Beethoven's Symphony No - NSC Music - Question 20 - 2023 - Paper 1

Beethoven lengthened the duration of the symphony:

1. He added a movement to create a five-movement work.
2. He expanded the coda to create almost a second development.
3. The second movement was inserted between the traditional third and fourth movement.
4. The last three movements are connected, which is a departure from classical norms.
5. Changed internal form types:
   • The second movement conventions have a ternary form replaced with sonata form.
   • The third movement replaced the minuet and trio with a scherzo and trio.
   • The fourth movement included episodical/free form.

Beethoven uses the standard Classical orchestra but added instruments to extend timbre:

1. He added two trombones and a piccolo.
2. Trombones added gravity and piccolo added tension for dramatic effect to convey the mood in the fourth movement, 'Storm'.
3. He extended the range of the orchestra and the difficulty of the parts by assigning different parts to the cellos and double basses.

The symphony contains programmatic elements:

1. The second movement depicts a thunderstorm.
2. The fifth movement paints a picture of a rural scene.
3. The title of Beethoven's symphony: 'Pastoral Symphony – Symphony No. 6 in F Major Op. 68'.
4. Each movement has a title, e.g., the fourth movement is 'Storm', and the fifth movement is 'Shepherd's song: cheerful and thankful feelings after a storm.'.

Beethoven both conformed to and deviated from the principles and structure of the standard classical symphony and in this way paved the way to the Romantic symphony.