Page 296 - Beethoven, Ludwig van. Simfonija v F-duru, opus 68: »ljubljanski prepis« - Symphony in F major, opus 68: ‘Ljubljana transcript’. Uredil/Edited by Jonatan Vinkler. Koper, Ljubljana: Akademija za glasbo Univerze v Ljubljani, Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Založba Univerze na Primorskem, 2019.
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vidual movements were until then mainly performed merely as part of Symphony no. 6 in F major (op. 68), ‘Pastoral’
a mixed programme in which they would normally alternate with over-
symphony in f major, opus 68: ‘ljubljana transcript’ tures, opera arias, oratorio choruses, Liedertafel quartets, and bravura In 1809, upon the publishing of the parts of the Symphony no. 6 in F
solo improvisations. Such a colourful structure is revealed by the con- major, he wrote the famous words: ‘More the expression of feeling
cert programmes of different philharmonic societies that started to ap- than painting’ (Mehr Ausdruck der Empfindung als Malerey). Emphasis
pear through Europe at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th stressed by the composer with the mentioned thought of the expression
centuries, and effectively encouraged performances of symphonic litera- of feelings before painting coincided with the dominant aesthetic view
ture. Having a particularly venerable place among them with its found- of his time, more expressively directed mainly at the reflection of feel-
ing date of 1794 is the Ljubljana Philharmonic Society (Philharmonische ings, at the ‘poetical’, supposedly shines through from behind the very
Gesellschaft), the function of which is especially closely bound up with sound image of the work.7 The purport of the Pastoral Symphony, there-
Beethoven’s legacy. One of the most notable cases of such a mixed pro- fore, is not just a sort of an image of Plato’s copying a copy (Malerey in
gramme is the concert prepared by Beethoven on 22 December 1808 at Beethoven’s words), which the art serves as a hidden carrier of an idea
the famous Viennese theatre Theater an der Wien. In the programme, hidden in nature, but rather the carrier of the idea itself, it is its embod-
there were his works alone, among them Symphonies no. 5 in C minor and iment (Ausdruck der Empfindung).8
no. 6 in F major (‘Pastoral’), the Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 4 in
G major, the Fantasia (‘Choral Fantasy’) for piano, choir and orchestra, As a consequence, it is precisely from the viewpoint of exceeding
the soprano concert aria Ah, perfido etc.4 and breaking with the mimesis principle (i.e. copying that which exists in
nature) that Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony still holds a quite special place
Therefore, it was precisely because of the works of the great Ger- in Beethoven’s opus. Even though it could be interpreted as Beethov-
man composer that the symphony was increasingly becoming a central en’s expression of love for the countryside, its ‘pastorality’ shows much
musical genre of symphonic music concert programmes. In this way, his more. It is mostly about the composer’s connectedness with the early ro-
rounded opus of nine symphonies with an expressively intensifying and mantic ideals. Its poetic nature thus first identifies with the then topical
radically individualising of style, when compared to exceedingly quanti- aesthetic normative system that was setting, as it seems, an increasing-
tative symphonic opuses of his predecessors, shows an entirely new view ly binding paradigm for all the arts. Through it, the call retour à la na-
of symphonic creativity.5 In his symphonies, Beethoven was thus contin- ture of the French Enlightenment was again coming to the foreground
uously searching for new formal and instrumental solutions, which had as an appeal to the idyll of the shepherd’s life – a symbol of cohabita-
an effect on the audience as the products of a genius, soon worshipped tion with nature. This symbolises an untarnished primality, genuineness,
as the pre-eminent composer of his nation.6 calmness, harmony, among other aspects. It was what the romantic art-
ist longed for in his world-weary inner split that was driving him away
4 David Wyn Jones, ‘The Concert of 22 December 1808,’ in David Wyn Jo- from the ‘cruel’ real world.9
nes, Beethoven: Pastoral Symphony (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1995), 1–2. 7 Barbo, Simfonija prve polovice 19. stoletja, 18.
8 Matjaž Barbo, Simfonija v 19. stoletju: zadrege zvrsti (Ljubljana: Znanstvena
5 Peter Schnaus, ed., Europäische Musik in Schlaglichtern (Mannheim, Wien,
Zürich: Mayers Lexikonverlag, 1990), 313. založba Filozofske fakultete, 2012), 20.
