I’m back in my happy place – the second floor of our local library, overlooking the wide field out back.
Today, in addition to the rain and hail slapping against windows and roof, I am listening to Argentine conductor Daniel Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major.
This is a wonderful symphony for this particular setting – gazing out at the clouds, the rain, geese flying south, and an open field often traversed by wild turkeys and deer.
I’ve encountered Maestro Barenboim five times previously, on…
Day 2. Rating: None.
Day 20. Rating: “Huzzah!”
Day 38. Rating: “Almost ‘Huzzah!'”
Day 56. Rating: “Almost ‘Huzzah!'”
Day 75. Rating: “Huzzah!”
What will today bring?
I’ll find out soon enough.
But first, here’s a brief excerpt from the extensive liner notes written by Andreas Richter, translated by Stewart Spencer:
Twice within Beethoven’s symphonic output we encounter pairs of symphonies that could hardly be more different in terms of their content and musical expression in spite of the fact that they were written more or less in parallel and premiered together on the same concert programme. The works in question are the Fifth and Sixth symphonies, and the Seventh and Eighth.
The title “Pastoral” recalls a musical topos already found in Baroque music, above all in the countless pastoral pieces that occur in sacred contexts: suffice it to mention Bach’s Christmas Oratio. Such pieces are characterized by typically Baroque evocations of rustic life, with flutes and oboes (later clarinets) imitating shepherd’s instruments, horn fanfares, a gently rocking triple-time metre and drone-like pedal points.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five).
The time breakdown of this particular one (Symphony No. 6 in F major), from this particular conductor (Barenboim, at age 57) and this particular orchestra (Staatskapelle Berlin), at this particular time in history (May – July 1999) on this particular record label (Warner Classics) is as follows:
I. Allegro ma non troppo………………………………………..13:12
“Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the country”
II. Andante molto mosso………………………………………..12:05
“Scene by the brook”
III. Allegro…………………………………………………………………5:30
“Merry gathering of country folk”
IV. Allegro…………………………………………………………………..4:03
“Thunderstorm”
V. Allegretto……………………………………………………………….9:49
“Shepherd’s song: Happy and thankful feelings after the storm”
Total running time: 44:39
My Rating:
Recording quality: 5 (crisp, warm, clean, dynamic: I’ve always found that Warner Classics releases very fine recordings)
Overall musicianship: 5
CD liner notes: 5 (a nice, meaty booklet; lots of info in several languages)
How does this make me feel: 5 (“Huzzah!”)
What a delightful symphony!
This is so pleasant to listen to, especially – as I noted above – looking out onto nature in all its finest, which today means rain comes and goes, as does the sun. One minute, it’s raining and thundering, the next minute the sun is out.
As for today’s musical performance, this is a warm, rich recording – especially for an all-digital (DDD) recording, which tends to be a bit more brittle, dry.
Every movement is beautiful, very listenable, and complex enough to hear something different in it every time. Another word I can use to describe it is sweet. It’s a sweet symphony. It soothes me, makes me feel happy.
Movement I is a delight, drawing me in from the first notes. It does have a Baroque feel to it. But more lush than that.
To my ears, the 1:40-2:19 mark of the third movement has a Celtic feel. Scottish, perhaps. Lively, like a reel. That melody returns at the 4:06 mark.
Then there’s the fourth movement, the one labeled “Thunderstorm.” Again, so fitting based on the rumbles and lightening I see outside today. It’s like Beethoven scored today’s symphony for my weather today. It actually sounds like a thunderstorm coming on.
I can’t help but award this “Huzzah!”
It’s a very solid, enjoyable performance.
Highly recommended.