Music from Beethoven’s“Heroic” Period—III

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67

composed 1807-08 (but preliminary sketches date from 1804)published Leipzig 1809first performed 22 December 1808dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz and Count Andreas RazumovskyI. Allegro con brioII. AdagioIII. Allegro vivaceIV. Allegro ma non troppo

Beethoven’s Akademie of 22 December 1808

“On Thursday, December 22, Ludwig van Beethoven will have the honor to give a musical Akademie in the R.I. Priv. Theater-an-der-Wien. All the pieces are of his composition, entirely new, and not yet heard in public…First Part: I, A Symphony, entitled: “A Recollection of Country Life,” in F Major (No. 5). 2, Aria. 3, Hymn with Latin text, composed in the church style with chorus and solos. 4, Pianoforte Concerto played by himself.

“Second Part. I, Grand Symphony in C Minor (No. 6). 2, Holy, with Latin text, composed in the church style with chorus and solos. 3, Fantasia for Pianoforte alone. 4, Fantasia for the Pianoforte which ends with the gradual entrance of the entire orchestra and the introduction of choruses as a finale. Boxes and reserved seats are to be had in the Krugerstrasse No. 1074, first story. Beginning at half past six o’clock.” (from the Wiener Zeitung, 17 December)

Behind the scenes—Beethoven’s concert on November 15:

At either the rehearsals or the public performance, something happened to cause a serious breach between Beethoven and the orchestra. Ries records that an incident occurred through which the orchestra compelled Beethoven to realize his injustice “and in all seriousness insisted that he should not conduct. In consequence, at the rehearsal [for the 22 December concert], Beethoven had to remain in an anteroom, and it was a long time before the quarrel was settled.”

The quarrel, as related in Ludwig Spohr’s Autobiography:

By his too energetic motions at the November concert Beethoven first knocked the candles off the piano and then knocked down a choir boy deputized to hold them. The two incidents sent the audience into a “bacchanalian jubilation” of laughter. (It is doubtful if this happened at the November concert, though it could have happened at one of the rehearsals for the concert.)

From notes of a conversation with Josef Röckel, a tenor:

“Beethoven had made the orchestra of the Theater-an-der-Wien so angry with him that only the leaders, Seyfried, Clement, etc., would have anything to do with him, and it was only after much persuasion and upon condition that Beethoven should not be in the room during the rehearsals, that the rank and file consented to play. During the rehearsals, in the large room in the back of the theatre, Beethoven walked up and down in an anteroom, and often Röckel with him. After a movement Seyfried would come to him for criticisms. Röckel believed the story (I.e., if told of a rehearsal) of Beethoven in his zeal having knocked the candles off the pianoforte, and he himself saw the boys, one on each side, holding candles for him.”

Johann Friedrich Reichardt described the concert in a letter:I accepted the kind offer of Prince Lobkowitz to let me sit in his box with hearty thanks. There we continued, in the bitterest cold, too, from half past six to half past ten, and experienced the truth that one can easily have too much of a good thing—and still more of a loud [thing]. Nevertheless, I could no more leave the box before the end than could the exceedingly good-natured and delicated Prince, for the box was in the first balcony near the stage, so that the orchestra with Beethoven in the middle conducting it was below us and near at hand; thus many a failure in the performance vexed our patience in the highest degree. Poor Beethoven, who from this, [continued]

…his own concert, was having the first and only scant profit that he could find in a whole year, had found in the rehearsals and performance a lot of opposition and almost no support. Singers and orchestra were composed of heterogeneous elements, and it had been found impossible to get a single full rehearsal for all the pieces to be performed, all filled with the greatest difficulties.”

Carl Czerny, on Beethoven’s desire for a work other than the Fifth Symphony to end the concert:

“There came to him shortly before [the performance date] the idea of writing a brilliant piece for this concert. He chose a song which he had composed many years before, planned the variations, the chorus, etc., and the poet Kuffner was called upon to write the words in a hurry according to Beethoven’s hints. Thus originated the Choral Fantasy, Op. 80. It was finished so late that it could scarcely be sufficiently rehearsed. Beethoven related this in my presence in order to explain why, at the concert, he had had it repeated. ‘Some of the instruments had counted wrong in the rests,’ he said; ‘if I had let them play a few measures more the most horrible dissonances would have resulted. I had to make an interruption.” (from Thayer’s Life of Beethoven, pp. 446-448)

Symphony No. 6 in F, Op. 68

composed 1808first performance 22 December 1808published Leipzig, 1809dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz and Count Razumovsky

I. Allegro ma non troppo (“Awakening of happy feelings on arrival in the country”)II. Andante molto moto (“Scene by the brook”)III. Allegro (“Joyous gathering of country folk”)IV. Allegro (“Tempest, storm”)V. Allegretto (“Shepherd’s Song: happy and thankful feelings after the storm”)

Sonata for Piano in F Minor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”)

composed 1804-5published Vienna 1807dedicated to Count Brunsvik

I. Allegro assaiII. Andante con motoIII. Allegro ma non troppo