Haven't I Heard That Before Preview | Beethoven Symphony No. 7 Movement 2
- Leah Froyd
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Hello and welcome to the third preview of our upcoming concert, Haven't I Heard That Before with Daniel Anastasio! To introduce you to Daniel and his work, we will spotlight his videos and respond to them below! Follow along for some fun insights from Daniel and our team and join us June 6th and 7th to hear his performance live at the Clocktower Salon.
Symphony No. 7 | Ludwig van Beethoven
Above is an excerpt of Daniel's upcoming show, Haven't I Heard That Before which he will perform in just a couple weeks!
As a string player this movement has always stood out as being particularly powerful to perform. Both its orchestration and compositional detail make it a true pillar in the classical music canon.
Because the opening ostinato (repeating pattern) is orchestrated first in the bass instruments, it feels almost like a funeral dirge, adding to the severe quality.
When the violins take over the melody, the tension of the music is so high from the repetition of the ostinato that the outburst is melodramatic and almost over the top.
The second theme is much more gentle with a soothing quality mostly due to the rolling eighth notes which allow the harmony to move fluidly and the key change to A major from its original key of A minor.
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Eventually after going between the first two themes (ABA), the musical development is introduced in the form of a fuguetta amongst just the strings:
The important thing to listen for in this section is the intricacy and delicate way in which the 4 measure melody is passed around each instrument of the string family juxtaposed with the Bach-like accompaniment of 16th notes.
The fuguetta doesn't last long and the woodwinds join for a final build up of the main melody.
"Beethoven is often known for his outbursts, but this entire movement is one single, controlled wave. The way it builds up and fades away shows an immense amount of restraint but even more impressive is the sensitivity Beethoven shows in avoiding monotony. The careful interruptions of the dirge theme are perfectly timed and the contrasting musical elements are perfectly chosen. Each return of the dirge theme feels more and more inevitable as the piece continues."
-- José Daniel Vargas
The final presentation of the melody is at the very end and happens in a very mysterious fashion. The last measure of the melody is staggered across the strings giving the impression of being unresolved, leading the audience into the next movement!
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Our general admission sale is currently underway for our next concert series in San Francisco. You can now reserve a seat at any of our upcoming concerts!!
LOW TICKET ALERT!
SATURDAY, JUNE 6 - SOLD OUT !!
NEW DATE ADDED - SUNDAY, JUNE 7 - 2:30PM
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