Symphony No. 6 in F major is divided into five movements, each movement has a subtitle. The third, fourth and fifth movements are played continuously:
The first movement is the pleasant feeling when you first arrive in the countryside. Not too fast Allegro, F major, 2/4 time, sonata form. The bright first theme presented by the oboe is full of rich and fresh rural atmosphere, making people feel Beethoven's joy after devoting himself to nature. The music is performed in a calm and peaceful atmosphere, with the first theme and the second theme alternating repeatedly. The author does not add any special techniques to the theme, but simply repeats it, forming a quiet and refreshing natural beauty. The music flows naturally without any strong The intensity changes show the spiritual peace that people get in the embrace of nature.
The second movement, by the stream. The very fast Andante describes "a small scene by the stream", in B flat major, in 12/8 time, in sonata form. This is a movement describing contemplation. Accompanied by the second violin, viola and cello, which is shaped like a gurgling stream, the first theme presented by the first violin appears melodious, bright and clear. The music is like a clear stream, soothing and calm. Occasionally, the breeze blows slightly, causing slight ripples on the water, twisting the white clouds and tree shadows reflected on the water. The woods in the distance seem to be taking a deep breath, and the rhythm of the music opens and closes slightly, implying that the rhythm of life is contained in the vast nature of Liao Kuo. A group of woodwind instruments imitating birdsong breaks the tranquility, making the music even more poetic. According to Schindler, the author of "The Biography of Beethoven", he once accompanied Beethoven on a walk by a stream next to a valley in Heiligenstadt. On the way, Beethoven stepped onto a piece of grass, leaned against a tree and said: " It was here that I composed "By the Creek". Orioles, quails, nightingales and cuckoos were all singing, and I wrote it into the music. "
The third movement, the joyful gathering of the countryside. Allegro, F major, 3/4 time, Scherzo. The theme of this movement is a melody in the style of a reed flute, which is simple and lively, showing that the laughing villagers come from all over and dance happily. The music is based on folk melodies and describes the cheerful dance scenes of rural villagers. It is lively and noisy, simple and rough, like a folk custom painting with bright colors and bold lines. When the joyous scene reaches its climax, the music becomes a little uneasy and soon turns to distant thunder, interrupting the joyful gathering.
The fourth movement, the storm. Allegro, F minor, 4/4 time. In this movement, the wind roared, and thunder and lightning came overwhelmingly, covering everything in an instant. The whole band was whirling rapidly, the strings blew up whirlwinds, the double cello emitted a heavy howl, the piccolo shrieked like a whistle of the wind, the thunderbolts of brass and timpani made the earth tremble, and the semitone slide included the entire range of the band. It's like a storm is sweeping across everything, trying to bring the world to hell. However, "the wind comes and blows away", the storm soon passed, and it was replaced by pastoral songs.
The fifth movement, the shepherd’s song. Allegro Minor, "Pastoral, the mood of joy and gratitude after the storm", in F major, 6/8 time, rondo sonata form. The theme of the movement is quiet and broad, like a shepherd singing in the fields, expressing the beautiful scenery after the rain has passed and the sky has cleared. The sun sets after the rain, the earth returns to calm, and the grass emits a fresh fragrance. The pastoral song conveys the gratitude to nature. This emotion of joy, peace, and relief runs through this movement, and the entire symphony ends in such an atmosphere. Symphony No. 6 in F major is the only title music among Beethoven's symphonies. The so-called title music refers to music that is story-telling and plot-based, expressing literary concepts or painting scenes. Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major is considered an example of title music. Beethoven's title for this symphony is "Memories of Pastoral Life", and he specifically noted on the title page of the score that it is "mainly an expression of emotion, not music and pictures." Beethoven was afraid that people would misunderstand his music. He said more clearly: "The "Pastoral" Symphony is not a painting, but an expression of the feelings caused by the joy of the countryside in people's hearts." He emphasized the human spiritual world rather than describing nature. .
Berlioz made a very high evaluation of the "Symphony No. 6 in F major" in his analysis of Beethoven's symphonies:
"This is an astounding The amazing picture should have been designed by Poussin and written by Michelangelo...
Those great, sublime and beautiful ancient poems also pale in front of the miracle of this music!...< /p>
Hide your face, poor antique poets, poor mortals; your regular language, although pure and harmonious, cannot compare with the art of sound... Yes, great and respectable poets. Men, you are defeated.
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