1. How Beethoven related to nature?
Like so many other 19th century artists, Beethoven was a fan of nature and drew a lot of inspiration from it. He thought the city, society and human communities were all saturated with contradictions, conflicts, or sins; but nature was pure and harmonious. The Sixth Symphony commemorates this joyful and peaceful feeling.
2. Did Beethoven like to hike in nature?
Bilbo Baggins must have traveled more and farther than Beethoven, but he should have no shame either! Literally every day, no matter the weather, he always left his home and set off. He often spent summers wandering in the mountains around Vienna. The notebook was always there in his pocket if his muse had whispered new ideas in his ear.
|Related: Landsberg 6 – Beethoven’s most famous sketchbook
3. Where does the term Pastoral Symphony come from?
Beethoven named only two of his symphonies, one being Eroica, the Third Symphony, and the other the Pastoral, the Sixth.
The full name of the Sixth Symphony given by Beethoven is “Pastoral Symphony, or Recollections of Country Life.”, Opus 68.
The theme of the piece is nature, its harmony and the idealism of rural life.
4. How long is Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony and how many movements does it consist of?
The Sixth Symphony consists of 5 movements and lasts for about 40 minutes.
5. When was the Sixth Symphony premiered and to whom did Beethoven dedicate the work?
Beethoven began work on this composition as early as 1802, but completion awaited until 1808. The premiere took place on December 22, 1808 at the Theater an der Wien as part of a roughly 4-hour super concert. The work was dedicated by Beethoven to Prince Lobkowitz.
6. Why is the Sixth Symphony called program music?
Musical works that tell a story with the means of music are called program music. In the case of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony the story tells a complete Saturday and a Sunday morning from the perspective of rural men or shepherds. He begins by presenting the beauty and serenity of nature and then moves on to an evening dance party later disrupted by a fierce storm. In the last movement, thanksgiving appears, perhaps as part of a Sunday morning mass. You can read more about the movements in our article here!
7. What is special about the Sixth Symphony in terms of the performing?
There are at least two specialties worth mentioning about the performance of the work. One is that in the third movement, in the dancing scene, at one section Beethoven doesn’t set a tempo mark, he just writes: as fast as you can. The other interesting thing is that there is no break between movement 3-4-5, these need to be played continuously.
8. What bird sounds did Beethoven write in the Sixth Symphony?
Towards the end of the second movement a flute as a nightingale, an oboe as a quail and a clarinet as a cuckoo appears in a cadenza.
9. Is it true that Beethoven worked on the Sixth and Fifth Symphonies at the same time?
Yes, it’s true! It is very surprising that two pieces of music so distant in style and meaning have been made at the same time. In some ways, they need to be interpreted together. The Fifth, a symphony of human life as tragedy, destiny and struggle. The Sixth is its counterpoint, representing the harmony and serenity of nature.
