PASTORAL AND CELEBRATION - Beethoven / Gábor Takács-Nagy - E/5

Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 (Pastoral Symphony)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70

Gábor Takács-Nagy

 

Apollo and Dionysus, idyll and rampant celebration: such pairs of opposites could be used to describe Beethoven's two symphonies, the Symphony No. 6 and Symphony No. 7. The first is one of the most beautiful examples of music depicting nature, in which we hear birdsong, the murmur of a stream, a shepherd's horn. The second, which – after Richard Wagner’s often quoted remark – has been called 'the Apotheosis of the Dance itself', was a resounding success in its day in the imperial city. It contains the popular Allegretto, which was applauded by the audience at its premiere and on occasion has been performed as a stand-alone piece. The fourth evening in Gábor Takács-Nagy's Beethoven series features works by the composer from his "Promethean" period.