Virtual Music Hour

Beethoven 7 Archive

Introducing Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Listen to the Music

Movement 1

Movement 2

Movement 3

This week's Virtual Music Hour is dedicated to the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.

Activity

Welcome to Virtual Music Hour. In preparation for your listening experience, Assistant Principal Violist Catherine Beeson has made guides with activities that can be enjoyed alone, with your quarantine buddies at home and online, or with your students. These activities can be mixed, matched, and altered to create an experience that’s right for you, or as inspiration to create your own. Get as creative as you’d like. Share it with us on social media! If you like seeing and hearing the Colorado Symphony musicians online, imagine how uplifting it would be for us to see and hear you too!

Activity Intro

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is a non-stop thrill ride for both listeners and performers. It’s filled with dance rhythms, great melodies, and feels like that rock band turning up their volume all the way through the set until the speakers blow out at the end. In fact, listening to it at home your walls should be vibrating and if everyone in the room isn’t dancing around wildly, conducting, clapping along or periodically shouting by the end of the piece you aren’t doing it right. This is something you can do now that you could never ever do attending in the concert hall so go for it!!

Highlights

Ludwig van Beethoven would’ve been 250 years old this year. He composed nine symphonies for full orchestra, and completed his Seventh Symphony in 1812 when he was 42 years old.
Symphony No. 7 lasts for about 40 minutes and is in four sections called movements, like a book with four chapters. Each movement has its own unique characteristics and function, but there are a few things here and there that preview the next movement or tie the whole symphony ‘chapter book’ together.
The first performance of Symphony No. 7 was a success and the audience demanded to hear the eight-minute-long second movement “Allegretto” again as soon as the concert was finished. It became popular as a stand-alone piece of music apart from the rest of the symphony, like the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, the “Goin’ Home” melody from Antonín Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony, and “Lyric for Strings” originally from George Walker’s String Quartet No. 1.
The Allegretto movement is still very popular today and was recently used as the soundtrack to the final scene in the movie The King’s Speech.
This music rocks out at Volume 11 even though Beethoven wrote for just two flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, and trumpets, no percussion other than timpani (kettle drums), and the usual string section of violins, violas, cellos, and basses.

Explore the Music

Here is a listening map that can guide you through the piece. Read it in advance or while you’re listening!

Movement 1

Poco Sostenuto – Vivace
In English: a little sustained – lively and vivacious

The first music we hear is an introduction which effectively gathers friends for the dance. We hear first the oboe, then clarinet, and horn statements punctuated by loud chords from the rest of the orchestra.

This introduction gives way to gathering rhythmic energy and melodic fragments until, at the 3:35 mark, it melts into a suspenseful exchange between high strings and winds, previewing the underlying skipping rhythm of the Vivace movement at 3:58.

4:31 – The music bursts into action with strings loudly proclaiming the melody (but also listen here for the horns triumphantly outlining the apex of each of these gestures).

6:22 – There is an abrupt halt, silence, and a restart.

Another of these abrupt changes occurs at the 13:15 mark, kicking off a great coda, or final ending, with a sort of “Jaws theme” idea that returns in movements three and four. This “Jaws theme” idea goes from 13:27 until the final outburst at 13:52. Again, listen for the horns to be the triumphant conquering heroes of the dance at 14:14. We dare you not to feel lifted!

Movement 2

Allegretto
In English: a little lively, medium fast

Violas and cellos open with the melody and ostinato – a repeating rhythmic pattern – that defines the movement.

:46 – We move into a series of increasing layered melodies while new instrument groups take over the ostinato underneath.

Beethoven weaves the melodies together like this, building in scope and volume through to a gentle, smiling secondary melody at 2:57, featuring clarinet and then the wind section.

4:23 – We return to the opening material, now with the repeating ostinato rhythm being plucked in the lower strings.

5:20 – A little fugue — like a round based on the melody — runs through the strings, building to a big statement of the original ostinato melody in winds at 6:14.

6:35 – We return to the gentle, smiling secondary material, which melts again into original material at 7:09 and is gingerly passed around orchestra from 7:31 to the end.

Movement 3

Presto – Assai meno presto
In English: quick – a lot less quick

This movement was described by English conductor Thomas Beecham as sounding like “a lot of yaks jumping about.”

Right away musical ideas are tossed around at whiplash speed with dynamic contrasts of loud and soft creating extra suspense and excitement

2:26 – We begin the Assai meno presto slower music, also called a trio section. The “Jaws theme” material from movement one appears as a sort of dialogue between winds and strings in this section. Listen for the low horn playing the “Jaws theme” on and off from 3:21 to 4:53. This is a preview of an extended expression in the final moments of the last movement.

4:53 – We return to the yak dance!

6:17 – We return again to the slower Assai meno presto “Jaws theme” trio section.

8:00 – We have the final return of the yak dance!

Movement 4

Allegro con brio
In English: lively with gusto

9:23 – This movement starts so quickly after the end of the third movement that we almost feel like we’ve been shot out of a canon! This entire movement is a whirlwind of activity, with rhythmic drive and contrasts of louds and softs creating suspense and surprise again and again throughout. Note the expression of strong versus weak beats shifting between 1 and 2.

16:37 – You’ll hear the beginning of an extended “Jaws theme” area underpinning all the activity in the orchestra through 17:16 after which Beethoven brings in the “big guns” of wildly triumphant trumpets and horns to polish off the finish of a nonstop, super exciting movement.

Consider and Discuss

This symphony is filled with rhythmic vitality and is through-and-through the “danciest” of all of Beethoven’s nine symphonies.

What do you think makes a particular rhythm encourage movement or dancing?
What might some other musical elements be that could increase or decrease the dance feeling of a rhythm?
Which of these things did you notice while listening to the Colorado Symphony performance of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony?

