The rustic simplicity of a repeated note
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.พ. 2024
- Since the past few videos happened to feature repeated note melodies, I decided to feature possibly the most famous one in the Allegretto of Beethoven's 7th.
Famously quipped as "one of the most unremarkable melodies ever written" by Bernstein, yet Beethoven's assured use of simple melodies is simply a mark of his great genius to me. The movement was so well-received that audiences at the time demanded an encore, and we continue to see its echoes in other pieces by other composers. (The fifth variation of Schubert’s Variations in A-flat major for Four Hands, In the Hall of the Mountain King by Grieg, and possibly Ravel's Bolero)
The rhythm is the heart of the music and the simple dum, dum-dum-dum, dum ostinato pervades the movement. A soulful, melancholic counter-melody enters and that's all the material for the first section. The simplicity of it all is what makes it so great.
Recording(Mehta): • Beethoven: Symphony No...
I often watch your videos and they are really well-made. Congrats!
However, I don't think that trying to explain technical procedures or formalisms will help people understand the piece.
Some ideas that could help are for example that this movement follows the rythm of a pavane, an archaic dance (from Beethoven's epoque point of view). That gives the piece solemnity vibes.
Another idea is that violas and cellos enter with a "pianto", it's an apoggiatura of a minor second that represents the weeping of someone(look at the beginning of lacrimosa, the violin part). It's the most used madrigalism in all music history.
Hope that this inspires someone!
Pardon my english.
Excellent comment, thank you! I hadn't even realised that it was following the rhythm of a pavane, that's indeed very interesting!
What I find amazing is how Beethoven uses such a simple melody to build up to a great climax. Thanks for shedding light on this great excerpt.
True! And with his hearing loss! O M G! What a genius!
Its something eveey compositiinal student would apprexiate
1:22 ah yes the staple of any performance of a classical piece, le cough
This movement is captivating. Beethoven was really cooking.
Beethoven is ALWAYS cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like in the first movement of his fifth symphony, Beethoven achieves so much with one rhythmic idea
For me, this movement always helped me find a sense of peace. Unusual due to its intensity, but I really think this movement really gives you the feeling of preparing for something important. I always listen to this before doing something important because it really helps me look back on everything I have done to prepare for it and comforts me.
Heartbreaking perfection!
Much can be done with just one note -- rhythm, timbre, dynamics, etc.
Yep! The performance of a note is important
So it's not about the motive, it's about what you build with it !
precisely!
Building complexity above the simplicity, that's Beethoven. This movement, the 5th symphony, and a lot of his work start with a few notes, very simple notes, and then he builds on that to achieve masterpieces. I think it's that because our brain works like that, often we start with simple things and we build over and over to get beautiful things. Beethoven talks to the very basics mechanisms of our brain.
This piece, the 2nd movement of the 7th symphony is one of the most emotional music I've heard, no need to think or try to understand, it needs no effort, it's a direct connection to our basic instincts. By the way, when I play the record, my cat reacts too.
MORE! MORE! It’s fascinating to watch the score as well as hearing the music! Thank you
People love one repeated note.
They love it so much.
It's been on my mind a lot recently. Thinking about all the melodies that start with one note repeated over and over
"Is this the real life....'
Beethoven is well known for his repetitions of short musical patterns or short musical phrases and then develops them (in the form of themes and variations)
amazing! I've always loved how it builds intensity to the epic moment at 2:22
2:15 Here I think the piano arrangement catches something even beyond Beethoven's origininal work. Perhaps the conditions of violins at Beethoven's time made him assume the upper limit of violins to be e6, and therefore the countermelody had to be altered down an octave to the lower register here. The piano arrrangement here sticks to the climax register, and I wonder how it would sound if the orchestra (i.e. violins) also played in the "should be" register containing the f6 note.
It's not just a practical consideration though, because that allows for the octave jump right before the harmony changes from C major to B major. It's an expressive device that calls attention to the chromatism in the countermelody and is not really playable on the piano that way. So I think the compromised version is the piano arrangement and not the other way around.
@@wingcap1448 This also reminds me of the introduction part of the Ode to Joy theme in the 9th symphony. It's also theme and variations:
1st time: harsh cellos and basses, repeat the B phrase (7th: pp, 9th: keep the dynamic)
2nd time: with violas, more mild, repeat the B phrase (7th: pp, 9th: keep the dynamic)
3rd time: with violins, more vivid, repeat the B phrase while for the only time crescendoing (it's especially here that called me for the 9th symphony!)
