11/10 Symphony No. 4, Pt 1 (Analysis, Kleiber)

(Kandinsky)

Today and tomorrow I tackle Beethoven's Symphony 4 in B flat major, op.60 (1806) - a real underrated masterpiece.  It's much more sprightly than the 3rd and much less stormy than the 5th and that makes it the "fun cousin" of the bunch. And yet it starts out very mysteriously....

I've been using performances by Paavo Järvi for Symphonies 1 thru 3, but for Symphony 4 I'll use Maestro Carlos Kleiber's live rendition - he wasn't too shabby this weekend on the 7th, right?
As usual I don't annotate the repeats as much because it's a good test for ones memory ;)

Symphony 4,  Movement I - Adagio - Allegro vivace

Introduction in Bb minor

-1st Round

--A - Plucked strings start each round

--B (steps)

-2nd Round

--A

--B1 (half step higher variation

-3rd Round

--B2 - Ambiguous harmonic direction leading to Expo

Exposition

-Theme 1 in Bb Major

--A, A1 - Sudden energy bursts forth in quarter note motifs (closed cadence)

--B - staccato bassoon theme

--A2 - Theme 1 in cellos

-Modulating Bridge

--Pt 1 - from A2

--Pt 2 - Syncopated winds

--Pt 3

-Theme 2 in F Major

--Pt 1 - spritely motif passed around winds

--Pt 2 - rustic winds canon from bridge motif 3

-Cadence section w syncopation

Exposition Repeat

Development

-Pt 1 - Descending sequence

-Pt 2 - Modulation

-Pt 3 - Theme 1

-Pt 4 - Theme 1 modulating

-Pt 5 - ambiguous reprise of introductory hush

-Pt 6 - Retransition - Theme 1 sequences a way back to recap

Recapitulation

-Theme 1 extended variation

-Modulating Bridge

--Pt 1 - rising sequence

--Pt 2 - syncopated winds

--Pt 3

-Theme 2 (in Bb this time)

--Pt 1 - sprightly motif in winds

--Pt 2 - winds canons

-Cadence w Syncopation

Coda

-Pt 1 - Theme 1 motifs

-Pt 2 - multilayers of textures

Movement II - Adagio

Exposition
-Introduction measure - introduces 2-step motif

-Theme 1 in Eb (song-like melody comes in 1st Violins)

--Theme 1 builds w Winds

-Modulating Bridge using arch-like figures and held textures

-Theme 2 in Bb w clarinet lead

-Cadence Phrase

--Pt 1

--Pt 2 - "2-step" motif in tutti

Development

-Pt 1 - Theme 1 motif

-Pt 2 - dramatic dropping minor chords

-Pt 3 - swirling

-Pt 4 - Theme 1 motif

Recapitulation

-Intro measure

-Theme 1 - Eb Major

-Modulating Bridge - arching figures...

-Theme 2 - Clarinet melody

-Cadence Phrase

--Pt 1

--Pt 2 - "perdendo" dying away

Coda

-Pt 1 - Theme 1

-Pt 2 - Cadence theme

-(final "2-step" motif)

Movements 3 and 4 tomorrow......

(Analysed with the assistance of Robert Greenberg's Teaching Company Wordscore guide., The videos were originally uploaded to Youtube by 12clar3412clar34)