Test Your Rhythm

Beethoven uses triplet rhythms, or rhythms that flow in groupings of 3, in almost every movement of the symphony. To create more interest and excitement, he layers different rhythms together which make complex combinations. Let’s try learning some!

Movement 1

First establish a steady repeating group of 3 by clapping, tapping your leg, or using any 3 syllable word with equal emphasis on each syllable.

Example:
Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy = 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Now add a clap, tap, or single syllable word to each of the first group of three.

Examples:
Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy = 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
Grant Grant Grant Grant = 1 1 1 1

Finally add a more complex rhythm of unequal emphasis so that the first is longest.

Examples:
Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy = 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
Grant Grant Grant Grant = 1 1 1 1
MAdison MAdison MAdison MAdison = 1-- 23 1-- 23 1-- 23 1-- 23

This is the basis for the first movement Vivace. Congratulate yourself for getting these layers going! Now jam a bit and take turns making up new ones over the “Kennedy” and “Grant” rhythms.

Movement 2

The second movement is based on groupings of two at first, but then layers with groupings of three. This is harder than it might seem, and is super cool sounding when it all fits together. Try it out!

First, begin with this ostinato – or repeating pattern – that makes up the main theme. Repeat it endlessly for authentic Beethoven effect.

Examples:
Grant Adams Grant Grant = 1 12 1 1

Then layer the steady repeating pulse or beat.

Examples:
Grant Adams Grant Grant = 1 12 1 1
Grant Grant Grant Grant = 1 1 1 1

Now spice it up with the triplet rhythm layer!

Examples:
Grant Adams Grant Grant = 1 12 1 1
Grant Grant Grant Grant = 1 1 1 1
Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy = 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Movement 3

The third movement gets even more interesting with a pickup rhythm that sort of elbows or nudges the steady beat in the ribs over and over again.

First establish your steady triplet grouping:

Example:
Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy = 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Then add your steady pulse:

Examples:
Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy = 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
Grant Grant Grant Grant = 1 1 1 1

And now elbow/nudge the pulse in the ribs! In this example, the K in McKinley should line up with the K in Kennedy and the G in Grant.

Examples:
Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy = 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
Grant Grant Grant Grant = 1 1 1 1
McKinley McKinley McKinley McKinley = 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2

Movement 4

The fourth and final movement is a rip-roaring rhythm fest, but the primary point of interest is with the shifting emPHAsis on the wrong syllABles. Most music for the symphony orchestra is written so that the first note of a grouping gets the emphasis. It’s often labeled as “on” the beat. Most rock and roll music, by contrast, is arranged so that the second note of a grouping gets the emphasis, which is often called a “back” beat.

Try marching in place = L R L R L R etc.

Now add a clap on each LEFT = L R L R L R etc.

Switch to clapping on RIGHT = L R L R L R etc.

You’ve just unlocked the code for the whole last movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony! He throws in the backbeat, turns up the volume, and suddenly we’re in a 19^th century rock band!

Listening to the Symphony

Now that you’ve had a chance to consider, discuss, and get active around elements of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, it’s time to listen to the Colorado Symphony performance. This symphony begs for movement and you can really get after it at home in a way that you can’t when you’re in the concert hall. Clear some space in the room where you’ll be listening. Feel free to join in on the rhythm exercises above, dance around (even the Allegretto movement makes a nice long slow dance!), “air guitar” with the different instruments you hear, conduct along, or keep it relaxed by journaling, painting, or drawing your observations.

Afterwards, have a discussion! How was your listening experience? Did you try some new things? In what ways did the discussion or activities affect this experience?

#PlayOn

Please share your musical adventure with us through social media! We would love to hear about it or see any of your activities, journaling, or creations!

@coloradosymphony
#coloradosymphony

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Virtual Music Hour

Beethoven 7 Archive

Introducing Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Listen to the Music

Movement 1

Movement 2

Movement 3

Activity

Activity Intro

Highlights

Explore the Music

Movement 1

Poco Sostenuto – Vivace
In English: a little sustained – lively and vivacious

Movement 2

Allegretto
In English: a little lively, medium fast

Movement 3

Presto – Assai meno presto
In English: quick – a lot less quick

Movement 4

Allegro con brio
In English: lively with gusto

Consider and Discuss

Test Your Rhythm

Movement 1

Movement 2

Movement 3

Movement 4

Listening to the Symphony

#PlayOn

@coloradosymphony
#coloradosymphony

What do you think?

Love the music?
Consider a donation!

Love the music?
Consider a donation!

Virtual Music Hour

Beethoven 7 Archive

Introducing Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Listen to the Music

Movement 1

Movement 2

Movement 3

Activity

Activity Intro

Highlights

Explore the Music

Movement 1

Poco Sostenuto – Vivace In English: a little sustained – lively and vivacious

Movement 2

Allegretto In English: a little lively, medium fast

Movement 3

Presto – Assai meno presto In English: quick – a lot less quick

Movement 4

Allegro con brio In English: lively with gusto

Consider and Discuss

Test Your Rhythm

Movement 1

Movement 2

Movement 3

Movement 4

Listening to the Symphony

#PlayOn

@coloradosymphony #coloradosymphony

What do you think?

Love the music?Consider a donation!

Love the music?Consider a donation!

Poco Sostenuto – Vivace
In English: a little sustained – lively and vivacious

Allegretto
In English: a little lively, medium fast

Presto – Assai meno presto
In English: quick – a lot less quick

Allegro con brio
In English: lively with gusto

@coloradosymphony
#coloradosymphony

Love the music?
Consider a donation!

Love the music?
Consider a donation!