Thursday, December 02, 2010

Van the Man

A friend gave me just two hours to write "family programme notes" for Beethoven's seventh symphony. I tried to teach him a lesson by doing it so badly he'd never ask me again. Unfortunately, he's using them, saying he hasn't laughed so much in years. Hoist by my own petard methinks.

"...Of Beethoven's symphonies, the seventh is probably the one that most beautifully poses more questions than it answers. Unlike the third or sixth symphonies, it doesn't say it's about anything, but for most people it paints clearer pictures in the mind than either 'Eroica' or the 'Pastoral' will ever do. Every time you listen to it you can make up a whole film in your mind. If you try to listen to it, you will not be disappointed.

Although Classical in form (note the capital 'C') this symphony is Romantic in content. A symphony of this type almost always has four movements: fast - slow - dancey - fast (typically known as; 'allegro' - 'adagio' - 'scherzo' - 'allegro').

I won't go any further into technicalities, I'll just give you one mental 'film' from me.

First movement:

I can never think of the opening without seeing many, many birds of prey gathering, searching for thermals, and then rising on them to get to the height from which they can carry out their hunt. They then halt and observe the frightened rabbits (otherwise known as the french horn section who have just seen their 'lip-splitter' of a first entry, and are writing their resignations). The birds perform a formation 'peel-and-dive'. The rest of the story need only be listened for. No interpretation is wrong.

Second movement:

For me this is a drift down a river. Lie back and relax if you can. It's smooth, regular, almost comforting. You will soon feel the undercurrents though. Beethoven here manages to make one repeated note work as a tune (jealous!). Oh, and enjoy the exhilarating creep-up-to, and blast through the gully in the middle, and then the opening out into the sea.

Third movement:

I can't help but think of about one-hundred lambs being all let out of a pen at the same time as I was having a picnic for this movement. "Bounce, bounce, munch, munch, stand regally, stand regally, feel a bit sad, feel a bit sad... repeat ad nauseam". Again, make it up in your own mind! It's all here and no idea is wrong!

Fourth movement:

Remember those rabbits? (The horn section) Well, they're scared again. This time they're at either end of a medieval battle. The action ebbs and flows with every imaginable emotion covered. Certainty turns to trepidation, which turns back to certainty, which turns to fear, which turns to hesitation. "Back to battle! Forth!!" (fourth?!)... "Um, we're a bit lost here, Sarge..." - "That way, men!!!" After much running uphill, victory is finally and emphatically secured.

Make up your own story though. Nothing is wrong..."



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