Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda (conductor)
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Kurt Masur (conductor)
RPO
Rene Leibowitz (conductor)
1. Adagio - Allegro vivace
2. Adagio
3. Allegro vivace
4. Allegro ma non troppo
The winter of 1806 was a time of astonishing creativity for Beethoven. He was already at work on his Fifth Symphony when he turned aside from that mighty composition to write his Symphony in B flat major, music vastly different in mood and character.
The method of composition Beethoven employed was to jot down ideas, even fragments, in his notebooks whenever they came to him. Moreover, the absence of surviving sketches for the Symphony No. 4 would suggest, like the music itself, that it was a spontaneous outpouring. Yet the work is by no means entirely sunny in disposition, since it also contains passages of considerable intensity.
Although the Adagio introduction is not lengthy it is spacious and impressive, and provides the ideal foil to the main body of the first movement, which develops at tempo Allegro vivace . Three bars of fortissimo form a climax, and a series of flourishes move the music into the first subject, which as it proceeds proves to have a dual identity, serving as either theme or accompaniment. Lightness and vivacity feature prominently, and there are some splendid opportunities for the wind instruments. These various ideas are developed with considerable ingenuity and presented with imaginative orchestration. One such example is the deployment of a prolonged timpani roll to herald the recapitulation of the principal theme.
The slow movement is spacious and serene, though dramatic gestures make their impact too. The central section, for instance, is intense and passionate, while the rhythmic pattern heard at the opening pervades practically the whole movement. The principal theme is a gloriously lyrical inspiration, sustaining many presentations of its song-like contour. The closing bars emphasise these subtleties, as the drums tap out the basic rhythm.
The harmonic range of the scherzo is surprisingly wide, but more interesting still is the music's rhythmic subtlety. The complex textures enhance the vivacious approach, while the central trio takes the form of a long crescendo, at the climax of which the double basses add their weight.
The finale has abundant high spirits, the music propelled by the introductory phrase that sets the agenda. Once again Beethoven uses his theme as the springboard for the dynamic rhythmic activity, the effect enhanced by a contrasted theme introduced by the oboe. The development is chiefly concerned with the lively first theme, however, until the solo bassoon heralds the recapitulation, while even during the coda it is this same material that holds centre stage. Here Beethoven also employs one of one of Haydn's favourite devices, slowly spelling out the contour of what has been a lively theme, before suddenly resuming that rhythmic vitality which is ultimately this symphony's prime concern.
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© Terry Barfoot
