Music Director
Ludwig von Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 in A major op. 92
Beethoven's 7th Symphony, named "The Apotheosis of Dance" by Wagner, was begun in 1809 and was finalized in the summer of 1812. It is a composition reflecting Beethoven's unparalleled wisdom. This is the moment when we identify a new stage in the composer's creation, where classical elements intertwine with romantic ones, thus generating a new expression far more intimate and more complex.
Part I - Vivace - starts with a slow introduction - Poco sostenuto - solemn and majestic in character. Then, on the rhythmical background we hear the motif of Part I. This first part brings many new elements, hard to decipher, because perfection expressed through sounds cannot be translated into words.
Part II -Allegretto - is perhaps the most expressive of the secondary parts of his symphonies. While in the first part the A major sonorities conferred greatness and sumptuousness, the theme in Part II, in A minor, brings a whole new atmosphere, thus emphasizing the contrast between the two.
Part III - Presto meno assai - represents a splendid triumph in rendering the scherzo form. As a whole, it conveys a genuine bucolic scene with pictorial meanings and associations. In Trio, the composer uses a theme from an Austrian folkloric song, the theme of which had been jotted down while Beethoven was in Teplitz.
Part IV -Allegro con brio - emanates an immense joy from beginning to the end. Practically, this is the point where dance begins. Everything is captured by movement like a popular folkloric song. The second theme is in fact a typical tune from a Hungarian dance. The great Russian composer P.I. Ceaikovski thought that this segment captures "a whole series of images, full of unrestrained joy, full of bliss and pleasure of life.". Listening to this symphony's grand finale one can hardly decide what to think more astonishing: Beethoven's amazing creative fantasy, the impeccable form, the amazing talent in using all the musical resources in developing the themes or his compact, luscious, sumptuous instrumentation.
From 1821, Symphony No. 2 by Beethoven was always performed in Paris with a substitution -- the second part of the symphony was replaced with the second part of Symphony No. 7. The first time it was performed in this manner was in 1813 with astounding success ever since.