music should serve. Schubert, however,
adored Rossini, whose operas at this time
were dominating Viennese theater stages.
In this symphony, Rossini can be heard
in the light-hearted comic-opera themes,
especially in the second and fourth
movements, while Beethoven’s bold spirit
inspired the third-movement scherzo.
The first movement seems like a
musical battle between Rossini’s light-
fingered insouciance and Beethoven’s
magisterial thunder. This duel begins
immediately in the slow introduction, in
which the full orchestra’s majestic opening
measures are answered by languishing,
soft woodwinds. Throughout this work,
Schubert sharply delineates his woodwind
band of flutes, oboes, clarinets and
bassoons from the rest of the orchestra
and honors them with much important
thematic material including both the first
movement’s principal themes. The Allegro
section’s winsome toy-soldier first theme
for flutes and oboes is a kissing cousin to
the opening theme of Haydn’s famous
“Military” Symphony and quickly dispels
any notion suggested by the introduction
that this is to be a solemn symphony.
In the exciting, sped-up closing coda,
Schubert charmingly brings it back in a
mocking dialogue with the violins.
The second movement, in a not very
slow Andante tempo, alternates a little
violin aria fit for a Rossinian heroine
with mock-martial music driven by
constant triplet rhythms. When the aria
returns, it has acquired those triplets as
well. This is a marvelously orchestrated
atmosphere piece rather than a moment
to shed tears.
Beethoven nudges Rossini off the
stage for the rhythmically aggressive
third movement, Schubert’s first foray
into the scherzo model created by the
Bonn master. The alternation between
soft and loud dynamics, staccato
(clipped) and smooth phrasing, as well
as the stabbing loud accents (sometimes
stressing the weak third beat against
the strong first) are all Beethoven
hallmarks. More Schubertian is the
rustic, slower-tempo trio section with its
heavy drone accompaniment, accented
every other measure.
art.
architecture.
design.
DESIGNING THE NEW
Charles Rennie
Mackintosh
& the
Glasgow Style
FREE ADMISSION
600 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
thewalters.org
Oct 6, 2019 – Jan 5, 2020
Designing the New: Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style is a touring exhibition coorganized by Glasgow Museums and the American Federation of Arts.
Support for the US national tour is provided by the Dr. Lee MacCormick Edwards Charitable Foundation. | The Walters’ presentation is made possible by
generous support from the Women’s Committee of the Walters Art Museum. | All images Collection Glasgow Museums, Courtesy American Federation of Arts.
N OV– D EC 201 9 / OV E R T U R E
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