 identically on A – the first time as a sort of ornament at the end of the dominant preparation, and the second time as part of the essential theme appearing in the tonic. This repetition almost seems like an adhesive — bridging the gap between dominant and tonic and wiping away any notion of punctuation that is traditionally associated with a strong cadence such as this one in the classical style. At a moment that is so forceful in its onward drive the dotted octave figure does nothing to disrupt the deluge, but rather compels the appearance of the theme ever more powerfully. This rhythmic ligature is not the only device Beethoven uses to circumvent the pause that a strong cadence would imply. In this case, the punctuation between the dominant pedal point and the ensuing statement of the aggregate theme in the tonic is also blurred in m. 56 by the very release of the pedal point just before the cadential landing on the tonic. After 23 bars of a steady low dominant A in the basses, they leap up a seventh to form the third, weakest, inversion of the dominant chord in the last bar before the cadence; they then approach the tonicD – going through the second inversion of the chord – in descending stepwise motion. This milder harmonic arrival at the cadence in the bass, along with the rhythmic bridge in the top voices effect a smooth transition from the dominant pedal point into the tonic and weaken the strong punctuation that would otherwise be the result of this cadence. After the short modulation to C major the dotted figure appears again in m. 77 and serves as the only material played by the strings while the woodwinds sound long sustained notes. The phrase in mm. 77-84 does not bear any significant melodic substance but is harmonic in nature, serving to tonicizeC major. It also does not continue in the quarter-note rhythmic drive that precedes it, but instead Beethoven manages to maintain thrust with the dotted figure alone. He does this through the use of a soft dynamic curve – crescendo followed by diminuendo – that will later recur as a motif in itself; the curve supports the fugue-like entrances of the 2nd violin, followed by the 1st violin and then the viola, and unifies their dotted rhythm with the contrapuntal long notes played in the winds. It starts at m. 77, >F
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but the forte-piano dynamic indication on that bar places its downbeat as the end of the preceding forte passage; in effect, m.77 is at once both an end and a beginning, and once again punctuation is avoided. The smooth change in dynamics that follows this uninterrupted transition from the previous phrase imbues the passage with a sense of continuity that overcomes the otherwise-disruptive effect of the dotted rhythmic figure and the clear difference between the musical characters of mm. 77-84 and the preceding theme. Set in this context, the rhythmic details are subordinated to the dynamic and harmonic motion and ultimately the single-bar pulse is maintained and flow continues. The entire passage is repeated at m. 85 with its texture reinforced by the basses and celli and the closing diminuendo replaced by a continuation of the crescendo to the fortissimo pedal point onC major in m. 93. Unlike the previous dominant pedal point (mm. 33-56) where the entire orchestra was moving forward in steady quarter notes, in this instance the strings are playing the dotted-rhythm figure while the woodwinds and horns are accentuating the barpulse with a rhythmic variation of the post-fugue theme that eventually dissolves back to its original quarter-note pattern. The thematic and tonal plan of a sonata-form movement hinges on the distinction between the first and second subject groups; it usually presents an opposition between them in the exposition that is ultimately reconciled in the recapitulation. Indeed, the section that starts inC major in m. 93 returns in the home tonality of D major in m. 330, as is customary for the second subject area in sonata-form tonal plan. However, I feel that in this movement, not only is the thematic material for this second subject not significantly contrasting in relation to the first subject, but the choice for its key is also one that blurs classic dialectical tonal procedure; the flat-seventhC major is, at once, quite foreign to D minor – being the dominant of its relative major, and close enough in pitch – a single step down, that its appearance does not sound as a strong tonal opposition to the home key. In fact, it contributes the scherzo’s even consistency by sounding like only a mild divergence from the previous thematic area. In m. 109 the woodwinds and trumpets sound the dotted figure preparing the brief cadence onF – a cadence that instantaneously sheds new light on the preceding passage, turning itsC major tonality from an independent tonal area into the dominant of the movement’s relative major. AlthoughC major will soon return as the final tonal environment before the repeat mark, this cadence transforms the preceding heavily tonicized area into a dominant preparation of F, deflating some of its tonal significance, and therefore dislodging its tonal foothold along with some of the clarity of punctuation that is one of the functions of tonal definition. The following sequence in mm. 111 – 116 serves as the first significant punctuation mark since the introduction to the movement. In mm. 117 – 126 the dynamic crescendo-diminuendo-crescendo motif appears again, this time over new harmonic and melodic material. Much like m. 77 served in effecting a smooth transition into the first instance of the dynamic curve motif, m. 117 does the same in this one. At m. 109 