In the 'Pastoral' Symphony, Beethoven uses an 'extraordinarily economical' approach to instrumentation, with trumpets, piccolo, timpani, and trombones only appearing in specific movements or sections.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven intended the 'Pastoral' Symphony to be 'more an expression of feeling than a painting,' focusing on human emotions evoked by nature rather than literal depiction.
Recording & Production
This album is the fourth in a series of five CDs that will feature all of Beethoven's symphonies recorded by Philippe Jordan and the Wiener Symphoniker.
Composition History
Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, the 'Pastoral', premiered in 1808 under unfavorable circumstances, in an unheated theater as part of a four-hour concert marathon.
Interpretation
For this recording, the Wiener Symphoniker use wooden mutes instead of modern plastic ones in the slow movement of the 'Pastoral' Symphony, as requested by conductor Philippe Jordan, for a more characteristic sound.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Eighth Symphony features two instances of fortefortissimo (fff), pushing the boundaries of sound level at the beginning of the recapitulation and in the coda.
Performer Biography
Philippe Jordan, the conductor on this album, is the Music Director of the Wiener Symphoniker and has been appointed Music Director of the Vienna State Opera starting in 2020.
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