Beethoven - Symphony no.7 in A Major, op.92
The “Apotheosis of Dance” says Wagner, the “Rondo des paysans” says Berlioz…how many listeners feel moved to describe the symphony with poetic imagery? How many love its energy and think of it as a great collection of dances [side note: choreographers have paired dancing with this music and it is not nearly as easy as the comments imply]? Looking at the commentators it’s interesting to see people get clear pictures of peasant dances or bacchanalia and what not while Beethoven writes “Vivace”, “Allegretto”, “Presto”…a reminder that Beethoven was of the classical era and let the music speak for itself. Here it does feel like his most lyrically charged and optimistic symphony, that feels almost free form. The opening shocks us with a huge chord immediately dispelled by a single line, almost like a Haydn inspired musical joke. It becomes a grand introduction to a very lively and “folksy” theme. The life affirming joy of this movement is contrasted by the shadowed allegretto, which is one of the most popular movements of all his music. It is a passacaglia, with a major key B section wedged in it. The opening is a soft stately A minor chord, and then the bass line comes in, a dignified but almost menacing theme. Variations are written overhead with the strings, eventually adding in the winds and brass. The B section is a bit of fresh air, a longing melody, before the passacaglia returns, weaving together a fugato section until the music builds up into a powerful orchestral explosion. The B section returns, the music drifts away. The scherzo opens with an awkward pattern, that is peppered over a triumphant and fun dance. The finale opens with an orchestral rush that chugs forward, emphasizing the power that the entire symphony contains. We shift from celebration to drama and back again, and of course the work ends with a bang.
Movements:
1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
2. Allegretto
3. Presto - Assai meno presto
4. Allegro con brio
