Beethoven- Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, op. 60 Part II
We continue our discussion of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major with the second movement.
II. Adagio
Violins enter with an ostinato line that soon transforms into a gorgeous, lyric theme one. The ostinato pattern returns (0:48), this time much louder and with the full orchestra. The winds then repeat theme one which concludes and gives way (1:33) to loud but round brass chords with intermittent strings and winds. A brief but light and dainty transition passage in the strings and winds precedes theme two (2:23)- again a serene and lyric line in the clarinet. Barely audible, the ostinato returns at 3:08, covered up by the horn, winds, and upper strings. The ostinato crescendos and is finally joined by the timpani to give it some weight, which signals the end of the exposition (3:46).
The development begins with theme one in the violins. The theme builds into a tutti ostinato and a transition to minor (4:37). The minor passage features both a descending bass line and a descending soprano line, a seemingly bleak picture of things to come. However, a curious violin passage saves the day, returning us to major and the ostinato in the bassoon (5:34). The flute begins theme one, but is again interrupted by the ostinato. The recapitulation’s beginning is heralded with the ostinato in the timpani (5:59), again giving way to theme one in the flute and then the flute and clarinet. Theme one again gives way to loud brass chords with intermittent strings and winds, and is followed by theme two (7:35). The end of theme two is followed by the ostinato rhythm and a short melody in the horns and winds. The strings descend and slow down while the flute holds a steady pitch- one almost thinks the music ends here. But no- this just signals the beginning of the coda (9:03) with theme one being played in the flute. The horns, strings, winds, and strings then play arpeggios and the orchestra crescendos before immediately changing to the ostinato pattern in the solo timpani and a last crescendo into the end of the movement.
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If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend Leonard Bernstein’s 2004 release with the Vienna Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophone. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Alternatively, you can purchase this recording from the iTunes Music Store often at a reduced price by following the link below.
This article is part of the Music 365 series. To find out more about this project, please visit the project homepage.
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