Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
Ludwig van Beethoven
About the Composer
One of the most recognized composers of Western art music, Ludwig van Beethoven displayed his musical talents at a very young age. His extensive compositional output includes symphonies, chamber music, solo piano music, choral works, opera, and a litany of solo instrumental music (among others). His works were unprecedented in their individuality, dramatic power, and wide appeal, and in effect, he was responsible for fundamentally changing society’s concept of music and of composers.
Beethoven’s career is typically divided into three periods: early, middle, and late. The early period reflects the murky line that “separates” the classical and romantic periods. Beethoven’s middle period is traditionally accepted to span 1802 to 1812. The works of this period comprise some of Beethoven’s most well-known, including his “Eroica” Symphony (as well as Symphonies no. 4-8), his “Waldstein” and “Appassionata” Sonatas (among others), and his Op. 59, Op. 74, and Op. 95 String Quartets. During this middle period Beethoven radically extends his musical language, commands a newfound technical virtuosity, and defies many of the expected “norms” of the times. Beethoven’s late period (c.1813-1827) is undoubtedly the most complex. The corpus of work is marked not only by groundbreaking contributions to the classical “canon,” but also extreme emotional upheavals within the composer’s life (at this point he was almost completely deaf). In number, Beethoven composed less during this period than the previous two; however, the works of the period are so remarkable that they are among his most well-known and revered, including his Ninth Symphony, Missa solemnis, his “Hammerklavier” Sonata, and his Op. 127, 130, 131, 132, and 135 String Quartets. The music of this period firmly belongs to the romantic era, and as a result explores the polemic depths of musical expression.
In 1803 Beethoven shepherded in a symphonic revolution with his Third Symphony, the “Eroica,” which many argue is the first symphony to capture the spirit of the Romantic era. He continued to propagate this revolution with his Fifth and Sixth, constantly evolving his new symphonic ideal and further separating these works from their eighteenth-century predecessors. Beethoven transformed the symphony not just in structure, but also consciously strove to create an impression of a psychological journey. As Charles Rosen said, “Beethoven took the rigid structures that came before him and turned them into vehicles for the sublime.”
About the Music
Beethoven composed his Seventh Symphony between 1811-1812, right on the cusp of where musicologists traditionally divide his middle and late periods; however, it belongs alongside the works of the middle period, where the majority of his orchestral output resides. Following in the symphonic shadow and reputation that Beethoven established with his Third, Fifth, and Sixth Symphonies, the Seventh stands out with its dynamic energy and uninhibited joy. Unlike many of Beethoven’s monumental works that were initially met with a mix of shock, admiration, and resistance from contemporaneous audiences and critics, the Seventh Symphony was immediately regarded as a hit, and in fact received three repeat performances within a week of its premiere.
The first movement opens with a staggeringly long semi-slow introduction that explores the symphony’s principal key, A major, and its related neighbors. Through the vehicle of just one repeated note, Beethoven brilliantly transitions out of the introduction and the movement erupts into a boisterous vivace. The second movement is perhaps one of the most famous symphonic movements of Beethoven’s output. It slowly builds in intensity through its use of distinct rhythmic cells and juxtaposition between the wind and string sections to eventually climax in a fugue near the end of the movement. The third movement highlights the dance aspects of the symphony and features two iterations of the scherzo’s contrasting trio. The last movement explodes with excitement and features, among much else, Beethoven’s incredible writing for the French horn. In contrast with his previous six symphonies, the Seventh shows a lighter and brighter side of Beethoven that is seldomly matched in the rest of his output.
Note by Christina Dioguardi