Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) wrote his Symphony No.4 in B♭ major, op.60, in 1806. In the discussion below, I deal with the recordings in alphabetic order. [23] The final repetition of the scherzo is abridged, and in the coda the two horns "blow the whole movement away" (Tovey). Duration: 10’01”This is a studio recording, and so Zinman could follow Beethoven’s metronome more exactly than in a typical live performance: it’s amazing how well the “fast” tempo works in the Adagio introduction. On top of that, the recording technique is really too limited to capture this performance (some of the loud passages are just noise); not much fun! The entire scheme can be outlined as AABB – Trio – AB – Trio – A’B’ (466 bars); Christopher Hogwood even does the repeats also in the second Menuetto pass, i.e., he uses a scheme AABB – Trio – AABB – Trio – A’B’ (556 bars). 8 *#25399 - 1.55MB, 15 pp. The woodwinds are clearly better than those of the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, and as in his later recording, it is nice to see that the orchestra is given enough time for rhythmic transitions, such as around bar 280, and the transition between the scales in the various voices around bar 300 is excellent, very smooth. : the second clarinet in bars 215ff., second voices in various places), the lack if left-right antagonism between the two violin voices is a real pity. Dausgaard’s tempo is close to Beethoven’s (hence also close to David Zinman‘s), the articulation is light, but slightly softer and less polished (more elastic, more “human”) than with the Tonhalle Orchestra / Zinman. 7 – Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio", International Music Score Library Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Symphony_No._4_(Beethoven)&oldid=994237510, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with International Music Score Library Project links, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 19:08. It sounds fast at first (when comparing with traditional recordings, possibly with the listener’s expectations), but then one realizes that Zinman correctly takes this alla breve, i.e., in halves rather than quarter notes, and so, this sounds totally natural. The coordination in the orchestra is very good in general, e.g., in the tremoli in the strings, though with occasional inaccuracies (such as in the rhythmic 2 vs. 3 detail in bars 69ff., shown in the score sample above), possibly a result of the direction from a fortepiano (which happens to be audible towards the end of this movement). Symphony No. [2] The Fourth Symphony contrasts with Beethoven's style in the previous Third Symphony (Eroica), and has sometimes been overshadowed by its massive predecessor[n 4] and its fiery successor, the Fifth Symphony.[2]. (Parts 2, 3) Allegro molto assai (Alla marcia) ; Andante maestoso *#332353 - … First performed in Vienna's Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterward. The only part which is better than in the recording with the Vienna Philharmonics is the Coda. 67 4 en/de/fr. De compositie werd goed ontvangen, het allegretto moest zelfs herhaald worden.. Instrumentatie. (Grove).[22]. The movement is 355 bars (458 bars with the repeat). Despite the fast(est) tempo, I don’t perceive this as “cold perfection”; I really like this interpretation, even though occasionally, a little less pushing, allowing for more agogics and elasticity in the tempo would make this even better (for this movement I would definitely prefer the setting with opposing violins, even though this might mean a tad less perfection!). Typically, the p crotchets in the horn are hardly heard, but often, the crescendo is started already in bar 222. ), but nicely articulated, with good sound — better than Böhm, definitely. By today’s HIP standards, Hogwood’s orchestra is maybe rather big, with 8 + 8 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and 2 double basses. [28] Beethoven's biographer Anton Schindler later recalled the Fourth as being a great success from the outset, although later scholars have expressed reservations about his reliability. 4 in B ♭ major, Op. There is a slight accelerando over the first 38 bars, but that’s not adding tension — quite to the contrary. About | Impressum, Legal | Site Policy | Testimonials | Acknowledgements | Blog TimelineTypography, Conventions | WordPress Setup | Resources, Tools | Pictures, Methods, Hello Rolf, But the performance is still precise, covering a wide dynamic scope from pp to ff, with excellent articulation. That’s enough to cause momentary irritation in direct comparisons, but of course inconspicuous in a concert. The Symphony No. Editing: re-sampled to 600dpi, converted to black and white tif files, de-skewed, and set uniform margins. Note, however, that this is not the order in which I did the comparison: in the listening order, I try grouping similar recordings together, also typically listening to slower performances prior to faster ones, as I feel that this is the best way to do justice to every recording. Occasionally (e.g., bar 25ff.) Overall Duration: 30’39”Rating (see above for details): 4.0 — An amazing performance, especially for its time: to me, the best of the “traditional” interpretations (though it isn’t really traditional, considering Böhm etc.)! So, my guess is that if you are after well-rounded, balanced, maybe near-perfect orchestra sound (for a recording in the 80’s), his 1983 recording may be just fine (though I have not followed the discussions about how his several Beethoven symphony recordings compare). Overall Duration: 34’16“Rating (see above for details): 3.3 — A good, “classic” interpretation. In a study of the Fourth written in 2012 Mark Ferraguto quotes a 1994 description of the work as "a rich, verdant valley of yin expressiveness … poised between the two staggering yang peaks of the Third and the Fifth".