The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and their chief conductor Jaime Martín continued their cycle of the nine Beethoven symphonies on Thursday juxtaposing Symphony No. 2 from Beethoven’s early period and the renowned Symphony No. 5 from his middle ‘heroic’ period. Thus the audience was able to compare and contrast his evolving compositional style, on the same night.
The first movements of both symphonies begin with resolute fortissimo gestures. Two unison D’s like thunderclaps open Symphony No. 2. The ensuing ornamented phrases swell to a descending arpeggio in D minor in dotted rhythms with fortissimo dynamic foretelling the compositional style Beethoven was to employ in the turbulent principal theme of the Ninth Symphony. In Symphony No. 2 a colourful operatic style Allegro bypasses these fortissimo gestures where a pugnacious March theme almost mocks these dotted rhythms.
In Symphony No. 5 the popular fate motif opens the first movement – propelled in unison. The term fate motif arises from a letter Beethoven wrote in 1801 at the time he was handed the diagnosis that deafness was his fate. In that letter he describes his resolve to seize fate by the throat, and to transcend it.
Jaime Martín introduced the dramatic openings to both symphonies clearly and with minimal physical gestures. Lack of gesture in the thunderclap opening of Symphony No. 2 added to the surprise effect of the opening. Minimal gesturing in the opening of the Fifth was itself a compelling effect in that it implied an invitation for introspection, to focus on the anguish of this movement. He chose a tempo that spontaneously drew the fate motif into trialogue between strings, woodwind and brass, which naturally grew in intensity with each response. Only a few points of subtle rubato gave relief from the turbulent incessant repetitions of the fate motif permeating the whole movement – permutations of this rhythmic motif pervade the entire symphony in one form or another. His interpretation of this movement is more energetic than that of the grandiose style heard in many mid-20th century performances. His approach is congruent with the fate motif in the Appassionata piano sonata where the fate motif is transformed through semitone descents encompassing the entire range of the keyboard.
In Symphony No. 2 the second movement evokes the simplicity of a popular Cavatina – a title Beethoven uses in his late string quartet Op. 130. In this symphony the flowing melodic lines are given a distinctive characteristic with a crescendo immediately followed by a piano dynamic, abruptly falling to a whisper – a characteristic style of speaking in Beethoven’s native Rhineland. The MSO strings played these dynamically difficult phrases with eloquence while maintaining a continuous gentle rhythmic flow akin to spoken language, which was equally echoed with poise by the woodwind.
The second movement of Symphony No. 5 also relies on dynamic gestures that alternate between piano and forte. Martín and the orchestra faithfully reflected these tonal shades; the warm lyrical performance by the cellos exquisitely shaped the long eight bar melismatic phrases before arrival of a complete cadence. In this performance the rhythmic permutations of the fate motif were articulated to blunt the strident ‘biting’ effect of the fate motif into a smoothness commensurate with resignation. In the movement’s grand C major episodes Martín again shunned the lavish rhetorical flourishes used in earlier eras which draw out phrases through weighty accentuations. Rich harmonics generated from the low C’s of the cellos and double basses, sustained through their natural dying fall, imbued these tones with a feeling of resignation. Through the combined use of the expressive devices: articulation, dynamics and key tonality, the MSO’s interpretation of the second movement elicited the sense that a new type of hope is ‘just around the corner’.
The third movements in both symphonies are marked Scherzo where moods of their respective first movements are revisited. The buoyant bassoon staccato phrases in the Second Symphony Scherzo may convey rustic buffoonery; Martín’s comical hand gestures and mouth movements imitating the bassoon inimitably matched such an interpretation. The Fifth Symphony Scherzo’s transformation of the fate motif into an ominous horn call resonated a portentous brassy ring.
The summit of both symphonies is found in their finales. The Second Symphony finale contrasts two opposing ideas: i) an accented trill within a forceful motif played strongly is contrasted with ii) an agitated phrase played softly on the violins. The effect created is akin to an argument between two characters. Anton Schindler, Beethoven’s assistant, noted that in his early compositions Beethoven intended to convey such a scene between characters, and the audiences at that time were able to understand this as such. Schindler’s writings are not always reliable, but such a view is consistent with that of C.P.E. Bach, whose writings Beethoven was very familiar with and admired. The MSO’s performance clearly demonstrated this form of virtual-interplay. Beethoven in his symphonies often revisits material of preceding movements in the finale. The March theme (pugnacious – my analysis) from the first movement of the Second Symphony appears inverted in the final movement.
In Symphony No. 5, the fate motif in the first movement cascades in C minor, in the finale it is transfigured into ascending surging motifs in C major, as though soaring to the zenith of triumph. Unfortunately, in the closing episodes the first violins seemed not able to meet the power needed and, despite maintaining their rhythmic drive, were somewhat overwhelmed by the brass. Entry of the trombones in the finale highlights their first use in a symphony by Beethoven; they propelled the symphony with thundering emphatic verve to its victorious close.
Photo credit: Laura Manariti
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Anthony Halliday reviewed Beethoven’s Symphonies 2 and 5, presented as part of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven Festival at Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall on November 21, 2024.
