Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir Simon Rattle – Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, Op. 68 “Pastoral” (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir Simon Rattle – Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, Op. 68 “Pastoral” (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 44:41 minutes | 412 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Warner Classics

Beethoven’s Sixth evolves as an exploration of an unemphatic harmonic progression that embodies a feeling of calm. Beethoven employs this exploration in charting the broad structure of the symphony’s movements individually, and of the work as a whole. The first movement prefigures the aura of calm by drawing out harmonies over uncharacteristically long spans, spacious expanses of serene relaxation in which the ear is busied only by the surface details of fragmented melodies. So when the first movement returns to action after its opening phrase, it quickly stumbles into a sort of stuttering repetition. The same melodic fragment is repeated verbatim through ten measures, changed only by a swelling and then a diminishing of volume, with the bassoons reinforcing the texture at the loudest point. Similar repetitions appear elsewhere in the movement. The harmony can prove just as static as the melody. In fact, the first movement is practically devoid of dissonance-the spice of harmony-and even minor chords are nearly banished. Like a good recreation director at a summer retreat, Beethoven is forcing his audience to relax. The proceedings do not grow bland, however, thanks in part to the composer’s ingenious use of rhythmic dissonance, with conflicting groups of two and three notes overlapping in the same spaces of time.

Tracklist:
1-1. Sir Simon Rattle – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”: I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande. Allegro ma non troppo (12:36)
1-2. Sir Simon Rattle – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”: II. Scene am Bach. Andante molto moto (12:20)
1-3. Sir Simon Rattle – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”: III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute. Allegro (05:24)
1-4. Sir Simon Rattle – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”: IV. Gewitter. Sturm. Allegro – (03:59)
1-5. Sir Simon Rattle – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”: V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm. Allegretto (10:20)

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