How does Beethoven unify his 6th Symphony movements?
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F, Op. 68 (“Pastoral”) was completed in 1808. It appears immediately after Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67. One would be hard pressed to find two pieces of music more different from one another. Both are steeped in symbolism, but Beethoven conceived his Sixth Symphony as a collection of tone poems in symphonic form. It was one of a very few pieces of true program music that the Master composed. The work bore the title “Recollections of Country Life” at its premiere. Each movement of the symphony represents a different scene or picture. They translate roughly to: I. Happy Feelings upon Arriving in the Country II. Scene by a Brook III.Merry Gathering of Country Folk IV. Thunderstorm V. Glad and Grateful Feels after the Storm Beethoven creates unity by weaving these scenes together into a single narrative. This unity is increased further because the final three movements are performed without a break.
