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Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Born December 16, 1770 in Bonn Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna Beethoveris Symphony No. yinA major, Op. 92 was written in 1812, at the time when the Napoleonic War was raging. (This fact has led some commentators to espouse the far-fetched theory that this event had some influence in the conceptual content of the work.) The work was premiered in Vienna the following year. The occasion was a benefit concert for disabled Austrian and Bavarian soldiers who tried to cut off Napoleoris retreat but were defeated at Hanau. Beethoven himself conducted the per- formance, “hardly, perhaps,” says Grove, “to its advantage, considering the symbolical gestures described by [Ludwig] Spohr, since he was by then very deaf, and heard what was going on around him with great difficulty." Spohr’s account of the event is interesting: “At this concert, I first saw Beethoven conduct. Often as I had heard of it, it sur- prised me extremely. He was accustomed to conveying the marks of expression by the most peculiar motions of his body. Thus at a sforzando he tore his arms, which were before crossed on his breast, violently apart. At a piano he crouched down, bending lower the softer the tone. At a crescendo he raised himself by degrees until at the/orte he sprang up to his full height; and, without knowing it, would often at the time shout aloud.” Marked Poco sostenuto, the introduction to the first movement is of striking beauty, yet based sim- ply on the major scale, Setting the Stage for a movement of tremendous force and energy. The main body of the movement is marked Vivace and is built upon a sonata form. The main theme is ushered in on the pitch of E, exchanged from one instrument to another 61 times before finally opening up to its full development. The movement concludes with an elaborate coda in which fragments of the main theme are heard with its characteristic rhythm, steadily growing from a pianissimo to a powerful fortissimo at the close. The march-like Allegretto, again with a steady rhythm, provides a major contrast. Originally Beethoven had intended this movement for the third “Rasumovsky” String Quartet, but rightly expanded it for this symphony. Following the development of several counter-melodies, the clarinet announces a new melody that dispels the somber mood preceding it. The opening theme returns as the movement concludes. The third movement, a Scherzo marked Presto, is a charming example of lightness and grace. The main theme is full of humor and receives buoyant development. In the Trio (Assai meno presto) the violins hold a high pitch against a pleasant melody said to be an old pilgrim chant of Southern Austria. The first part of the Scherzo is repeated, as is the hymn, leading to the coda and joyful condusion of the movement. In the Finale the symphony reaches its peak with an unceasing pulse and sense of ecstatic joy. Both the first and second themes are truly frenzied and contagious, forcefully driving to a remarkable coda of inimitable invention. It is an exuberant climax to a work of great power, beauty and charm. It is ironic that this joyful, sunny and impetuous whirl of motion, which many after Wagner have called “The Apotheosis of the Dance,” was written during one of the darkest and most difficult peri- ods in the composer’s life. © ’997 Columbia Artists Management Inc. COLUMBIA ARTISTS MANAGEMENT LLC Tour Direction: R. DOUGLAS SHELDON 165 West 57th Street New York, New York 10019 www.cami.com Management for Ms. Fischer J. F. Mastroianni Associates, Inc. 161 West 6i st Street, New York, NY 10023 www.ifmartists.com
