Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor

Brahms was a very self-critical composer. He revised and edited his compositions, some of them for years, until they met his high standards. and those compositions that he couldn't refine to his liking were destroyed. He claimed to have destroyed twenty string quartets before he wrote one that met his standards.

The beginnings of the first piano concerto are also an example of his drive for perfection. He began the work as a sonata for two pianos,  then began to revise it as a symphony. For whatever the reasons (as his new friend Joseph Joachim, the famous violinist and composer encouraged him) Brahms again converted the music, this time to a piano concerto.

Brahms doted on the score, refining and editing it over and over again. Brahms had heard Beethoven's 9th Symphony for the first time in 1854 and it had influenced him deeply. His drive to create a composition worthy of the tradition created by Beethoven and the other masters he revered while at the same time utilizing his progressive ideas made the work on the concerto last many years. Finally in 1859 Brahms played the premiere of the work with his friend Joachim at the podium.  A few days after this performance it had its premiere at Leipzig with Brahms again at the piano but with a different conductor at the podium. The critics were harsh in their appraisal:

“This work … cannot give pleasure. Save its serious intention, it has nothing to offer but waste, barren dreariness,” said one critic, with another saying, “The work, with all its serious striving, its rejection of triviality, its skilled instrumentation, seemed difficult to understand, even dry, and in parts eminently fatiguing.”  And it fared no better with the audience, especially at the Leipzig performance. Brahms described the scene in a letter to Joachim about the Leipzig performance:

“Nor reaction at all to the first and second movements. At the end, three pairs of hands tried slowly to clap, whereupon a clear hissing from all sides quickly put an end to any such demonstration … I am only experimenting and feeling my way, all the same, the hissing was rather too much."

An audience's appreciation of a work is most often gauged by the amount of applause. That also works in reverse, as when as audience 'sits on their hands' (sometimes literally as well as figuratively) it can be hard for a composer or performer to bear. Boos and cat-calls are worse, but an audience hissing is the ultimate negative reaction. I've been present in an audience when it has happened, and it can send a chill down your spine.  Brahms was 25 years old when he experienced this, and it made Brahms all the more cautious about his works, but he also resolved to work even harder to perfect his craft. He vowed to rewrite the work, but all he did was correct a few minor details. Despite the negativity shown the work at the premiers, Brahms judgement proved correct. It is now regarded as a classic and is a staple of the repertoire, although it took years for it to happen. The concerto is in three movements:

I. Maestoso - The menacing and fierce trills that open this concerto are one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the repertoire.  Brahms has begun the work with music that is brutally confident, sounds that grab our attention and are portents of things to come.  From the treatment of themes to the entrance of the soloist,  Brahms finds his own way from 'point A to point B', and manages to use the inspiration of Beethoven's ninth symphony to communicate his own ideas in his own way.  Looking at this movement in an historical perspective,  we can see just how innovative Brahms was. He was at 25 years old (and for all of his career) not only an upholder of tradition, but an innovator in ways that are not always apparent (or obvious) to the listener. His phrase structure, use of sonata form and rhythm, lead to a type of virtuosity that isn't always apparent (or obvious) either. It is a virtuosity that stresses the making of music, of expression, with very few purely technical fireworks. Everything works towards the musical whole.

II. Adagio - This movement is usually thought of as a tribute to the Schumanns, both Robert and Clara.  Robert had died in an insane asylum in 1856 and Brahms always had deep feelings for Clara. Again, there is no mere display of pianism, but music that in turn is passionate, dramatic, rhapsodic. Near the end is a chain of trills for the piano that go up the keyboard that is resolved by the slow, gentle ending of the movement.

III.Rondo: Allegro non troppo -  The piano begins with what always sounds to me like a foot-heavy dance, not really a peasant dance but not anywhere near a sophisticated one. The dreamy tune that endures brings a needed contrast. The orchestra plays through a short fugue that shows Brahms' already considerable contrapuntal skills.  The rondo plays itself out until the cadenza, after which Brahms changes the mood to a 'maestoso' but unlike the dark and foreboding maestoso of the first movement this maestoso is bright, confident, jubilant, and marches its way to the end.

Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov  was an an officer in the Russian Imperial Navy and Inspector Of Naval Bands. He was also a professor of composition, harmony and orchestration at the St. Petersburg Conservatory beginning in 1871.  He composed in many musical forms, but is best known for his operas and symphonic works.

