HEYWARD’ S TRIUMPHANT BEETHOVEN demanding encores of the second movement. Beethoven himself conducted, thereby helping to codify his reputation as one of the great orchestral composers of his time.
Beethoven was clearly pushing against established compositional boundaries of size, color, and structure in the Seventh Symphony. Of particular note is his use of the woodwinds and the way he pairs specific instruments and exploits their full ranges to create a diverse palate of colors. After an especially lengthy introduction, the main melodic theme in the first movement is initially presented by the flute, who is then joined by the bassoons, clarinets, and oboes. Paying homage to his teacher Franz Joseph Haydn, Beethoven uses a monothematic exposition for this movement. This means that there is only one melodic theme that is developed across the movement, rather than the standard two melodic themes.
The second movement of Symphony No. 7 was so beloved during Beethoven’ s life that it was sometimes even played as a substitute for the second movement in performances of his Eighth Symphony. Beginning with a melodic and rhythmic ostinato( repeated pattern) in the low strings that is reminiscent of a dirge, the movement gradually unfolds into a masterful creation for the strings, with each section of instruments taking over the ostinato. This music is alternated with a contrasting section that retains the same rhythmic pulse of the ostinato and superimposes hopeful melodies over it.
Composers have a wealth of tools at their disposal for creating musical humor, and Beethoven uses many of them in the rousing third movement. In this scherzo, or musical joke, Beethoven puts accents in unexpected places, writes phrases that are uneven, and utilizes rapid shifts in range, timbre, and volume,
giving the whole movement the sense of being a bit off-kilter.
Bravura is on full display in the final movement, with the brass amplifying the volume of the strings and woodwinds. Beethoven even writes the unusual dynamic mark“ fff”( very, very loud), lending even more oomph to a movement that is full of fiery passion. The entire movement is intense, with driving rhythms, exciting melodic themes, and an absolutely triumphant coda that aptly brings closure to a symphony of a grander scale than audiences of the time had ever before experienced.
Instrumentation: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.
PAULA MAUST is Assistant Professor of Music Theory at the Peabody Conservatory. She is the author of Expanding the Music Theory Canon and performs extensively as a harpsichordist and organist.
PEABODY
2025 – 26 CONCERT SEASON
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