BEETHOVEN Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8 Royal Flemish Philharmonic Philippe Herreweghe HYBRID MUL TICHANNEL Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) Symphony No.5 in C minor, Op.67 1 Allegro con brio 6. 44 2 Andante con moto 8. 29 3 Allegro 4. 35 4 Allegro 10. 23 Symphony No.8 in F, Op.93 5 Allegro vivace e con brio 8. 32 6 Allegretto scherzando 3. 48 7 Tempo di menuetto 4. 20 8 Allegro vivace 7. 00 Royal Flemish Philharmonic conducted by: Philippe Herreweghe Total playing-time: 54. 16 Biographien auf Deutsch und Französisch finden Sie auf unserer Webseite. Pour les versions allemande et française des biographies, veuillez consulter notre site. www.pentatonemusic.com or a certain part of the orchestral capacities of a ‘modern’ horn player. It Frepertoire so-called ‘authentic’ or is precisely our experience with histori- ‘historical’ instruments might seem cal instruments that allows us to also essential in order to achieve a truly work with a ‘modern’ orchestra such convincing performance. This is not the as the Royal Flemish Philharmonic case for Beethoven. Though orches- on vibrato control, articulation and trated with a genius sense of economy, even rhythmicity in a stylistically well- the power that emanates from this considered context. We consider it symphonies is not chiefly linked with important to work idiomatically with sonority. Of course every driven and nature trumpets (Egger) and Baroque conscientious musician only stands kettle drums with a modern tuning to benefit from experimenting with system (Kolberg). the ‘right’ instruments. Using a natural horn can only enrich the inner hearing Philippe Herreweghe Past forms and standards luck. Thus he hardly needed to fiddle with the orchestral scoring, and he ention the name Beethoven, and remained faithful – with one excep- Mthe word symphony immedi- tion – to the prevalent division of the ately springs to mind. Justly so, for symphony in four movements. if there is one standard by which Nevertheless, it was Beethoven romantic orchestral music is judged, who put the ‘opera of the instruments’ it is the nine-part symphonic oeuvre on the agenda of the Romantic com- of this Viennese German. The aes- posers. Was that because he expanded thetic impact can be largely explained the duration of the symphony? by the man’s instrumental train of Perhaps. Because he attuned the sepa- thought. The introduction of his rate movements of the symphony to symphonies to the Viennese public one another, by means of coordinating at the beginning of the 19th century total structures? Certainly. However, it heralded the birth of a golden age was mainly his instrumental eloquence for instrumental music. However, the which allowed the symphony to fit in credit should not just go to Beethoven, with the musical ideas of the day. To according to author, composer and quote Hoffmann once again: “When professional dreamer E.T.A. Hoffmann we talk about music as an independent back in 1809: “Nowadays, instrumen- art, then we can only be referring to tal music has reached a height that instrumental music. This music, which would have been unimaginable not spurns any help from or fusion with so very long ago. Furthermore, the another art form, expresses the true symphony has become, especially essence of art, which is comprehensi- thanks to the schwung bestowed upon ble only to itself. Instrumental music it by Haydn and Mozart, the highest is the most romantic of all arts – one category in instrumental music – as it could almost say, just ‘purely’ roman- were, ‘the opera’ of the instruments.” tic.” The supremacy of instrumental Indeed, these gentlemen had experi- music without further content, over mented quite a bit with the genre, illustrative, vocal music: behold, an before Beethoven eventually tried his idée reçue which was to dominate the entire Romantic era. This idea can thematic impetuosity. And the gigantic be found in the philosophical systems coda of this movement is anything but of Hegel and Schopenhauer, it turns conventional: just as in his Symphony up in Wagner’s theories regarding the No.3, Eroica, Beethoven does not use theatre, it infects the progressive think- the coda to conclude the movement, ing of Liszt and co., and was rewritten but as a podium on which he is able by Hanslick in his scribblings on abso- once again to process the thematic lute music. And as a reaction to which material in an ingenious manner. In music did Hoffmann launch his notori- contrast, the Andante con moto is a ous thoughts? Correct, the music was compound of a variations sequence by Beethoven. It was precisely his with the sonata form. The ensuing symphonic works which emphasized Allegro is not in the least like a dancing the exclusivity and drama of instru- scherzo, it is much more a procrasti- mental music without further content. nating preparation for the triumphant Number five in Beethoven’s sym- finale, which in its turn cannot be phonic catalogue is his best and most pinned down to any classical