Beethoven and Nature

[Peter Hansmann]

I am interested to know how nature got into the 6th Symphony. Was it Beethoven's personal relationship with nature that prompted him to compose the Pastorale, was it the mood of the time (romantic age dawning), or something else?

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Peter Hansmann:
I am interested to know how nature got into the 6th Symphony. Was it Beethoven's personal relationship with nature that prompted him to compose the Pastorale, was it the mood of the time (romantic age dawning), or something else?

Beethoven was particularly fond of nature walks, from where he got inspiration and tried to get apart from people and daily life a bit, so it is no surprise that he once would write something back to nature who was a good friend of his.
He also may have had some influence by Haydn's oratorios, which Haydn made him copy (an old but effective way of teaching one more about writing music) during his "lessons" with the old master, who was a Pantheist and very good at describeing nature sounds in music. He (Haydn) managed to put into music from barking dogs in a hunt to squirls mating.

Anyway, from these long reclusive walks among nature he got many ideas for his 6th symphonie, specially the 2nd movement.

[This message has been edited by Rutradelusasa (edited January 28, 2004).]

[kenneth]

Beethoven said that the 6th is not a painting but the feelings that was in his mind. Each spring/summer he would leave his residens at vienna and set for the countryside. This is where he might get the first movment from.