4th time: tutti, climax, repeat the B phrase (dynamic different, 7th: diminuendo and almost immediately leads to the next section, 9th: keep the dynamic and keep intensifying more for a while)
Warm thanks for exposing the music sheets with all voices at once, and commenting it. Thanks for sharing this !
Pure beauty.
That makes 4!
Such a beautiful melody
Mmmmm 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻✌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Bravooo! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
thanks for your videos !! love your content!!!!
these vids and analysis r amazing
No one has and will ever surpass Beethoven’s genius
thank you for captioning and the education. my favorite piece.
Great video, so much fun
Thank you for your insight again! A world of music created out af such simplicity indeed!
I think the movie was called Zardos - this amazing movement was sung, mostly by James Bowman, the famous countertenor (starring Sean Connery).
Thanks! Glenn Gould's recording of the Liszt transcription is a favorite of mine.
in the movie that I think was called Zardoz this movement was sung, most notably by the countertenor James Bowman
Your comments are very well said!~
Assembled .. Tanks and infantry.. mobilized garrisons.. orchestrated maneuvers.. driven by ONE ..up hills, down valleys.. Driven Driven by One.
I'm not the biggest fan of this melody, but your explanation made it interesting. Thanks for these videos!
I love this melody so much 😊
Why are you so interested in just melody, which is a tiny component of music in general, and of this breathtaking masterpiece in particular?
@@namenlos2578I really like the way beethoven was able to expand on such a simple melody, that was captivating. That being said, for me this melody doesn't really speak to me, it's just that
@@nathanbegel4505 The "melody" of the Arietta in Opus 111, perhaps the greatest music masterpiece, had 4 notes, and nobody really cares about it.
@@namenlos2578 I think you're mistakenly assuming people are suggesting a "simple" melody is a bad melody. The simplicity of the arietta's melody is what allows beethoven to use it in so many ways. (This isn't to say all simple melodies are good. There are good and bad simple melodies, just as there are good and bad complex melodies. And as with most things it's not necessarily how complex your melody is, it's what you do with it.)
You should do an analysis video of Percy Grainger’s “Colonial Song” for piano.
One of my favourite pieces for piano!
Never thought of doing it but it's a great idea
This excerpt sounds like the Peter theme from Peter and the wolf
beethoven
Beethoven*. Have some respect to His Greatness.
yea
Ludwig Van RIP
oh first beethoven!!
Who remembers THAT FINAL SCENE from "Knowing"?
Is the score Liszt's transcription?
exactly!
Can someone tell me what movie this is from?
Compare this to the verse of Help by the Beatles
Could you please explain the difference between measures 4 and 5? It's the same chord! V! E-Major! What on earth is 'V6' supposed to mean?
Also, in the first measure, this weird '64'! Why? It's just a-Minor? a-Minor with 64 just means a, d and f, therefore d-Minor! Basic basso continuo! But there's no d-Minor?!
V6 is the first inversion because it has a sixth from the bass note. Same thing for the first chord which is in second inversion, a 6th and 4th from the bass note, E, which gives C and A respectively.
@@skylarlimex Thanks a lot. It just drove me completely crazy :D
I wonder if Beethoven’s music would’ve been as good or better if he hadn’t lost his hearing?🤔
As rustic as Gennaro's chicken stew.
Awfully specific
What
@@skylarlimex deliciously rustic.
To me, it makes more sense to just describe the opening material as the accompaniment (or even, a passaclagia) , not a melody. I hear the real melody as what you call the counter melody. In some sense I would then agree with Bernstein - its a terrible melody, because its not one in the first place.
I partially agree. It really feels more like accompaniment material, specially when the counter melody starts. But it's rare for classical pieces to riff the accompaniment for so long before melodic material enters.
Considering that the theme even modulates and works like a traditional small ternary, labelling it only a riff or accompaniment doesn't make much sense in the classical traditional.
I also find it funny that people often use this movement as an example that Beethoven wasn't a good melodist. The counter melody in the violas and celli is absolutely beautiful and hooked me instantly when I was just getting into classical.
I see it as the main melody also because it seems like beethoven gives it importance over the counter-melody most of the time, mostly being higher in pitch and having a louder dynamic. In the final variation for example the entire wind section is playing that repeated note melody, that's not what you would normally do with a simple accompaniment figure.