form well-known example of this feature. analysis. Thanks to the successful manner in Of course, such sagacity with which the composer moulds both regard to technical form remains at form and content to his will, this over- the service of the tone of the content, whelming Symphony No.5 (1808) has which has made this Symphony No. become an unapproachable status 5 so unusually popular. In the first symbol. As far as the technical form place, the expansive phrasing by is concerned, the Symphony No.5 is means of which Beethoven links the a powerful response to the Classical various movements: when the ingen- tradition. Thus although the first ious final bars of the scherzo suddenly movement (Allegro con brio) provides divert from C minor to C major, and the suggestion of a sonata form, this thus launch the resounding finale, it impression is continuously rebutted. becomes clear that one has arrived at By giving free space to the virulent first the luminous end of a previously darkly motif, the second theme is drowned in coloured journey. The frankly weird and wonderful effect that Beethoven the first time in his career, for exam- brings about by means of this auditive ple, Beethoven presents two corner journey permits the listener to link all movements which do without a (slow) kinds of socio-political, humanitary intro, and kick off immediately with the or philanthropic ideas to the listening main melody. In the opening section, experience. But in the separate move- the first and second melodies almost ments, too, the instrumental drama directly switch over to passage work, gives cause for metaphysical listen- which – surprisingly – introduces new ing pleasure. For instance, the short, material. This creates the impression melancholy oboe solo which suddenly that, unusually, not two but three or appears in the first movement, the perhaps even four thematic groups threatening undertones which besiege are challenging one another – and the second movement, the tentative this completely does away with the and disorienting design of the third formal tension of the sonata form. movement, or the revolutionary intoxi- In the finale, too, Beethoven dem- cation of the finale. onstrates his most generous side: in In his Symphony No.8 (1814) the midst of all the scintillating gusto, too, Beethoven links his (humorous) the composer introduces a third, con- power of imagination to a sophisti- trasting idea (a ceremonious chorale). cated knowledge of the form. Whereas In the apparently naive Allegretto the Symphony No.5 possesses virile scherzando, Beethoven adds a spe- gravity in abundance, this symphony cial sophistication to the composition, glories in an overdose of appealing by staging a (for the listener, well- charm. Nevertheless, the Symphony nigh imperceptible) rhythmical stunt, No.8 – which, as a rule, is considered in which the rhythmical pivots are to be the “weakling” in the symphonic placed at right angles to the prescribed oeuvre of Beethoven – is no anachro- measure. An uproarious climax in this nistic faux pas, rather it is an unusually symphony is undoubtedly formed by clever reading of the genre. As a result, the third movement (Tempo di menu- this musical essay in generosity sac- etto). Instead of the usual scherzo rifices form to musical excess. For of the day, Beethoven composes a Classical minuet which – if listened manner. Given his particular back- to correctly – can be interpreted as a ground, Philippe Herreweghe devotes grotesque and nefarious persiflage of himself to the (pre)Romantic repertoire. eighteenth-century gallantry. The ridic- He works in close co-operation with ulously exaggerated accents, the naive Jaap van Zweden who will replace trumpet motifs, the banal themes, the Daniele Callegari in 2008-2009 as the winds which enter too early at one or orchestra’s chief conductor. two points: these are both subtle and Thanks to its own series of con- unambiguous hints indicating that certs in large halls, the Royal Flemish the Classical symphony now truly Philharmonic occupies a unique posi- belonged to the past. But also that the tion in Flanders. The orchestra counts future of the symphony was guaran- the Queen Elisabeth Hall and deSingel teed in the hands of this composer… in Antwerp, the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels, de Bijloke in Ghent and Tom Janssens the Bruges Concertgebouw as regular English translation: Fiona J. Stroker-Gale podia. Alongside its regular concerts, the Philharmonic attaches great value to developing educational projects, such as the successful KIDconcerts and the pedagogical ‘OORcolleges’, Royal Flemish Philharmonic where the orchestra guides chil- dren and youngsters through the nder the leadership of its musi- symphonic tonal universe. In collabo- Ucal director, Philippe Herreweghe, ration with the publisher, Lannoo, the the Royal Flemish Philharmonic has Philharmonic is currently developing evolved into a modern, stylistically a series of audio books with original flexible symphony orchestra.