the winds and the strings begin a sequence of entrances of the primary theme set 2 bars apart. The dynamic curve at m. 117 arrives in the place of a fifth entrance in the sequence and – like its previous instance at m. 77 – at once ends the preceding phrase and begins a new one. Although the dotted figure that previously provided a vessel for the dynamic curve is not present here, and the rhythmic material is mostly regular quarter-notes, the equivalence with the curve’s previous instance is apparent; not only is the actual change in dynamics the same, but also the transition from the preceding material into the curve is carried out in a similar manner. After the short pause in mm. 109-116 the dynamic curve once again is the primary device evoking the feeling of continuous forward motion. The application of this dynamic motif to both types of rhythmic patterns from the opening theme supports the sense of their unity; even though they are contrasting in their rhythmic nature, they both serve the forward drive of the scherzo. When the scherzo returns to its home key after some harmonic development in m. 298 the dynamic curve appears again, repeating 3 times before the closing crescendo leading to a strong pedal point on the tonic major key. The most radical harmonic shift in the scherzo occurs in mm. 159 – 176. The dotted figure appears, moving down the cycle of fifths from the Neapolitan II (E ) all the way to A (through C =B) and then chromatically through A# to B. The fermata on B in m. 176 turns out to be a dominant pause in preparation for the unexpected arrival at the key of E minor. The new key signature heralds the arrival of a new section that explores several neighboring tonalities before returning home to D minor in m. 268. Besides the harmonic excursion that it follows, it also presents a new handling of the rhythmic material. The double bar line is followed by the indication “Ritmo di tre battute” signifying >>
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the change of pulse from 4-bar phrases to 3-bar phrases. The same material from the opening of the scherzo — the dotted figure followed by a sequence ascending by a step — is presented again, only set in a shorter framework and primarily orchestrated in the woodwinds, rather than the strings. Beethoven chooses to apply imitation technique again, but does not go as far as constructing a full fugue, and allows successive statements of the shortened subject on the tonic. At first the dotted figure reappears as part of the polyphonic texture — sounding in one part while the others carry on the forward motion in quarter notes— but then it is stripped bare of all accompaniment and appears alone in the timpani in mm. 195-206. Even though the timpani are notated forte, the entire orchestra is playing piano and this clear articulation of the dotted figure sounds almost like a side-note. It is consequently re-integrated into the symphonic texture through several utterances in pianissim o and then as the long dominant preparation goes through an orchestral crescendo in mm. 251-266 it emerges from the brass section and takes over the entire orchestra for the tonal resolution back in D minor in m. 268. This long unwinding occurs through a few tonal changes and also a rhythmic change in m. 234 when the 4-bar phrasing returns with the indication “ Ritmo di quattro battute”. Although the two phrasing indications essentially prescribe a change in meter from to and back, the change sounds almost seamless, because the pulse that actually carries the music forward is the quarter note. The first theme from m. 57 returns at m. 272 heralding the recapitulation, but, once again, a strong cadence is averted.16 The tonal arrival at the tonic precedes the thematic reprise by 4 bars in m. 268, and even that onset does not follow a strong dominant antecedent. Although the dominant A is heard in the basses, and the dominant chord has been prepared by the augmented-sixth “German” chord in the preceding bars, it is never resolved to the actual dominant triad and tonic appears without ever sounding the scale’s leading tone. Beethoven avoids this potentially-dramatic cadence as he does other cadences in the movement, thus creating yet another unpunctuated transition from one section to another. He stays true to what seems to be the essential design consideration of the scherzo – the preservation of its continuous flow. This design is realized by using tonal devices, rhythmic devices and dynamic devices to minimize the effect of punctuation that naturally occurs in tonal music at the end of the classical period.
Third Movement Andante cantabile con moto The structure of this movement follows the Sonata principle, with an Exposition, Development and Recapitulation. This is not unusual for a slow movement and, since the overall structure differs somewhat from that of the first movement, serves as a reminder that the sonata structure was not set in stone as a ‘form’. The key is F major, the subdominant. By moving to the ‘flat side’, a more relaxed feeling is produced and although the tempo is slower and the dynamic mainly a hushed pp, Beethoven does not want the tempo to drag: Andante cantabile, but also con moto. The orchestration is interesting. Unusually for a slow movement, Beethoven retains the full orchestra, including brass, although he reduces the flutes to a single player. The tuning of the timpani is also unusual since it is tuned to the notes C and G, rather than the tonic and dominant notes of F major (F and C). This tuning enables Beethoven to emphasize the dominant notes of the tonic and dominant keys, rather than the tonic and dominant notes of the tonic key alone.