9 Barbo, Simfonija prve polovice 19. stoletja, 18.
6 Matjaž Barbo, Simfonija prve polovice 19. stoletja (Ljubljana: Oddelek za mu-
zikologijo Filozofske fakultete, 2008), 14–5.
a mixed programme in which they would normally alternate with over-
symphony in f major, opus 68: ‘ljubljana transcript’ tures, opera arias, oratorio choruses, Liedertafel quartets, and bravura In 1809, upon the publishing of the parts of the Symphony no. 6 in F
solo improvisations. Such a colourful structure is revealed by the con- major, he wrote the famous words: ‘More the expression of feeling
cert programmes of different philharmonic societies that started to ap- than painting’ (Mehr Ausdruck der Empfindung als Malerey). Emphasis
pear through Europe at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th stressed by the composer with the mentioned thought of the expression
centuries, and effectively encouraged performances of symphonic litera- of feelings before painting coincided with the dominant aesthetic view
ture. Having a particularly venerable place among them with its found- of his time, more expressively directed mainly at the reflection of feel-
ing date of 1794 is the Ljubljana Philharmonic Society (Philharmonische ings, at the ‘poetical’, supposedly shines through from behind the very
Gesellschaft), the function of which is especially closely bound up with sound image of the work.7 The purport of the Pastoral Symphony, there-
Beethoven’s legacy. One of the most notable cases of such a mixed pro- fore, is not just a sort of an image of Plato’s copying a copy (Malerey in
gramme is the concert prepared by Beethoven on 22 December 1808 at Beethoven’s words), which the art serves as a hidden carrier of an idea
the famous Viennese theatre Theater an der Wien. In the programme, hidden in nature, but rather the carrier of the idea itself, it is its embod-
there were his works alone, among them Symphonies no. 5 in C minor and iment (Ausdruck der Empfindung).8
no. 6 in F major (‘Pastoral’), the Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 4 in
G major, the Fantasia (‘Choral Fantasy’) for piano, choir and orchestra, As a consequence, it is precisely from the viewpoint of exceeding
the soprano concert aria Ah, perfido etc.4 and breaking with the mimesis principle (i.e. copying that which exists in
nature) that Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony still holds a quite special place
Therefore, it was precisely because of the works of the great Ger- in Beethoven’s opus. Even though it could be interpreted as Beethov-
man composer that the symphony was increasingly becoming a central en’s expression of love for the countryside, its ‘pastorality’ shows much
musical genre of symphonic music concert programmes. In this way, his more. It is mostly about the composer’s connectedness with the early ro-
rounded opus of nine symphonies with an expressively intensifying and mantic ideals. Its poetic nature thus first identifies with the then topical
radically individualising of style, when compared to exceedingly quanti- aesthetic normative system that was setting, as it seems, an increasing-
tative symphonic opuses of his predecessors, shows an entirely new view ly binding paradigm for all the arts. Through it, the call retour à la na-
of symphonic creativity.5 In his symphonies, Beethoven was thus contin- ture of the French Enlightenment was again coming to the foreground
uously searching for new formal and instrumental solutions, which had as an appeal to the idyll of the shepherd’s life – a symbol of cohabita-
an effect on the audience as the products of a genius, soon worshipped tion with nature. This symbolises an untarnished primality, genuineness,
as the pre-eminent composer of his nation.6 calmness, harmony, among other aspects. It was what the romantic art-
ist longed for in his world-weary inner split that was driving him away
4 David Wyn Jones, ‘The Concert of 22 December 1808,’ in David Wyn Jo- from the ‘cruel’ real world.9
nes, Beethoven: Pastoral Symphony (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1995), 1–2. 7 Barbo, Simfonija prve polovice 19. stoletja, 18.
8 Matjaž Barbo, Simfonija v 19. stoletju: zadrege zvrsti (Ljubljana: Znanstvena
5 Peter Schnaus, ed., Europäische Musik in Schlaglichtern (Mannheim, Wien,
Zürich: Mayers Lexikonverlag, 1990), 313. založba Filozofske fakultete, 2012), 20.
9 Barbo, Simfonija prve polovice 19. stoletja, 18.
6 Matjaž Barbo, Simfonija prve polovice 19. stoletja (Ljubljana: Oddelek za mu-
zikologijo Filozofske fakultete, 2008), 14–5.