He was a master orchestrator and his composition Scheherazade is a brilliant piece for orchestra. The piece is based on The Book Of A Thousand And One Nights also known as The Arabian Nights.  Rimsky-Koraskov  wrote a short introduction that he intended for use in the score and as a program note for concerts:

"The Sultan Schariar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheharazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the execution of his wife and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely."

Scheherazade is in four separate sections:

1) The Sea and Sinbad's Ship
2) The Kalendar Prince
3) The Young Prince and Young Princess
4) Festival At Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks Against A Cliff Surmounted By A Bronze Horseman.

Rimsky-Korsakov was very sparse in his explanation of the movements and the tales depicted. In later editions of the work he did away with even the titles of the movements, expressing his hope that the listener would hear the music as Oriental-themed work that evoked the sense of a fairy tale adventure.

Saint-Saëns - Mélodies Persanes, Opus 26

The French poet Armand Renaud was associated with the Parnassian Poets movement in France (although the movement was not restricted to France) that began with an anthology of poems byvarious French poets that was published in 1866. The movement was in reaction to Romanticism with the emphasis on craftsmanship and  a tightening up of form. The subject matter was often classical and exotic subjects, but as with any movement or school of artistic endeavors, the Parnassian poets shared a common artistic attitude rather than a rigid set of rules.

Camille Saint-Saëns used six poems from Renaud's Les Nuits Persanes (Persian Nights) and set them to music in 1870.  Saint-Saëns was a man of letters as well as a musician, so he was well acquainted with the Parnassian movement.  Saint-Saëns had a very wide interest in different historical and cultural traditions and throughout his career there is a peppering of music that was influenced by many different traditions. At the time Saint-Saëns composed these songs, he was 35 years old and an advocate of the new music of Liszt and Wagner. He was quite influential in French music in his early years, but he grew more and more conservative as he aged.

The songs in this set are well written and showcase Saint-Saëns' melodic talent. He did not use any authentic Persian themes, but he did try to create an exotic feeling to them. While all six are fine songs, the exotic influence can be difficult to hear.

1) La Brise (The Breeze)

This song is perhaps the most obviously Persian influenced in the set as the piano plays a dance rhythm. The first part of this song is in the Dorian mode in E, which also gives it an exotic flavor. Halfway through the music switched to E major and ends in that key. 

Like kid goats bitten by a horsefly

The beautiful girls of Zaboulistan dance.

Their nails are tinted a light pink;

No one can see them, apart from the sultan.

In the hands of each a sistrum sounds;

The turbaned eunuch stands with saber in hand.

But at the pale river where the lily lies sleeping,

The breeze grows like a pirate

that is going to steal their hearts and lips

under the jealous man’s eyes, despite the law.

O dreamer, be proud! The breeze has taken

your love poems for his talisman!



2) La Splendeur Vide (The Empty Splendor)
A beautiful song that modulates to different keys to good effect. 

In my soul I have built

A wonderful palace,

full of the smells of cinnamon,

Armand Renaud

full of reflecting images.

Sapphire, Amber, Emerald

Cover the pillars;

Quietly, there strides

familiar lions.

In the ivory cups,

on the deep pile carpets,

groups of Monarchs

are drinking white wine.

Isolated as an island,

the walls are steep,

and plunge into

a lake of silver.

Everything is motionless,

yet everything grows

and spreads like an oil stain

that deepens and shimmers.

But two things that delight

me are lacking:

There is not a sound, and

No color.

Oh! for a sound of lyre,

Oh! for the slightest color,

I would leave porphyry,

Fine pearls, and gold!

But the one that gives

cruel and soft love,

my crown forbids me

of harmony and color;

And the more everything shines and

everything becomes vast and nice,

I feel increased pain,

And the more I become a tomb.

3) La Solitaire (The Solitary One)

The piano imitates the object of the singer's affections as he rides a horse. 

O proud young man, o killer of gazelles,

Pale rider in light velvet,

On your horse whose hoofs have wings

Take me upwards with your love.

I have very often at night, on my terrace,

Shed my tears while holding you close.

Wasted effort! It is your shadow I embrace,

And my sobs, you do not hear them.

The sky made me warm and beautiful,

My soft lips are as a bright red fruit;

I have a song in my voice.

A ray of sun in my hair.

But locked and covered with veils

In a palace, I die far from the true good.

Why flowers and why stars,

If my heart beats and if you do not know it?

My beloved, your weapons are terrible,

Your long gun, spear, your dagger,

And most of all, your eyes dark charms

Piercing a heart with a glance.

