Early sketches for the Beethoven symphony #6 date from 1802, though its actual composition waited until the summers of 1807 and 1808, which Beethoven spent in the village of Heiligenstadt. In that rural retreat, a green escape from city heat, his mind was at rest, and he was able to compose not only this symphony, but also the Symphony no. 5, the Cello Sonata in A major, op. 69, and the two op. 70 Piano Trios.
During this period, Beethoven produced so many works that he was uncertain which symphony was finished first. He initially cataloged the Pastoral Symphony as number five and the c-minor Symphony as number six. The numbering was only altered at publication.
The first, Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arriving in the Country, sets an idyllic mood. A sort of skipping rhythm is heard throughout this movement, as if the composer were envisioning village children at play. The second movement is Scene By the Brook, in this case, a gentle brook frequented by quails, cuckoos, and nightingales, whose voices are evoked by the woodwinds: oboe, clarinet, and flute, respectively. The individual parts indicate specifically which instrument represents which bird.
Here is conductor Leonard Bernstein to take you on this wonderful musical journey:
