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Dear Friends of Amatori,
Our 2025 presentation of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is in stark contrast to his “Eroica” which we brought to you last year.
The Symphony no 3 was concerned with people, moods militaristic and reflective, social and personal.
The 6th symphony is 45 minutes of pure nature, beginning with the general feelings of heightened happiness brought about by being in nature, but becoming an intensely focused imbibing of it in the 2nd movement (‘the scene by the brook’).
This slow movement, highlighted by many bird calls and brook sounds, maintains a steady 12/8 which takes the listener outside of time and if one’s phone, mental or otherwise, is turned off, one feels that this peace and serenity could just go on forever.
It does, however, finally end - with the nightingale, the quail and the cuckoo insinuating themselves as special, named by Beethoven, and after a little silence the 3rd movement ensues with the villagers’ merrymaking, themselves a compulsive part of nature. (but hardly serene)
Without a break this merrymaking is stopped dead by the coming of a storm, the thunder rumble masterfully created by the cellos playing groups of 5 semiquavers against groups of 4 by the double bass.
The storm (movement 4) subsides soon enough and the sounds of nature burst out in the 5th movement’s song of gratitude, each instrument having a say. Beethoven named it “Shepherd’s song: cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm.” Like the 2nd movement, I feel in it a great reluctance to end, like trying to hold onto a perfect day.
The concert may only be 45 minutes long, but I trust that Beethoven can take you into timelessness for this period.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
A&I Hall, Station Street,Bangalow,NSW,Australia, Byron Bay
Tickets