O proud young man, o gazelle killer,

My fate is like their fate

On your horse whose feet have wings,

Include my sad heart to the bloody spoils.

4) Sabre en main (Saber In Hand)

The poem conveys the blood-thirsty wishes of the conqueror. While the accompaniment is appropriate enough, it doesn't convey an exotic atmosphere very much. 

I have bridled my horse

And put on his saddle of gold.

Through this barren world

We'll take flight.

My heart is cool, my gaze steady,

I love nothing and I fear nothing.

My sword grieves when in its sheath:

When drawn it strikes true!

With the turban wound about my head

And the white cloak on my back,

I wish to set out for the party

Where death screams and dances.

Where towns are put to the torch

While the people sleep at night,

Where the vile rabble think

We are glorious because we are strong.

I wish that kings, when they hear my name,

Would hold their head in their hands,

And that my saber would remove the brands

And the yokes of servitude.

I wish for the swarm of my tents,

My horses with flowing manes,

My bright banners

My pikes, my drums.

Without number, like a swarm

Of flies in summer,

So that the universe squirms and is

aware of how little it is worth!



5) Au cimetière (At The Cemetery)

As we sit on this white tomb

Let us open our hearts!

As night falls,

Marble’s spell conquers all.

As we murmur to each other,

The dead vibrate;

We shall pluck corollas

From the Sahara.

If he had, before his last hour,

The love of someone,

He will think of the past,

smell the fragrance and cry.

If he lived, without wanting

To share his heart,

He will say: I lost my life,

Without having loved.

My dear, you  shall jingle

Your gold ornaments,

So that desire takes wing

When birds fall asleep.

And without worrying,

For we only die in the end,

We say: Today roses,

Tomorrow cypress!



6) Tournoiement: Songe d'opium (Twirling: An Opium Song)

Saint-Saëns was a virtuoso on the piano and he kept up his technique his entire life. He was known to have a very clean and brilliant technique capable of very fleet and nimble playing which is reflected in the accompaniment to this opium-induced vision.

Without a pause,

On the tip of my big toe

I spin, I spin, I spin,

Like a dead leaf.

As at the moment one dies,

Earth, ocean, space,

Pass before my eyes,

Throwing out a glow.

As I spin around and around,

I go faster

Without pleasure as without anger,

Shivering, despite my sweat.

In the dens filled with foaming waves,

On inaccessible rocks,

I spin, I spin, I spin.

Without the slightest concern.

In forests, on the shores;

Among beasts

And their enemies,

Soldiers who go sword in hand,

Amid the slave markets,

The lands full of volcano lava,

With the Moguls and the Slavs,

I will not stop spinning.

Subject to the laws that ever govern,

The laws that the sun obeys,

I spin, I spin, I spin.

My feet are off the ground.

I go up to the night sky,

Before the silent moon,

In front of Jupiter and Saturn

I go with a hiss,

And I cross Capricorn

And I am in the abyss, the gloomy abyss,

The total and boundless night.

Dvorak Symphonic Poem - The Water Goblin

 Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) was a Czech composer best known for his nine symphonies, especially the 9th known as "From The New World", written while he was a music professor in New York City.  But he also wrote ten operas,  chamber music (more than forty works for string ensemble), for the piano and sacred music. Later in his career he also wrote five symphonic poems in the years 1896-1897:  The Water Goblin, The Noon Witch, The Golden Spinning Wheel, The Wild Dove and A Hero's Song.  

The Water Goblin is a creature of European mythology, with differences in the myth according to nationality. The Czech version of the goblin  has a human body, with green skin. He's thought to be the cause of drownings, and stores the soul of the drowned victim in a porcelain cup. Some tales of the water goblin portray him as rather comical, but Dvorak used a poem based on the tale written by Karel Erben, a Czech poet, writer and collector of folk tales and songs.  The Water Goblin portrayed in Erben's poem and used by Dvorak is most certainly not comical!  A short sketch of the poem and story:

A mother warns her daughter to stay away from the nearby lake because of a dream she has had about the water goblin. The daughter ignores the warning, goes to the lake and just as she begins to do her laundry she falls in. The goblin claims her as his wife. Her existence is sorrowful in his watery kingdom, but they have a child that is the only light in her life.  She begs the Goblin to let her go see her mother one more time.  The Goblin thinks it over and reluctantly agrees but on three conditions; She mustn't kiss or embrace anyone; she must return after one day as soon as the bells ring out for Vespers; and lastly she must leave the child with him as a hostage to guarantee her return.  The woman leaves and after a sad meeting between her and her mother the evening bell tolls, but her mother holds her back and prevents he leaving, which enrages the Goblin. He knocks on the door, saying the child must be fed. The mother refuses to open the door and demands the child be left with them. The Goblin is blinded by rage, and after awhile he returns to the lake. After a violent crash during a storm, the mother and daughter open the door and find the headless body of the child on the doorstep.

Pretty gruesome stuff for sure, but such is the way of folktales sometimes. The music is some of the best Dvorak ever wrote for orchestra.  Rich in tone and orchestral color, it is a piece written by a master of the orchestra. And with the use of a little imagination, you can hear The Water Goblin cavorting through the orchestra.   

Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 In C Minor

The 5th Symphony of Beethoven with its familiar three short and one long note motif, is the most recognizable and popular pieces of music ever written. Beethoven premiered the work at a massive 4-hour concert in December in Vienna in 1808. due to the coldness of the theater and the fact that the symphony only had one rehearsal earlier in the day, there was not much critical input about the work. But a little over a year later the work was repeated to rave reviews. All through the 19th century it slowly became a cornerstone of symphonic repertoire, and has been one ever since.

Don't let the familiarity of the symphony cause a bias against it.  There are wonders within it, way more than the famous 'fate knocking at the door' motif that begins the symphony. This motif acts as the raw material that is used to construct the first movement, and it makes an appearance throughout the entire work, albeit sometimes in altered form. This is a prime example of why I think Beethoven is the greatest composer of them all, in the sense of the word that means putting together a coherent composition from original material. His musical structures are solid, he was a total master of sonata form. Beethoven seems to have found his freedom of expression within the form itself. He would alter the form as his ideas dictated, but still kept the bare bones of the form. There are musicians and composers that had a greater gift for melody, some that were more brilliant at orchestration,  some more daring harmonically. But for the total package, which includes being a master architect of musical form, no one outshines Beethoven.

The 5th Symphony is in 4 movements:
I. Allegro con brio - The famous opening that is the seed of the entire symphony catches the ear immediately. It is pregnant with drama and struggle, and is heard throughout the first movement as it keeps hammering home the sense of struggle.  The movement is in sonata form, and Beethoven seems to have compressed and reduced the music into a pungent musical language that is given little relief. Even the short oboe near the end of the movement is full of pathos. The work hammers the motive home again, and it ends.

II. Second movement: Andante con moto - The second movement is a double variation, there are two melodies heard one after the other in the opening, then they are both varied in turn.

III. Third movement: Scherzo. Allegro -  A Scherzo full of mystery and a repeat of the 'fate' motive of the first movement in the horns, as well as a fugal trio section. When the scherzo begins again after the trio Beethoven changes the orchestration ad dynamics and with the timpani gently beating out the note of 'c', the movement segues into the finale.

IV. Fourth movement: Allegro - The finale is also in sonata form, with the second theme repeating the 'fate' motive. Just as the orchestra really gets going, a rapid change happens and parts of the Scherzo reappear for a few bars until the finale themes return ablaze. The finale keeps hammering away with the chords of C Major having won the struggle and defeating the C minor triad, and the work ends triumphantly.

Modern listeners can really never appreciate how Beethoven's music sounded to his contemporary listeners. What has become common place ( if not outright cliché) was once very innovative and original. Some of the wonder of the music is no doubt lost on us, but one way to get an idea of the novelty and originality of it is to listen to it with ears that can take on an historical perspective.

Beethoven - Piano Trio In C Minor Opus 1, No. 3

When Beethoven left his home town of Bonn for Vienna for the second time in 1792, his friend and patron Count Waldenstein wrote this in a letter to him:

"In leaving for Vienna today, you are about to realize a long cherished desire. The wandering genius of Mozart still grieves for his passing. With Haydn's unquenchable spirit, it has found shelter but no home and longs to find some lasting habitation. Work hard, and the spirit of Mozart’s genius will come to you from Haydn's hands."

It was Beethoven's intention to receive instruction from Mozart on his return trip to Vienna,  but Mozart had died before he got there. Whether Mozart would have proven a better teacher for Beethoven is of course not known, but there is evidence about the relationship between Beethoven and Haydn. Beethoven evidently found Haydn somewhat old-fashioned in his teaching methods, as he had Beethoven do exercises in counterpoint for six months. Beethoven sought instruction from other teachers while he was still a student of Haydn, but did it in secret as to not offend the elder composer.

In Haydn's defense, this was a busy time as he recently had been invited to London by concert promoter Johann Peter Salomon. Haydn was occupied with travel plans as well as composing new symphonies for the trip. And the personalities of the two composers could not have been more different. Beethoven, the brash, rude, passionate pianist/composer was nicknamed "The Great Mogul" by Haydn. With Haydn's conservative dress, powdered wig and courtly manners, Beethoven most likely couldn't relate too well either.

What came to be Beethoven's Opus 1 compositions, three piano trios, were first performed with Beethoven at the piano in the home of Count Carl von Lichnowsky with Haydn present. Haydn was enthusiastic about the first two trios, but cautioned Beethoven about the third one in C Minor. He suggested it needed more work because it wouldn't be understood or appreciated by the public. For whatever reason, Beethoven took offense at the criticism, but held off publishing the trios for two years, perhaps to rethink the C minor trio.  Haydn's remarks were most likely constructive criticism meant to help Beethoven's first official Opus 1 to be a success. With Haydn's fame being wide-spread, there could not have been any cause for jealousy on his part. Evidently Beethoven never forgot the affront, and if he did take Haydn's advice and rework the C minor trio he never said, but the two remained cordial and in Beethoven's later years he mellowed in his opinion of Haydn.

The C Minor Piano Trio of Opus 1 consists of 4 movements:
I. Allegro con brio -  Haydn's sense of form and mastery of sonata form in particular influenced Beethoven greatly, no matter what the younger composer said.. The first movement of this trio begins with a string of short themes that go from minor to major keys and back again. These themes are developed in the next section, sometimes the whole theme, sometimes parts of it. The recapitulation is masterfully handled as things fall into place for a well-rounded ending to a turbulent first movement.

II. Andante cantabile con Variazioni -  A set of variations, bread-and-butter to a composer that was more well-known for his improvisations in his early years in Vienna than for his compositions. A splendid contrast to the passion of the first movement.

III. Minuetto, Quasi allegro -  The piano begins by playing a quirky tune:

The tune is in C minor, and gives way to a Trio section in C major that has rippling scales in the piano as the violin and cello alternate between playing the melody and accompanying.

IV. Finale - Prestissimo - Was it this final movement, full of spit and fire, that was the reason for Haydn's criticism? Haydn's finales could be playful and rather light-weight, which this movement definitely is not. Dramatic and extroverted, the music propels itself along until Beethoven's final surprise - music that reduces in volume in anticipation of another eruption, but  then quietly ends with a simple cadence

Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 In F Major 'Pastoral'

Ludwig van Beethoven first worked on what was to become the sixth symphony in 1802 and there is evidence found in sketchbooks that he worked on the fifth symphony at the same time.  The two symphonies can hardly be more different (at least in feeling), but Beethoven usually worked on more than one composition at a time, at least early in his career.

Both symphonies also shared the same premiere date, in the same concert of December 22, 1808.  As well as the two symphonies the 4th Piano Concerto, Choral Fantasia and various other compositions of Beethoven's were played. The concert lasted roughly four hours, the theater in Vienna where it took place was unheated, and with only one rehearsal held the morning of the concert.

An account of this concert was given in the musical periodical  Leipzig Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung in January of 1809:

...However, as far as the execution of this academy concert is concerned, it could be considered lacking in all respects...Most noticeable, however, was the error that occurred in the last [Choral] Fantasy. The wind instruments varied the theme, which before, Beethoven had played on the piano. Now it was the oboes' turn. The clarinets--if I am not mistaken!--miscounted and set in at the same time. A peculiar mix of tones emerged; B. jumped up and tried to silence the clarinets, however, he did not succeed until he called out quite loudly and rather angrily to the orchestra: Silence! This will not do! Once more--once more! and the praised orchestra had to accommodate him and play the unfortunate Fantasy again, from the beginning--! The effect of all of these pieces on the mixed audience, and particularly of the pieces of the second section, obviously suffered from the amount and the length of the music. Moreover, it is known that, with respect to Vienna, it holds even more true than with respect to most other cities, what is written in the scriptures, namely that the prophet does not count for anything in his own country...

The critical reception of any of the works in this concert never came to light as all the descriptions of it deal with the inordinate length and other happenings. As for the sixth symphony in particular, George Grove in his book Beethoven And His Nine Symphonies quotes from the Harmonicon the leading musical publication of the time, about an early performance of the work in London in about 1817:

"Opinions are much divided about its merits, but few deny that it is too long. The Andante alone is upwards of a quarter of an hour in performance, and, being a series of repetitions, might be subject to abridgment without any violation of justice either to composer or hearer."

The issue about the length of the sixth symphony caused it to be cut in some performances, a practice not thought of today. But over-length was not a complaint unknown to Beethoven. The same was said of the third symphony, the fifth, and other works.

The work gets its name Pastoral from the composer himself, for right after the dual dedication of the work to Prince von Lobkowitz and Count von Rasumovsky are the words:

Pastoral Symphony, or a recollection of country life. More an expression of feeling than of painting.

The symphony is far from the first example of program music. Bach and Handel to mention but two earlier composers used subtle musical references to things that evoked feelings in the listener. Beethoven used musical references too, but he also gave each movement a brief description. Beethoven knew the risk of musical scene painting and kept it to a minimum.  Beethoven was a nature lover and was well-known around Vienna for his long walks in the countryside where he would become so preoccupied with his thoughts that he could be seen as he sang and shouted, or stood in the middle of the street and jotted down a musical idea that had come to mind. The 6th Symphony 'Pastoral' has five movements, a novelty at the time:

I. Allegro ma non troppo 'Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside.' - Written in sonata form, the movement's first theme is partially heard straight away, and soon the orchestra plays the full theme in full. The rest of the thematic material of the movement consists of short motifs that blend into each other seamlessly. The exposition and repeated. The development section begins with the first theme as it goes through key and dynamic changes.  Other themes are expanded and varied until the return of the main theme which signals the recapitulation. Themes are reviewed and modulate. A coda begins by playing the opening of the main theme played in the 1st violins while the 2nd violins play in contrary motion with the violas and double bass. Woodwinds play a two-note figure over a simple accompaniment by the strings. A clarinet, violins, flute and finally full orchestra play the last gentle chords of the ending of a movement that in its organic growth of small melodic motifs reflects he organic growth in nature itself.

II. Andante molto mosso 'Scene by the brook.' -  As in the first movement, this movement grows out of the seeds of small melodic motifs that are played by the 1st violins while the rest of the string section plays the murmuring depictions of a brook. The mood is placid as the music gently sways with motifs passed from instrument to instrument. The first inkling of a bird call is heard in the flute as the music grows while remaining placid. This is the movement that the London critic thought so oppressively long and repetitious! The  movement continues on its placed way until reaches a mild climax and then halts, after which the celebrated bird call imitations occur, with the Nightingale in the flute, quail in the oboe and cuckoo in the clarinet:

This is repeated, and the movement gently closes.

III. Allegro 'Merry gathering of country folk.' -  The movement begins with a scherzo of subtle humor that grows into a loud joke. The second part of the scherzo is one of wry humor as Beethoven imitates a village band with an oboe that plays a syncopated tune to a monotonous accompaniment by the violins, along with a bassoon player of such limited playing ability that his bass accompaniment consists of only three notes:

After the village band plays their tune, the tempo increases and the time signature to two in a bar in a rapid round dance. After the round dance, the entire scherzo repeats. With the end of the round dance, the scherzo makes an attempt at another repetition, but just as the village band is about to play yet again, the music segues to the next movement without pause.

IV. Allegro 'Thunder. Storm.' -  Agitated strings stir up the dust as droplets of rain as the approaching storm gathers momentum. With thunder in the timpani, whistling winds in the piccolo and a feeling of great tension the storm pelts the countryside. Beethoven has the cellos play 5 notes against 4 notes in the double bass for added rhythmic tension and confusion. The music begins to die away with distant rumbles of thunder as the music flows into the last movement without pause.

V. Allegretto 'Shepherd's song. Happy and thankful feelings after the storm.' -  The primary theme of this movement begins in the violins, and returns to the pastoral feeling of the first two movements, and also shares the building of a musical movement by the use of small, repeating parts. The coda reflects on the main theme a little more before it leads to the final close.

Beethoven wrote in one of his sketchbooks that, "All painting in instrumental music, if pushed too far, is a failure." The composers that used Beethoven's example of  program music as a justification to write their own did well to remember his words, and the master composers like Berlioz, Liszt and others did. If a little hint or written suggestion helps a work to be understood, so much the better.  A great musical work doesn't need a thousand-word explanation to be appreciated, for music is its own reward, its own explanation.