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Exposition (bars 1 – 64) 1st subject (bars 1- 26) The movement begins in the 2nd violins alone, followed by a gradual increase in the instrumental texture. The st imitative entries in the violas and cellos, basses and bassoons (‘tonal’, rather than ‘real’, imitation) and 1 violins, flute and oboe give the music a fugal quality. Even the horn, with its limited range of notes, has a chance to imitate the opening in bars 12 - 14. The first subject has two melodic ideas: (i) bars 1 - 7 and (ii) bars 19 - 26 in the violins and flute. This second idea develops the dotted semiquaver-demisemiquaver rhythm first heard in bar 3, and which is destined to become an important rhythmic motif in the movement. The tonality is primarily focused on the tonicdominant relationship. A dominant C pedal is played by the horns from bars 15 – 23 and an inverted dominant pedal occurs in the flute part between bars 16 and 19. st There is no real bridge passage. The 1 subject concludes on a C chord in bar 25 and the music moves swiftly on nd into the 2 subject material in bar 26, after a quaver rest. nd
2
subject (bars 26 - 53)
st The second subject begins in C major in the 1 violins and moves briefly through D minor before returning to C major (bar 30) and reaching an imperfect cadence in bar 34. These bars (26 - 34) constitute an 8-bar antecedent melodic structure scored predominantly for strings. The 8-bar consequent (bars 34 – 42) has the theme in the nd st woodwind and 2 violins, while the 1 violins decorate with a semiquaver counter- melody. The consequent section ends with a perfect cadence in C major in bars 41 - 42. nd Just as Beethoven conceived two ideas for his first subject, he does the same with the 2 subject. At bar 42 a st rhythmic idea is introduced based on a rising dotted semiquaver-demisemiquaver pattern in the 1 violins and answered by the rest of the string section in a descending sequence which passes through C major, A minor (bars 43 - 44) and D minor (44 - 45) before a cadential 6/4 cadence in C major (bar 45 to bar 46). This rhythm is derived from the rhythmic idea in bar 3.
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st In bar 46, the same rhythmic idea is taken up by the bassoons and oboes, and the 1 violins join the rest of the string st section in a dialogue with these woodwind instruments - in a manner similar to the dialogue between the 1 violins and the rest of the strings in the previous 4 bars. A syncopated passage (bars 49 - 52) follows. It is based on sequential modulation before following the pattern of bars 45 – 46, again concluding on a cadential 6/4 cadence in C major (bars 52 - 53).
Codetta (bars 53 – 64) This section is marked by a G pedal note in the timpani in the dotted semiquaver- demisemiquaver rhythm, which is nd nd supported by corresponding dominant pedal notes in the cellos and basses, 2 violins, brass and 2 bassoon. The st harmony is centered on the tonic (now C major) and dominant. This is decorated by a triplet melody in the 1 st violins and flute, perhaps an extension of the triplet idea played by the 1 violins in bar 45 and also occurring in bar 52. The last four bars of the Exposition (61 - 64) conclude with a reference (in C major) to the opening notes of the movement.
Development (bars 64 - 100) After concluding the Exposition in the dominant key of C major with a reference to the opening of the first subject, Beethoven starts the Development by continuing to refer to the opening notes, but the key is now C minor. Quiet and mysterious, this sparse melodic and instrumental texture expands to include more instruments and a crescendo st before modulating to Db major in bar 71. Here, Beethoven combines a motif derived from the 1 subject, imitated st st in conversational style between the flutes, 1 oboe and 1 bassoon, with the dotted semiquaver-demisemiquaver rhythm which featured as the timpani pedal note at the start of the codetta and is now used as a string accompaniment to the woodwind (bars 71 - 80). The timpani returns with this rhythm at bar 81, playing a C pedal – now the dominant - as the melodic fragment from the first subject explores F minor and, by sequential modulation in conversation between the violins and violas and the woodwind, finds its way by bar 93 to dominant preparation for the return of F major. Resembling the codetta, the timpani in this passage is accompanied by dominant pedals in the horns and trumpets. To reinforce the dominant preparation for the Recapitulation, there is a timpani roll from bar 89 and a crescendo to forte. From bar st 94, linking into the Recapitulation, the 1 violins start to explore an idea based on the dotted semiquaverdemisemiquaver rhythm which has become such a feature of the movement.
