Symphony No. 6 "The Pastoral"
As with many of Beethoven's works, this marked a revolutionary moment in musical history. It is acknowledged as beginning the genera of "program music;" a symphonic piece that tells a connected story or theme from beginning to end.
Beethoven gives us clues to the story in the titles of each segment. In English, the given titles read as; The Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country, Scene at the Brook, Merry Meeting of County Folk, Thunderstorm, and Song of the Shepherds--Glad and Thankful Feelings after the Storm. Together they even suggest an alternative title for the piece; A Day in the Country.
Although the first sketches for this work appeared in Beethoven's notebooks in 1802, the work was not completed until 1807-08 with the first performance given in Vienna on December 22nd 1808. It was in 1807 & 1808, when feeling frustrated and oppressed by the city, Beethoven spent several months in the village of Heiligenstadt, a rural retreat outside of Vienna. The movements of this piece may very well reflect personal experiences in the Austrian countryside.
It is in this piece that the man who said, "No one can love the country as I do...", " In the country, every tree speaks to me..." and "I love a tree more than any man," places himself and us at the center of the music. Beethoven is our guide in the country, awakening us with the dawn and leading us through a day of idyllic scenes. Even the thunderstorm is idealized in allowing the full fury of of nature to be unleashed followed by the inevitable redemption of the land and the rejoicing of the human spirit.
This is a powerful piece, commanding our attention, compelling us to follow the journey to the eventual affirmation of the joyous celebration of life.