Symphony No. 4 (Beethoven)
Encyclopedia
Symphony No. 4 in B Flat Major (Op.
60), is a symphony
by Ludwig van Beethoven
, written in the summer of 1806. It was premiered in March of 1807 at a private concert of the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The Coriolan Overture and the fourth piano concerto
were premiered in that same concert.
The work was dedicated to Count Franz von Oppersdorff
, a relative of Beethoven's patron, Prince Lichnowsky
. The Count met Beethoven when he traveled to Lichnowsky's summer home where Beethoven was staying. Von Oppersdorff listened to Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D Major
, and liked it so much that he offered a great amount of money for Beethoven to compose a new symphony for him. The dedication was made to "the Silesian nobleman Count Franz von Oppersdorf".
, 2 oboe
s, 2 clarinet
s in B flat, 2 bassoon
s, 2 horns
in B flat and E flat, 2 trumpets in B flat and E flat, timpani
and strings
.
Orchestra.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
60), is a symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, written in the summer of 1806. It was premiered in March of 1807 at a private concert of the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The Coriolan Overture and the fourth piano concerto
Piano Concerto No. 4 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, was composed in 1805–1806, although no autograph copy survives.-Musical forces and movements:...
were premiered in that same concert.
Background
Franz von Oppersdorff
Count Franz von Oppersdorff was a Silesian nobleman and a great lover of music, who commissioned Beethoven's Fourth and Fifth Symphonies....
, a relative of Beethoven's patron, Prince Lichnowsky
Karl Alois Johann-Nepomuk Vinzenz, Fürst Lichnowsky
HSH Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky , was second Prince Lichnowsky and a Chamberlain at the Imperial Austrian court...
. The Count met Beethoven when he traveled to Lichnowsky's summer home where Beethoven was staying. Von Oppersdorff listened to Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D Major
Symphony No. 2 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D major was written between 1801 and 1802 and is dedicated to Prince Lichnowsky.-Background:...
, and liked it so much that he offered a great amount of money for Beethoven to compose a new symphony for him. The dedication was made to "the Silesian nobleman Count Franz von Oppersdorf".
Instrumentation
The symphony is scored for fluteFlute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, 2 oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, 2 clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s in B flat, 2 bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s, 2 horns
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
in B flat and E flat, 2 trumpets in B flat and E flat, timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
and strings
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
.
Movements
The work is in four movements:- Adagio – Allegro vivace, 2/2
- Adagio, 3/4 in E flat majorE flat majorE major or E-flat major is a major scale based on E-flat, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats: B, E, A.Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
- Allegro vivace, 3/4
- Allegro ma non troppo, 2/4
Media
The sound files are from a performance by the Skidmore CollegeSkidmore College
Skidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State....
Orchestra.
External links
- Analysis of the Beethoven Symphony No. 4 on the All About Ludwig van Beethoven Page
- Full Score of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony.