HEYWARD’ S TRIUMPHANT BEETHOVEN
on the climate catastrophe that is written in dialogue with Beethoven’ s references to the natural world.
Since its premiere by The Philadelphia Orchestra, Jeder Baum spricht has been performed to great acclaim numerous times by major orchestras across North America. Habibi writes that“ the piece shifts focus rapidly, and attempts to achieve its goal time and time again through different means, only to be faced with similar obstacles.” This is a commentary on the havoc humanity has wreaked on nature and our thwarted efforts at resolving the crisis. Throughout the work, we hear evocations of majestic trees, frolicking animals, and singing birds superimposed over a frustrating darkness. Habibi writes that the piece“ ends with a sense of resolve, one that I hope can drive our collective will towards immediate impactful change.”
Instrumentation: Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons and contrabassoon, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Baptized: December 17, 1770 in Bonn, Germany Died: March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria
CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, CELLO, AND PIANO IN C MAJOR, OP. 56,“ TRIPLE CONCERTO” [ 1803 – 1804 ]
The compositional history of Beethoven’ s Triple Concerto is as ambiguous as the work’ s scoring for three soloists is unusual. Anton Schindler, Beethoven’ s first biographer, surmised that the piece was written for the young Archduke Rudolf of Austria sometime between 1803 and 1807. The Archduke was Beethoven’ s piano student at the time, and Schindler presumed that Beethoven conceived of the shared soloist role to ensure that the Archduke would be capable of playing the piano part. However, we have no record of the Archduke performing the piece, and when the Triple Concerto was published Beethoven dedicated it to Prince Lobkowitz.
By the turn of the 19 th century, the concerto was primarily a genre that featured a single, virtuosic soloist accompanied by orchestra. Decades earlier, it was not unusual for concertos to have groups of soloists, like in Johann Sebastian Bach’ s Brandenburg Concertos, for example. But an audience in Beethoven’ s time would have found the instrumentation atypical, which is perhaps why the Triple Concerto was unpopular. Regardless of its reception, the piece is an impressive compositional feat— Beethoven managed the challenge of showcasing each soloist while balancing the disparate timbres and ranges of the instruments.
Much of Beethoven’ s music from the early 19 th century reflected themes of heroism, including the famous Third Symphony(“ Eroica”). Written during Beethoven’ s so-called heroic decade, the Triple Concerto also exudes triumph and bravura. The orchestra begins the first movement softly, gradually intensifying to prepare us for the soloists’ entry. The solo cello has the first statement of the primary melodic theme, the violinist immediately follows, and finally the pianist makes a grand entry. With moments of virtuosity and poignant lyricism, the soloists intricately weave in and out of positions of prominence. Beethoven expertly utilizes the high notes in the cello’ s range, allowing the instrument to stand out when it might otherwise have been covered by the piano and violin.
After the intense first movement, the second movement is a welcome reprieve of lush harmonies and soaring melodies. Again, the solo cellist is the first to present the melody and is in the spotlight for some time before the piano takes over. Ending with a series of accelerating repeated notes, the slow movement progresses immediately into the final movement, which Beethoven marked“ alla Polacca”( as a Polonaise). The Polonaise is a Polish dance in triple meter that is associated with grand celebrations and features distinctive marked rhythms and folk melodies. The sonic world of the Polonaise is expertly fused with the virtuosic fireworks expected in the final movement of a concerto.
Instrumentation: Flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings, in addition to the solo violin, cello, and piano.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
SYMPHONY NO. 7 IN A MAJOR, OP. 92 [ 1812 ]
Approximately a decade after composing the Triple Concerto, Beethoven’ s Seventh Symphony was premiered by an all-start lineup of Vienna’ s finest musicians. The occasion was a December 1813 benefit concert to support German soldiers wounded during their unsuccessful endeavor to block Napolean’ s retreat to Frankfurt. The Symphony was wildly successful from the start, with audiences at the first two performances immediately
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