[35]. This first stereo recording was made at a time when Klemperer was already impaired from an accident and was forced to conduct from a chair; the tempo must already have been substantially slower than at the peak of his career. Thanks for your fine and systematic article about Beethoven’s 4th symphony! The Horns continue with two p crotchets, followed by a 3/4 bar (D + B♭), then a bar with a dramatic crescendo, leading to the final ff chord in the entire orchestra:(only horn and trombone voices shown). Wilhelm Furtwängler, Vienna PhilharmonicBerlin Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, SDR Symphony Orchestralive recordings 1948 – 1954, IMD Music Distribution Ltd. ARPCD 0214 (5 CDs, mono); ℗ / © 2004Booklet: track listing only. [38] In a survey of all available recordings in 2015 for BBC Radio 3 the top recommended version was in this category: the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, conducted by David Zinman. Work Title Symphony No.1 in C major Alt ernative. The tempo is substantially faster than in the 1961 recording, here still very close to Beethoven’s annotation, though occasionally a bit pushed. [33] In 1838 the French impresario Louis-Désiré Véron called the Fourth sublime and regretted that in Paris it was not merely neglected but denigrated. The last movement is in 24 time in B♭ major. 67, Sinfonia n. 6 in Fa maggiore "Pastorale" Op. Is the orchestra reaching its limits? Best wishes, Even some prominent conductors & orchestras shamefully hide away this detail: The tempo selection for this movement (224 bars, not counting any repeats) is fairly coherent throughout the recordings, and not too far below Beethoven’s annotation (in the Menuetto, Toscanini and Zinman are faster, in the Trio, only Toscanini matches Beethoven’s tempo). I may at some point discuss Beethoven’s piano concerto op.15, where his and Christoph Eschenbach’s tempo selection (in the slow movement) is the worst and most inappropriate that I have ever heard … From my statements about Masur you will understand that I’m unlikely to add much more Karajan to my collection now! In 1949 – 1952, Arturo Toscanini (1867 – 1957) performed all Beethoven symphonies with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, at Carnegie Hall, mostly for direct radio broadcasts; it’s his last performance of the complete cycle, a key part of Toscanini’s legacy. Too much expression, indeed: I’m sure it’s all heartfelt by the conductor. Overall Duration: 35’27”Rating (see above for details): 3.8 — A good, early / pioneering HIP recording, meanwhile partially superseded by newer recordings that may provide an experience that is closer to Beethoven’s (alleged) intent, even without period instruments. [6] Although Oppersdorff had paid for exclusive rights to the work for its first six months, his orchestra did not give the first performance. 67 2. Beethoven, Ludwig van. A regular recapitulation is followed by a coda that makes a final allusion to the main theme, and the timpani bring the movement to an end with the last appearance of the rhythmic theme with which the movement began. That’s certainly not in the score — a mere show effect? https://www.rolf-musicblog.net/trio-amani-zurich-2020-10-24/, Very sad and disappointed ☹️ @tonhalle ⁦@HarrisonParrott⁩ -ORCHESTER ZÜRICH CANCELS ALL CONCERTS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE | PAAVO JÄRVI https://paavojarvi.com/tonhalle-orchester-zurich-cancels-all-concerts-until-further-notice/. In the Fourth Symphony (and later, in the Seventh) Beethoven further departed from the traditional minuet-trio-minuet form by repeating the trio after the second rendition of the scherzo section, and then bringing the scherzo back for a third hearing. The Academy of Ancient Music plays on authentic instruments, and Hogwood of course did check the relevant sources for the original notation, etc., and the orchestra is using the most favored arrangement of Beethoven’s time, with the two violin voices on either side of the podium: Vl 1 — Vla — Vc — Vl 2. Het werk werd voor het eerst uitgevoerd in Wenen op 8 december 1813 tijdens een benefietconcert voor de soldaten die gewond waren geraakt tijdens de Slag van Hanau. 92, is a symphony in four movements composed by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1811 and 1812, while improving his health in the Bohemian spa Op. Like those of the first, second, and seventh of Beethoven's nine symphonies, it has a slow introduction. 4 in B-flat major, Op. This symphony was recorded in 2000. Leonard Bernstein described it as a "mysterious introduction which hovers around minor modes, tip-toeing its tenuous weight through ambiguous unrelated keys and so reluctant to settle down into its final B♭ major. 5 & 6Beethoven - Symphony No. ), but maybe less in the ultimate detail in articulation. I also like the extra ornaments in the clarinet in bars 82ff. The symphony is in four movements. This appears rushed / unclear, suppressing the effect (presumably) intended by the composer (strange because I always felt that rhythm is Bernstein’s real strength!). [10] The manuscript, which was for a time owned by Felix Mendelssohn,[2] is now in the Berlin State Library and can be seen online. Overall Duration: 30’35“Rating (see above for details): 2.8 — Overall, I rate both Walter recordings about the same — this one is better in the last movement, the more recent one in the second movement. Duration: 8’48”A fairly good tempo: slower than specified in the score, but almost as fast as Zinman. Many of Toscanini’s recordings sound almost modern, even today! Prom 12: Beethoven Cycle -- Symphonies Nos. ), and also the most perfect one: light, accurate articulation, excellent transparency and sound balance (woodwinds vs. strings), second voices can always be heard, the coordination is absolutely impeccable. Karajan’s case is probably a little more complicated: I never counted myself a member of his fan community. Notes to LSO Live set LSO0098D, Notes to CD sets Parlophone 0724356679559 (2003), Decca 00028948088942 (2015), Parlophone 5099972333457 (2013), and DG 00028947771579 (2007), Greenberg, Part 2: Lecture 14: "Symphony No. 00:00 - Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso14:21 - Scherzo: Molto vivace -- Presto29:03 - Adagio molto e cantabile42:42 - Recitative 4 in E-flat major, WAB 104, is one of the composer's most popular works.It was written in 1874 and revised several times through 1888. Beethoven spent the summer of 1806 at the country estate of his patron, Prince Lichnowsky, near Glogau. 67, was written between 1804 and 1808. The second movement, Allegretto, was the most popular movement and … 1806, 1814), looks forward to the finale of the Ninth. 38 bars, but often, the crescendo is started already in bar 222 than specified in score... 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