BaL 24.05.14: Beethoven Symphony no. 2 in D

**Tony Halstead** · 22-04-14, 20:32

Originally posted by Petrushka View Post

Beethoven's 2nd rarely gets much of an outing nowadays (I've heard it live twice in 40 years of concert-going) and it could I suppose be considered the 'Cinderella' among the nine but what a wonderful work it is. Written at a time of deep despair in Beethoven's life when he contemplated suicide in the face of his increasing deafness, it is, paradoxically, a work of generally sunny disposition, still slightly indebted to Haydn perhaps, but Beethoven speaking very much with his own voice.

I've got loads of versions, of course, but I've just played Karl Böhm's VPO version for the first time in ages and have been won over once again by this under-rated symphony, over-shadowed by its immediate successor.

Yes you are quite right, this little ( not so 'little'!) masterpiece very rarely gets heard in the concert hall.
Looking back through my diaries I see that, astonishingly, in 50 years of professional horn playing I have only ONCE played it in a concert, and that was in 1967 in the BBC Proms with the BBCSSO conducted by ( the greatly undervalued) James Loughran.
Since then I have played on several recordings of it - with Michael Tilson Thomas/ ECO, (Sir) John Eliot Gardiner / ORR and most recently on a BBC TV documentary with another under-rated conductor Charles Hazlewood and his 'Army of Generals' 'original instruments' orchestra ( bl***y silly name).
When all is 'said and done' I must say, I prefer the 1st symphony - for its lack of pretentiousness, its infectious good-humour and its boundless rhythmic energy ( not to mention its less difficult horn parts!

)

**Bryn** · 22-04-14, 20:45

Originally posted by Tony View Post

Yes you are quite right, this little ( not so 'little'!) masterpiece very rarely gets heard in the concert hall.
Looking back through my diaries I see that, astonishingly, in 50 years of professional horn playing I have only ONCE played it in a concert, and that was in 1967 in the BBC Proms with the BBCSSO conducted by ( the greatly undervalued) James Loughran.
Since then I have played on several recordings of it - ... most recently on a BBC TV documentary with another under-rated conductor Charles Hazlewood and his 'Army of Generals' 'original instruments' orchestra ...

I have that saved on DVD-R. Must give it a spin some time soon.

**Petrushka** · 22-04-14, 21:31

Originally posted by Tony View Post

... not to mention its less difficult horn parts!

)

I think it was HS who pointed out the extremely difficult horn part in this symphony (in the slow movement, I think) on another thread long ago and you've just reminded me of it.

**Barbirollians** · 22-04-14, 21:36

Charles Hazlewood - underrated ????

Beethoven 2 is a delight whenever one hears it - Gunter Wand's late RCA recording is one I have a great deal of time for as well as Karajan's 1962 .

**cloughie** · 22-04-14, 21:37

I would say that the Larghetto is my favourite movement of any Beethoven Symphony.

**Petrushka** · 22-04-14, 21:40

Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post

Charles Hazlewood - underrated ????

I think - hope - that Tony's tongue was firmly in cheek though a smiley might have made this explicit.

**Barbirollians** · 22-04-14, 21:49

Originally posted by cloughie View Post

I would say that the Larghetto is my favourite movement of any Beethoven Symphony.

It is one of my favourite movements of all symphonies . It is a measure of Beethoven's genius that this so seldom played in concert work is so superior to so many pieces that are played far more often . For example fond of their works as I am none of Schumann or Mendelssohn's symphonies comes close to this work for me .

**ardcarp** · 22-04-14, 22:19

I agree with all the above plaudits. It has the great advantage (as does No.8) of using the classical wind section (2FL, 2Ob, 2Cl, 2Fag,2Tpt,2Hn) making it accessible to the small chamber outfit, i.e. not having to hire extra horns and trombones. It is often mentioned that the even numbered symphonies are programmed less than the odds (with the possible exception of The Pastoral)...but number 2 is extremely rewarding for players, conductor and audiences alike.

**LeMartinPecheur** · 22-04-14, 22:39

My lifetime total of live LvB symphonies stands at only 18 so I'm clearly lucky to have caught the 2nd once already (Bournemouth SO/ Vanska). FWIW the other scores are one each for 1st, 3rd, 5th(!), two 4ths, 6ths, 7ths, and four 8ths and 9ths.

Average hearings of odd-numbered symphonies therefore = 1.8, even numbered = 2.25. So ardcarp, I clearly buck the trend!

**Roehre** · 22-04-14, 22:56

Beethoven 2 was -with the Leonore III, concertgebouw/Kubelik- the work which in december 1970 triggered my interest in classical music. Therefore I have not only love it intensely and have an artistic interest in it, but am heavily indebted to it as well.

A question for HS.
The horn parts in B2 are difficult.
Are these comparable with the parts in Mozart's Prague?
This arises from the fact that Mozart's work without doubt influenced Beethoven's here, especially in the 2nd mvt.

Beethoven 2 is often overlooked despite its importance.
At the time of composition it was the longest symphony written, an accolade it would loose soon to the Eroica.

More important are the references to a future symphony, the Ninth.
The introduction of the 1st mvt foreshadows the 1st theme of the 9th's 1st mvt.
The trio of the scherzo is literally repeated in the 9th's scherzo.

Interesting too is the reference to the Heiligenstadt testament, dated October 6th 1802.
Though the Second was mainly composed during 1802, it is a rather sunny and for beethovenian standards rather uncomplicated work.
The symphony's continuity draft however was ready in the summer of that year, the full score took a while,
Sketches, including the continuity draft of the finale, can be found in the Kessler-sketchbook, fol.17r-22r.
Remarkably Beethoven added a passage to the continuity draft in that finale in the full score (which he presented to Ferdinand Ries. Ever since the autograph score has disappeared, presumed lost).
Originally the finale was conceived as a rondo, it now got the character of a sonata-form.

There aren't that many examples in Beethoven's sketches and especially surviving continuity scores compared with autographs or published where he changes the structure of a work that rather profoundly (one of the rare other examples: the repeat in the scherzo of symphony 5).
This might be one of the influences of "Heiligenstadt" which is discernable in the 2nd Symphony.

**mercia** · 23-04-14, 04:51

speaking of Charles, he did a discovering music on Beethoven 2

Sorry, that page was not found

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00glw6j

**Pabmusic** · 23-04-14, 05:13

Beethoven 2 is one I've conducted. I seem to recall the horns lie high in the second movement. Isn't Beecham supposed to have ruined a perfect take (after several attempts) by saying "Thank you, gentlemen" before the light had gone off? And also, isn't this the first instance of horns being asked to change crooks during a movement?

It was good fun to do - more Haydn than Mozart, I'd have said.

**Bryn** · 23-04-14, 05:33

Originally posted by mercia View Post

speaking of Charles, he did a discovering music on Beethoven 2
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00glw6j

Part of the same deal as the televisual product around the time of The Beethoven Experience, was it not? Other works, such as the 4th Piano Concerto with Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano), got similar treatment.

**MickyD** · 23-04-14, 06:28

I've just found this nice HIP performance by the New Dutch Academy...I don't think I have ever heard of them before. The natural horns seem to cope pretty well!

Beethoven "Symphony no 2" (Larghetto ) The New Dutch Academy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1_CBQPu1w0

The Hague's Baroque Orchestra, The New Dutch Academy, with conductor Simon Murphy and Double Bass Soloist Christian Staude perform the programme "Bohemian Rh...

BaL 24.05.14: Beethoven Symphony no. 2 in D

BaL 24.05.14: Beethoven Symphony no. 2 in D

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