Recapitulation (bars 100 – 195) nd Beginning at bar 100, the first subject appears, as at the start of the movement, in the 2 violins in F major and as before is imitated by other instruments. Alongside this Beethoven weaves a countermelody, heard first in the cellos (starting in bar 101) and then it too is imitated by different instruments. This creates a rich contrapuntal texture. The st countermelody itself grows quite naturally from the descending semiquaver figure in the 1 violins in bar 100. It demonstrates Beethoven’s mastery of writing and incorporating a range of different textures into a rich orchestral tapestry, here creating a much more powerful reprise of the first subject, particularly in the approach to the second subject. The second subject is approached, as in the exposition, by a chord of C major (bar 125). However, Beethoven alters the pitches of the melody so that, although following the same antecedent-consequent melodic structure of the exposition, the second subject material is firmly based in the tonic key of F major with an imperfect cadence at the end of the antecedent (bar 134) and a perfect cadence in F major in bar 142. Beethoven then continues to use the >A
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rhythmic and syncopated motifs as in the exposition (bars 142 – 153) but this time with a cadence in F major, and a greater contribution from the horns (bars 146 - 150).
Coda (bars 153 – 195) The first ten bars of the coda (bars 153 – 162) resemble those of the codetta, with the exception that the tonality is now F major, so pitches have been changed accordingly and the timpani rhythm and accompanying brass notes are now C (dominant of F major). However, as in the first movement, Beethoven extends the music at this point by referring to motifs and ideas used earlier in the movement. Bars 162 - 169 use the material of the first subject in bars 12 - 19 (an octave lower and with different scoring) and part of this (bars 167 - 170) is then extended sequentially, first rising through G minor (with an emphasis on the dominant, D), then Bb major (170 – 176), and then falling (177 – 182) until reaching a perfect cadence in F major in bars 181 - 182. During this passage the violins play the repeated semiquaver rhythm originally given to the horns in the corresponding place in the Exposition. nd From bar 182 the 2 violins and violas play the dotted semiquaver-demisemiquaver rhythm in much the same st manner as at the start of the Development in bars 71 – 80. Above this, the 1 oboe part outlines the opening of the st first subject, while in bars 184 - 186 the 1 violins play a descending scale-like figure in the familiar dotted rhythm over dominant and tonic harmonies and a light, pizzicato bass. This descending motif is then combined with the flute, playing in contrary motion, in bars 188 - 190. The horns have a chance to shine in bars 190 - 193 as their two-note motif alternates with gentle pp acciaccaturas in the violins and flute, before combining with the woodwind and strings to conclude the movement with a perfect cadence in F major. In the closing bars of the movement the dynamic markings change suddenly from pp to f and then to p. nd
Final comment on the 2 movement Despite using a full orchestra in this movement, Beethoven’s scoring is often delicate and befitting of a slow movement of this period. Harmonically, apart from sequential modulations and tonal exploration in the development, Beethoven explores closely related keys, particularly the tonic and dominant. This is a feature, which influenced the tuning of the timpani, as there are sections, such as the codetta and coda, where dominant notes are used extensively. This too would be in keeping with a classical slow movement, but provides a contrast with the apparent tonal ambiguities of the first movement. Also typically ‘classical’ is the use of graceful, balanced melodies with clear-cut cadences as well as Beethoven’s use of the woodwind with strings to initiate dialogue.
Brass instruments of this period were limited mainly to harmonic functions. This is evident in this movement, where the horns or trumpets are used to play pedal notes or to play at cadence points and in arpeggio passages. However, particularly at the end of the movement, Beethoven demonstrates his sensitivity to orchestral timbres by making use of the particular tone color of the French horns. This appreciation of individual instrumental timbres, and how to combine them, is a fingerprint of Beethoven’s orchestral style.
Fourth Movement Lots of interesting history and factoids about this symphony: – The longest (over 1 hour), and the largest (by instrumentation) symphony ever written at its time, and still today one of the longest ever – “Officially” too k 6 years to complete, th ough counting to w hen back-burner pla nning and sketching be gan, Beethoven spent 31 y ears on it – When Sony was developing the compact disc, the length of the symphony was considered as a basis for how long they should be – it was decided that the CD should be at least long enough to hold the entire symphony – Beethoven had long been completely deaf when he composed it, but still conducted the premiere performance of it
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– The premiere perf ormance received su ch a long ovation in Vien na that police had to br eak it up, because it was exceed ing the customary le ngth of ovation required for royalty – Just prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall, American composer Leonard Bernstein conducted the symphony on back-to-back nights in Berlin, once on each side of the wall, with a special orchestra comprised of musicians from all over the world, and replaced the German word for “joy” (freude) to essentially make it “Ode to Freedom” (freiheit) – In Japan, is performed annually as a New Year’s Eve tradition – Adapted to be the of ficial anthem of th e European Union – Adapted as the Christi an hymn “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”
In terms of analysis and guided tour, this work is too huge for me to fully do it justice. The 4th movement alone (which contains the “Ode to Joy” part) is over 20 minutes long, and is vastly complex on many levels. One structural innovation about this movement is that it contains a “symphony within a symphony,” in that it has 4 distinct parts to it, which follow the conventions of a typical 4-movement symphony.
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